8 Karate Kid References We’re Still Waiting For Ahead Of Cobra Kai Season 6

Cobra Kai is heading into its sixth and final season, but there are still some key moments from the Karate Kid franchise that we are hoping to see referenced before the story comes to a close. The Netflix series has done a great job bundling nostalgia up with new content, which is why it has succeeded where other nostaligic reboots have failed. References and Easter eggs are often tastefully subtle, which makes them all the more enjoyable to notice and enjoy. Going into Cobra Kai season 6, many of the big Karate Kid moments have been covered, but there are still some left to look for.

Part of what has made Netflix’s Cobra Kai so enjoyable is how it reangled the story to the perspective of the Karate Kid‘s first teenage villain, Johnny Lawrence. This basic premise has carried on throughout the series’ existing five seasons, as the antagonists and their redemptions have been the central focus. Of course, this isn’t to say that the heroes were left out. Daniel LaRusso and the memory of Mr. Miyagi have been ever present, which has allowed Cobra Kai to remain packed full of references to moments from the iconic movies—so what could be next?

Related

Cobra Kai Season 6: Cast, Story & Everything We Know

Cobra Kai season 5 is not the end of the global hit series. Here’s everything we know so far about when Cobra Kai season 6 will hit Netflix.

8 The Karate Kid’s “You’re The Best” Song

From The Karate Kid (1984)

The song “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito flew to prominence after The Karate Kid, where it was played over a montage of Daniel dominating at the All-Valley Tournament. This song perfectly summarized the flavor of the 1984 movie, with that 1980s sound, high energy, and underdog-celebrating lyrics. Therefore, it’s surprising that it has yet to be included in the Netflix spinoff. Of course, the Sekai Taikai tournament of Cobra Kai season 6 may be the perfect time to pull “You’re the Best” back out since it perfectly parallels Daniel’s first big victories.

7 Johnny’s “You’re Alright LaRusso” Quote

From The Karate Kid 1984

The reveal in Cobra Kai that Johnny resented Daniel for all those years after his All-Valley defeat was somewhat contradicted by the fact that, at the end of The Karate Kid, Johnny himself awarded his rival the championship trophy. He did this while delivering the line “You’re alright, LaRusso,” which was a heartwarming way to resolve the pair’s issues. Of course, Cobra Kai has left this detail out of its story, but it would be fun to see the moment referenced in season 6. Perhaps Johnny can again pay Daniel this compliment and explain why his opinion has changed over the years between Karate Kid and Cobra Kai.

6 Mr. Miyagi’s Other Karate Student

From The Next Karate Kid (1994)

Daniel wasn’t Mr. Miyagi’s only student in the Karate Kid franchise, but Cobra Kai has so far ignored this. While the Netflix series has referenced all three movies starring Ralph Macchio, the 1994 movie The Next Karate Kid has been largely ignored. In this film, Miyagi took on Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce as a student, and fans have been eager to see the character return. Unfortuantely, the actor claims that she won’t be appearing in Cobra Kai season 6, but if this is true, it’s always possible that this other karate kid could be referenced in different ways.

5 The Alpha Elite Villains

From The Next Karate Kid (1994)

While the students and teachers of Cobra Kai dojo served as the antagonists of the central Karate Kid movies, The Next Karate Kid featured the villainous organization called Alpha Elite. This JROTC-type fraternity was supposed to be all about keeping the high school safe. The members and its leader, Colonel Paul Dugan, severely abused their authority, which became a significant problem for Julie Pierce and Mr. Miyagi. Though the group was disbanded after the events of The Next Karate Kid, it would be an exciting reference for Alpha Elite to emerge in the Valley ahead of the Sekai Taikai.

4 Other Johnny & Daniel Deleted Karate Kid Moments

From The Karate Kid (1984)

Cobra Kai has featured several obscure references to The Karate Kid, including some to the movie’s deleted scenes. An example of this is when Johnny and Daniel tease one another about a blueberry pie incident, which was never featured in the 1984 film’s official cut but is seen in a little-known outtake. Several other moments between these two didn’t make it into The Karate Kid that Cobra Kai could reference, such as an altercation at the high school in which Daniel pushes Johnny to consider whether his sensei could be wrong. Considering Kreese’s involvement in season 6, this could be a relevant scene to reference.

3 Some Kung Fu Moments From Jackie Chan’s Remake

From The Karate Kid (2010)

Another movie in the Karate Kid franchise that has so far been ignored by Cobra Kai is the 2010 remake starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. However, the recent news that the upcoming 2024 Karate Kid movie would bring Chan and Macchio together could indicate that this could change. It’s possible that Cobra Kai season 6 will set up this big crossover with some references to Chan’s Karate Kid movie, such as by including some of Mr. Han’s kung fu techniques at the Sekai Taikai. This could be tied together with an appearance from the character himself.

2 Kreese & Miyagi’s “Honk” Moment

From The Karate Kid Part 2 (1986)

Mr. Miyagi’s famous nose honk became key in the ending of The Karate Kid Part 2, since Daniel chose to do this playful move to Chozen rather than complete the “to the death” match. This was referenced in Cobra Kai season 3 when Chozen returned the gesture, thus finally getting his revenge on Daniel. However, the series has yet to acknowledge the fact that Mr. Miyagi did this first to John Kreese. It may be interesting to see the impact of Miyagi’s mercy in Kreese all these years later, especially with the hope of a redemption arc in Cobra Kai season 6.

1 Mr. Miyagi Mocking Terry Silver

From The Karate Kid Part 3

Another great Miyagi moment Cobra Kai has yet to acknowledge is the scene in which the old sensei returns Terry Silver’s mockery in the best way. In The Karate Kid Part 3, Miyagi comes to Daniel’s rescue and defeats Mike Barnes, John Kreese, and Terry Silver without breaking a sweat. During this match, Silver began making fun of the Japanese sensei by performing some silly movements accompanied by some Bruce Lee-style vocalizations. It was infuriating and pretty racist to boot, but after Miyagi took Silver down, he comically repeated the mockery back to the man.

After the big fight between Daniel and Silver at the end of Cobra Kai season 5, it’s difficult to say whether the Karate Kid Part 3 villain will make a return, but if he did, it would be great to see this iconic Miyagi moment referenced. After all, even 30 years later, the Karate Kid franchise is still predominantly focused on the ongoing conflict between Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai. If Cobra Kai were to see this rivalry come to a close once and for all, homage must be paid to the original Miyagi’s greatest clapbacks.

Cobra Kai

Set decades after the events of the Karate Kid franchise, Cobra Kai shifts gears and puts viewers into the perspective of a former rival/antagonist, Johnny Lawrence. In his 50s and down on his luck, a chance encounter with a bullied young man leads Johnny back to Karate. Agreeing to help him, Johnny takes the opportunity to revive his former home, the Cobra Kai dojo – becoming a refuge for outcast teens.

Cast

Tanner Buchanan , Xolo Mariduena , Mary Mouser , Connor Murdock , Ralph Macchio , Nichole Brown , Jacob Bertrand , Griffin Santopietro , William Zabka

Seasons

5

Writers

Josh Heald , Jon Hurwitz , Hayden Schlossberg , Michael Jonathan , Mattea Greene , Bill Posley , Stacey Harman , Joe Piarulli , Bob Dearden

Directors

Jon Hurwitz

Showrunner

Jon Hurwitz