Remakes and sequels have become all the rage in Hollywood, whether live-action versions of beloved animated classics or new editions to a film series 20+ years after the last installment. They either add additional context, or more likely, be a blatant cash grab that taints the view of the original. One series that, to me, has added significantly to its source material while staying true to it is “Cobra Kai.”
Source: Instagram, @cobrakaiseries
“Cobra Kai” is a sequel television series based on the original “Karate Kid” film series. “The Karate Kid” is an 80s staple that just celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024. The timeless story follows Daniel LaRusso as he moves to Southern California where he gets bullied by a group of teens who are taught karate. He meets Mr. Miyagi who not only teaches him how to defend himself but also valuable life lessons.
I have always loved “The Karate Kid,” and find great comfort in its story, especially regarding the heartwarming relationship between Mr. Miyagi and Daniel. There are a lot of important life lessons throughout such as maintaining balance in all aspects of your life. It is a pivotal story about rooting for the underdog.
The series “Cobra Kai” instead puts the focus more on Johnny Lawrence, the bully of the original film. The series begged the question of what happened all those years later after the infamous tournament that ended the film. The series began on YouTube Red in 2018 before moving to Netflix culminating in six seasons ending on Feb. 13.
I did not watch the series until its move to Netflix before its 3rd season but was eager to see what they would do with the story. I have watched all films in “The Karate Kid” saga including the 2010 “Karate Kid” remake and the 1994 spin-off film “The Next Karate Kid.” As I watched all the films with my dad, as I so often do, we decided to watch the show together. We spent the entire day watching it without stopping after finishing season 1 and jumping straight into season two. We were instantly hooked.
The show’s creators, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, were big fans of the film series, and their love for it shows throughout “Cobra Kai.” They have taken great care of the characters from the original trilogy, implementing them seamlessly into the story, staying true to who they were but also how they may have grown since audiences last saw them. A lot of the new characters are also just as compelling, especially Xolo Maridueña’s Miguel Diaz.
“Cobra Kai” not only provided fans of the films a chance to see their favorites back in action but also brought the story to a whole new generation. The basic premise stayed quite the same but with modern twists that evolved throughout each new season. You would think some may find the character of Johnny to be offensive, but you can’t help but laugh and love his utter obliviousness.
The show was entertaining, heartwarming, funny and dramatic with engaging fight choreography that puts the original film’s karate moves to shame. While some may say it is cliché or lends itself too much to the teenage drama, you can’t help but continue to watch and enjoy it.
It can be very hard for a series with many seasons to land the ending, but “Cobra Kai” managed to have a fulfilling one that wrapped up the storylines neatly and satisfactorily left the characters.
This is especially true for Johnny, as at the beginning of the show, he was an alcoholic who abandoned his son and couldn’t hold down a job. By the end, he developed into a man of integrity who patched his relationship with his son and built a beautiful family. This, to me, shows that there is always a means of redemption at any point in life.
I will miss this silly little karate show of grown men still bickering about their high school feuds while they all take karate just a little too seriously. But as they always say, “Cobra Kai Never Dies!”
