Cobra Kai

Cobra Kai
Starring	Ralph Macchio William Zabka
Music by	Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson

For the organization, see Cobra Kai Dojo.

Cobra Kai is an American comedy-drama web television series based on The Karate Kid film series created by Robert Mark Kamen that premiered on May 2, 2018 on YouTube Red. The television series takes place 34 years after the original film and follows the reopening of the Cobra Kai karate dojo by Johnny Lawrence and the rekindling of his old rivalry with Daniel LaRusso. The series was created by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald and stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, reprising their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence from the films.

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.

Premise

Set 34 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 mentor Mr. Miyagi. 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 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

Main

• William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence
• Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz, a young boy who Johnny has been teaching to fight
• Diora Baird as Shannon Keene, Johnny's ex-wife and Robby's mother
• Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
• Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso, Daniel's wife
• Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, Johnny's street-smart son
• Vanessa Rubio as Carmen Diaz, Miguel's hard-working mother
• Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso, Daniel's daughter

Recurring

• Gianni Decenzo as Demetri
• Jacob Bertrand as Eli/Hawk
• Nichole Brown as Aisha Robinson
• Griffin Santopietro as Anthony LaRusso
• Joe Seo as Kyler
• Annalisa Cochrane as Yasmine
• Hannah Kepple as Moon
• Ed Asner as Sid Weinberg
• Rose Bianco as Rosa Diaz
• Diora Baird as Shannon Keene
• Bo Mitchell as Brick
• Kwajalyn Brown as Sheila
• Erin Bradley Dangar as Counselor Blatt
• Connor Murdock as Kev
• Gabe Bowles as Tim
• Owen Morgan as Bert
• Cameron Markeles as Frank
• Denzel K Williams as Caleb
• Bo Mitchell as Brucks
• Bret Ernst as Louie LaRusso Jr.
• Dan Ahdoot as Anoush
• Jonathan Mercedes as A.J.
• Keith Arthur Bolden as Daryl
• Susan Gallagher as Lynn
• Kwajalyn Brown as Sheila
• Terayle Hill as Trey

Guest

• David Shatraw as Tom Cole
• Ken Davitian as Armand Zakarian
• Randee Heller as Lucille LaRusso
• Martin Kove as John Kreese

Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue appear via archive footage from the first film as Mr. Miyagi and Ali Mills, respectively.

Episode List

For full article, see List of Cobra Kai Episodes

Season 1

1. Ace Degenerate
2. Strike First
3. Esqueleto
4. Cobra Kai Never Dies
5. Counterbalance
6. Quiver
7. All Valley
8. Molting
9. Different but Same
10. Mercy

Season 2

1. Mercy Part II
2. Back in Black
3. Fire and Ice
4. The Moment of Truth
5. All In
6. Take a Right
7. Lull
8. Glory of Love
9. Pulpo
10. No Mercy

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.