The following article contains spoilers for Cobra Kai season 5.
Cobra Kai is a great show. It truly is amazing that the show’s creators managed to turn a wild internet theory, the vindication of Johnny Lawrence, into a full-fledged streaming success. It first arose in the depths of YouTube, and now it's on Netflix for practically the entire world to see.
What’s even more incredible is that Cobra Kai has stayed relevant for four years and counting. This is thanks to its mix of nostalgia for Johnny and Daniel LaRusso, as well as the dramedy style used to chronicle the lives of their teenage apprentices. And while Cobra Kai’s fifth season remains absolutely fresh, the series may be running out of members now that its powerful finale has taken care of the Terry Silver era. This notion seems more likely, due to the sheer implausibility of having John Kreese continue as the main villain.
The Kids Are Gonna Be Alright
Cobra Kai’s season five finale surpasses every closing chapter the series had thrown in the way of fans since it began. In all fairness, the entire season plays out like that by having most — if not all — of the series’ established tropes become bigger versions of what they were before. If Johnny had matured a little thanks to his relationship with Miguel and Carmen, he’s now ready to be a father. If Daniel’s was willing to put everything aside for karate, here he hits rock bottom for a bi. If Kreese was a dangerous influence for kids, then Silver makes him look like a saint.
In other words, the show raised the stakes for practically every character in the series to realize their utmost potential. They were all poised to rise to the challenge and threat posed by Silver, especially Miguel, Robby, Sam, and Tory, who have done a lot of growing up in these last 10 episodes. Despite Cobra Kai never quite confirming the young cast’s age or their current high school grade (hardly a mistake), it’s probably safe to say they should be entering their senior year soon. With that comes thinking about their futures, and thus some extra mindfulness was needed.
Sure, season 5 sets up the Sekai Takai world tournament. But defining element is that if Cobra Kai were to be canceled tomorrow by the trigger-happy Netflix, most of the series’ characters would end with a completed story arc. There’s a ton to look forward to, like Anthony LaRusso and Kenny Payne’s rivalry, Carmen’s pregnancy, and Tory and Robby rekindling their romance. Yet it’s only now that the sport finally fulfilled its purpose of improving these kids’ lives.
Great villains work because they make a story’s hero grow as a person. It was what Daniel and Johnny did for each other, and so did Kreese. Silver’s supremacy simply comes down to the character’s background turning him into the ultimate villain. Any new antagonist would lack the personal ties that propel Cobra Kai’s stars to enter a new fight, whereas the finale leaves Kreese as the type of danger that, honestly, is better left to the police and not a successful family man, a father-to-be, or teens completing college applications.
The Cobra Kai Fantasy
Like the No More Kings music video and the How I Met Your Mother episode that initially gave birth to the series’ concept, Cobra Kai is supposed to feel "real." That is, with just enough absurdity and comedy sprinkled onto it so that it’s hilarious, but remains grounded nonetheless. Daniel and Johnny could in fact be just a couple of sensei father figures who are really hardcore about martial arts. However, Kreese’s current status challenges that idea.
A villain faking his death to break out of prison verges onto soap opera territory. Again, while Cobra Kai is supposed to be over-the-top, this type of plot point risks the series trying to hold onto its success for too long with an endless plot, like soap operas tend to do. The series’ sixth season is all but confirmed, yet how Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz make the transition could define Cobra Kai's future and that of the so-called Karate Kid universe.
Is it impossible to pull that off? Not by any means. Still, the challenge seems massive after Cobra Kai’s season finale and building up Silver as such a dangerous and insurmountable enemy. To make matters worse, after Mike Barnes’ inclusion, the only nostalgia bullet the showrunners have left is Hilary Swank. She would certainly make for a spectacular cameo, but probably not a villain.
It would be unfair to say Cobra Kai relies solely on nostalgia — the young cast is solid proof of the contrary. Regardless of that, the show will have to come up with a wholly new antagonist on its own, or do one heck of a job with Kreese. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Cobra Kai focused so much on its grown-ups. Tt’s easier to imagine the series moving on without Miguel and company, rather than without Johnny and Daniel.
Make no mistake, Heald and Hurwitz definitely know how to put on a show. It's only their sheer success that makes the road ahead so difficult for them. Just like with Johnny, fans will be rooting for the series to stay fresh, but do not be surprised to see that season five is Cobra Kai at its peak form.