When Cobra Kai was officially renewed for a sixth season, it gave its fans the opportunity to take some time before they could officially bid adieu to their favorite characters. The producers’ heartfelt message on Twitter, expressing their gratitude to the fans, spiked the anticipation of their fans even more.
Ever since Cobra Kai was released on Netflix, it has gained exponential fame and a fan base that remains unparalleled. An extension of The Karate Kid movies, the temporal setting of the series takes place 34 years after the events of The Karate Kid, revolving around the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso.
Its latest season, season five, was released on Netflix in September 2022, and ever since the creators of the show confirmed that show would be back for its sixth season, fans have been perched on the edges of their seats, waiting for the “biggest and baddest” season of the show to drop on Netflix.
Although the baddest will not be back so soon, we don’t hope to speculate it to release in 2023 or 2024 for that matter, owing to the two looming strikes, WGA and the latest being SAG-AFTRA which has ceased the production processes of popular series like Stranger Things, The Sandman, Outer Banks and more.
Will Cobra Kai season 6 also meet the same fate? Here’s what we know so far about it.
Cobra Kai season 6: The impact of the strikes explained
Speaking to Deadline, the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai was all set to go into production in the late spring, which implicitly pointed to the filming process beginning in the second half of May or even early June.
However, the WGA strike has pushed production to start even further. Not only that, but the SAG-AFTRA strike that is the protest led by the union of strikes, has joined hands with the writers. For the first time in 50 years, writers and actors are fighting from the same side.
Considering that the production process for Cobra Kai season 6 won’t begin until strikes cease to continue, we speculate the release date to be pushed further into late 2024 or early 2025.
One of the brighter pictures of the show is that, unlike high-end fantasy shows, it does not require a long post-production process, owing to its short episodes and less VFX.
It was supposed to be filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, in addition to certain locations outside of the US, as stated by showrunner Jon Hurwitz. Per Production Weekly, Cobra Kai season 6 would be filmed under the codename, THE ABORIST.
Is Cobra Kai season 6 the final season?
Although the Miyagiverse is returning for the sixth season (which is in the best interests of its fans), it is also, unfortunately, sealing the fate of the show. Calling it the “biggest, the baddassest, most amazing season of Cobra Kai” in a recently shared video by Netflix at its Tudum event, Zebka has already ricocheted the anticipation of the fans, not without the tinge of that characteristic bittersweetness attached to any final season.
Interestingly, Hurwitz also pointed out in a Tweet on February 27 that Netflix was not the one who decided to seal the fate of the show after six seasons; rather it was the creators’ decision. The Tweet read:
“Netflix didn’t tell us it was the last season. We told them it was the last season. We’ve always wanted to end Cobra Kai on our own terms and we are grateful we have the opportunity to do so. But that doesn’t mean we’re finished with the Miyagiverse. We love this world.”
Are there any latest updates for Cobra Kai season 6?
Recently, the executive producer of the show Jon Hurwitz tweeted that season 6 of Cobra Kai will begin one year after the second season finale. This points to the fact that everything from seasons 3, 4, and 5 took place within one year. Interesting!
Additionally, we expect the final season to underscore the international tournament, as Cobra Kai season 5 alluded to it throughout the end. Possibly, the sixth season will focus on Miyagi-do and Eagle Fang’s opportunity to take their students to a more prestigious platform.
What to expect from Cobra Kai season 6?
Previous seasons of Cobra Kai left us wondering what would happen after Terry Silver’s cheating antics are out in the open, which led to his arrest. With this, the future of Cobra Kai has been put into the dark since Kim Da-Eun has a 50% stake. She might use students from her dojos under the name of Cobra Kai.
In conversation with Digital Spy, actor Dallas Dupree Young talked about his heartbreak and being disappointed by Silver, since Kenny looked up to the latter as “his mentor” and a “father figure”, who ended up betraying him “in a sense.”
“And for Kenny to watch that video and see the evidence, it was just very disheartening. So I think Kenny is in a rough headspace. He doesn’t really know where he wants to go at this point. But I can’t wait to see what happens with him,” he said.
In addition to this, there is a possibility of a civil war looming in the Cobra Kai future that can be ignited by Mike Barnes if he leads Terry’s former students to combat the students of Kim Da-Eun. Season 6 will also observe the rise in power of Kreese now that he has escaped from prison. The only person that he will expectedly turn to is Kim Da-Eun, the granddaughter of his former master. On a different tangent, Johnny is having a baby with Carmen, and the due date has not been mentioned. This could affect Johnny’s attendance at the Sekai Takai.
Speaking to PopCulture, Bertrand had previously shared that he would like to see a world tournament in the final season, which would open the arena for new characters and locations.
He said, “I really want to go to the world tournament. I think the world tournament would be super interesting because right now, it’s just confined to The Valley of Karate, you know?
“I think it’d be really cool to introduce some crazy new players from all around the world. Yeah, and I’m sure Hawk can win at least a couple of fights.”
Who are the expected cast members in Cobra Kai Season 6?
We expect the majority of the cast members to reprise their respective roles in Cobra Kai season 6. These include:
- Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
- William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence
- Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso
- Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz
- Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene
- Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso
- Jacob Bertrand as Hawk
- Gianni DeCenzo as Demetri
- Martin Kove as John Kreese
- Vanessa Rubio as Carmen Diaz
- Peyton List as Tory Nichols
- Griffin Santopietro as Anthony LaRusso
- Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny Payne
- Yuji Okumoto as Chozen
- Oona O’Brien as Devon
- Alicia Hannah-Kim as Kim Da-Eun
- Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver
- Sean Kanan as Mike Barnes
- Joe Seo as Kyler Park
- Paul Walter Hauser as Stingray
Is there an official trailer for Cobra Kai season 6?
It’s a little too early for the creators of the show to release an official Cobra Kai season 6 trailer. Be that as it may, Netflix has recently released a teaser video announcing the final season. Although the video does not feature any new footage, it manages to satiate the fans’ thirst. If you haven’t watched it already, take a look at it below:
On a scale of 1-10, how thrilled are you to stream the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai on Netflix? Drop your answers in the comment section given below!
Don’t forget to stay tuned to Web News Observer for more release date updates on Cobra Kai season 6!