Cobra Kai

Cobra Kai is an American martial arts comedy-drama streaming television series based on the original The Karate Kid films by Robert Mark Kamen. The series was created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, and stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, who reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence from the 1984 film The Karate Kid. Set 34 years later, Cobra Kai re-examines the “Miyagi-Verse” narrative from Johnny’s point of view, his decision to reopen the Cobra Kai karate dojo, and the rekindling of his old rivalry with Daniel. Cobra Kai also stars Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni DeCenzo and Martin Kove.

The series launched on YouTube Red in 2018, with a second season following in 2019. After production of season three was completed, YouTube made the decision to stop producing scripted original programming, leaving the show without a home. However, Netflix acquired the rights to stream the series in June 2020. The third season was released on Netflix on January 1, 2021; by this time, it had already been renewed for a fourth season. The series has had high viewership on both YouTube and Netflix, and has been met with generally positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Thirty-four years after being defeated by Daniel LaRusso in the 1984 All-Valley Karate Tournament, Johnny Lawrence, now in his 50s, works as a part-time handyman and lives in an apartment in Reseda, Los Angeles, having fallen far from the wealthy lifestyle in Encino that had been enabled by his verbally abusive step-father, Sid Weinberg. He has a son named Robby with his former girlfriend Shannon Keene, but he abandoned them both when Robby was born as his mother Laura died shortly before Robby’s birth. Johnny, admittedly, has never recovered from his breakup with his high school girlfriend, Ali Mills.

After losing his job, a down-and-out Johnny uses karate to defend his teenage neighbor Miguel Diaz from a gang of bullies. Miguel, an asthmatic kid who lives with his Ecuadorian single mother Carmen and grandmother Rosa, asks Johnny to teach him. Initially reluctant, Johnny finally agrees and decides to reopen the Cobra Kai karate dojo as a chance to recapture his past; however, this act reawakens his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso. Daniel, now the owner of a highly successful car dealership chain, is married to co-owner Amanda and has two children: Samantha and Anthony. Daniel is finally living the wealthy lifestyle he envied as a kid when he lived in Reseda. However, after his friend and mentor Mr. Miyagi died, Daniel’s struggle to meaningfully connect with his children has disrupted the balance in his life. Meanwhile, his mother Lucille, his other source of support, has a complicated relationship with Amanda.

Johnny’s dojo attracts a group of bullied social outcasts, including Miguel’s newfound friends Aisha, Hawk, and initially Demetri, who find camaraderie and self-confidence under his tutelage, a marked contrast to the kind of students Tommy, Bobby, Dutch, Jimmy and Johnny were when training in the original Cobra Kai run by John Kreese. Johnny develops a bond with Miguel in a manner that resembles the relationship between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi. Cobra Kai’s philosophy, however, remains mostly unchanged, though Johnny tries to infuse it with more honor than Kreese did. Thus, Miguel develops into a very different kind of student than Daniel, or even Johnny, was; he also begins dating Samantha. Johnny’s efforts to reform Cobra Kai are threatened by the unexpected reappearance of Kreese, who aspires to bring the dojo back to its originally ruthless form.

As a means of revenge against his estranged father, Robby convinces Amanda to hire him for a position at the LaRusso Auto dealership and develops a close friendship with Daniel, who is unaware of the former’s parentage. He even studies Mr. Miyagi’s form of Karate with Daniel and befriends and eventually starts dating Samantha after her breakup with Miguel. She eventually joins her father’s dojo, along with Demetri and a few other Cobra Kai defects. Miguel later begins dating a new Cobra Kai student, Tory, who becomes Sam’s rival.

After the violent aftermath of a school brawl that is fueled by the dojos and their rivalry, Miguel is accidentally crippled by Robby. Johnny finds that Kreese has taken Cobra Kai from him, prompting him to form his own dojo Eagle Fang. Robby is eventually sent to juvenile detention, and while Kreese continues to lead his students down darker paths, Daniel returns to Okinawa to help find balance, where he reunites with former love interest Kumiko and reformed former enemy Chozen. Johnny helps Miguel regain the use of his legs with his unconventional training techniques, and there’s eventually a reunion between Ali, Johnny, and Daniel, where Ali finally puts their rivalry to rest. However, the rivalry between the three dojos eventually explodes as Cobra Kai fights Miyagi Do and Eagle Fang in a brutal brawl. Afterward, Johnny and Daniel face Kreese, who has successfully turned Robby against both Johnny and Daniel and over to Cobra Kai through manipulation. They all agree to settle the fate of the dojos and valley at the next All-Valley tournament. Throughout the third season, flashbacks are also shown to Kreese’s time in the Vietnam War, and how it led him to become the merciless and ruthless man he is in the present day.

The story’s development revolves around these primary relationships, which lead to conflicts that are ultimately the product of Daniel and Johnny’s inability to move away from the past.

Cast and characters

Main

Character	Portrayed by	Appearances
		Season 1	Season 2	Season 3	Season 4
Daniel LaRusso	Ralph Macchio	Main
Johnny Lawrence	William Zabka	Main
Amanda LaRusso	Courtney Henggeler	Main
Miguel Diaz	Xolo Maridueña	Main
Robby Keene	Tanner Buchanan	Main
Samantha LaRusso	Mary Mouser	Main
Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz	Jacob Bertrand	Recurring	Main
Demetri	Gianni DeCenzo	Recurring	Main
John Kreese	Martin Kove	Guest	Main
Carmen Diaz	Vanessa Rubio	Recurring			Main
Tory Nichols	Peyton List		Recurring		Main

Recurring

Guest

Archival footage

The following characters appear via archival footage from the film series:

Episodes

Season		Episodes		Originally released		Network
	1	10		May 2, 2018		YouTube Red
	2	10		April 24, 2019		YouTube Premium
	3	10		January 1, 2021		Netflix
	4	TBA		TBA

Season 1 (2018)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	1	“Ace Degenerate”	Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg	May 2, 2018
Thirty-four years after losing to Daniel LaRusso in the 1984 All Valley Under-18 Karate Championship, Johnny Lawrence struggles to make a living as a handyman and gets fired from his job after an argument with a customer while Daniel runs a successful car dealership chain in the San Fernando Valley. Johnny saves his teenage neighbor Miguel Diaz from a group of bullies at a nearby strip mall but is arrested for assaulting them. Released from police custody, Johnny is visited by his wealthy stepfather Sid Weinberg, who gives Johnny a check before officially disowning him. Getting drunk, Johnny drives to the All Valley Sports Arena and relives his last encounter with his former sensei John Kreese, before his car is wrecked in a hit-and-run. Despite Johnny’s protests, his car is towed to one of Daniel’s dealerships for repairs. The next day, he goes to the dealership in an attempt to take the car back, only to run into Daniel. Johnny reluctantly accepts a free car repair from Daniel, who considers Johnny an old friend. While at the dealership, Johnny realizes that Daniel’s daughter Sam was one of the passengers in the hit-and-run. After Daniel says they’re all better off without Cobra Kai, Johnny returns home and tells Miguel that he will be his sensei, and opens his own Cobra Kai dojo with the money from Sid.
2	2	“Strike First”	Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg	May 2, 2018
Miguel begins his karate training with Johnny, who bullies him for his asthma and low self-esteem. The health department informs Johnny that the dojo needs a lot of work before he can officially teach students. Meanwhile, Daniel and his wife Amanda argue after Daniel scolds Sam for inviting her friends over for a pool party without her parents’ permission. Reconciling with Sam, Daniel learns she is romantically interested in a boy named Kyler and offers to invite him to a family dinner. At school, Miguel befriends social outcasts Dimitri and Eli. During lunch, they talk about the rich girls Sam hangs out with and discover that Kyler is one of the bullies who attacked Miguel. Johnny is informed that his son, Robby Keene, has been caught with drugs at school. During dinner, Daniel notices Kyler’s bruises and learns he received his injuries from Johnny. Kyler lies about why Johnny attacked him, and Daniel goes to the dojo to confront Johnny.
3	3	“Esqueleto”	Jennifer Celotta	Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg	May 2, 2018
Johnny tries to recruit more students to the dojo, and Daniel decides to chaperone Sam to the school Halloween dance. Miguel’s karate training is stepped up as Johnny urges him to use the Cobra Kai creed of “Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy” in his everyday life and gives him a skeleton costume (the same one Johnny wore in the first film) for the dance. Daniel embarrasses Sam during the dance by finding her and Kyler alone in a suggestive scene. Later, Miguel overhears Kyler and his friends sexually objectifying Sam. Remembering Johnny’s teachings, Miguel attacks Kyler but is overpowered and severely beaten by the bullies. Johnny, who has been at the school handing out flyers for Cobra Kai, finds Miguel in the bathroom.
4	4	“Cobra Kai Never Dies”	Jennifer Celotta	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg Teleplay by : Jason Belleville	May 2, 2018
Robby learns of the new dojo and is embarrassed by his father’s recruitment methods. Johnny gets drunk and vandalizes a LaRusso Auto billboard. Sam sees Kyler bullying Demetri and Eli. At a movie theater, Kyler aggressively attempts to coerce Sam into having sex, but she embarrasses him in front of the crowd and leaves, infuriating him. Johnny confronts Robby after learning he has been skipping school. When Johnny tells him not to throw his life away, Robby rejects him and points out that Johnny left him as a child and that Johnny’s own life is wasted. After seeing a father happily sharing a milkshake with his young son, Johnny pleads for Carmen to let him continue Miguel’s training, vowing not to fail him again. When Miguel returns, Johnny tells him to work on his defense and counter-attacks. Daniel discovers that Johnny was the one who vandalized the LaRusso Auto billboard.
5	5	“Counterbalance”	Josh Heald	Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg	May 2, 2018
Miguel shows improvement in both his karate skills and his general health. Daniel tries to make a shady deal that could shut down Cobra Kai but hurts innocent business owners in the process. Sam’s heavy-set classmate Aisha Robinson joins Cobra Kai, despite Johnny’s initial misgivings about training girls. Sam discovers that Kyler has been spreading nasty rumors about her. When Kyler embarrasses Sam, Miguel stands up for her and although Kyler attacks him, he successfully defeats Kyler and his thugs in an impressive display and gaining Sam’s respect. Robby decides to reconcile with his father but sees Johnny acting in a fatherly way with Miguel and feels he has been replaced. Amanda notices the changes in Daniel’s behavior since the reopening of Cobra Kai, leading Daniel to visit the grave of Mr. Miyagi to reflect and ask for wisdom. As Daniel prepares to drive away, he suddenly recalls the discussion with Miyagi after he gifted Daniel his yellow 1948 Ford Super De Luxe convertible on his eighteenth birthday, that the lessons on maintaining balance didn’t just apply to karate, but to one’s entire life. Robby applies for a job at LaRusso Auto to spite his father and Daniel returns to practicing karate to regain balance in his life. Note: This episode is dedicated in memory of Noriyuki “Pat” Morita.
6	6	“Quiver”	Josh Heald	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Story and teleplay by : Joe Piarulli & Luan Thomas	May 2, 2018
Daniel tries unsuccessfully to persuade Sam to take up karate again. The footage of Miguel’s fight at school goes viral and brings many new students to the Cobra Kai dojo, but Johnny cannot suppress his old ways and bullies them, embarrassing Eli in front of the entire class. Thanks to Miguel, Johnny is forced to remember his childhood as an outcast with an uncaring stepfather before he discovered Cobra Kai. Johnny admits that he has been tough and cruel to his remaining students, but refuses to apologize, telling them that life is not fair and they must overcome the challenges that life will throw at them. Eli returns to the dojo with a distinctive mohawk haircut, for which Johnny nicknames him “Hawk”. Robby gets a job at LaRusso Auto to get back at his father, and Miguel and Sam slowly become friends at school. Robby finally decides he wants to learn karate under Daniel’s tutelage after seeing him practice his karate forms.
7	7	“All Valley”	Steve Pink	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Story and teleplay by : Stacey Harman	May 2, 2018
Johnny uses painful methods to train his new students. Miguel asks Johnny for advice on girls and Johnny gives him a boost of confidence, leading to Miguel asking Sam out on a successful date. Johnny tries to enter Cobra Kai in the All Valley karate tournament only to learn the dojo is permanently banned due to the transgressions and poor sportsmanship committed in the 1985 tournament by John Kreese, Terry Silver and Mike Barnes. At a meeting of the athletic committee, Johnny tries to persuade them to reverse the ban but is opposed by Daniel, a committee member. Johnny tells the committee that his teachings are different from those of Kreese and Silver, revealing that Kreese himself is dead. He says that he has learned from his past mistakes and that his dojo is now a place where people who get bullied are taught self-confidence and how to stand up for themselves. The committee is convinced by Johnny’s apparent sincerity and allows Cobra Kai to compete, infuriating Daniel. Despite initially agreeing to help his friends sneak inside the dealership at night, Robby stops them using his karate skills and a security camera.
8	8	“Molting”	Steve Pink	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Stacey Harman Story and teleplay by : Michael Jonathan Smith	May 2, 2018
After being allowed to compete in the tournament, Johnny introduces additional training and unconventional methods. Daniel’s family learns that Cobra Kai will compete, and only Sam thinks Cobra Kai has changed; Daniel’s cousin Louie decides to take action against Johnny. Johnny warns Miguel about Sam and the LaRusso family, telling him a biased narration of how Daniel involved himself with Johnny’s ex-girlfriend Ali Mills in 1984. While skateboarding to Daniel’s house, Robby meets Sam. Carmen invites Johnny to dinner, where he learns more about Miguel’s family and is inspired to clean up his life, severing ties with Sid after paying off the money he borrowed and attempting to make amends with Robby. Daniel continues bonding with Robby, who joins the LaRussos for dinner. Miguel works up the confidence to introduce himself to Sam’s family as her boyfriend. At Daniel’s house, Miguel sees Sam and Robby bonding, leaving him heartbroken. Louie and his thugs destroy Johnny’s car before Johnny beats the bikers and has Louie tell him where Daniel lives.
9	9	“Different but Same”	Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg Teleplay by : Jason Belleville	May 2, 2018
Johnny arrives at the LaRusso residence, but Amanda defuses the situation by inviting Johnny over for breakfast. Daniel decides to fire Louie and compensate Johnny with a car in the dealership’s trade-in lot. Daniel and Johnny bond during the test drive, listening to “Take It on the Run” by REO Speedwagon, visiting Daniel’s old apartment, and sharing their lives before they met. Sam is grounded after Amanda learns she was involved in Johnny’s hit-and-run, causing her to miss many calls from Miguel. Aisha gets several kids in school to attend a party at the park ahead of Yasmine’s planned birthday party. At the party, Aisha teaches the glamorous Yasmine a lesson. Robby gets Sam out of her home and they head to the party, but a drunk Miguel tries to pick a fight with Robby and accidentally hits Sam instead, convincing her that her father was right about Cobra Kai and causing her to break up with Miguel. Johnny drives Daniel home where they find Robby, and Johnny is furious to learn his son has been learning karate from Daniel. Feeling hurt by Robby’s dishonesty, Daniel furiously fires him and tells him to leave his home.
10	10	“Mercy”	Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg	May 2, 2018
Cobra Kai returns to the 50th Anniversary All Valley Under-18 Karate Championship with a full team led by Miguel. Robby also participates, unaffiliated with any dojo. Miguel and Hawk advance to the semifinals, and Aisha is eliminated in the quarterfinals, but she and Sam reconcile. Hawk is disqualified for dislocating Robby’s shoulder with a kick from behind. After arguing with Miguel, Sam leaves the tournament and returns to the family dojo where it becomes apparent she has not forgotten the Karate that Daniel taught her. Daniel assists Robby back into the ring, now as his sensei. Miguel exploits Robby’s injured shoulder to win the match, and Johnny realizes that his methods have corrupted Miguel. After the match, Daniel takes Robby to Mr. Miyagi’s old home and reveals that he plans to use it as a dojo to continue Robby’s training and teach others Miyagi-Do karate. At the Cobra Kai dojo, a drunk and miserable Johnny is confronted by a shadowy figure, revealed to be Kreese, who praises him for resurrecting Cobra Kai.

Season 2 (2019)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
11	1	“Mercy Part II”	Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg	April 24, 2019
Johnny and Kreese have a brief fight, Johnny gets him in a chokehold but remembers what Kreese did and lets go, scolding Kreese for this before knocking him down. Sam blocks Miguel on Instagram, saddening him. Miguel’s mom notices his darker nature during the fight but still approves of Johnny teaching him Karate. Robby learns the history of Miyagi-Do, and Daniel plans to open up a dojo, to his wife’s reluctance. Kreese tries to convince Johnny to allow him to rejoin Cobra Kai, but he refuses. Miguel and Hawk notice the chaos in the room due to the fight, and Johnny berates them on their dishonorable techniques at the tournament. Daniel brings Sam into his Karate dojo, and while shopping Johnny awkwardly meets up with Robby and Daniel. Johnny tries to patch things up with Robby, who believes Johnny had his students fight dirty against him. When Johnny calls Daniel a prick, Robby rebuffs him again and angrily states that Daniel is a better man than Johnny ever was. While Johnny repairs the Cobra Kai dojo, Kreese returns, finally apologizing. Johnny allows Kreese to rejoin Cobra Kai.
12	2	“Back in Black”	Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg	April 24, 2019
Robby mistakes his mother’s new boyfriend for an intruder and attacks him. His mother says that she and her boyfriend are going to Mexico for an indeterminate amount of time. Miguel calls Sam using Aisha’s phone, but Sam sees Robby and hangs up. Daniel tries to train Robby and Sam to sync their karate moves, but his wife calls him out for caring more about teaching Karate than doing his own job. After a successful day of convincing customers to buy their cars, Daniel successfully trains Robby and Sam in syncing their karate moves. Meanwhile, two students who used to bully Hawk and who were friends with Kyler want to join Cobra Kai. Kreese comes to the dojo and the students embarrass Johnny by being immature. Johnny tells everyone to be at the nearby park at 5 A.M. the next day. When they arrive he makes them move a full cement truck to train their leg strength, which impresses Kreese. Daniel visits Robby and invites Robby to move in with him after seeing the state of Robby’s home. Daniel’s wife reminds him that although Robby’s mom left, Johnny is still around. Daniel arrives in the Cobra Kai dojo and finds Kreese and Johnny getting beer. Kreese mockingly offers his condolences on Mr. Miyagi’s death. Believing that Johnny lied when he tried to persuade the committee to let Cobra Kai in the All Valley Tournament, Daniel mocks Kreese and walks away.
13	3	“Fire and Ice”	Michael Grossman	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Story and teleplay by : Stacey Harman	April 24, 2019
Johnny tries to use a computer for the first time and sees a Miyagi-Do ad on YouTube where Daniel is promoting Miyagi-Do Karate for free. Kreese sees this and wants to fight fire with fire. Johnny tells Aisha to make a video ad that will advertise Cobra Kai. Meanwhile, two teenagers want to join Miyagi-do, but when Daniel tells them to wax on and off the fence, they decide to join Cobra Kai instead. Miguel finds a picture of Robby on Johnny’s refrigerator and realizes that Robby is Johnny’s son. Miguel tells Hawk, and when they confront Johnny, he admits the truth but refuses to elaborate more on the matter. Johnny later takes Miguel to eat hamburgers and fries, and confides in him that on the day Robby was born, he wasn’t there for him because his mother (at the time the only person Johnny cared about) had passed away. Johnny was afraid of being a father and failed Robby on his first day. Johnny vows to never fail Miguel, and support him. Aisha texts Miguel that people want Cobra Kai to make a performance and Johnny sees an opportunity and agrees. Daniel, Sam, and Robby do their Miyagi-Do performance, but Cobra Kai arrives and their performance outshines Daniel’s performance, causing Cobra Kai to become more popular.
14	4	“The Moment of Truth”	Michael Grossman	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Story and teleplay by : Kevin McManus & Matthew McManus	April 24, 2019
Demetri goes to Cobra Kai, where he meets Kreese and annoys him until being beaten and thrown out by Kreese. Later, in the Cobra Kai dojo, new student Tory volunteers to fight Miguel, and proves to be his equal. Aisha and Tory bond at a convenience store. Aisha asks Tory if she would like to go to the beach with her and she agrees. Meanwhile, Demetri tells Hawk that Kreese beat him, but Hawk dismisses him, calling Demetri a coward. Miguel tries to tell Johnny about his worries about Kreese’s influence, but Johnny reassures him that everyone deserves a second chance. Daniel tries to convince other people to join Miyagi-do but fails. Sam and Aisha bond after seeing each other, but Sam notices that Tory stole a bottle of vodka, and believes she stole her mom’s wallet. Tory pushes Sam down a food table, embarrassing her. Robby tries to stage a fight with his former friends to convince people to join Miyagi-Do but is hit in the back of the head, though Daniel arrives to save him. Robby recorded the fight, but Daniel asks him not to upload it, explaining that students should join Miyagi-do out of necessity. Demetri arrives and decides to join Miyagi-Do.
15	5	“All In”	Josh Heald	Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg	April 24, 2019
In a flashback, Eli’s mom reports the fact that he is being bullied. In the present day, Eli/Hawk updates the tattoo on his back. Demetri is learning Karate, but he is frustrated and reveals that he wanted to learn karate to stand up to Eli. Hawk sees a Yelp review of Demetri giving Cobra Kai a negative rating and goes to confront Demetri. At the mall, Hawk finds Demetri, and just before he is about to beat Demetri up, Sam and Robby join in and defeat Hawk and his gang. Demetri gains new resolve to learn Karate properly from Daniel and slowly improves. Moon, Hawk’s girlfriend, breaks up with Hawk because of his violent behavior. Kreese finds Hawk punching a punching bag, and convinces him to vandalize Daniel’s dojo. Meanwhile, Miguel kisses Tory, and Sam and Robby almost kiss before Robby thinks they shouldn’t as he is a guest of the LaRusso family. Johnny goes to LaRusso Car company after going to Robby’s old home. Ultimately, he beats Daniel’s worker, who reveals that Robby is living with Daniel. Heartbroken, Johnny gets drunk, but Miguel’s mother Carmen convinces him to let go of his rivalry. The next day, Daniel discovers the destruction of Miyagi-Do, Mr. Miyagi’s Medal of Honor stolen, and the vandalization of his ’48 Ford Super De Luxe that Miyagi gifted him. Daniel goes to Cobra Kai and confronts Johnny, but nothing is resolved. Daniel tells everyone about what happened, with Kreese and Hawk not saying anything. As a result, some students from Cobra Kai leave to join Miyagi-Do.
16	6	“Take a Right”	Josh Heald	Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg	April 24, 2019
Johnny makes everyone do burpees until someone confesses, however, he gets a call from one of his old high school friends and excuses himself. Kreese knows that Hawk did it, but decides not to say anything. Meanwhile, Demetri isn’t pleased that Chris, a former Cobra Kai who attacked Demetri in the mall with Hawk, is with Miyagi-do, and Robby is suspicious. However, Daniel reveals that he once was part of Cobra Kai, and recounts his history with Terry Silver right before the 1985 tournament. Daniel says that while it’s true that Cobra Kai is bad, it doesn’t mean all students are bad, and persuades Robby and Demetri to end their feud with the new student. Johnny travels to San Bernardino where he meets up with his old Cobra Kai dojo mates Bobby, Tommy, and Jimmy, to support Tommy who has a terminal illness. During a reunion at a local bar, Johnny reveals that he reopened Cobra Kai with John Kreese. Bobby becomes wary due to their past and implores Johnny to move on from Cobra Kai. A man harasses a waitress with Johnny intervening and resulting in his Cobra Kai winning an all-out bar fight. Johnny and Tommy talk about their history, and the next morning, Tommy dies peacefully. Kreese is making Cobra Kai be more ruthless, telling Tory to finish one dojomate. Miguel calls Kreese out on it, and Kreese says that mercy may be beneficial during a tournament, but in real life, they must finish the fight in order to win. While talking to Tory, Tory reveals that her mother had to work as a waitress to support Tory and her brother, and her mom would take leftovers to feed them. Her mom’s boss found out and fired Tory’s mom, which caused Tory to decide that since the world shows no mercy, she shouldn’t either. Miguel apologizes to Kreese, and Kreese accepts Miguel.
17	7	“Lull”	Jennifer Celotta	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Story and teleplay by : Kevin McManus & Matthew McManus	April 24, 2019
Daniel goes to his karate dojo, to see Kreese there. Kreese thanks him for taking in the weak Cobra Kai, and tells him that he will be training his own Cobra Kai for the upcoming war against Miyagi-Do. Daniel argues that they’re just kids, but Kreese ignores him. Daniel trains his students, with Demetri complaining but slowly improving. Amanda tries calling Daniel multiple times, and at the end of the day, Amanda confronts Daniel on the fact that Daniel seems to care more about karate than his own job. Moon and Sam talk and Moon asks if Sam is developing feelings for Robby, but Sam brushes off the question. Meanwhile, Johnny returns from his trip and takes his Cobra Kai students in the woods to participate in a “game.” The dojo is split into two teams, and the last person standing with their headband wins for their respective team. As the game progresses, Johnny is slightly shocked at how merciless Tory is. Eventually, Miguel sees Hawk wearing Miyagi’s Medal of Honor, and realizes that he was the one who vandalized the Miyagi dojo. Hawk taunts Miguel on his feelings for Sam, and they eventually fight with Miguel emerging victorious. Miguel takes the Medal of Honor, but he is ambushed and has his headband taken off by a new Cobra Kai student, Stingray. Johnny asks Miguel why is he showing no mercy, and warns him to not take the dark path. At the end of the day, Miguel goes to the LaRusso’s house and gives Robby the Medal of Honor, asking him to give it to Daniel, and also to tell Sam that he’s sorry before leaving. When Sam asks Robby who was that, Robby quickly answers that it was nobody, and puts the Medal of Honor in his pocket. Meanwhile, after realizing that Kreese hasn’t changed and is trying to corrupt Johnny’s students as he did in the past, Johnny severs ties with Kreese and expels him from Cobra Kai.
18	8	“Glory of Love”	Jennifer Celotta	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Story and teleplay by : Joe Piarulli & Luan Thomas	April 24, 2019
Johnny starts to have dreams about Carmen and meets Carmen’s new boyfriend. Hawk and Miguel make up, and Tory asks Miguel on a date to a skate mall. Johnny also teaches Cobra Kai dojo to show mercy and honor and informs them that Kreese has been kicked out. Meanwhile, Demetri finds the Medal of Honor, which Robby planted in the dojo backyard to prevent Sam from going back to Miguel. Sam asks Robby to go on a date to the skate mall, where the theme will be the 1980s. Miguel helps Johnny set up a Tinder account and sets up Johnny with a bunch of dates. During the dates, Johnny is failing miserably and tries sending a message to Ali Mills Schwarber, but before deleting it a woman bumps into him, which causes him to send the message. At the skate mall, Miguel and Tory awkwardly meet up with Robby and Sam, with clear animosity between Tory and Sam. Tory purposely knocks down Sam when she sees Miguel trying to apologize to Sam, and Sam pushes Tory down in return. As a result, Sam and Robby are told to leave by security. Daniel apologizes to his wife, while Johnny beats up Carmen’s boyfriend after hearing the boyfriend planning to dump Carmen soon. Johnny soon meets up with Carmen and asks her on a date.
19	9	“Pulpo”	Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Story and teleplay by : Michael Jonathan Smith	April 24, 2019
Robby’s mom returns, apologizes to Robby about the way she has been treating him, and reveals that her boyfriend left her and that she’s going into rehab. Both Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do kids go to a party hosted by Moon just before school begins and heavy drinking ensues during the party. The rivalry between Tory and Sam intensifies after Tory witnesses Sam drunkenly kiss Miguel after Sam finds out that Miguel returned the Medal of Honor to Robby. After Hawk pours a drink on Demetri due to being outraged at Moon’s relationship with a girl named Piper, Demetri retaliates by calling out and humiliating Hawk through the form of a toast. The cops arrive just as Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do are about to fight and everyone flees the party. Elsewhere, Johnny and Carmen go on a date at a Mexican restaurant but unexpectedly see Daniel and Amanda arrive. While Amanda and Carmen are away, Daniel and Johnny have a conversation about getting rid of Kreese and Johnny finds out that Daniel has enrolled Robby in high school, much to the surprise and appreciation of Johnny. The two couples have a good night out and in the end, Daniel and Johnny shake hands, seemingly burying the hatchet during the process. After Johnny and Carmen say goodnight to each other, he gets an unexpected visit from Robby and a drunk Sam.
20	10	“No Mercy”	Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	Story by : Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Story and teleplay by : Joe Piarulli & Luan Thomas	April 24, 2019
Johnny allows Robby and Sam to crash at his place for the night after the party. She doesn’t tell her family. When Daniel finds out, he goes to Johnny’s apartment to get her and he and Johnny get into a fight. Daniel cuts his family off from Robby and Johnny. During the first day back at school, Tory hijacks the PA system and calls out Sam for kissing Miguel at the party, shocking everyone including Robby. She then hunts Sam down and begins a fight with her. The chain of events escalates into a brutal school brawl between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do. The fight climaxes with Miguel showing mercy to Robby but he responds by kicking Miguel from a school balcony, seriously injuring him. Robby flees, Miguel is put on life support and Sam is also treated at a hospital. Miguel’s accident results in Johnny losing Carmen and control of Cobra Kai after his remaining students turn on him and join Kreese, who tells Johnny that the landlord allowed him to take over and have full ownership of the dojo when Johnny was in San Bernardino. The aftermath of the fight also provokes Amanda to demand Daniel to stop Miyagi-Do and karate. A guilt-ridden Johnny goes to the beach, where he throws his new cell phone into the sand. He did not notice that he received a Facebook friend request from Ali Mills Schwarber, the ex-girlfriend of both Lawrence and LaRusso who is currently a pediatric surgeon.

Season 3 (2021)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
21	1	“Aftermath”	Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	January 1, 2021
Johnny is still trying to cope with the trauma of Miguel’s accident, which ends up with him getting heavily intoxicated and later arrested and jailed after getting into a brawl fight at a bar. Meanwhile, two weeks after the school fight, the All-Valley Community is still shaken up coming to grips with the consequences, so the school has since put an anti-physical contact rule in action. Sam, still shaken by the fight, is suffering from panic attacks, and the duel between the two dojos is still strong. Johnny, who wants to visit Miguel in the hospital, purposely hurts himself so he can sneak into the ICU and tells Miguel words of encouragement. When Daniel finds out Robby, who is expelled from school for crippling Miguel and on the run, stole a van from the dealership, Daniel and Johnny team up to find him while Miguel finally wakes up from his coma. Note: This episode is dedicated in memory of Rob Garrison.
22	2	“Nature Vs. Nurture”	Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	Story by : Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg & Joe Piarulli & Luan Thomas Teleplay by : Joe Piarulli & Luan Thomas	January 1, 2021
Daniel and Johnny visit Shannon at her rehab center in order to look for Robby, and are directed to visit Robby’s former gang acquaintances in jail. The search eventually leads the pair to a group of thieves who have stolen the van from Robby, leading the pair to dispatch them in self-defense. However, their brief partnership ends due to Johnny continuously assaulting one of the thieves. Johnny attempts to visit the now-conscious Miguel, but is rebuffed. Daniel finds Robby at the rehab center, and has the police take him into custody in order to lessen his sentence but Robby feels betrayed and cuts ties with Daniel by telling Daniel not to visit him in juvenile hall. Meanwhile, Kreese attacks Tory’s landlord in order to remove the pressure she has on taking care of her ill mother and ensure her loyalty to Cobra Kai.
23	3	“Now You’re Gonna Pay”	Lin Oeding	Story by : Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg & Stacey Harman Teleplay by : Stacey Harman	January 1, 2021
Johnny solicits Bobby for advice on how to help pay for Miguel’s surgery and visit Robby in juvenile hall. The Miyagi-Do students carry out a car wash fundraising event to help fund for Miguel’s surgery, only for some Cobra Kai students to show up after the event and steal the money from them to pay for the surgery. Johnny reluctantly approaches Sid to ask for the money to pay for the surgery, but is rebuffed. Johnny resorts to stealing one of Sid’s valuable statues to pawn it off for Miguel’s surgery. Meanwhile, due to the after-effects of the fight, Daniel learns that his business rival Tom Cole has convinced Japanese car importer, Doyona International, to cut their business ties with Daniel, prompting him to visit the company headquarters in Tokyo to try and talk them out of cutting their business deal. Sam makes preparations for the Miyagi-Do students to fight against Cobra Kai. Robby has a rough acclimation at his juvenile detention center and feels abandoned when Johnny reluctantly misses his appointment to visit him in juvenile hall and stays with Miguel for a longer period of time than needed after being coerced by Miguel’s grandmother.
24	4	“The Right Path”	Lin Oeding	Story by : Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg & Michael Jonathan Smith Teleplay by : Michael Jonathan Smith	January 1, 2021
Daniel is rejected by Doyona, so he decides to travel to Okinawa, Mr. Miyagi’s hometown, rather than return to Los Angeles. Johnny tries to reconcile with Robby, who is on community service, but their brief conversation quickly escalates. At school, Hawk instigates fights with the Miyagi-Do students, but is threatened with Saturday detention. Daniel visits Tomi Village, which has been turned into a mall after the village’s crops died out, prompting Mr. Sato to turn to retail, where he is reunited with his old love interest Kumiko and unexpectedly encounters his rival Chozen. Johnny then personally oversees Miguel’s physical rehabilitation.
25	5	“Miyagi-Do”	Steven Tsuchida	Story by : Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg & Bob Dearden Teleplay by : Bob Dearden	January 1, 2021
When Miyagi-Do student Chris is openly harassed at his job in Golf N’ Stuff by Cobra Kai, Sam and the rest of the Miyagi-Do students attack Eli’s team at the amusement park, only to be ambushed by Tory. While Sam suffers from a panic attack, Eli breaks Demetri’s arm, traumatizing her. Meanwhile, Daniel and Chozen reconcile after undergoing some sparring sessions, with Chozen giving Daniel a martial arts scroll as a parting gift. Daniel later meets an adult Yuna, the little girl he saved from the typhoon (in The Karate Kid Part II), learning that Yuna has become the Vice President of Sales for Doyona, she gladly offers to let him keep the dealership’s relationship with Doyona. Robby gets involved in a fight with Shawn and both earned each other’s respect for not snitching on each other. Johnny helps Miguel with his rehabilitation and takes him to a Dee Snider concert under the guise of being terminally ill, allowing Miguel to regain feeling in his legs. Johnny later accepts Ali’s friend request. Amanda confronts Kreese and slaps him at the Cobra Kai dojo.
26	6	“King Cobra”	Steven Tsuchida	Story by : Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg & Joe Piarulli & Luan Thomas Teleplay by : Joe Piarulli & Luan Thomas	January 1, 2021
Inspired by his Special Forces recruitment process, Kreese approaches various athletes to bolster the Cobra Kai ranks, including Kyler and Brucks. Kreese’s recruitment process disturbs Hawk, particularly when Mitch is kicked out of Cobra Kai for losing a fight to an untrained Kyler, prompting Hawk to brutalize Brucks in order to prevent his enrollment. Daniel and Amanda attempt to file a restraining order against Kreese, but already learn that Kreese has filed one against Amanda after the slap. Left with no other option, they approach Armand Zarkarian with bribes in an attempt to evict Kreese, only for Armand to reluctantly void his deal with the LaRussos after a failed eviction attempt. Meanwhile, Miguel helps Johnny take photos in order to build up his Facebook profile in order to help him look impressionable for Ali, only to inadvertently meet Tory in the process. Tory breaks up with Miguel after he disagrees with her desire for revenge against Miyagi-do. Enraged by the whole incident, Miguel calls Johnny out on his hypocrisy about abandoning people after helping them but manages to stand up in the process. Seeing the truth in Miguel’s words, Johnny uploads photos of his positive accomplishments with his students and Miguel’s recovery before sending Ali a heartfelt message on Facebook.
27	7	“Obstáculos”	Jennifer Celotta	Story by : Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg & Alyssa Forleiter Teleplay by : Alyssa Forleiter	January 1, 2021
Sam has a dream where she and Tory duel in the Miyagi-Do dojo, which ends with Tory drowning Sam in the Miyagi-Do pond. After days of training, Miguel can finally walk freely again. Daniel spends the day with Sam in order to help her overcome her fear of Tory after she confesses the panic attacks to him. When Miguel returns to school, Miguel finds out about the Golf N’ Stuff fight, and cuts his ties with the Cobra Kai students and the dojo itself. Johnny then decides to take his most loyal students and makes a new dojo called “Eagle Fang Karate”. The Cobra Kai students then confront Johnny, where Kreese decides to leave Johnny permanently.
28	8	“The Good, The Bad, and the Badass”	Jennifer Celotta	Story by : Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg & Mattea Greene Teleplay by : Mattea Greene	January 1, 2021
The local city council removes the permit for the All-Valley Karate Tournament championship in order to politically distance itself from the fallout of the school fight, prompting Daniel, Kreese, and Johnny to make their cases respectively. However, all three of them are dismissed from making their case when personal attacks on Kreese are brought in by Amanda. Miguel and Sam make their respective appearances, making their case about the need for Karate, prompting the city council to change their minds and reinstate the tournament. During the aftermath, Miguel and Sam catch up, leading to a friendly sparring session. However, Robby, having completed his sentence, mistakenly sees the sparring session as Samantha cheating on him. Robby turns to Kreese for help. Meanwhile, Johnny and Carmen sleep with each other.
29	9	“Feel The Night”	Josh Heald	Story by : Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg & Michael Jonathan Smith Teleplay by : Michael Jonathan Smith	January 1, 2021
Ali is back in Los Angeles for the holidays to visit her parents, and Johnny meets her for lunch. The Cobra Kai students are wary about Robby’s presence, but warm up to him after he steals a snake at the local zoo as a present for Kreese. Miguel and Daniel start to find some common ground about Johnny and Daniel’s childhood, and Ali and Johnny spend the day together at Golf N’ Stuff to reconcile with each other. Sam and Miguel create an alliance between Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do in order to make preparations against Cobra Kai. While Daniel, Johnny, Ali, and Amanda all end up going to the same country club for a Christmas party.
30	10	“December 19”	Josh Heald	Story by : Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg & Bob Dearden Teleplay by : Bob Dearden	January 1, 2021
While Ali and Johnny mingle with Daniel and Amanda at a Christmas party to lay past issues to rest, Tory leads the rest of the Cobra Kai in instigating a fight at the LaRusso residence. During the ensuing melee, Hawk – having a change of heart – turns on his Cobra Kai peers while Sam conquers her fear with Tory and gains an upper hand on her, and Miguel overcomes his limitations to defeat Kyler. Before Tory escalates, Hawk intervenes, telling her the fight is over, prompting her to leave. Johnny and Daniel separately learn of the ensuing conflict after the party, with Johnny instigating a fight and winning his first fight with Kreese. Robby chooses to fight Johnny, and is accidentally knocked out after being pushed into a set of lockers. Kreese uses the opportunity to sucker punch Johnny and try to choke him, but Daniel intervenes and gains the upper hand using the Miyagi pressure point technique he learned from Chozen. Daniel barely spares Kreese after being stopped by Sam and Miguel. Kreese agrees to leave if Cobra Kai loses the upcoming tournament, while Robby sides with Kreese. During the aftermath, Kreese gives a call to Terry Silver in order to solicit a favor for saving Silver’s life during the Vietnam War, while Daniel and Johnny train their students together at the Miyagi dojo in preparation of the tournament.

Season 4

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
31	1	“Let’s Begin”	TBA	Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg	TBA

Production

The thematic genesis for Cobra Kai began with two works of pop culture. First, the 2007 music video for the song “Sweep the Leg” by No More Kings stars William Zabka (who also directed the video) as a caricature of himself as Johnny, and features references to The Karate Kid, including cameo appearances by Zabka’s former Karate Kid co-stars. In a 2010 interview, Zabka jokingly discussed this video in the context of his vision that Johnny was the true hero of the film. Then, in 2013, Macchio and Zabka made guest appearances as themselves in the television sitcom How I Met Your Mother (“The Bro Mitzvah”). In the episode, Macchio is invited to Barney Stinson’s bachelor party, leading to Barney shouting that he hates Macchio and that Johnny was the real hero of The Karate Kid. Towards the end of the episode, a clown in the party wipes off his makeup and reveals himself as Zabka.

Development

Cobra Kai was greenlit on August 4, 2017, with ten half-hour episodes, written and executive produced by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg. Although the series received offers from Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and AMC, it ultimately ended up on the subscription service YouTube Red. The trio was joined by executive producers James Lassiter and Caleeb Pinkett of Overbrook Entertainment in association with Sony Pictures Television. YouTube Premium released the first season on May 2, 2018 and the second season on April 24, 2019. It renewed the third season, initially for a 2020 release.

On May 28, 2020, Deadline Hollywood announced that the series would be leaving YouTube and moving to another streaming platform, ahead of its third-season premiere. As YouTube was not interested in renewing the series for a fourth season, the producers wanted to find a streaming venue that would leave that option open. On June 22, 2020, it was announced that the show would be moving to Netflix. Netflix released the first two seasons on August 28, 2020, and the third season released on January 1, 2021. On October 2, 2020, Netflix announced an early renewal for a fourth season, prior to season 3 being released.

The creators of the series explored moving to another platform ahead of the season two premiere, but the deal did not go through.

Miyagi-Verse

Characters from the original four films The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), The Next Karate Kid (1994) comprise the Miyagi-verse that shapes Cobra Kai. Thus, after the launch of Season 1, Elisabeth Shue (Ali Mills) from The Karate Kid, Tamlyn Tomita (Kumiko) and Yuji Okumoto (Chozen Toguchi) from The Karate Kid II, and Robyn Lively (Jessica Andrews) and Thomas Ian Griffith (Terry Silver) from The Karate Kid III, all discussed their interest in the series.  Sean Kanan (Mike Barnes) (also from Karate Kid III) stated in a 2021 interview (when asked if Barnes will appear in the series) that “you probably haven’t seen the last of him.” Finally, although Hilary Swank (who as Julie Pierce replaced Daniel as Mr. Miyagi’s student in The Next Karate Kid), has neither confirmed nor denied her interest, she did acknowledge that it would be a chance to have a “showdown” with Ralph Macchio. In December, 2020, the series’ co-creators stated that: “In our writers’ room we speak about literally every character that has appeared in the Miyagi-verse, so it’s obvious that we’ve spoken about Julie Pierce. As to whether or not she’ll return to the series, that’s something you’ll just have to wait to find out.”

In 2020, Jon Hurwitz clarified that the “Karate Kid cartoon is not canon. But there is an Easter Egg from it in Season 3,” in response to the question as to whether “the Karate Kid animated series official within the Karate Kid universe?” The Easter Egg was “the Miyagi-Do shrine, briefly seen at Chozen Toguchi’s dojo in Okinawa halfway through the season. The artifacts were recovered by Daniel LaRusso and Mister Miyagi in the short-lived Karate Kid animated series, which ran for thirteen episodes in 1989.”

In a 2021 interview with Slashfilm, the writers noted that they will not be using characters from the 2010 film The Karate Kid, as they are not a part of the “Miyagi-verse”: “We’ve ruled that out completely. Jackie Chan is mentioned in season 1 of the show as an actor, so I think in our world, Jackie Chan is an actor and a performer. If the characters on our show have seen a movie called The Karate Kid, they’ve seen that one.”

Casting

At the beginning of the series, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka revived their Karate Kid characters, Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. Additional Karate Kid actors included Randee Heller, who reprised her role as Lucille LaRusso (Daniel’s mother), and Martin Kove, who revived his role as John Kreese. The cast list for Season One was announced on October 24, 2017, and included Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, and Courtney Henggeler. Ed Asner was cast in a guest role as Johnny’s verbally abusive step-father, Sid Weinberg. On December 19, 2017, Vanessa Rubio joined the cast as Miguel’s mother.

Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Xolo Mariduena, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, and Courtney Henggeler all returned for the second season, with Jacob Bertrand, Gianni DeCenzo, and Martin Kove being promoted to series regulars and newcomers Paul Walter Hauser and Peyton List joining the cast. Actors from The Karate Kid, Rob Garrison (Tommy), Ron Thomas (Bobby), Tony O’Dell (Jimmy), and Randee Heller (Lucille LaRusso) made guest appearances during this season.

Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Xolo Mariduena, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, and Courtney Henggeler all returned for the third season. Actors from The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid II, Elisabeth Shue (Ali Mills), Ron Thomas (Bobby), Tamlyn Tomita (Kumiko), Traci Toguchi (Yuna), and Yuji Okumoto (Chozen Toguchi) all made guest appearances during this season.

On February 26, 2021, it was reported that Vanessa Rubio and Peyton List would be promoted to series regulars for the fourth season. In addition, Dallas Dupree Young and Oona O’Brien were cast in recurring roles for the fourth season.

Filming

Principal photography for the first season began in October 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. Filming took place at various locations throughout that month at places including Union City, Marietta, and the Briarcliff Campus of Emory University. In November 2017, shooting moved to locales such as the North Atlanta Soccer Association Tophat fields in East Cobb. In December 2017, the production was working out of Marietta and Conyers. Various exterior shots were also filmed in parts of Los Angeles such as Tarzana and Encino. Exterior locations included Golf N’ Stuff in Norwalk and the South Seas Apartments in Reseda, both of which were originally featured in The Karate Kid.

Principal photography for the second season began in September 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. In October 2018, production continued around Atlanta with shooting also occurring in Marietta. In November 2018, the series was filming in Union City. In December 2018, shooting transpired at the closed Rio Bravo Cantina restaurant in Atlanta.

Principal photography for the fourth season began in February 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Release

Marketing

In January 2018, the series was promoted at the annual Television Critics Association’s winter press tour where YouTube’s global head of original content Susanne Daniels described the show saying, “It is a half an hour format but I would call it a dramedy. I think it leans into the tone of the movies in that there are dramatic moments throughout. I think it’s very faithful really in some ways to what the movie set about doing, the lessons imparted in the movie if you will. It’s next generation Karate Kid.”

The first trailer was released on February 15, 2018, the second on March 1, 2018, and the third a week later. The final official trailer was released on March 21, 2018, and included the announcement that the show would premiere on May 2, 2018.

On April 17, 2019, YouTube Premium released a six-minute commercial parodying ESPN’s 30 for 30, featuring the main cast members and select ESPN personalities analyzing the 1984 match between Daniel and Johnny. It was nominated for a Clio Award.

Premiere

The series held its world premiere on April 24, 2018, at the SVA Theatre in New York City, New York, during the annual Tribeca Film Festival. Following the screening, a discussion was held with writers, directors, and executive producers Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, and Josh Heald, in addition to series stars and co-executive producers William Zabka and Ralph Macchio.

On April 25, 2018, YouTube partnered with Fathom Events for special screenings of the first two episodes of the series at around 700 movie theaters across the United States. The event also included a screening of the original film.

Reception

Critical response

Critical response of Cobra Kai

Season	Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic
1	100% (48 reviews)	72 (32 reviews)
2	90% (30 reviews)	66 (7 reviews)
3	90% (49 reviews)	71 (14 reviews)

At the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the entire series (Seasons 1-3) received a 93% approval rating.

The first season had a positive response from critics. At the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 100% approval rating, with an average score of 7.54 out of 10 based on 48 reviews. The website’s critical consensus reads: “Cobra Kai continues the Karate Kid franchise with a blend of pleasantly corny nostalgia and teen angst, elevated by a cast of well-written characters.” Cobra Kai was 2018’s best-reviewed TV drama on Rotten Tomatoes. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 72 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.

The second season had a positive response from critics. At the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 90% approval rating with an average score of 7.34 out of 10, based on 29 reviews. Its critical consensus reads: “While Cobra Kai‘s subversive kick no longer carries the same gleeful impact of its inaugural season, its second round is still among the best around – no amount of mid-life crisis and teenage ennui’s ever gonna keep it down.” Metacritic’s weighted average assigned the second season a score of 66 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews.

The third season of the series had a positive response from critics. At the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 90% approval rating, with an average score of 7.98 out of 10 based on 49 reviews. The website’s critical consensus reads: “By pairing its emotional punches with stronger humor, Cobra Kai’s third season finds itself in fine fighting form.” On Metacritic with his weighted average, assigned a score of 71 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews.

Viewership

YouTube

The first episode, which was posted on YouTube for free along with episode two, had been viewed 5.4 million times within the first 24 hours. While it was noted that the response had been, in part, a result of YouTube releasing the episode for free, it was noted by Cinema Blend‘s Britt Lawrence that, “YouTube Red’s new series debuted to numbers that should make rival streaming services take notice.” By October 30, 2018, ahead of the second-season premiere, YouTube was promoting the report that the first episode had then been viewed over 50 million times. The first episode was No. 8 on YouTube’s list of ten top-trending videos of 2018.

According to market research company Parrot Analytics, the first season of Cobra Kai was the world’s most in-demand streaming television show during May 2018. Parrot Analytics later reported that the second season of Cobra Kai was the world’s most in-demand digital television show during April 2019 through May 2019. As of September 2020, the season 1 premiere has over 90 million views, and the season 2 premiere has over 86 million views.

Netflix

After the series moved to Netflix in August 2020, Season 1 and Season 2 of Cobra Kai became the most-watched series on the platform. It was the most-watched show on streaming media in the United States between August 29 and September 6, according to Nielsen ratings. During the week, the show’s 20 episodes drew nearly 2.2 billion streaming minutes in the United States. The first season was watched on Netflix by 50 million member households in its first four weeks, making Cobra Kai the most-streamed show on Netflix during the month of September 2020.

In February 2021, after the release of Season 3, Forbes announced that it “kicked off 2021 as one of most viewed original series on a streaming platform”. During the period of December 28, 2020 – January 3, 2021, it came in “second only to Netflix’s Bridgerton“, with over 2.6 billion viewing minutes. Cobra Kai then moved to first place during the period of January 4–10, 2021.

Cultural commentary

Shortly after the debut of the third season, Jen Yamato of The Los Angeles Times noted that, “there are now three white men at the center of Cobra Kai, a franchise rooted in and deeply indebted to Eastern tradition.” While she notes that in this season Yuji Okumoto and Tamlyn Tomita reprised their roles from The Karate Kid II, Cobra Kai “has yet to cast an Asian lead”. She also quoted Ana-Christina Ramon who argues that “except for the Latino character of Miguel, all the other people of color are outside of that main cast, so it actually doesn’t show as a diverse show in a sense.” Yamato further states that Ralph Macchio “pushed” for Tomita and Okumoto’s return, and she quotes one of the show’s writers, Schlossberg, as stating: “Having made Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle we’ve been particularly sensitive to Asian American representation in movies and television.” The writers also note that while there are currently no writers of Asian descent on staff, they have turned to Tomita, Okumoto, the stunt coordinator Hiro Koda, and the original Karate Kid screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen for guidance.

On January 18, 2021 Gustavo Arnellano of The Los Angeles Times suggested that Cobra Kai offers a “a way forward for all of us during these tumultuous times”, as he “saw this uplifting season finale the weekend before the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol invasion. My rage and desire for fire and brimstone in its aftermath were tempered by the lessons that Cobra Kai had just depicted.” He bases his argument on the fact that “Cobra Kai teaches that the bad guys and girls of the world shouldn’t be vanquished but rather brought into the light of good — deprogrammed instead of defeated. There are profound insights about repentance, redemption, forgiveness for past sins and unity in the face of existential evil.”

In a February 2021 column for the Hollywood Reporter, former NBA champion and student of martial arts Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suggests that his friend and teacher, the late Bruce Lee, was linked to the influence of the original Karate Kid films. He also argues that Lee “would have loved because he saw martial arts not just as a way to defend against enemies, but as a way to defend against one’s own self-destructive impulses.” Although he states that Lee might have been “mildly disappointed” in the “portrayal of the actual martial arts moves”, which may reflect the fact that Cobra Kai is a family show (as well as the lack of involvement of teachers in the school fights), he states that these are minor areas, outweighed by its reflection of Lee’s belief that “martial arts heals because it helps one identify their problems and adapt to solving them”.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2018	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Summer TV Show	Cobra Kai	Nominated
		Choice Summer TV Star	Xolo Maridueña	Nominated
	Imagen Awards	Best Young Actor – Television	Xolo Maridueña	Nominated
	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or Variety Program	Hiro Koda	Nominated
	Rotten Tomatoes	Golden Tomato (Best TV Drama)	Cobra Kai	Won
2019	Shorty Awards	Best Web Series	Cobra Kai	Nominated
	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or Variety Program	Hiro Koda	Nominated
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Summer TV Show	Cobra Kai	Nominated
	Clio Awards	Television/Streaming: Social Media-30 for 30	Cobra Kai	Nominated
2021	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series	Cobra Kai	Pending

Home media

During the show’s time on YouTube Red, it was announced that Cobra Kai would not be released on DVD. However, once the show made its move to Netflix, Sony Pictures released the first and second seasons in a “Collector’s Edition” DVD set in the United States.

Soundtracks

Season 1

Cobra Kai (Score from the Original Series)
Soundtrack album by Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson
Released	May 4, 2018 January 8, 2018 (Australia)
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	43:53
Label	Madison Gate Records
Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson chronology
Cobra Kai (Score from the Original Series) (2018) Cobra Kai: Season 2 (Score from the Original Series) (2019)

Madison Gate Records released the official soundtrack on May 4, 2018. La-La Land Records released the physical version of the soundtrack with additional tracks in June 2018. The soundtrack CD was released in Australia on January 8, 2018.

Track listing

All music is composed by Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson.

No.	Title	Length
1.	“Awake the Snake”	2:06
2.	“Ace Degenerate”	1:25
3.	“Miyagi Memories”	1:34
4.	“Strike First”	1:06
5.	“Father and Son”	0:38
6.	“50th Anniversary”	1:00
7.	“The All-Valley Tournament”	3:34
8.	“A Badass Name for a Dojo”	0:37
9.	“Miyagi-Do”	1:52
10.	“Slither”	1:53
11.	“Cobra Guy”	0:49
12.	“Balance”	1:03
13.	“Speak Up, Lip”	0:57
14.	“Stone vs. Diaz”	1:40
15.	“Johnny’s Story”	2:28
16.	“You Earned It”	0:51
17.	“Quiver”	1:08
18.	“Venomous”	1:15
19.	“Bonsai Lessons”	1:50
20.	“Ophidiophobia”	2:16
21.	“The Wrong Path”	1:58
22.	“Final Match”	1:48
23.	“The Cobra and the Mongoose”	1:19
24.	“Time Out”	1:35
25.	“No Mercy”	1:14
26.	“Miyagi’s Tomb”	2:42
27.	“The New Champion”	1:37
28.	“King Cobra”	1:37
Total length:		43:53

Season 2

Cobra Kai: Season 2 (Music from the Original Series)
Album cover.
Soundtrack album by Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson
Released	April 24, 2019
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	66:11
Label	Madison Gate Records
Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson chronology
Cobra Kai (Score from the Original Series) (2018) Cobra Kai: Season 2 (Music from the Original Series) (2019) Cobra Kai: Season 3 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series) (2021)

Madison Gate Records also released a second official soundtrack digitally on April 24, 2019, to accompany the second season. A Deluxe Edition CD soundtrack, featuring additional bonus tracks, was released by La-La Land Records on January 19, 2021.

Track listing

All music is composed by Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson except “Cruel Summer” by Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Steve Jolley and Tony Swain.

No.	Title	Length
1.	“Miyagi-Do Fix-Up”	2:33
2.	“Snake Fight”	2:19
3.	“The Wheel Technique”	1:54
4.	“Like a Dance”	3:12
5.	“The Internet”	1:25
6.	“I Got Old”	2:53
7.	“An Old Friend”	1:25
8.	“Shochu-Geiko”	1:24
9.	“Tory with a Y”	1:58
10.	“Furious Hawk”	1:11
11.	“Medal of Honor”	1:24
12.	“Into the Snake Pit”	2:26
13.	“Military Exercise – Who’s Gonna Break”	2:13
14.	“New Students”	0:59
15.	“Fatherly Advice”	1:48
16.	“Mall Fight”	1:39
17.	“You’re the Champ”	1:34
18.	“We Are All Miyagi-Do”	2:48
19.	“Busted”	0:49
20.	“Worthy Opponent”	2:12
21.	“Kan-Geiko”	1:04
22.	“Sam and Robby”	1:24
23.	“Mercy and Honor”	2:23
24.	“Apartment Skirmish”	1:06
25.	“Black Paint on a White Wall”	1:40
26.	“I’m Coming for You, Bitch”	1:38
27.	“Hallway Hellscape”	3:37
28.	“Scale the School”	0:51
29.	“Hawk’s Prey”	1:29
30.	“Rematch”	2:08
31.	“Fallen Soldier”	2:39
32.	“Voicemail”	1:00
33.	“In It No Matter What”	1:39
34.	“It Belongs to Me”	3:20
35.	“Cruel Summer” (Kari Kimmel)	2:25
36.	“Hawk’s Tattoo” (CD exclusive bonus track)	1:51
37.	“Comic Store” (CD exclusive bonus track)	1:15
38.	“Make a Move” (CD exclusive bonus track)	0:30
39.	“Cement Truck” (CD exclusive bonus track)	0:43
40.	“Awkward” (CD exclusive bonus track)	0:39
41.	“Lifting the Rock” (CD exclusive bonus track)	0:47
42.	“The Lull Between Battles” (CD exclusive bonus track)	1:32
43.	“Coyote Creek” (CD exclusive bonus track)	0:48
44.	“Rehab” (CD exclusive bonus track)	1:59
45.	“Miyagi-Do Commercial” (CD exclusive bonus track)	0:50
Total length:		78:08

Season 3

Cobra Kai: Season 3 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
Album cover.
Soundtrack album by Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson
Released	January 8, 2021
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	87:00
Label	Madison Gate Records
Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson chronology
Cobra Kai: Season 2 (Score from the Original Series) (2019) Cobra Kai: Season 3 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series) (2021)

Madison Gate Records released a third official soundtrack digitally on January 8, 2021, to accompany the third season. A 2-CD Deluxe Edition soundtrack, featuring additional bonus tracks, was released by La-La Land Records on January 19, 2021.

1. Miyagi Metal – 2:15
2. Come Back to Us – 1:39
3. Work Together – 1:48
4. Addition by Subtraction – 2:32
5. Chop Shop – 2:02
6. Return to Okinawa – 3:19
7. Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dojos – 1:34
8. Look at Me – 1:29
9. Live or Die, Man – 1:41
10. Crane Technique – 3:02
11. Web MD – 1:09
12. Secrets of Miyagi-Do – 2:56
13. Be a Better Person – 1:28
14. Snake in the Grass – 2:05
15. The Cobra Effect – 2:33
16. Snap – 1:46
17. Can’t Run Away From Your Problems – 1:46
18. Forming a Team – 1:37
19. Two-Time Champion – 1:31
20. Dark Hawk – 1:40
21. I’m a Sensei – 1:57
22. Nightmare – 1:54
23. We Deserve the Chance – 2:44
24. Dream Come True – 0:38
25. The Good, the Bad, and the Badass – 1:57
26. Start Over – 1:29
27. The Right Path – 3:00
28. Dojo From Hell – 1:50
29. Carol of the Cobras – 2:17
30. Must Not Not Lose to Fear – 1:45
31. The Call of the Cobra – 2:12
32. Snake Bitten – 2:19
33. Duel of the Snakes – 2:55
34. Ouroboros – 4:49
35. Challenger – 3:09
36. Duel of the Snakes (Mega-Edit) – 9:58
37. Miyagi Metal (‘Shred’-along) – 2:16

Video games

Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues, a video game based on the series, was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on October 27, 2020, and for Microsoft Windows on January 5, 2021.

A mobile game entitled Cobra Kai: Card Fighter was released on March 19, 2021 on iOS and Android devices.