Cobra Kai: What we want from Season 6

Sam Comrie
an image of cobra kai daniel larusso, chozen toguchi, jackie chan, jaden smith, hilary swank

Cobra Kai Season 5 has arrived on Netflix, but the future of the show leaves plenty hanging in the balance for the Karate Kid saga. Here’s what we want to see from Cobra Kai Season 6.

Cobra Kai is still reigning supreme on Netflix, with Season 5 delivering the punches better and harder than ever. The future of the ongoing Karate Kid saga is showing no signs of stopping just yet, as fans can expect Season 6 to be written soon.

There is so much potential for where Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence, and Chozen Toguchi’s story could go next. As we recover from the explosive finale of Season 5, here’s what we want from Cobra Kai Season 6.

Spoilers ahead for Season 5…

The Sekai Taikai tournament needs to deliver on its potential

Its become commonplace for Cobra Kai to establish a new bout of the All Valley Karate Tournament every two seasons. However, with the tournament’s credibility compromised by Terry Silver, Miyagi-Do won’t be competing. No, this time the stakes are higher, as Miyagi-Do are headed to the Sekai Taikai tournament.

Billed as a stomping ground for the best of the best, this tournament should features some immensely skilled fighters. With Silver out of the picture seemingly for Season 6, it is unclear whether his dojo will still compete. It seems unlikely that John Kreese will reassume leadership, given that he’s a fugitive now. This tournament needs to deliver on the show’s action more than ever.

an image of terry silver in cobra kai season 5
Terry Silver dominates throughout Season 5.

We’ve seen the show’s skilled cast and crew achieve brilliant long-take fight sequences and creative set pieces, but the Sekai Taikai is a chance for the show to portray its battles slicker than ever before. It could also be a chance to see the return of some familiar faces.

Hilary Swank’s return as Julie Pierce

Cobra Kai has always managed to weave its nostalgic roots in seamlessly, bringing back familiar faces organically without sacrificing story. We’ve seen this approach with the likes of Chozen Toguchi and we think that Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce is due the same treatment.

an image of hilary swank in the next karate kid
Hilary Swank would join the likes of Elizabeth Shue, Yuji Okumoto and Sean Kanan as a returning legacy character.

Last seen in The Next Karate Kid, Julie is the only other student that learned Mr. Miyagi’s teachings until the show’s arrival. In Season 2, Daniel LaRusso mentions this, but doesn’t give us Julie’s name specifically. With the Sekai Tekai tournament approaching in Season 6, perhaps Pierce has forged her own path as a formidable force in the competitive world.

Due to the tournament’s lack of international appeal, as pointed out by Terry Silver, it is possible that word of her potential efforts just hasn’t reached the U.S yet.

Among discussion of bringing Julie Pierce into the show, co-creator Jon Hurwitz said to CinemaBlend: “In our writers’ room we speak about literally every character that has appeared in the Miyagi-verse, so it’s obvious that we’ve spoken about Julie Pierce.”

Chozen Toguchi finds romance with Kumiko

Towards the end of Season 5, we learned in drunken moment of bromance with Daniel that Chozen harbors romantic feelings towards an old flame. Kumiko, who originally appeared in The Karate Kid 2, returned briefly in Season 3.

Despite her previous romance with Daniel, Chozen revealed his love for her and left her a voicemail confessing his feelings. With the blessing of Daniel and honor restored to Miyagi-Do (for now), could we see Season 5’s standout character find a love of his own? We sure hope so.

an image of chozen toguchi in cobra kai
Kumiko last appeared in Season 3.

Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith appear at the Sekai Taikai

Though the show’s creators have previously stated the 2010 remake isn’t canon to the Miyagi-verse, the Sekai Taikai tournament could be a great way to retcon this. While the remake holds a mixed reception among fans, we believe that Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith were a charming duo.

Both characters helped each grow and heal, with Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker winning the Open Kung-Fu Tournament. Even though Parker’s fighting style isn’t rooted in karate, perhaps his tutelage from Mr. Han took him to new competitions. If they did appear, we’re not sure if they’d be part of a subplot, but a well done cameo would suffice.

an image of jaden smith and jackie chan in the karate kid
Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker learned Kung-Fu passed down from Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han.

Co-creator Jon Hurwitz previously discussed the remake’s place in the canon to SlashFilm: “Yes, we’ve ruled that out completely. Jackie Chan is mentioned in season 1 of the show as a human, so I think in our world, Jackie Chan is an actor and a performer.”

“If the characters on our show have seen a movie called The Karate Kid, they’ve seen that one,” added Hurwitz.

Robby Keene becomes a Miyagi-Do champion

Robby’s journey across Cobra Kai has certainly been a complex one. Having become the first disciple of Miyagi-Do since Julie Pierce, Robby’s descent into the depths of the rival dojo gave way to some of the show’s best rivalries.

Now he’s on the road to redemption. He’s made amends with his father and Miguel. It is high time for him to win his first tournament. Miguel and Robby may have given their blessing to Hawk for the Sekai Taikai qualifying match, but Robby has earned his shot at the title.

And there you have it! Whatever direction Cobra Kai goes next, we’re ready and waiting.

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About The Author

Sam Comrie is a former Dexerto journalist based in South Yorkshire, UK. He has an MA in Multimedia Journalism and joined Dexerto in 2021 after producing content for NME and Red Bull Gaming.