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This article is about the television series. You may be looking for the organization, Cobra Kai Dojo.


Cobra Kai is an American comedy-drama web television series that serves as a sequel to the original The Karate Kid film series, created by Robert Mark Kamen. The first season premiered May 2, 2018, on YouTube Premium, known at the time as YouTube Red.

On May 10, 2018, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season of ten episodes that premiered in 2019. On May 2, 2019, YouTube renewed the series for a third season[1] and on June 22, 2020, it moved to Netflix with the first two seasons becoming available on August 27, 2020.

The third season released on January 1, 2021. In October 2020, the series was renewed for a fourth season ahead of the third season premiere.[2] and a fifth season in August 2021. The series was renewed for a sixth and final season on January 20, 2023.

The series was created by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald. It stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprising their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, respectively.

Premise

Set thirty-four years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, when a down-and-out Johnny Lawrence seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. The move reignites his rivalry with a now successful Daniel LaRusso, who has been struggling to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of his now-deceased mentor Mr. Miyagi.[3] The show is about two men addressing past demons and present frustrations the only way they know how: through karate."

Running parallel to the conflict are the story arcs of Johnny and Daniel's students. Johnny opens a new Cobra Kai dojo that attracts a group of bullied nerds and social outcasts who find a camaraderie and self-confidence under his tutelage, but there are some who take his aggressive philosophy too far, in particular his star pupil, Miguel Diaz. In contrast, Johnny's estranged son, Robby Keene, comes under the wing of Daniel, who hires the boy at his car dealership, initially not knowing that Johnny is his father. Daniel eventually proves a positive influence to the boy, teaching him Mr. Miyagi's philosophy of balance. Meanwhile, Daniel's daughter, Samantha, is caught in the middle of these conflicts as she learns who her true friends are and a better path to follow.

Cast

Starring

Recurring/Supporting

Guest

Pat Morita, Chad McQueen, Danny Kamekona, and Nobu McCarthy appear via archive footage from the films as Mr. Miyagi, Dutch, Sato Toguchi, and Yukie respectively.

Episode Guide

Reception

The series has been met with highly positive critical acclaim from both critics and the public at large . On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.29 out of 10 based on 22 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Cobra Kai continues the Karate Kid franchise with a blend of pleasantly corny nostalgia and teen angst, elevated by a cast of well-written characters." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 72 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Cobra Kai has been praised for combining throwbacks to the original films with fresh, new storylines, combining different generations and time periods as well as dealing with dark and serious themes.

Awards and Nominations

Merchandise

Main article: Cobra Kai/Merchandise

Courtesy of Netflix, Sony Pictures, several other brands, Cobra Kai has a plethora of official merchandise available to fans. These include books, graphic novels, DVD sets, apparel, accessories, and more. Netflix also partners with established brands. A list of notable official merchandise can be found here.

Cobra Kai Concert

Enter the Dojo Music-Concert

Enter the Dojo: The Music of Cobra Kai Live was a one-night only musical event hosted by series composersLeo Birenberg and Zach Robinson. The ticketed concert took place on June 23, 2022, at the Troubadour. Vince DiCola, composer of “Staying Alive” and “Rocky IV,” gav3e a special performance with his band at the concert. Becca Schack served as the house DJ. General admission tickets were sold for $30 and went on sale Friday, May 6, at 10 a.m. PT on the Troubadour website. There were additional VIP ticket options for meet-and-greet opportunities with Birenberg, Robinson and DiCola.[8]

Notes and Trivia

  • The creators of the show refer to Cobra Kai as an extension of the "Miyagi-verse", so any character that interacted with Mr. Miyagi or his direct peers are canon for the show. The characters acted by Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith are not in the same universe since it was a remake. This is expected to be retconned once Karate Kid: Legends is released and Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio will appear in together. On the flipside, Julie Pierce, who appeared in the spin-off of the original trilogy is canon due to interacting with Mr. Miyagi.[9] Will Smith receives an executive producer credit on the series due to his Overlook Entertainment's involvement in the 2010 film, though his actual involvement with the series is reported to be minimal.[10]

References

External links

Navigational

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Films

The Karate Kid | Part II | Part III | The Next Karate Kid | The Karate Kid (2010)

Cobra Kai
Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6

Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues - Johnny's Story
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

The Karate Kid (NES) | Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues | Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising |
Cobra Kai Card Fighter

           Cobrakai

Season I
Ace Degenerate | Strike First | Esqueleto | Cobra Kai Never Dies | Counterbalance | Quiver | All Valley | Molting | Different but Same | Mercy

Season II
Mercy Part II | Back in Black | Fire and Ice | The Moment of Truth | All In | Take a Right | Lull | Glory of Love | Pulpo | No Mercy

Season III
Aftermath | Nature Vs. Nurture | Now You're Gonna Pay | The Right Path | Miyagi-Do | King Cobra | Obstáculos | The Good, The Bad, and The Badass | Feel The Night | December 19

Season IV
Let's Begin | First Learn Stand | Then Learn Fly | Bicephaly | Match Point | Kicks Get Chicks | Minefields | Party Time | The Fall | The Rise

Season V
Long, Long Way From Home | Molé | Playing With Fire | Downward Spiral | Extreme Measures | Ouroboros | Bad Eggs | Taikai | Survivors | Head of the Snake

Season VI
Peacetime in the Valley | The Prize | Sleeper | Underdogs | Best of the Best | Benvinguts a Barcelona | Dog in the Fight | Snakes on a Plane | Blood In Blood Out | Eunjangdo

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