For much of "Cobra Kai" season 6, sensei Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and the students of Miyagi-Do have been preparing for the Sekai Taikai, a prestigious international karate competition happening in Barcelona, Spain.
At the end of season 6 part 1 — the sixth season of the Netflix series is being released in three parts, with the first five having arrived this past July, the second batch dropping on November 28 and the final five eps to follow in 2025 — we learned which six young dojo fighters would be representing Miyagi-Do in the competition and, shockingly, which one wouldn't. (No spoilers here, though!)
And according to "Cobra Kai" showrunner Jon Hurwitz, the Sekai Taikai will be just as tough as the show has been teasing all season.
In August, Hurwitz took to Twitter to host a social media Q&A with fans, allowing them to ask questions and get insights into season 6 of "Cobra Kai." In response to one viewer's query, "Have Sekai Taikai contestants really died in the past, or was [Mike] Barnes just trying to scare the kids?" Hurwitz coyly replied: "I take Mike Barnes for his word."
"Everyone I know who has participated in this has horror stories. This thing is intense, unpredictable," Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) — an O.G. "Karate Kid" villain who returned this season to train Daniel and Johnny's students — had previously warned the Miyagi-Do crew in part 1. "I will do what the Sekai Taikai will do. I will surprise you with events. I will push you to your limits."
Hurwitz expanded on the tournament in a July 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying: "Going into Part 2, we’re in Barcelona at the Sekai Taikai and we have the biggest, craziest martial arts tournament that has existed in 'The Karate Kid' franchise. You’re not going to see just the same traditional events that you’ve seen at all the All Valleys. There’s a lot more going on, both on and off the mat."
Given Hurwitz's assurances, it seems like Sekai Taikai will be seriously brutal for the Miyagi-Do kids. And it will also test the sensei as well, as Daniel referred to the championship as his "karate swan song" and made some concerning discoveries about his own instructor, Mr. Miyagi, and his own ties to the Sekai Taikai. (But again, no spoilers here!)
We'll see exactly how ruthless the Sekai Taikai karate tournament gets and which globally renowned dojo will prove its dominance on the mat when season 6 returns on November 28 with another batch of five episodes. Tom's Guide will keep you posted on all updates surrounding the next installment of "Cobra Kai," including behind-the-scenes tidbits, casting intel and showrunner insights. In the meantime, you can revisit the first five seasons of the martial arts comedy-drama, as well as the first five eps of season 6, with a Netflix subscription.
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