Cobra Kai is ending with season 6, and the legacy series can be the proper Karate Kid saga conclusion that the original movies never had.
Cobra Kai season 6 will be the Karate Kid ending that never happened in the movies. After revisiting pretty much every friend and foe from Daniel LaRusso’s past, Cobra Kai is ending with season 6. The final Cobra Kai season is expected to cover a global karate tournament, promising a high-stakes conclusion for the show and the Karate Kid saga as a whole.
Cobra Kai works as a direct sequel to the Daniel Larusso Karate Kid movies, although the events of The Next Karate Kid are also part of the show’s canon. Not only has Cobra Kai revisited most Karate Kid characters by this point, but the show is also close to wrapping up the stories of its original characters. This is why having Cobra Kai season 6 be the last makes a lot of sense.
Karate Kid’s Movie Series Never Had A Proper Ending
The Karate Kid movie saga never really had a proper conclusion. In fact, none of the original Karate Kid movies had a properly wrapped-up ending. The original Karate Kid film ends as soon as Daniel LaRusso wins the All-Valley, leaving no screentime for audiences to absorb Daniel’s victory. Interestingly, The Karate Kid Part II starts exactly where The Karate Kid left off, adding to the idea that the original film’s ending was incomplete. A similar thing happened with The Karate Kid Part II and The Karate Kid Part III, the latter of which begins where the former should have ended.
The Karate Kid Part III’s ending, which was the end of Daniel LaRusso’s story until Cobra Kai, was not a fitting conclusion for the saga. Firstly, neither Ali Mills nor Johnny Lawrence, key parts of Daniel’s original Karate Kid story, were involved. Likewise, Karate Kid 3 ends with Daniel winning yet another tournament and celebrating with Mr. Miyagi, offering no context on what happened to any of the villains or where Daniel’s life went next. Another “Karate Kid saga finale” was The Next Karate Kid, which featured Mr. Miyagi but not Daniel. The Next Karate Kid was a standalone spinoff, and therefore it cannot be considered a fitting ending either.
Cobra Kai Season 6 Is Perfectly Set For A Better Ending
Cobra Kai was The Karate Kid’s sequel that none of the movies could be, mostly because it brought Johnny Lawrence back into the saga. As such, even without considering the other movies, Cobra Kai set itself to be the proper Karate Kid ending that never happened. That said, Cobra Kai embraced the Karate Kid sequels, even though they were less successful than the original movie. Five seasons later, Cobra Kai season 6 is set to be a perfect ending for Daniel LaRusso’s entire story – including Part II and Part III. For example, Chozen and Terry Silver are as important as Johnny or Kreese in the show.
In addition, whereas every Karate Kid movie was designed so that a sequel could take place, Cobra Kai is ending with season 6 per the decision of the creators. Therefore, Cobra Kai season 6 is being crafted as the end. Most important, Cobra Kai season 6 will feature a global karate tournament, the Sekai Taikai, which is just the perfect way to conclude the Karate Kid saga. Rivalries and character arcs aside, both Karate Kid and Cobra Kai always come down to a tournament. There cannot be a bigger challenge than a global karate competition, which is why Cobra Kai season 6 is perfectly set for a better ending than the movies.
Karate Kid’s New Spinoffs Risk Ruining Cobra Kai’s Ending
Unless Cobra Kai season 6 is extremely disappointing compared to the previous seasons, it is safe to say that the show will be the solid Karate Kid ending that never happened. However, this sense of conclusion risks being ruined by the announced and rumored Karate Kid spinoffs. A new Karate Kid movie with which the Cobra Kai creative team is not involved is currently in development, although no details on the story or cast have been revealed. Bringing the Karate Kid saga back to theaters right after Cobra Kai ends is risky, even more so if it is a Karate Kid reboot or remake.
A letter to you, the greatest fans in the world, from the showrunners of COBRA KAI. pic.twitter.com/Nz71m5iOOm
— Cobra Kai (@CobraKaiSeries) January 20, 2023
The Cobra Kai showrunners have also expressed their wish to expand the “Miyagi-verse,” which includes the first four Karate Kid movies and Cobra Kai. As such, having Cobra Kai spinoffs after the show ends is a possibility that cannot be ruled out. As interesting as it would be to see new Karate Kid stories, Cobra Kai should have the chance to establish its own legacy. It remains to be seen how definitive Cobra Kai’s series finale will be, and where the Karate Kid franchise goes next.
