Ever sinceCobra Kai debuted in 2018, critics and audiences expressed appreciation for how well showrunners gave life to the Karate Kid franchise while still staying loyal and respectful to the original movies. After 6 seasons, the Netflix show will be wrapping things up at some point in 2025—and that looks like the end for the series. Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso), William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence), and Martin Kove (John Kreese) are all returning one last time. That said, this won’t be the last time you see Macchio in a Karate Kid franchise. Here’s what you need to know.
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Miyagi’s Mystery Box
Columbia Pictures
Fans will finally find out what Mr. Miyagi’s mysterious box is all about. “It’s fun to see people speculating about what’s in Miyagi’s box and seeing different speculation about the conflict between characters,” co-creator Jon Hurwitz tells Screen Rant. “We enjoy this every season – we love how the fans are their own version of a writers room, and they’re thinking, ‘Oh, I think it’s gonna be this, I think it’s gonna be that,’ and it’s all based on a few little morsels that they have to work with and it’s a lot of fun.”
The Sekai Taikai Dream Team
Neflix
The show will possibly end with the big Sekai Taikai tournament. “There were a lot of discussions in the writers room about how many people should go to the Sekai Taikai and which characters?” co-creator Josh Heald told Screen Rant. “In a way, it’s kind of like you’re in the front office of a sports team, figuring out who’s going to make the cut. That was intentionally what the story was for Johnny and Daniel. We wanted them to butt heads over the fifth and sixth people. It felt obvious that Miguel, Robbie, Sam and Tory would make the cut if there were six people.”
Blast From the Past
Columbia Pictures
Karate Kid fans should expect another blast from the past in season 6, part 2. “I won’t spoil, but I’ll say that in Part 2, there will be a character from a Karate Kid movie in the past who shows up in the middle five, so there’s something coming,” Hurwitz says. “There’s somebody coming who fans have seen in the past, that’s all I’ll say.”
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Spoiler Alerts
Netflix
Even the cast are struggling not to spoil the ending for fans. “Oh, man, it is really hard to not spoil anything,” Jacob Bertrand, who plays Hawk, tellsScreen Rant. “I really just want to tell people sometimes when I meet people in the street, I’ll be like, ‘I just want to tell you who wins the Seikai Taiki, I know all!’ I think what compounds it is having to wait for months in between seasons, too.”
What Can Fans Expect?
Netflix
Fans can expect a thorough goodbye for every character. “Part of the reason that we have 15 episodes this season is because we wanted to tie up all the characters’ storylines,” co-creator Hayden Schlossberg tells Entertainment Weekly. “We knew we had a lot of characters. Whoever your favorite character is, we have a story intended for them and they all have their spotlight moments.”
Still to Come: “Karate Kid: Legends”
Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash
Cobra Kai won’t be the end of the line for Macchio. In the feature film Karate Kid: Legends, set to release on May 30, 2025, Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan unite to train a new generation of martial artists. The film, produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, is expected to blend the legacies of Macchio’s Karate Kid films and Chan’s Karate Kid remake. Chan reprises his role as Mr. Han, while Macchio returns as Daniel LaRusso. The star-studded cast includes Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen, Danny McBride, and Wyatt Oleff.