Cobra Kai season 5, after four seasons of arguments and fights, has ended all rivalries.
Cobra Kai Season 5 ended most of the show’s conflicts and ended its rivalries. However, that was a disappointing finale, and it did not set the stage for a potential Cobra Kai 6. While Cobra Kai season six has not yet been announced by Netflix, producers Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz have expressed their desire to continue the world of Cobra Kai. Although there were some plot lines in Cobra Kai Season 6, the Cobra Kai finale episodes felt like a series conclusion. This creates a challenge for Cobra Kai Season 6.
Cobra Kai Season 5 was released less than one year after season 4. It paid off all previous seasons’ setups immediately. After losing the tournament against Cobra Kai, Daniel LaRusso was left hopeless in the battle against Terry Silver. The fight with the Karate Kid 3villain reminded audiences how easy he could get in LaRusso’s head. Cobra Kai Season 5 raised the stakes with no tournament and characters ready to fight to the death. It felt like the culmination of all the shows’ efforts.
Cobra Kai Season 5 was more extensive than any previous season. This was not only because of an increased number of characters but also because of the fight sequences and the number of storylines. It presented a severe problem for Cobra Kai Season 6. Cobra Kai Season 5 explored many areas of the show without a tournament, which allowed it to tie up the mass of its loose ends. As season 4 approached, some of Cobra Kai’s most cherished narrative tricks became repetitive.
These included but weren’t limited to endless rivalries, love triangulations, and the dynamic between Daniel LaRusso. Cobra Kai Season 5 was well aware of this problem and spent most of its time fixing it. While ending all rivalries is a significant improvement for the characters and the show overall, it leaves Cobra Kai in a difficult situation: how do you create conflict when everything seems to be sorted out?
Cobra Kai Was Built On Rivalries
Cobra Kai is a continuation of Karate Kid but was primarily a sequel to the first Karate Kid. Cobra Kai was a sports series, so it was inevitable that there would be rivalries among the best fighters. This was in addition to the personal conflicts that were featured in the Karate Kid films. The Cobra Kai first season was shaped by the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso. Johnny’s rivalry quickly impacted the original Cobra Kai characters, and it wasn’t long before Miguel and Robby became their enemies.
These Cobra Kai seasons fueled Miguel and Robby’s rivalry over the school fight and Miguel’s injury. It also led to new disputes. Sam, Tory, Hawk, Demitri, Kenny, and most recently, Anthony took the same route as Johnny and Daniel almost 40 years ago. Not even the All Valley was able to resolve their differences. Despite playing villains like John Kreese or Terry Silver, Cobra Kai was created in personal conflicts. Therefore, Cobra Kai season 6, responsible for resolving these tensions, would have been the proper role.
Cobra Kai Season 5: All Rivalries Over
After a fight that could have gone badly, Cobra Kai season 5 saw Robby & Miguel ready for common ground and become friends for the first time since the start of Cobra Kai. At the story end of Cobra Kai Season 5, Sam and Tory put aside their rivalries to help one another. Even the decade-old banter between Daniel, Johnny, and others seem to have ended. Cobra Kai Season 5 brought out the best in its characters and allowed them to grow after four seasons of a childish argument that followed every hope for a truce among characters like Daniel or Johnny.
Although it is possible to argue that some of these rivalries were resolved too quickly – as was the case with Miguel and Robby and Sam in Cobra Kai – the show had postponed those conflicts for far too many years. Although Cobra Kai season 5 was not intended to end the show, it would have been wrong for Miguel and Robby to still hate each other heading into season 6. The show is now in the wrong spot for Cobra Kai Season 6.
Season 6 is more complex because of Cobra Kai’s resolved conflicts.
Cobra Kai season six is a story that centers on rivalries and competition. While the Cobra Kai finale of season 5 ended with Kreese’s unexpected return, that alone isn’t enough to support a new season. Johnny and Daniel are now co-founders and friends of a new dojo. Most of Cobra Kai’s prominent people are now disputed on the same side. All Cobra Kai students left the DojoDojo after Terry Silver purchased the referee during All Valley. The season 5 finale has resolved most of the storylines in Cobra Kai season 6.
Cobra Kai Season 6 could challenge the “happy ending,” but it would feel like a regression, especially for Johnny or Daniel. Cobra Kai Season five ended with a tease about Miyagi-Do’s and Eagle Fang’s merging into one philosophy with a new title. From an angle, it would make no sense for Johnny or Daniel to break up again. Kreese might be strong enough to carry an entire season of Cobra Kai. But whether that will work depends on what Cobra Kai Season 6 offers.
What could the sixth season of Cobra Kai be about?
Apart from Kreese’s expected return, the main plot of Cobra Kai Season 6 is the Sekai Taikai. The Sekai Taikai, which was teased in the second half of Cobra Kai Season 5, is an unreal tournament where dojos from around the globe compete for the title of the best karate philosophy. Terry Silver has had a plan to join the Sekai Taikai with Cobra Kai for decades. While Silver is currently in prison, the Cobra Kai will likely compete in the tournament with sensei.
Johnny and Daniel’s unnamed DojoDojo have been chosen for The Sekai Taikai. This means a possible Cobra Kai Season 6 could occur primarily outside the United States. The possibility of a global tournament where the opponents are different characters from around the world could help Cobra Kai season 6, create new conflicts and make the next Cobra Kai season feel more unique than the previous five. It is possible to rely on the tournament dynamic for an entire season, but it might not work. This is why Terry Silver, Kreese, and sensei Kim need a solid ending game plan in Cobra Kai season 6.