Cobra Kai has become one of the jewels of Netflix, and that was previously part of one of the first YouTube Originals productions in its most ambitious time, when Google thought they would be able to compete by offering exclusive content, Prime Video style . Now, this continuation of the Karate Kid trilogy, started by the great John G. Avildsen for cinema and with which the generations of the eighties grew up with a crane attack with Daniel LaRusso at the forefront, returns with its main protagonists but offering a interesting twist to his arguments and, above all, giving the opportunity to add new followers thanks to the karatekas of the most recent generations.
What is the origin of Cobra Kai?
This series arrived on YouTube in May 2018 with a different view of the entire universe that movies had shown us in the eighties. Unfortunately, in Spain we could not see it officially and only those users with a lot of desire came to pay for each of its eight chapters (at 2.5 euros each) to enjoy them in English with subtitles. cobra kaiit was a reality, but still far from the success it was going to have when Google decided to end its originals and focus on its video platform. Netflix, as it does on many occasions, was attentive and took over the rights to continue the adventures of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), which gave way to the current splendor in which the franchise lives installed .
That group of teenagers from the eighties who fought for the All Valley title from their respective gyms, or who in the case of Daniel LaRusso even traveled to Japan to learn about the origin of karate and the family of his mentor, the mythical Mr. Miyagi , saw the years go by and the passing of life until 34 years later they returned (this time) to the small screen. The two antagonists, suddenly, saw their lives converge in Cobra Kai, comparing the paths that each one took and the success that, they make us understand, was defined by the result of that first fight in 1984: LaRusso became a winner, a recognized businessman with an idyllic life in the valley, and Lawrence in all a loser to whom there was no misfortune that he did not want to accompany him.
New characters, old traumas
Despite the years that have passed since the events of 1984, Cobra Kai remains the name of the dojo that represents the pure evil within the valley. Although Johnny Lawrence tries to make a name for himself by starting his own business and training the new generations in the old ways (“hit first, hit hard, no mercy”) of his master, the controversial John Kreese (Martin Kove), he quickly finds himself with Daniel LaRusso’s response that he will return to his origins and create an antagonistic dojo to compete against the evil he believes is spreading, resorting to the old advice that Mr. Miyagi instilled in him three decades ago.
As you can imagine, the old hatreds will return to the valley and quickly the enmity of the old contenders will affect the new students who arrive at the dojos.
To make things a little worse, John Kreese will return to the valley and will not have a simple role as a spectator of that old feud between Daniel and Johnny, since he will instigate his old student so that, far from reducing the intensity of the violence of his lessons, gain even more intensity, creating among the kids a sick need for confrontation that will cloud life in the valley in places that had been far from that rivalry. A massive fight and the dire consequences it will have will trigger a whole succession of changes in some of the protagonists, which will mark the future of the series.
Cast of the series
This is the list of the most
John Kreese takes command of Cobra Kai
With the passing of the second and third seasons, John Kreese gradually takes control of Johnny’s dojo , cornering him with his increasingly savage approaches and pushing him to leave so that he can be left alone in charge (well, later he will arrive). TerrySilver). When that happens, it’s clear that there is no equal counterweight to stop it, short of old enemies joining forces around Mr. Miyagi’s old dojo. Only then, LaRusso and Lawrence believe, will they be able to defeat and expel from their lives the one who was always behind the wars between dojos, fighters and masters. An influence that must be annihilated to prevent the valley from experiencing a dramatic bloodbath.
It is evident that, although the three characters of Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence and John Kreese rule over all the others, in Cobra Kai the new generations are just as important, as many other key main characters who also have a whole network of personal relationships that they are going to muddy things a little more: on the one hand Miguel Díaz (Xolo Maridueña), who acts as leader of the Cobra Kai in the first seasons; Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser), Daniel’s daughter and who will also take part in this war; and Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), Johnny’s offspring who will tend to do exactly the opposite of what his father tells him, first as an apprentice at the Miyagi dojo and later under the orders of John Kreese himself.
This triangle of new talents will be affected throughout the four seasons by the rivalry of the fathers and the dojos, creating a circle of confrontations that will fuel the new hatreds in the valley. As you can imagine, good fault of that germ has an origin that you may have already guessed, Cobra Kai, where John Kreese and Terry Silver continue to poison the minds of some boys who will be immersed in the old plot that began in 1984 and today , 38 years later, is still alive because of the old ghosts that haunt all its protagonists.
Cast of the series
We have done a good narrative review of the seasons of this great series, but we also want to leave below the “official” list of the main characters that are part of this story:
- Ralph Macchio plays Daniel LaRusso
- William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence
- Courtney Henggeler plays Amanda LaRusso
- Xolo Maridueña plays the role of Miguel Díaz
- Mary Mouser plays Samantha LaRusso
- Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene
Other recurring characters
And these are other characters that appear in some of the seasons with more or less weight:
- Gianni Decenzo as Demetri Alexopoulos (season 1 and 2)
- Jacob Bertrand as Eli Moskowitz / Hawk (Seasons 1 and 2)
- Martin Kove as John Kreese (seasons 1 and 2)
- Vanessa Rubio as Carmen Diaz (seasons 1-4)
- Peyton List as Tory Nichols (Seasons 2-4)
- Yuji Okumoto as Chozen Toguchi (seasons 3 and 4)
- Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver (season 4)
Will we have fifth season of Cobra Kai ?
At the moment the adventures of Daniel, Johnny and John will continue since Netflix has announced a fifth season that has already finished shooting and even has a release date: September 9 . The company has even given us a first advance.
The new installment is not free of theories and, for example, we are expected to see (WARNING, SPOILERS for the fourth) how the All Valley tournament will face Cobra Kai, the Miyagi dojo and the newly created Eagle Fang by Johnny Lawrence in a competition in which the loser will have to close his dojo and the master will have to stop teaching karate.
As you can imagine, the swords are high as one last mystery looms over the series: who will be the father that Miguel has gone to Mexico to find? Will we see the return of an old acquaintance from Karate Kid III? Everything seems to point to yes. More fuel to the fire.
