As Cobra Kai continues to get better with each season, fans are wondering when, if ever, it will end. Cobra Kai season 5 debuted on Netflix last week and immediately claimed the top spot on the list of the most-watched shows.
Set 34 years after the events of The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai is told from the perspective of the film’s "villain," Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), and further explores his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) after he re-opens the infamous Cobra Kai dojo. Five seasons in, Cobra Kai has introduced and redeemed several legacy characters while also giving the viewers new antagonists to despise.
Cobra Kai season 5 concluded on a major cliffhanger, and it’s all but certain we’ll get to see more of Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso’s karate hijinks in the future. But when can we expect the show to return? It remains unknown.
Cobra Kai co-creators Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg recently talked to Total Film about the series’ future. Hurwitz and Schlossberg revealed that they have ideas for spin-offs but are currently focused on Cobra Kai only. Hurwitz said:
"That’s what we love most about the franchise: anybody watching our show sees how many characters are entering in and there’s part of us that never wants to stop. We do have a place where it’s all going, but that doesn’t mean the world has to stop there. We have lots of ideas of continuing [the universe] and keeping the Karate Kid vibes going through other stories and other shows and different formats for that."
"Right now, we’re focused on Cobra Kai. But we have things in our mind, for sure," Schlossberg added.
There is an endgame planned for Cobra Kai, but the showrunners are still working on the number of seasons to get there. And the spin-offs will happen only after Cobra Kai concludes, which, judging by Hurwitz’s words, could take a while.
What To Expect From Cobra Kai Season 6?
In an earlier interview with Total Film, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg gave an update on Cobra Kai season 6 and what the fans can expect if it happens.
"There’s no official response to that right now, except we have lots of ideas." Hurwitz said. "There’s time and places to make official things, we’re not at that place right now." Schlossberg added:
"It’s always starting from a place of: how do we take it to the next level while staying true to the original movie? I use the Rocky movies as a comparison – there’s always some new angle, something that feels bigger, or going back to the roots of what it is. But you know what you’re gonna get: you’re gonna get awesome montages, Johnny being amazing, and the soap opera has some really big moments still to come."
Cobra Kai has already upped the campiness with every installment, with season 5 being surprisingly dark and violent as well. How much melodrama can the audience handle before the fun runs out? Well, it hasn’t so far, and Cobra Kai continues to thrill as much as it evokes nostalgia.
The Cobra Kai creators, including Josh Heald, are currently working on another Netflix series, Obliterated, and have several high-profile projects in the pipeline, including a Ferris Bueller spin-off and a Duke Nukem movie. Hopefully, Cobra Kai season 6 will arrive without much delay because we can’t wait to see more of "family-man" Johnny Lawrence.
Cobra Kai season 5 is streaming on Netflix.