Cobra Kai isn't ending at the behest of Netflix -- its showrunners openly expressed a desire to end the Karate Kid series where they believe it's best. And ending while it still has tension is what's best thing for the show's enduring legacy. Since it premiered on YouTube Red in 2018, audiences have watched the rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence play out and extend to younger generations. With the ups and downs of Daniel and Johnny's relationship, viewers are probably wondering if Season 6 will end with them as friends or enemies.
The series has been full of conflicts that flip characters from antagonists to protagonists (or vice versa), offering sympathetic views from both sides of the narrative. It would be simple to wrap it all up with the two main characters letting bygones be bygones. But while Daniel and Johnny could easily conclude their journey on a friendly note, it would be more thematically consistent for Cobra Kai to keep their rivalry intact -- even if in a different form.
Cobra Kai Centers on Daniel and Johnny as Opposing Forces
The entire concept of Cobra Kai is based around the competitive nature of Johnny and Daniel. Even in the times when they have gotten along, they end up butting heads -- and this cycle is what has kept Cobra Kai's story going into Season 6. In fact, their disagreements are what has allowed both characters to find growth, because they push one another to be better inside and outside the arena.
Even when they were running Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do as one dojo in Season 4, Johnny and Daniel never fully gelled. However, they did gain mutual respect for their opposing styles of martial arts. Their cooperation also led to their students' learning and applying their combined techniques in the All Valley Tournament. The characters' naturally antagonistic relationship is their neutral zone. They are oil and water by nature, and it would be a more fitting ending for them to have left a lasting impression on one another instead of becoming best friends. Their entire arc over Cobra Kai has been coming together, but ultmately ending up apart.
Cobra Kai Ending With Rivalry Would Tie Into the Show's Themes
Keeping Johnny and Daniel at a safe distance makes a lot more sense with the tone Cobra Kai has established. This is not to say they can't coexist, but a show that started by giving more insight into the motivations of Johnny Lawrence ought to end on a note that would fit with Johnny's personality as well. And while Daniel has befriended former enemies like Chozen Toguchi, that's a little less Johnny's style. He wouldn't have a perfectly happy ending.
Daniel and Johnny could still have a fulfilling ending by resuming their adversarial relationship. That's because doing so would offer a chance to maintain the individuality of their characters and be more realistic. The characters have developed a mutual respect for one another and learned to work through their differences. They've also taught their students to do the same. It would be understandable if Cobra Kai ended with them going on their separate paths, along with their respective associates -- albeit wiser and with less bad blood. An ending of this nature would also make it easier for Cobra Kai's storylines to continue if Netflix wants to keep the Miyagiverse alive.
Cobra Kai Season 6 does not have a premiere date; Seasons 1-5 are now streaming on Netflix.