- Netflix's "Karate Kid" sequel show "Cobra Kai" is ending.
- The final season, which is out now, has been split into three releases.
The final season of "Cobra Kai" is out now on Netflix, but fans must wait until 2025 to see the story fully wrapped up.
In 2018, "Cobra Kai" creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg revitalized the "Karate Kid" franchise with a sequel that followed the original movie's lead rivals Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).
"Cobra Kai" was an immediate hit when it first premiered on YouTube and gained a bigger audience when Netflix acquired the second series in 2020.
After three more seasons as one of Netflix's biggest original shows, the "Cobra Kai" creators announced that the sixth season would be the last.
"Our Day 1 goal with 'Cobra Kai' has always been to end it on our terms, leaving the Valley in the time and place we've always imagined," they wrote in a statement in 2023. "While this may be a bittersweet day for the fandom, the Miyagiverse has never been stronger."
The next episodes of "Cobra Kai" air in November
In May, Netflix announced that the final season of "Cobra Kai" would be split into three releases across 2024 and 2025.
The next five episodes will be released on November 15, but Netflix has not released a trailer or episode titles yet.
The final ones will be released on an unscheduled date in 2025.
In recent years, Netflix has experimented with the split-release model, including for "Bridgerton" and "Stranger Things." This has helped boost the shelf-life of these series and build anticipation for the show.
But this is the first time Netflix has split a series into three parts released over the course of a year. This gamble may make it hard to keep fans engaged with the series.
The 2025 date may have been chosen to coincide with the upcoming "Karate Kid" spin-off movie, which is scheduled for next year, although this is unconfirmed.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Cobra Kai" seasons one to five.
The final season focuses on the world karate tournament called the Sekai Taikai
In the first five seasons, "Karate Kids" original lead stars Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence return. They started rival karate dojos, fought against each other with their students, and then united to form one Miyaga-Fang dojo.
In season five, the alliance face-off against "Karate Kid Part III" character Terry Silver, who had taken over Johnny's Cobra Kai dojo and used unethical methods to win tournaments. At the end of the season, Daniel and Johnny defeat Terry, have him arrested, and finally shut down Cobra Kai.
Daniel and Johnny now plan to train their students together so they can compete in the Sekai Taikai, the most respected karate tournament in the world.
While the Miyaga-Fang lead characters prepare for the tournament in season six, part one, Johnny and Daniel's former rival, John Kreese (Martin Kove), escapes prison and rebuilds Cobra Kai to defeat Johnny and Daniel's students.
At the end of season six, part one, the Miyaga-Fang team heads to Spain for the tournament, but one of their fighters, Tory (Peyton List), has defected back to Cobra Kai.
Fans will discover what happens next when part two drops in November.