Are you looking for a new series? Then you might want to check out Cobra Kai if you haven’t seen it yet, according to MeinMMO author Max Handwerk. You’ll be just in time for the grand finale.
What is Cobra Kai about? “Strike first, strike hard, no mercy” – this motto forms the basis of the training at the Cobra Kai dojo, which also included the young, handsome, and popular Johnny Lawrence. The enthusiastic karate fighter emerged under the guidance of Sensei John Kreese as the favorite to win the local All-Valley Karate Tournament.
However, at the last moment, Johnny lost the seemingly guaranteed victory to a small karate upstart named Daniel LaRusso, who was trained by the eccentric Mr. Miyagi to ruin Johnny’s glorious victory. And he did it with an illegal crane kick!
Of course, Daniel LaRusso was actually the hero of the original Karate Kid movies. But this is how Johnny Lawrence remembers the events of the first Karate Kid film – at least at the point where the series Cobra Kai begins.
Here you can find the trailer for Season 3 of Cobra Kai – at this point, Netflix took over the series.
In the series, which initially started on YouTube and then switched to Netflix, Johnny is actually the protagonist. And rightly so – as the slightly outdated, unlucky karate fan quickly turns out to be a fantastic character that one enjoys following through the now nearly complete five seasons.
We follow Johnny as he struggles through life – both literally and figuratively. He keeps himself afloat with odd jobs, grapples with modern technology, and holds onto his grudge against Daniel LaRusso.
He really finds himself again when he meets the young Miguel. The teenager has his own struggles at school and is being bullied. He could definitely use some karate skills from Johnny – and becomes the first student of the “new” Cobra Kai dojo. As the series progresses, more and more teenagers join, making up the rest of the cast.
The resurgence of Cobra Kai, however, brings Daniel LaRusso back into play – as he suffered enough under the dojo and its brutal students in his youth. And so, the rivalry goes into the next round.
Why Cobra Kai is the perfect series if you need feel-good TV
I personally had not seen any of the Karate Kid movies when I first turned on Cobra Kai. However, I did know the Barney Stinson joke from How I Met Your Mother, in which Barney is always convinced that Johnny Lawrence was the real Karate Kid. Cobra Kai is the series realization of that joke. And it completely captivated me.
This is what makes Cobra Kai special: Cobra Kai has an incredible amount of humor and usually doesn’t take itself too seriously. Johnny is a fantastic protagonist, and the karate rivalry between him and LaRusso – now both adult men who have ostensibly left it all behind – provides quite a few laughs. The rest of the cast shines with charm and fun, which does not require any prior knowledge of Karate Kid. And if it does, everything is explained through flashbacks.
Alongside the foundational humor, there are really good fight scenes, a touch of melodrama, and ultimately even genuinely dangerous antagonists who suddenly create tension. Overall, the series somehow conveys a feel-good vibe, as it always revolves around overcoming conflicts, friendships, and collaboration. Sometimes this happens through an in-depth conversation with the more sensible characters of the series. Most of the time, though, it’s more through a well-executed karate kick.
Because yes, sometimes the series is also totally over the top. This is especially true in the later seasons: the further it goes, the more problems are solved through karate fights. The enemies become meaner, the challenges greater, and at some point, one wonders what the police in the Valley actually does all day. On the other hand: with about 40 to 50 karate-fighting teenagers, you might not want to mess with them.
Five seasons are already out, and the sixth is being gradually released. The last 5 episodes will be released in February 2025. So it’s good timing to dive into the series if you haven’t seen it yet. By the way, it continues with the Karate Kid world after that, as a new Karate Kid movie has also been announced for 2025. And you can find even more series recommendations here.
