While it would be unfair to draw comparisons between Cobra Kai and Karate Kid, Cobra Kai is avoiding a big Karate Kid mistake by ending with season 6.
By ending its long run with season 6, Cobra Kai avoids a mistake that killed Karate Kid. Set in the San Fernando Valley, Cobra Kai marks the return of many familiar faces from the original Karate Kid franchises, including heroes and villains like Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence, John Kreese, and Terry Silver. At the same time, the Netflix series also adds a new generation of teenage characters to its mix, allowing it to balance nostalgia with a fresh take on coming-of-age stories. Owing to this balance, Cobra Kai has not only retained audiences of the original Karate Kid franchise but also pleased new viewers.
Although Cobra Kai has had a few hiccups in its hefty five-season runtime, its seasons have consistently received positive reviews from viewers and critics. Considering how each Cobra Kai season has been on par with its predecessor — if not better — season 6 will likely tread the same path. The fact that Cobra Kai season 6 will be the show’s last season, winding up its overarching storylines, affirms that it will not diminish the series’ overall quality, primarily because it is not repeating a Karate Kid mistake.
Cobra Kai Is Ending At The Right Time – Unlike Karate Kid
In a Twitter post, one of Cobra Kai’s creators, Jon Hurwitz, confirmed that Netflix did not decide to end the series with season 6. Instead, Cobra Kai’s creators called the shots on giving it a fitting closure in season 6. This decision proves that, unlike the Karate Kid movies, especially Karate Kid III, Cobra Kai will not outstay its welcome and rightfully end its storyline with season 6. Considering how Cobra Kai has consistently garnered the appreciation of audiences and critics, Netflix could have easily milked its fame and success by adding a few more seasons to its runtime.
Netflix didn't tell us it was the last season. We told them it was the last season. We've always wanted to end Cobra Kai on our own terms and we are grateful we have the opportunity to do so. But that doesn't mean we're finished with the Miyagiverse. We love this world. #CobraKai https://t.co/sAb0GarANP
— Jon Hurwitz (@jonhurwitz) February 27, 2023
However, as seen in the Karate Kid movie series, stretching the show’s narrative would offer diminishing returns over time and gradually chip away at the impact of its best seasons. The first Karate Kid movie became one of the most influential coming-of-age combat sports movies. While Karate Kid II recycled many elements of the first movie’s narrative, it delivered something new with its change in setting and emphasis on Okinawan culture. Karate Kid III, however, diluted the effect of its predecessors by reinstating their lessons and offering nothing new or memorable.
Considering how Terry Silver would not have been a part of Cobra Kai if it wasn’t for Karate Kid III, the film deserves some credit for introducing one of the most compelling villains of the franchise. However, the movie’s lack of originality is a lesson on how unnecessary franchise extensions can do more harm than good. Therefore, by ending the series on a pre-planned high note, Cobra Kai season 6’s story will conclude all arcs at the right time and avoid repeating Karate Kid III’s mistakes.
A New Cobra Kai Cast Wouldn’t Work
The Karate Kid franchise tried reinventing its formula in The Next Karate Kid by focusing on a new character. While the movie had a talented roster, including Hilary Swank as Julie Pierce and Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi, it failed to leave a lasting impact because audiences were already too familiar with the franchise’s portrayal of the typical high school underdog story. The Next Karate Kid’s failure proved that the franchise’s primary appeal came from its original characters, and their relationships, personal battles, and karate styles. Shifting its focus to new characters, alienated audiences that watched the Karate Kid movies because of how invested they were in the existing character base.
In the past, many other high school TV shows like Glee, Saved by the Bell, and Skins have also tried extending their runtimes by portraying new characters as their front-runners. Unfortunately, that approach did not fare too well because none of these shows had a solid reason to reel audiences in once they had resolved their first-generation character arcs. From the looks of it, Cobra Kai has also exhausted nearly all the stories it can tell with high school as its setting and karate as its primary narrative device. Repeating the same with new characters just would not be compelling enough.
Cobra Kai Ending With Season 6 Will Protect The Show’s Legacy
Considering how most franchise reboots leave audiences disappointed, Cobra Kai is an outlier since it has not only effectively leveraged Karate Kid’s fame but also improved it in more ways than one. Instead of merely imitating the Karate Kid movies, Cobra Kai has used Karate Kid’s lore to instill nostalgia while creating its own legacy with its original and inventive take on Karate Kid’s overused and outdated tropes. By ending its run with season 6, Cobra Kai is sustaining its legacy and also preserving all the incredible additions it made to the franchise.
