Cobra Kai (2018)
Back in the Valley. One final fight.
This Karate Kid sequel series picks up 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament and finds Johnny Lawrence on the hunt for redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. This reignites his old rivalry with the successful Daniel LaRusso, who has been working to maintain the balance in his life without mentor Mr. Miyagi.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 2 May 2018 |
| Status | Ended, last episode 13 February 2025 |
| Genre | Action & Adventure, Drama, Comedy |
| Created by | Josh Heald, Hayden Schlossberg and Jon Hurwitz |
| Starring | William Zabka, Ralph Macchio and Courtney Henggeler |
| Seasons | 6 seasons, 65 episodes |
| Episode length | about 31 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 34 hours |
| Rated | TV-14 |
| Scores | TMDB users 8.2/10 |
Where to watch Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai is streaming on Netflix ($17.99 a month) in the US. At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 1 month of Netflix, or $17.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 1 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
Cobra Kai turns a 1984 karate movie into a 34-hour drama about two men who spent 30 years avoiding each other. The hook is simple: what happens when the villain gets a second chance? It is a show about aging, regret, and the specific pain of watching your own life fall apart while your rival’s stays intact. The tone balances action with a surprising amount of quiet, personal struggle. You will spend 65 episodes watching Johnny Lawrence try to fix his mistakes, and Daniel LaRusso try to keep his. It is a long ride, but the destination is worth the 34 hours.
What the critics said
Critics took to the franchise’s return with surprising enthusiasm. Rotten Tomatoes places the entire series at 94% approval, while Metacritic gives it a 70 out of 100. The first season hit a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, earning a critical consensus that called it "a blend of pleasantly corny nostalgia and teen angst." Metacritic assigned that opening season a 72, labeling it generally favorable. By the fifth season, Rotten Tomatoes scored it 98%, noting that the show "graduates to a black belt proficiency" with its expanded cast. It is a high bar to clear, but the dojo seems to have the leg strength for it.
How it did with audiences
Cobra Kai skips the box office entirely, so the numbers live in the ratings. TMDB users give it a solid 8.2. That score sits comfortably in the high 8s, a range usually reserved for comfort food that knows exactly what it is.
What came next for the cast
Ralph Macchio and William Zabka both started in The Karate Kid (1984). By 2018, they were back in the dojo, decades later. Zabka had spent the interim on How I Met Your Mother (2005), while Macchio kept the belts close. Courtney Henggeler arrived from Mom (2013) and Friends with Benefits (2011). After the show, the leads circled back to Karate Kid: Legends (2025). The timeline does not prove the series launched these careers. It just gives them a place to stand.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Cobra Kai.
Sources
- Cobra Kai on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q48326845 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Cobra Kai” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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