You just can’t keep a good sensei down.
The final five episodes of Cobra Kai are now streaming on Netflix. The thrilling conclusion to Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg’s beloved Karate Kid spinoff series delivered a beautiful coda to the story of Johnny Lawrence, giving the former franchise bully the happy ending he so richly deserved.
Season 6, Part 3 featured a slew of uplifting moments, surprise cameos, and the return of the heart and soul of the Karate Kid universe: Mr. Miyagi (in CGI form).
Originally portrayed by the late Pat Morita, Mr. Miyagi was Daniel LaRusso’s everything: a sensei, a father figure, and a best friend. The final season of Cobra Kai dove into the legacy of Miyagi — he not only competed in the Sekai Taikai but Daniel discovers that he killed his opponent — as LaRusso tries to reconcile the Miyagi he knew with the ghosts of his mentor’s past.
Mr. Miyagi is no stranger to Cobra Kai, appearing throughout the series in various Karate Kid flashbacks. A CGI version of Mr. Miyagi also popped up in Daniel’s nightmare during the Season 6 episode “Eunjangdo.” But that version of Miyagi, an aggressive fighter who attacks Daniel, wasn’t the sage sensei we all know and love.
Thankfully, it wasn’t CGI-Agi’s final appearance on the show.
A troubled Daniel LaRusso is looking for answers during the Season 6 episode “Skeletons.” As he begins to sand the deck, Daniel starts to hear voices from his past, which is followed by an attack from an army of skeletons (dressed like Johnny Lawrence’s Halloween costume from The Karate Kid). Cobra Kai’s always had a flair for the dramatic, right?
Just as Daniel is about to defend himself, he’s joined by Mr. Miyagi and the two reunited friends fight off their attackers.
“We wouldn’t have done that original scene where we bring Miyagi back, the angry version of Miyagi fighting against Daniel, unless we knew we were doing this scene as well,” Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz told Decider. “We wanted to see two sides of that coin. Where at first [Daniel’s] fighting the memory of Miyagi, and then he’s being saved by the memory of Miyagi, in a sense. Fighting together, side by side. That was something that was really important to us.”
Not only was Miyagi’s return a big deal for the Cobra Kai writers (and fans!), but it was also important to star Ralph Macchio.
“This was something that when we sat before Season 6 and talked about things, for [Ralph], it’s like, what would he love to see?” Hurwitz continued. “He knew the storyline that we were talking about, and he’s like, is there an opportunity for me and Pat to fight alongside each other? That’s something I’d love if we’re able to pull off in some way.”
Goosebumps. Thanks for the memories, Cobra Kai.
The final five episodes of Cobra Kai are now streaming on Netflix.
