There’s only one way Cobra Kai spinoffs work
NetflixCobra Kai has come to an end, but the Karate Kid story isn’t over yet, as potential spinoff shows are planned, which will only work on one condition.
Cobra Kai initially sounded like a bad idea. It all started with a 2015 YouTube video arguing that Johnny Lawrence was the real hero of The Karate Kid, and Daniel LaRusso the villainous a-hole who came to town and promptly wrecked his life.
Inspired by this pretty convincing hot take, writer-producers Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg crafted a series that tells that story in the present day, with Johnny a washed-up loser still stinging from the injustice of Daniel’s crane kick. Which, let’s be honest, was far from legal.
The show began life on YouTube back when the video-sharing service gave TV a pretty half-hearted go. Then Netflix acquired the rights, streamed the old episodes, and started making fresh installments in-house. Huge viewing numbers followed, and Cobra Kai ultimately ran for 65 episodes across six seasons.
The Miyagiverse will continue
NetflixNetflix likes money, however, so the end of Cobra Kai sounds like it’s just the beginning. As far back as 2022, Jon Hurwitz tweeted: “we expect more Cobra Kai to come and that the Miyagiverse is far from finished.”
Then in December 2024, Hayden Schlossberg told Collider: “I think you’re going to, hopefully, finish the series and feel like you want more. And whether that’s delving into some of the characters and their pasts or where their future lies ahead, there will definitely be a lot of potential that you’ll see in those last episodes.”
While Josh Heald elaborated, telling Rolling Stone this of the finale: “We leave certain fruit on the vine at the end of Cobra Kai intentionally, whether it’s for ourselves or for another generation to come along and reimagine a story 40 years down the line, or for any new branch to spin-off. We weren’t interested in completely burning down the world and saying, ‘That’s it. Lock it up and put it away.’ This is a vibrant, alive universe… There are endless possibilities for the future.”
Ideas for potential Cobra Kai spinoffs
NetflixBut for Cobra Kai spinoffs to work, that future must involve Johnny Lawrence. The character only appeared in the first Karate Kid movie – and briefly at the start of the second – because that franchise was Daniel’s story.
But Cobra Kai is Johnny’s tale, and as written by the show’s creators, and played by the brilliant William Zabka, he’s become one of the most likable and compelling characters on television. So much so that the Netflix series suffered whenever he wasn’t onscreen.
Cobra Kai introduced new characters via fresh-faced youngsters Miguel, Robby, Sam, and Tory, who squabbled, bickered, and fought as they fell in and out of love with each other. But those storylines quickly felt tired and stale, their relationships repeating themselves as the series progressed.
There’s also been talk of a spinoff for Demetri and Eli, who provided conflict in the early seasons and comic relief further down the line. But the duo never became interesting characters in their own right, so a standalone show is something of a non-starter.
And I’m not sure I should say this as I love the character with all my heart, and modeled myself on actor Ralph Macchio when I was a kid, but Daniel LaRusso is now – whisper it – a bit dull. His story was interesting when Daniel was interacting with Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid trilogy, the pair regularly clashing but also growing as people the more their friendship blossomed.
In Cobra Kai, however, Daniel is something of a wet-pants who spends much of the series either moaning at his children or complaining to his wife. Indeed, he only really comes to life when Miyagi is re-introduced in dream sequences and via a mystery box, prompting Daniel to doubt both himself and his mentor. Which briefly made him engaging again.
Why Johnny Lawrence is key to Cobra Kai’s future success
NetflixBut Johnny is an endlessly fascinating character in this new iteration; a privileged jock who peaked in High School and is now plagued by self-hatred and self-doubt. He also happens to be hilarious when struggling with technology like a man out of time, or quoting characters from the dumb action movies he loves. Yet under all that cursing and bravado, Lawrence has a heart of gold, making audiences care about him as much as he (secretly) cares about his Cobra Kai kids.
So any new story in the Miyagiverse must feature Johnny. Or better still, shoot a sequel series that simply continues his story, focussing on Johnny as he navigates married life, and comes to terms with being father to a baby girl. Just as the Karate Kid movies worked because of Mr. Miyagi’s magical presence, Johnny Lawrence is the key to Cobra Kai’s success.
All six seasons of the show are streaming on Netflix, meaning you can now check out out our Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 3 recap and ending explainer, as well as articles on the amazing Rocky homage, the hilarious Back to the Future joke, and the truth about Mr. Miyagi’s criminal past. While you can head here to see why We Love TV & Movies.