Summary

Cobra Kai’s
final season explores Mr. Miyagi’s past, revealing secrets to Daniel LaRusso.
Daniel’s discovery of Mr. Miyagi’s flaws challenges his perception of his mentor.
Ralph Macchio praises the exciting and thought-provoking narrative in season 6.

Cobra Kai co-creator Hayden Schlossberg has revealed how the upcoming sixth and final season of the hit Netflix show will peel back the curtain on some of the mystery behind Mr. Miyagi. In a new interview with Screen Rant, Schlossberg revealed that the series will see Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso discover “all these secrets about Mr. Miyagi that he had kept from Daniel.” Teased in the recent trailer, this element should excite Karate Kid fans, as it puts the relationship between Daniel and his sensei at the center.

“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.”

Daniel’s discovery will deepen his understanding of his dearly departed friend and mentor, revealing that Mr. Miyagi “had flaws.” Schlossberg continued, saying…

“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 Calls the Miyagi Mystery an ‘Exciting & Thought-Provoking Narrative’ in Season 6

For Ralph Macchio, the inclusion of this Miyagi mystery gave him the opportunity to do something different with the character and move away from simply being irritated by Johnny Lawrence. Something which has entertained audiences since Cobra Kai began. Macchio said…

“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.”

Related Cobra Kai Showrunners Talk Future Beyond Season 6: ‘We Have a Gazillion Ideas’ Cobra Kai Season 6 may mark the end for the Netflix streaming series, but co-creators Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz are looking to the future.

The actor continued, calling the mystery “a great narrative story” that opens up all kinds of questions for Daniel to ask about his beloved sensei.

“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.”

Starring Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Jacob Bertrand, Peyton List, and Martin Kove, Cobra Kai season 6 is due to land on Netflix on July 18, 2024. Unlike previous seasons, the final outing will be released in three parts. The franchise will continue beyond Cobra Kai with a new Karate Kid movie set for release on May 30, 2025. You can check out the trailer for season 6 below.