Although it originally started as a YouTube series, Cobra Kai has gone on to become one of Netflix’s most popular and enduring originals since it was acquired by the streaming giant following its first two seasons. Three seasons later and The Karate Kid spinoff series is coming up on its sixth run.
Unfortunately for its adoring international fandom, Cobra Kai season 6 will also be the final season of the show. That said, the good news is the so-called Miyagiverse is set to continue with a new Karate Kid movie, that will see Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan join forces. But that’s a little bit in the future; where can you get your Cobra Kai kick in the short term?
Is there a chance Cobra Kai could drop right at the tail-end of 2023 to offer us a final festive treat?
When to expect Cobra Kai season 6
Cobra Kai fans might be conditioned to expect a new batch of episodes around Christmastime, given that season 3 —the first of the Netflix era — premiered on Jan. 1, 2021. Season 4 then debuted just under a year later on Dec. 31, 2021. Season 5 has already broken the pattern, however, by arriving on Sept. 22, 2022.
Seeing as the series has maintained an impressively speedy release schedule, even amid the pandemic, Netflix users would be forgiven for fully expecting season 6 to land in 2023. Or maybe New Year’s Day 2024. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and for good reason.
Although season 6 started production in spring 2023 as expected, which probably would’ve led to a winter 2023 release, the writers and actors’ strikes ensured that filming was put on hold for the remainder of the year. The final episodes are pegged to resume shooting in January 2024. So, nope, there is no hope of Cobra Kai airing its last season in 2023.
As it is, a release window akin to season 5 seems plausible, with season 6 perhaps premiering in September 2024 — likely in two halves, going by Netflix’s new favorite trend.