Summary
While the show looks to bring a close to one chapter of theKarate Kidfranchise,Cobra Kaiseason 6 is introducing a major mystery surrounding Mr. Miyagi, and Hayden Schlossberg and Ralph Macchio are teasing what’s to come from it. The final season of the Netflix show seesMacchio’s Daniel LaRusso and William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrencepreparing their Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang students to fight in the Sekai Taikai. During this preparation, Daniel discovers a hidden compartment in Miyagi-Do with a box full of unknown secrets tucked away by the namesake sensei.
During an interview withScreen Rantahead of the show’s return, co-creator Hayden Schlossberg and star Ralph Macchio were asked about what to expect fromCobra Kaiseason 6’s Mr. Miyagi mystery. Though careful not to share too many details about the box, the duo did tease that it will have a major impact on Daniel as he already tries to wrangle in his and Johnny’s conflicting teaching methods, with Schlossberg also explaining that the introduction of this mystery was meant to be “trying to understand the past” of Pat Morita’s iconic character. See what the two explained below:
Hayden Schlossberg: We came at the Mr. Miyagi storyline in season 6 from a place of trying to understand the past, while not having all the answers, and it’s very frustrating for Daniel to find out all these secrets about Mr. Miyagi that he had kept from Daniel, while not having all the answers at his disposal. It’s something that we just felt was a continuation of the story that we’ve been tracking with Daniel this whole time, which is him taking on the Miyagi role for a new generation, instilling Miyagi-Do philosophy to his kids and the other students there.
The big conflict that Daniel has this season is realizing that his mentor, who he thought was the most perfect, ideal person of all time, actually had flaws. And I think, for us, we were okay with that, because we always assumed that Mr. Miyagi was a human being, and that he wasn’t necessarily born a sage, he wasn’t born as somebody who had all the answers. This season, you’re gonna get a little taste of that, and the hope is that it’s not something that upends what you think about Miyagi, but instead kind of paints a deeper picture of him. But for the here and now, it rocks Daniel to his core, and it’s something that’s throwing a wrench into his mojo at a time when the students need him at his best.
Ralph Macchio: I loved it. I always, at the start of each season banging the drum loudly toward the writers room, saying, “What could we find to give LaRusso that is not so put together, besides Johnny Lawrence frustrating him, and them going at each other’s throats? How do we not overstay our welcome in those areas? And how can we mine some new information that sets him off his axis, or out of balance?” So, the concept of finding information finding these clues to a past that don’t line up with the perfect mentor that Daniel has always carried Miyagi along in his life, and since he’s passed, it now adds double meaning of conflict for Daniel.
Both personally, “Why didn’t he tell me?” and “What is this about?” and “Is this real?” And the deeper he digs, the more down a downward spiral he goes, and then on top of that, he has put Miyagi-Do and all the teachings [forward]. It’s so paramount for him, bringing it to the world in the Sekai Taikai, and all this, and now he’s got to carry that burden of upholding that legacy. I think it’s a great narrative story, and we figured out a way that it entertains, creates conflict, and sort of takes Daniel down this path that he has to come back from, and he learns from it. He’s better at the end of it for the journey. I can’t go into details, but it’s an exciting and thought-provoking narrative for what is almost 13 episodes of the entire season 6.
Miyagi’s Secret Is Laying Major Groundwork For Cobra Kai Season 6 & Beyond
The introduction of a secret surroundingMr. Miyagi isn’t the first timeCobra Kaihas further built on the backstory of the late character. Season 3 notably saw Daniel travel back to Okinawa in the hopes of regaining some of his mojo by visiting Mr. Miyagi’s hometown, during which he not only encountered Yuji Okumoto’s Chozen, but also reconnected with Tamlyn Tomita’s Kumiko fromThe Karate Kid Part II. He learned from both of them that Miyagi had sent love letters to Kumiko’s Aunt Yukie al the way up to his death, and that Chozen subsequently turned to teaching Miyagi-Do karate in Okinawa.
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Cobra Kai is coming to a close with season 6, but there are still some big Karate Kid moments that the Netflix series needs to call back to.
Though the show has typically built out Miyagi’s backstory for emotional and uplifting character development for Daniel, Macchio and Schlossberg’s tease abouthis mystery inCobra Kaiseason 6hints at a seemingly darker path for learning about the sensei’s past. Given the season is expected to dive deeper into the history of the Sekai Taikai, it seems possible that it will be revealed that Miyagi will have participated in the tournament at some point in the past. However, with Schlossberg also teasing that Miyagi “actually had flaws”, it may be revealed that he took a far more violent approach than what he taught Daniel.
If this does prove to be the case, it would lay some major groundwork forCobra Kaiseason 6, particularly with the three-part split in the final season. While there is plenty of anticipation forthe Sekai Taikai itselfand seeing how Daniel and Johnny get along during training, offering an external conflict for Daniel while Johnny processes the return of Kreese would make for a more intense and compelling close to theKarate Kidshow. It could also build a foundation for a potential Miyagi prequel show, which the showrunners have expressed an interest in in the past.
Cobra Kaiseason 6 part 1 premieres on July 18, followed by part 2 on November 28 and a finale event in 2025.
Cobra Kai
Cast
Cobra Kai is a sequel series continuing the narrative of the Karate Kid saga, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It focuses on Johnny Lawrence seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.
