The end of Cobra Kai is upon us. The beloved Netflix series has been renewed for its sixth and final season on the streamer, marking the end of a successful run for The Karate Kid spinoff show.
“Reacquainting the world with The Karate Kid universe has been our humble honor,” wrote creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg in a statement. “Making Cobra Kai has allowed us to join the same hallowed dojo once inhabited by the great Robert Mark Kamen, John Avildsen, Jerry Weintraub, and all the amazing original cast members. It has also enabled us to play sensei, expanding the original storylines and birthing a new generation of underdogs. We’ve never once taken this opportunity for granted.”
They continue: “Our day one goal with Cobra Kai has always been to end it on our terms, leaving the Valley in the time and place we’ve always imagined. So it is with immense pride and thankfulness that we are able to announce that achievement.”
Set more than thirty years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, Cobra Kai follows the tense rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso as their two dojos fiercly compete. William Zabka and Ralph Macchio reprised their roles from the original Karate Kid series, introducing a new generation to the classic story.
“While this may be a bittersweet day for the fandom, the Miyagiverse has never been stronger,” Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg wrote. “This fandom is the BEST on the planet and we hope to be telling more Karate Kid stories with you down the line. Because as we all know, Cobra Kai Never Dies.”
The show first began as a YouTube series, but, after two seasons, it moved to Netflix in 2020. Ever since, Cobra Kai has been a hit. It regularly made the company’s internal top 10 rankings as well as Nielsen’s streaming charts when new seasons premiered. It’s also been quite well received by critics; Season 5 was given a 7/10 by IGN.
For now, the creators have promised that Cobra Kai’s final season will be the “biggest season of Cobra Kai yet.”
“Let today be a celebration of all that’s come, as well as all that’s still left to be told,” they wrote. “We couldn’t do it without you.”
Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.
