We're nearing the end, "Cobra Kai" fans: yes, that means the end of waiting for new episodes to debut — the martial arts-focused Netflix hit is set to return to the streamer on Thursday, July 18 — but also the end of the series itself. We'll say goodbye to Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and the rest of the dojo fighters with a supersized sixth and final season, which will be released in three parts encompassing five episodes each.
And "Cobra Kai" viewers can now get a sneak peek at the first part of that farewell, thanks to an official new trailer that Netflix just dropped on Monday, July 1.
"We've been through a lot to get to this point, but now we're finally on the same page," says Macchio's Daniel at the beginning of the two-minute clip. "We may have settled things in the Valley, but now we have to be ready for whatever the world throws at us."
And that means the Sekai Taikai, aka the world championships of karate, where the students will be fighting "the best in the world," their sensei warn them. And to prep the karate kids, it looks like Johnny will be using some rather unorthodox training methods, like shooting beer bottles at them to test their speed and balance, much to the chagrin of Daniel. "Our strength is we teach both styles equally. Don't jeopardize that balance, man," he reminds his former rival.
The trailer also gives longtime Miyagi-verse fans updates on two original characters from "The Karate Kid" movie franchise. First, we see the return of John Kreese (Martin Kove), who is now the sensei of a rival dojo. Last we saw the antagonist at the end of "Cobra Kai" season 5, he had cleverly faked his own death using some melted Jell-O and busted out of prison wearing doctor's clothing and a stolen security badge from his social worker. "Only through pain does a champion reveal itself," Kreese tells his students in the trailer, so it's clear he's ready to leave it all out on the dojo mat.
The new clip also sees a cameo from a surprising source: Mr. Miyagi (played by Pat Morita in the original "Karate Kid" movies). OK, sure, the fictional sensei and the actor who played him are both long gone now, but Daniel and Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto) discover a box from their old instructor hidden below the floorboards of Miyagi Do. "Miyagi San buried secrets for a reason," Chozen says. "If we open, anything is possible."
One of the biggest Netflix shows, "Cobra Kai" will bow out with the first part of season 6 on July 18. The second part will follow on November 28, with the final five installments hitting the streaming platform on a to-be-announced date in 2025. It will be the first-ever three-part season for any Netflix series.
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