When it first came out on YouTube Red in 2018, Cobra Kai surprised a lot of fans. Karate Kid fans got to see Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence again, and the show also gave them a lot of new characters to love. Yes, the show plays on nostalgia, but it also tries to be fresh and new (and succeeds at being its own thing).
The show never really caught on until 2020, when it moved to Netflix. Since then, Cobra Kai has become one of the most popular and praised shows on Netflix. The show’s creators, Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, and Josh Heald, haven’t missed a beat, from the return of fan-favorite characters to all the teen angst to the still-golden will-they-won’t-they bromance between Daniel and Johnny.
Starting of Season 5 of Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai Season 5 begins soon after the end of Season 4. John Kreese (Martin Kove) has been arrested after being set up by Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). Daniel (Ralph Macchio) has asked his old rival Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) to help bring down Cobra Kai, and Miguel (Xolo Mariduea) has gone to Mexico to find his real father.
The first few episodes follow several different storylines, such as Miguel’s search for his father, Johnny (William Zabka) and Robby’s (Tanner Buchanan) search for Miguel, Terry Silver’s massive expansion of Cobra Kai, Chozen moving in with the LaRusso family, and Sam (Mary Mouser) still trying to find herself after losing the All-Valley tournament. All ten episodes are full of shocking reveals, betrayals, alliances, the return of old favorites, and, of course, a lot of karate fights.
As Cobra Kai has gone on, it has always been able to keep its charm and keep its ever-growing cast of characters in balance. Season 5 is no different. Johnny and Robby’s road trip has some of the funniest parts of the show so far, as well as some of the most touching parts of the season.
Tory (Peyton List) is better than ever, and List gives her best performance yet as a character who is much more complicated than when she was first introduced in Season 2. Mariduea keeps standing out as Miguel, whose journey to find his father takes him to some surprising and more grown-up places.
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The Vision of Cobra Kai Season 5
Season 5 focuses more on the drama between the adults than it did in previous seasons, which is a good thing. Macchio and Zabka’s chemistry is at an all-time high, especially in the later episodes. Their relationship is still one of the best on TV right now. Chozen’s role is also a highlight. Yuji Okumoto does a great job of balancing being funny and being one of the best Karate masters in the series. He’s a joy to watch in every scene he’s in.
Terry Silver is just as dangerous as ever, if not more so because Griffith is so good at playing a character you love to hate and who might be even more dangerous than Kreese himself. We also find out a lot more about what’s really going on in Kreese’s head and whether he can change in the future or will always be the cruel sensei we’ve come to know. Kove gets to show a more vulnerable side of the bad guy in this season, and his journey is a turning point not just for his character but for the whole show.
There are also some of the most exciting fight scenes in the series so far in Season 5. Some of these fights have big effects. Even though some of the scenes can be a little too silly and over the top, the show never loses the energy that made us love it in the first place. Even more extreme and intense fight choreography and the stakes have never been this high. The Cobra Kai team seems to be more aware than ever of how silly how can be, and sometimes it even embraces it.
However, this doesn’t take away from the more serious moments. The showrunners’ love for these characters is still as clear as ever, and it shows how carefully everything is planned. Even though the first episodes aren’t as fast-paced as previous ones, once everyone is back together, things pick up quickly and viewers won’t be able to take their eyes off the screen.
Some Good Things About the Cast of Season 5
There are still some character arcs that feel like they’ve been done before. Mouser does a great job as Sam, but her storyline this season feels a little too much like what we’ve seen before. The relationship between Daniel and Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) also feels a lot like it did in previous seasons, as Amanda once again questions and worries about Daniel’s obsession with karate. Even though these problems aren’t too big, it wouldn’t hurt for the series to take these characters in new directions that have only been hinted at before.
As for where the show will go from here, it’s clear that the show is building up to an exciting sixth season, but after that, it might be time to close the dojo. Even though Cobra Kai hasn’t gotten worse, it’s clear that if the show goes on past the sixth season, some of the small problems that are bothering people now will only get worse, which could lead to an unsatisfying end.
If the past seasons are any indication, though, that’s not likely to happen. Even though there are some rough spots, Cobra Kai Season 5 shows off the best parts of the series. The most recent episode has a lot of laughs and some great fights, but it also shows what’s to come without making it feel like a set-up for the next season.
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Final Words
All ten episodes are full of shocking reveals, betrayals, alliances, and a lot of karate fights. The Cobra Kai team seems to be more aware than ever of how silly the show can be. The showrunners’ love for these characters is still as clear as ever. Some of the scenes can be a little too silly and over the top but never lose the energy. Sam Mouser does a great job as Sam, but her storyline this season feels a little too much like what we’ve seen before. Even though Cobra Kai hasn’t gotten worse, it’s clear that if the show goes on past the sixth season, some of the small problems will only get worse.
