Warning! This article contains spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6.
Summary
Cobra Kaiis beginning to set up all the pieces for Johnny Lawrence’s ending, and it looks like it will be absolutely perfect. From the very beginning, the Netflix series has used the formula of theKarate Kidmovies in a fresh new way, giving viewers the villains' perspectives. Johnny, the first of Daniel’s rivals, has been at the center of this, andCobra Kaiseason 6 is working on bringing his story full circle. Part 1, which contains five episodes, has laid the groundwork, allowing us to predict where Johnny Lawrence will end up—and it’s looking pretty great.
Cobra Kaiseason 6, the final installment in the Netflix series, has been broken into three parts, the first of which was released in July 2024. These episodes see Miyagi-Do, which now includes Johnny and his old Cobra Kai and Eagle Fang students, prepare for the Sekai Taikai. While all this is going on,Daniel and Johnny are on their own personal journies, with the former learning about Mr. Miyagi’s darker past as the latter attempts to embrace the inner balance of Miyagi-Do. Of course, theseCobra Kaicharacterstories aren’t random, and it seems they will ultimately come together for an impactful ending.
Cobra Kai Season 6: Part 1 Review - The Flaws Of Netflix’s Season-Splitting Model Are Starting To Show
Cobra Kai’s final season gets off to a slow start in Part 1, but the cliffhanger promises a strong conclusion for parts 2 and 3 to close the show.
Cobra Kai Is Setting Johnny Up To Become The TRUE Mr. Miyagi Replacement
Season 6 Is Preparing Johnny To Take Over Miyagi-Do
Cobra Kaiseason 6, part 1’s various stories hint that Johnny Lawrence will be the true Mr. Miyagi replacement by the end of the series. Daniel mentioned thatthe Sekai Taikaiwould be his “karate swan song,” indicating that he would not continue being a sensei past the event. Amanda LaRusso mentions that Johnny should be the one to lead Miyagi-Do going forward, butDaniel continues to struggle with his old rivals' methods, as well as his rough past. However, perhaps the greatest hint that Johnny is being set up as the new Mr. Miyagi addresses the fact that he is far more like the old sensei than Daniel realizes.
Mr. Miyagi’s Rough Past Connects Him With Johnny (Not Daniel)
Cobra Kai’s Themes Of Redemption Will Link Miyagi & Johnny
InCobra Kaiseason 6, part 1, Daniel discovers a hidden chest inside Mr. Miyagi’s home. Inside were artifacts of a past life, indicating that the old sensei hadn’t always been the peaceful man that Daniel had known. This was deeply upsetting to the former karate kid.Mr. Miyagi had once committed armed robbery, leading him to change his identity to escape the law, and Daniel grappled with this for the majority of season 6’s first five episodes. While Johnny has nothing to do with this plotline so far, it seems to besubtly setting up the fact that he is the perfect person to take up Mr. Miyagi’s mantle.
The series is creating a parallel between Mr. Miyagi and Johnny’s stories, thus bringingCobra Kaifull circle.
Johnny Lawrence is undoubtedly rough around the edges and no stranger to making mistakes that hurt the people around him. However, he has come a long way inCobra Kai, and it seems that this is something Mr. Miyagi would have understood all too well.Cobra Kaiseason 6 appears to be setting up a moment in whichDaniel will accept that Mr. Miyagi’s past mistakes don’t define who the man was, leading him to understand that he has unfairly criticized Johnny. The series is creating a parallel between Mr. Miyagi and Johnny’s stories, thus bringingCobra Kaifull circle.
How Johnny Becoming The New Mr. Miyagi Brings Cobra Kai Full Circle
Johnny Has Always Fallen Within Mr. Miyagi’s Archtype (But With A Twist)
Cobra Kaiendingwith Johnny becoming the primary sensei of Miyagi-Domakes perfect sense since his character fills Mr. Miyagi’s role from the very beginning. Season 1’s story was a perfect repeat ofThe Karate Kid’s formula, with a teenager getting saved from his bullies by an adult karate master, who then begins teaching the boy his craft as they develop a touching relationship. Of course,the twist inCobra Kaiwas that Johnny was the antithesis of Mr. Miyagi, using empty beer bottles and insults to train Miguel rather than sage advice.
Now, going into the final episodes ofCobra Kai, the series has begun to hint that Mr. Miyagi might have once been more like Johnny than anyone would have guessed. He wasn’t always a wise old man, and the apparent personal growth that happened after his past crime is a lesson that wisdom and kindness can come from anywhere. It’s all proof thatJohnny was actually the perfect Mr. Miyagi replacement all along—not Daniel—ultimately bringing the story ofCobra Kaito the ending that has subtly been foreshadowed since season 1.
Cobra Kaiseason 6, part 2, will premiere on Netflix on June 17, 2025.
Cobra Kai
Cast
Cobra Kai is a sequel series continuing the narrative of the Karate Kid saga, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It focuses on Johnny Lawrence seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.
