Cobra Kai season 6 is in production and coming soon! Here's what we know

Cobra Kai is one of Netflix’s most popular series, and fans have come to expect new seasons of the karate dramedy to premiere each year. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case in 2023 because the renewal for season 6 came so late, not to mention the writers' and actors' strikes. However, now that it's 2024 we're back on track and we have great news to share with our readers today!

Production on Cobra Kai season 6 has begun and it's confirmed to be released sometime in 2024! Along with this recent confirmation, we also got a brand-new sneak peek photo that gives fans a glimpse of the new season:

Below you'll find everything else we know about the final installment so far.

Netflix waited an excruciatingly long time to announce Cobra Kai season 6, but the streaming network renewed the series in January 2023 after the beloved nostalgia-filled comedy last added new episodes in September 2022. With the months going by without a renewal announcement, fans were starting to get nervous. But fortunately, Netflix gave the series the greenlight and they’re calling this the “biggest” and “baddest” season. It’ll also mark the final season.

The creators of Cobra Kai, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, shared a letter with fans via Netflix on Jan. 20, 2023, with the announcement that the show’s upcoming sixth season will be its last. They explain the decision to end the show, noting that they’ve wanted to conclude Cobra Kai “on our terms.” Though they see this as the end of the story, they do tease that spinoffs could happen at some point in the future.

“This fandom is the BEST on the planet and we hope to be telling more Karate Kid stories with you down the line. Because as we all know, Cobra Kai Never Dies,” the creators write.

Writing and filming timeline

Co-creator Jon Hurwitz confirmed on X that the writers’ room started working in February 2023. That said, it doesn’t look like they got very far before they were shut down. Ralph Macchio told Deadline in April that he hadn’t seen a script yet, and Hurwitz also said that “much” of the season hadn’t been written before the writers’ strike started.

Hurwitz confirmed in early May that the show’s writers were part of the WGA strike:

"We hate to strike, but if we must, we strike hard. Pencils down in the Cobra Kai writers room. No writers on set. These aren’t fun times, but it’s unfortunately necessary. The moment a fair deal is in place, we’ll get back to kicking ass. In the meantime, sending strength and support to the negotiating committee."

After the WGA strike ended in September, Hurwitz told fans on X that the Cobra Kai team was slated to “get back into the writers room in the coming weeks.”

According to fans who attended the Cobra Kai panel at Atlanta Comic-Con in February 2023, Ralph Macchio revealed production was slated to begin in May 2023, prior to the strikes happening. Of course, that didn't happen, but fortunately, the strikes came to an end in 2023!

In late 2023, SAG came to an agreement with the AMPTP on a new, three-year contract, meaning the actors’ strike came to an end. Cobra Kai season 6 had been put on hold because of the writers’ and actors’ strike, which prevented any work on the new season. The WGA came to an agreement with the studios and ended their strike in September, and Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz confirmed at that time that once the actors’ strike ended, they’d figure out when they could start filming.

It looks like filming for Cobra Kai season 6 began at the start of this year, with the co-creators taking to social media to confirm how great it's felt to be back at it. Jon Hurwitz said it was "amazing" to be reunited with the cast and crew:

Cobra Kai season 6 will be released in 2024

As of February 2024, we do not have the release date for Cobra Kai season 6 yet. That said, Netflix announced the final season will be out this year. Other popular releases confirmed for 2024 include Bridgerton season 3, Squid Game season 2, Emily in Paris season 4, Outer Banks season 4, and others.

We were hoping the new season would come out in 2024, but I had my doubts. That's because the other part of this equation is that, in the renewal announcement that was released in January 2023, they teased “THE BIGGEST SEASON OF COBRA KAI YET.” We don’t know what that means exactly, but we have to assume that could mean more choreography, more action sequences, potentially new locations, and longer episodes. Fortunately, all of that still won't push back the 2024 release!

In a tweet on Christmas Day 2023, co-creator Hayden Schlossberg confirmed the new season will consist of 10 episodes, but the total runtime will be longer:

Netflix typically needs at least eight months from the start of production to release, and it’s usually more like a year after production starts that a new season comes out, depending on the show. However, Cobra Kai doesn't need as many special effects as some of Netflix's other shows, so post-production might not take as long. Considering the season began filming in January and it's confirmed for this year, we anticipate season 6 coming out in the fall by the earliest, or winter by the latest.

Cobra Kai has released new seasons in time for New Year’s in previous years, so maybe a New Year’s Eve 2024 release could happen for season 6. Of course, this is just us speculating and none of this is confirmed by Netflix.

Release Prediction: Fall or Winter 2024

Season 6 teasers

It’s too early for the official Cobra Kai season 6 trailer, but Netflix did release a teaser video announcing the final season. It doesn’t look like there’s new footage in the clip, but it’s still enough to get fans hyped over the news. We’re so excited to see our favorite characters on our screens again and can’t wait to watch how the story ends! See the video here:

In addition to the renewal clip Netflix shared, the streamer also released a video of the Cobra Kai cast getting ready to start table reads. At the time that this clip below was released, however, it was already confirmed that the new season was on hold because of the strikes. In any case, it’s still great to see the actors back together again. We're so excited they're filming again!

Fingers crossed now that Cobra Kai season 6 is filming, we get some behind-the-scenes videos or even first-look footage soon!

Cast members

The teaser featuring the cast coming together for a season 6 table read seems to confirm that the main cast and most of the supporting will return! Among those who were confirmed to be returning through their presence in the featured video are:

• Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
• William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence
• Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz
• Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso
• Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene
• Jacob Bertrand as Eli ‘Hawk’ Moskowitz
• Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso
• Peyton List as Tory Nichols
• Martin Kove as John Kreese
• Yuji Okumoto as Chozen Toguchi
• Vanessa Rubio as Carmen Diaz
• Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny Payne
• Gianni DeCenzo as Demetri

Xolo Maridueña (Miguel) had an exciting new movie in August 2023, starring as Jaime Reyes, also known as Blue Beetle, in Blue Beetle. While the actor has joined the DCU, he’s definitely coming back for Cobra Kai season 6, too! Hopefully, production on the final season won't interfere with any of his other possible projects.

Thomas Ian Griffith has been the big bad in Cobra Kai for a few seasons now. While Terry Silver did get what was coming to him in Cobra Kai season 5, the question remains if Silver will be back for season 6. As you can see, Griffith was not part of the Cobra Kai season 6 table read for the TUDUM promo, but that’s not necessarily a full representation of who will be in the season. There are going to be a lot more characters, and I have a feeling that could have been the table read for just the premiere. There are nine more episodes.

I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of Terry Silver just yet.

There’s been so much chatter about Hilary Swank, who played Julie Pierce in The Next Karate Kid, joining the cast of Cobra Kai season 6. So far, there hasn’t been confirmation that it’s going to happen, but we want it to! We’ve seen so many great Karate Kid cameos throughout the five seasons. It would make a lot of sense to bring back Julie Pierce, especially as these characters will be taking part in a global tournament in the sixth and final season.

Swank previously mentioned that she had not been asked to be in the show. Macchio also shared his thoughts on the matter and mentioned he would be open to it, according to CinemaBlend.

What the season 5 ending means for season 6

The ending of Cobra Kai season 5 is so wild, but we have a feeling that season 6 will be even more eventful. Kreese escapes prison in the season 5 finale, so we’re sure he’ll be a main player in the next season and will probably be seeking vengeance from Silver yet again. We’ll be curious to see what his relationship with Daniel and Johnny will be, considering the two kind of made amends in season 5. There’s a chance they’ll team up in the new season.

Tory and Robby are back together by the end of season 5, as are Sam and Miguel. We’re predicting season 6 will give both couples the happy endings they deserve. Johnny and Carmen’s relationship is also getting more serious and the sixth season will most likely see them welcoming a baby into the world. Johnny will no doubt struggle with fatherhood yet again, but I think he’ll do a better job this time around.

There’s a lot on the line for Cobra Kai season 6, and we’re so happy the story will continue for one more installment!