Cobra Kai has come to a balanced finale. In May of 2018, the world first witnessed what is now one of the most watched shows ever come to life. The series, consisting of 6 thrilling seasons, was watched for over 16.7 billion minutes in 2022 alone. For context, 1 billion minutes = 1,902 years. The show was created by 3 best friends, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg. The last and final part was aired on February 13th, 2025. 

The inspiration for Cobra Kai comes from the original 1980s “Karate Kid” films. 

The show follows the lives of the previous fighters Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), living in their 40s while one is mastering their personal life and the other not so much.

Although the show is centered around both of the ex-fighters, its main focus is on Johnny. While Daniel is thriving with his car dealership, Johnny, the 2-peat All Valley champion, is struggling to enjoy his life after winning it big in the ‘80s. 

As Johnny is figuring out what’s next for him, he goes to the place where it all started… Cobra Kai. 

He reopens Cobra Kai and begins to teach the same teachings he was taught. Therefore, restarting everything that was put to rest nearly 4 decades ago.

Part 1:

Part one is all about figuring out what’s next for everyone. For some it’s college, family, or focusing on the victories ahead. Most would say the first couple episodes display the calm before the storm that follows with the Sekai Taikai (Karate World Championship). 

Part 2: 

While the team is in Spain for the Sekai Taikai, the teens get introduced to bigger and better dojos that they are not used to.

Mr.Larusso is trying to solve mysteries that occurred before he was even born concerning his old mentor, Mr.Miyagi.

On the other hand, Johnny is hoping that winning the championship will somehow complete a part of him before his child is born. 

As the teens are trying to prepare themselves for the biggest matches of their lives, they begin to lose their steadiness on the tournament and sharpen their focus more on their anger towards each other.

The Final Part: 

Due to an incident, the tournament is moved to the States. It gives everyone a chance to redeem themselves, or that’s what Johnny is hoping for. 

Like stated before, Johnny is hoping for some sort of fulfillment that winning the tournament will bring him. At first I wasn’t certain why he kept circling back and pushing the fights onto everyone. It is later revealed that he feels like he has nothing good to show to his baby on the way, and that winning such a high achievement, like the Seikai Takai, can bring in fans, students, and, most importantly, sponsors that will help improve his family situation.

With the end drawing in, the last episode, “Ex-Degenerate,” takes its viewers through a walk-through of how far each character has made it. The nerds from episode one, “Ace Degenerate,” are now going to college; Daniel is finally coming to the realization that it’s okay for Mr.Miyagi to not be an open book. Johnny was able to get an apology (he should have received 40 years ago) from an old mentor. 

For me, Cobra Kai has always been a favorite. I never thought I would’ve liked and cherished the show as much as I have. I believe it’s a great show for reintroducing the battles that come along with karate to a newer generation.

You may be thinking that the franchise has finally come to an end. It has not; there will be a new Karate Kid movie returning to theaters near you. Karate Kid: Legends will stream May 30th, 2025. Stay tuned!