Cobra Kai season 6 release updates, cast, and everything we know so far
Cobra Kai season 6 is officially delayed, and unfortunately, it’s still going to be a while until the series returns to Netflix.
The beloved nostalgia-filled comedy last added new episodes in September 2022, and with the months going by without a renewal announcement, fans were starting to get nervous. But fortunately, Netflix gave the series the greenlight and they’re calling this the “biggest” and “baddest” season. It’ll also mark the final season.
Cobra Kai is a sequel spinoff to the classic Karate Kid movies, with many of the original cast members reprising their roles. Ralph Macchio and William Zabka star opposite one another as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, respectively, over 30 years after the first film. Now fathers, the two have different perspectives than they did as kids, but they still butt heads now and then.
We’re updating this story as we learn more information. The latest update was on Aug. 15, 2023.
Cobra Kai season 6 is delayed due to strikes
As of Aug. 2023, Cobra Kai season 6 is still delayed. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike since May 2023, which is when the sixth season was supposed to begin production. Then in July 2023, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) began their strike. So, even if the season’s scripts were finished, the actors would not be filming right now.
So, what happens now? Well, we wait for the AMPTP, which includes Netflix, to make deals with the WGA and SAG. Then, and only then, will production on Cobra Kai season 6 move forward.
We’ll you know when production on Cobra Kai season 6 is slated to begin.
Speaking of the strikes, we’ve been surprised that we haven’t seen photos of many of the Cobra Kai cast members out on the picket lines, though we’ve seen the creators out with signs and speaking to the press. Actor Martin Kove shared a photo in support of the strikes to his Instagram. We’ve also seen Xolo Maridueña out striking; you can check out his post in support of the SAG strike here:
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Cobra Kai season 6 is the final season
The creators of Cobra Kai, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, shared a letter with fans via Netflix on Jan. 20, 2023, with the announcement that the show’s upcoming sixth season will be its last. They explain the decision to end the show, noting that they’ve wanted to conclude Cobra Kai “on our terms.” Though they see this as the end of the story, they do tease that spinoffs could happen at some point in the future.
“This fandom is the BEST on the planet and we hope to be telling more Karate Kid stories with you down the line. Because as we all know, Cobra Kai Never Dies,” the creators write. Check out the full announcement in the tweet below:
Is Cobra Kai season 6 filming yet?
Despite new episodes coming in September 2022, the cast and crew have not started filming Cobra Kai season 6 yet. Co-creator Jon Hurwitz confirmed on Twitter that the writers’ room started working in February 2023. It’s unclear how far into crafting the season the writers were when the WGA strike occurred, though Ralph Macchio told Deadline in April that he hadn’t seen a script yet.
Hurwitz confirmed in early May that the show’s writers are part of the WGA strike:
“We hate to strike, but if we must, we strike hard. Pencils down in the Cobra Kai writers room. No writers on set. These aren’t fun times, but it’s unfortunately necessary. The moment a fair deal is in place, we’ll get back to kicking ass. In the meantime, sending strength and support to the negotiating committee.”
According to fans who attended the Cobra Kai panel at Atlanta Comic-Con in February 2023, Ralph Macchio revealed production on Cobra Kai season 6 was slated to begin in May 2023, but filming on the show was unable to begin due to the WGA strike halting production on the series.
No new date has been announced as of Aug. 2023, but production on season 6 is not expected to begin until after the WGA and SAG strike concludes and the AMPTP offers the unions new deals.
Does Cobra Kai season 6 have a release date yet?
Cobra Kai season 6 does not have a release date just yet, and we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we probably won’t find out for a long time. A late 2023 release date is completely out of the question considering scripts aren’t done and they need to film the full season.
The other part of this equation is that, in the renewal announcement that was released in January 2023, they teased “THE BIGGEST SEASON OF COBRA KAI YET.” We don’t know what that means exactly, but we have to assume that could mean more choreography, more action sequences, potentially new locations, and maybe even more episodes.
We’d love to see Cobra Kai season 6 before the spring of 2024, but it doesn’t seem all that likely. For now, expect to see the final season likely sometime in late 2024. Until we hear differently, we’re going to err on the side of caution with the release prediction.
Netflix needs at least eight months from the start of production to release, and it’s usually more like a year after production starts that a new season comes out. So, if production starts before the end of this year, we could definitely see the season sometime in the second half of 2024.
That’s our release prediction for right now, but that could change if the AMPTP doesn’t offer the WGA and SAG the offer they’re looking for in the next coming months. Cobra Kai has released new seasons in time for New Year’s in previous years, so maybe a New Year’s Eve 2024 or New Year’s Day 2025 release could happen for season 6. Of course, this is just us speculating and none of this is confirmed by Netflix.
Release Prediction: Fall or winter 2024
Cobra Kai season 6 teaser
It’s too early for the official Cobra Kai season 6 trailer, but Netflix did release a teaser video announcing the final season. It doesn’t look like there’s new footage in the clip, but it’s still enough to get fans hyped over the news. We’re so excited to see our favorite characters on our screens again and can’t wait to watch how the story ends! See the video here:
Cobra Kai season 6 table read teaser
In addition to the renewal clip Netflix shared, the streamer also released a video of the Cobra Kai cast getting ready to start table reads. At the time that this clip below was released, however, it was already confirmed that the new season was on hold because of the strikes. In any case, it’s still great to see the actors back together again. We can’t wait until they can begin filming!
Will Xolo Maridueña be in Cobra Kai season 6?
Xolo Maridueña (Miguel) has a huge movie coming out this week on Aug. 18, 2023! Maridueña stars as Jaime Reyes, also known as Blue Beetle, in Blue Beetle, a new DC movie. While the actor is joining the DCU, it looks like he’s definitely coming back for Cobra Kai season 6, too! Hopefully, production on the final season will get going soon and not interfere with any of his other projects.
Xolo Maridueña’s experience on Cobra Kai helped him with Blue Beetle role
Speaking of Maridueña’s role in the newest superhero blockbuster, the actor spoke about how his experience working on Cobra Kai prepared him for the movie. In an interview with IMDb, he shared that getting to work with acting vets Ralph Macchio and William Zabka “set the example” for what it means to be a leading actor. “I learned from the greats and kind of tried to add my own spice to it, I suppose,” he said.
Cobra Kai season 6 cast
The teaser featuring the cast coming together for a season 6 table read seems to confirm that the main cast and most of the supporting will return! Among those who were confirmed to be returning through their presence in the featured video are:
- Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
- William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence
- Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz
- Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso
- Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene
- Jacob Bertrand as Eli ‘Hawk’ Moskowitz
- Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso
- Peyton List as Tory Nichols
- Martin Kove as John Kreese
- Yuji Okumoto as Chozen Toguchi
- Vanessa Rubio as Carmen Diaz
- Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny Payne
- Gianni DeCenzo as Demetri
The cast for season 6 is subject to change so we’ll keep this report updated once we hear of any casting news.
Will Hilary Swank be in Cobra Kai season 6?
There’s been so much chatter about Hilary Swank, who played Julie Pierce in The Next Karate Kid, joining the cast of Cobra Kai season 6. So far, there hasn’t been confirmation that it’s going to happen, but we want it to! We’ve seen so many great Karate Kid cameos throughout the five seasons. It would make a lot of sense to bring back Julie Pierce, especially as these characters will be taking part in a global tournament in the sixth and final season.
Swank previously mentioned that she had not been asked to be in the show. Macchio also shared his thoughts on the matter and mentioned he would be open to it, according to CinemaBlend.
If they can work Swank into the series, it’ll be revealed prior to the season 6 premiere, most likely.
Cobra Kai season 5 ending and what it means for season 6
The ending of Cobra Kai season 5 is so wild, but we have a feeling that season 6 will be even more eventful. Kreese escapes prison in the season 5 finale, so we’re sure he’ll be a main player in the next season and will probably be seeking vengeance from Silver yet again. We’ll be curious to see what his relationship with Daniel and Johnny will be, considering the two kind of made amends in season 5. There’s a chance they’ll team up in the new season.
Tory and Robby are back together by the end of season 5, as are Sam and Miguel. We’re predicting season 6 will give both couples the happy endings they deserve. Johnny and Carmen’s relationship is also getting more serious and the sixth season will most likely see them welcoming a baby into the world. Johnny will no doubt struggle with fatherhood yet again, but I think he’ll do a better job this time around.
How many seasons of Cobra Kai are there?
There are five seasons of Cobra Kai so far. The first two seasons premiered on YouTube before the series moved to Netflix and became a Netflix original series before season 3. We’ve seen three official Netflix original seasons (3, 4, and 5), and now, we’re waiting for season 6.
As mentioned, Cobra Kai season 6 will be the final season, but it’s possible that we could see more Cobra Kai/Karate Kid spinoffs and sequels in the future.
How to watch Cobra Kai
All five seasons are available to stream on Netflix right now. Cobra Kai season 6 will also be available to stream on Netflix around the world after it’s released.
There’s a lot on the line for Cobra Kai season 6, and we’re so happy the story will continue for one more installment! The comedy is one of the best shows on Netflix right now!