Johnny and Daniel’s stories might be coming to an end with Cobra Kai season 6, but there’s potential to leave a huge impact on the Miyagi universe.
As the Miyagi universe expands, the legacy of Cobra Kai has the potential to leave a bigger impact than The Karate Kid. Set 30 years after the All-Valley Championship of 1984, Cobra Kai delivers an action-packed, humorous story to introduce new audiences to beloved characters and reignite the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso. With a whole new cast of young fighters, Cobra Kai honors The Karate Kid legacy while being something new entirely.
Originally airing on YouTube Red before moving to Netflix for season 3, the warring karate dojos of Cobra Kai have rivalries between sensei and students alike. The personalities are big, but the fights are bigger. Cobra Kai has many stories to finish before the end of the series, but with the popularity and renewed passion for the Miyagi story, Johnny and Daniel will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come as potential Cobra Kai season 6 follow up spinoffs emerge.
Cobra Kai’s Quality Means It Can Surpass Karate Kid’s Legacy (Eventually)
Between the character development, humor, and homages to the original movies, Cobra Kai has proven quality that can outshine The Karate Kid’s legacy in the future. With plenty of theories how Cobra Kai season 6 will end, it will surely bring the action for the Sekai Tekai Tournament. Cobra Kai focuses on a number of fighters and fighting styles compared to The Karate Kid which mostly concentrates on Daniel’s development with Mr. Miyagi, and this is where Cobra Kai shines. Every teenager has a different reason for wanting to join Miyagi-Do, Eagle Fang, and Cobra Kai, and they each learn significant lessons about themselves along the way without preaching.
The homages to The Karate Kid movies are similarly not forced, but weaved intentionally throughout Cobra Kai to produce potent storylines. Johnny and Daniel’s relationship shifts compared to their childhood, redeeming the right Karate Kid villains. Old characters like Kreese, Silver, and Chozen return into Johnny and Daniel’s lives in a natural progression. Cobra Kai is a true continuation of The Karate Kid movie series, reintroducing old characters with believable subplots that carry the series. The quality of Cobra Kai characters and storytelling in comparison will likely leave a lasting impression on audiences for years, especially as younger viewers are introduced to Cobra Kai before ever watching The Karate Kid.
Future Spinoffs Will Make Cobra Kai’s Legacy Even Stronger
Cobra Kai has some ample potential for multiple spinoffs to continue the franchise legacy. With a decidedly large cast and multiple karate dojos, there are more possibilities for spinoffs after Cobra Kai season 6. The older cast may move on following season 6, but younger fighters such as Kenny and Anthony could take center mat to continue the story. Hawk also plays a vital, yet small role in Cobra Kai and could easily carry a new series and storyline with his huge personality. The inclusion of original characters like Chozen, as well as the granddaughter of Kim Sun-Yung, could take a spinoff in a different direction away from the Valley.
Now that Daniel and Johnny’s futures have been explored, it’s possible that a future spinoff could actually be a prequel. Cobra Kai season 3 features flashbacks to Kreese and Silver during the Vietnam War and learning Tang-Soo-Do, opening the door for a Mr. Miyagi prequel. Indeed, Ralph Macchio is rooting for a Miyagi prequel instead of a Karate Kid remake that has no affiliation to Cobra Kai. With a new world opened for spinoff ideas, it seems unnecessary for another Karate Kid remake. Whether a Miyagi prequel or even adapting Kreese and Silver’s rise in the karate world, Cobra Kai has offered more ideas to continue the legacy.
Since Daniel is the main character of The Karate Kid, the natural progression is to continue his story. Cobra Kai flips the script to begin with Johnny’s point of view and intertwining Daniel into his former enemy’s life. Cobra Kai offers more characters for potential spinoffs with strong stories following the Sekai Tekai Tournament. Since the perfectly timed ending of Cobra Kai season 6 will find Miyagi-Do, Eagle Fang, and Cobra Kai competing in a world tournament, there’s also an opening for new dojos and fighters to follow within the Karate Kid world without being directly related to Cobra Kai.
Cobra Kai Will Age Better Than Karate Kid
Cobra Kai has the potential to age well when compared to The Karate Kid. The first movie was released in 1984 and is very rooted in the era, focusing on bullying, revenge, and what is essentially child abuse from karate mentors. Johnny relentlessly bullies Daniel throughout The Karate Kid, and Daniel fights back with the illegal Crane kick in the All-Valley Championship. Though Mr. Miyagi has well-meaning teachings, the lesson of the movie is to use violence against bullying. The Cobra Kai show depiction of bullying and violence prove it will age better.
The consequences of Cobra Kai’s bullying are real. Sam experiences significant PTSD from her fight with Tori, and Miguel struggles after Robby pushes him over the school banister. Though Daniel and Johnny have their own conflicting relationship, they don’t condone bullying, whereas Kreese and Silver are depicted as villains training fighters to bully. Daniel and Johnny are striving to raise well-rounded, upstanding fighters, and their alliance shows they’re now on the same page to give their students a better experience. Cobra Kai adapts the Karate Kid story for a new generation with modern, relevant lessons and a wide range of relatable characters, making Cobra Kai capable of a long-lasting legacy.
