Cobra Kai: A Look Back

By Nolan P. Smith
Editor, Pastrami Nation

Few film franchises hold the same nostalgic power as The Karate Kid. Watching Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso battle against the odds in both the valley and Japan was an unforgettable journey. So when Cobra Kai was announced as a series on YouTube, I subscribed to YouTube Red without hesitation. The idea of William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence resurrecting the black-and-yellow badassery of Cobra Kai was too good to ignore. The series later found a new home on Netflix, where it skyrocketed in popularity. Now, with Season 6 marking the end of the road, we say goodbye the only way Cobra Kai knows how—on its own terms.

Spoilers Ahead—Read with Caution

Cobra Kai started with Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence and Xolo Maridueña’s Miguel Diaz, and that’s exactly how it ends. However, Season 6 was a mixed bag. Broken into three parts, the final season struggled to maintain the energy and focus of its predecessors. The introduction of John Kreese (Martin Kove) and Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) as villains in previous seasons, along with an ever-expanding younger cast, caused the series to lose its way at times. But in the final stretch, Cobra Kai returned to form—focusing on the characters who made the series great, like Miguel, Peyton List’s Tory Nichols, and, of course, the king of 1985 himself, Johnny Lawrence.

One of the biggest surprises was a CGI and AI-generated appearance of Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi. While risky, the moment was handled with care and became one of the season’s most emotionally powerful scenes.

So, what did we take away from Cobra Kai?

• Underdogs still rise.  Johnny, Miguel, and Tory each overcame impossible odds—whether it was learning to walk again, facing past demons, or dealing with loss, they proved that Cobra Kai doesn’t quit.
• Winning isn’t everything. Daniel LaRusso and the Miyagi-Do kids realized that there’s more to life than fighting. With family, careers, and futures ahead of them, some battles just aren’t worth the cost.
• It’s okay to be yourself. Johnny’s journey from washed-up has-been to a sensei who questioned his own methods came full circle. In the end, he embraced his true self—trash-talking, badass, and unapologetic.

In the end, Cobra Kai reignited the passion and nostalgia that The Karate Kid first instilled in us. It wasn’t perfect, but the high points far outweighed the lows. With Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso set to return in the upcoming Karate Kid film, the door remains open for more. And if there’s one thing we know for sure…

Cobra Kai never dies.