Cobra Kai never dies...and neither does its storytelling. In the much-anticipated opening to the final season, we see a familiar set of plot beats: A former villain returns, the date for a big fight is set, the students train, Johnny sells a car, and personal drama gives way to unexpected rivalries. It’s par for the course for Cobra Kai! Or rather, to go with a fighting metaphor, it’s as classic as “Wax on, wax off.”
inside the dojo
Given that this is the last opportunity for Cobra Kai to wrap everything up in a bow, the series is attempting a fifteen-episode sendoff, told in three parts. While Netflix’s season 6 release plan may seem like overkill for fans of the lighthearted Karate Kid sequel, season 6’s first five episodes attempt to justify its three-hour runtime with a shocking twist. For more, let’s dive into everything that happened in season 6, part 1.
NetflixKreese returns!
Daniel and Johnny, Together at Last
When the original Karate Kid boys aren’t doing whatever the hell they do in their personal lives nowadays, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) train students in karate. This isn’t anything new for longtime viewers of Cobra Kai, but what is different in the most recent stretch of the series is that the two are now working together.
Under the banner of Miyagi-do, the combined schools are training for an international fighting tournament called the Sekai Taikai. It sounds intense! But Sekai Taikai just translates to “world convention.” Also, the event is held in Barcelona, for some reason. As you probably expected, Daniel and Johnny disagree on how to train the students for the competition. Whereas Daniel focuses on meditation, Johnny slings beer bottles at them like they’re the Bad News Bears.
NetflixSeason 6 introduces an egregious new mohawk for Hawk.
Kreese Is Back
That’s right! After going to prison and faking his own death, the original Karate Kid villain is back in the spotlight for season 6. Though the terror of Karate Kid Part III villain Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) has ended, John Kreese (Martin Kove) returns. This season, he’s hell-bent on recruiting his former student Tory (Peyton List). He also goes on a bizarre journey in season 6, episode 2, to find a lost knife deep in a cave. He’s bitten by a poisonous snake and has visions of Johnny that solidify his hatred for his former student. He kills his vision of Johnny and swears revenge.
Miyagi’s Past Deepens
Naming the dojo after Miyagi was a nice way to pay homage to the late Pat Morita, the actor who played the character in Karate Kid. But a certain mystery in season 6 doesn’t sit right with me. In episode 3, Daniel finds a box of Miyagi’s old belongings that seems to suggest he committed a violent crime in the past and then changed his name. I know there’s some sort of mystery surrounding Miyagi and his connection to the Sekai Taikai, but this just feels a bit off—even if he’s entirely innocent by the end of the series.
NetflixI couldn’t tell you what Tory was thinking with this move.
The Sekai Taikai Is Set
No doubt the biggest shocker of Cobra Kai season 6 so far is that Tory ends up fighting for Kreese in the Sekai Taikai. The betrayal begins after her mother dies from a kidney disease in episode 5. She’s set to fight LaRusso’s daughter, Sam (Mary Mouser), for the team-captain spot right after her mother passes, but her aggression creates a dangerous environment. She’s about to win when Daniel steps in. (For the record, Sam had ample opportunities to strike had she not just stood there in fear.) But Daniel and Johnny disagree over how to proceed, and the two teachers fight a bit themselves. Tory quits and storms off. In the flash-forward to the Sekai Taikai, she’s wearing black next to Kreese.
What's Next for Cobra Kai?
On the Miyagi-do side, Tory’s boyfriend, Robby (Tanner Buchanan), beats out Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) for the team-captain role. He’s not much comfort to Tory after her mother passes, however, creating some tension in their relationship moving forward. “He didn’t even seem to reach out and try to give her condolences or anything,” Buchanan told Today. “I really don’t know what happened.” Me neither! Hopefully, the drama is sorted out when Cobra Kai returns for part 2 in November. After that, the series is set to conclude with part 3 sometime in 2025.
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