1 Year Later, Cobra Kai Has Gotten Even Better

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Despite the failure of Karate Kid: Legends, the success of Cobra Kai as a spinoff is even more remarkable. When Cobra Kai was first announced as a continuation of the Karate Kid story on Netflix, many thought it sounded like a silly idea taken to an extreme. But created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, Cobra Kai proved to be a unique and compelling follow-up to the 1980s franchise.

Over six seasons, Cobra Kai gave depth to Johnny Lawrence, the seemingly one-dimensional villain from the original movie, and also showed a more nuanced side to the traditionally heroic Daniel LaRusso. The series achieved this through Johnny’s journey of growth and ultimately, the finale redefined the story established in the films.

Look, getting the audience to root for Johnny Lawrence was a feat in itself, but honestly, transforming him into this tragic, almost heroic figure in Cobra Kai? That’s where the show really shines. It’s the best thing the franchise has done, period. And you know what’s even cooler? Seeing Johnny and Daniel become friends. It felt way more impactful than Daniel winning the All-Valley tournament back in the original Karate Kid – it really took the themes of growth and redemption to a whole new level.

Karate Kid: Legends Made Cobra Kai’s Feat More Impressive

Unlike the original Karate Kid films, which didn’t delve deeply into character psychology, Cobra Kai brought a new sense of realism and depth to the story and its characters. Through the students they taught, the show allowed viewers to see different sides of both Johnny and Daniel, while also introducing a new generation of karate students.

As the show introduced us to the students at the dojo, we began to see both Johnny and Daniel’s strengths and weaknesses, and how they both still had room to improve. By constantly comparing them, Cobra Kai demonstrated that the two weren’t really so different after all.

The students brought out different qualities in each of the two teachers. What began as dislike between them slowly evolved into respect, and surprisingly, a friendship. A movie wouldn’t have been able to capture this complex emotional journey as effectively; the TV show Cobra Kai had the benefit of more time to develop the characters and their relationship.

Although other martial arts shows might be of higher quality, Cobra Kai’s popularity is remarkable because of its bold concept. It was a surprising success to take a one-dimensional villain from an 80s movie and transform him into a complex character that audiences genuinely wanted to support.

Following the huge success of Cobra Kai, it was only a matter of time before they revisited the Karate Kid franchise on the big screen, and 2025 brought us Karate Kid: Legends. What really got fans excited, though, was the promise of seeing Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso team up with Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han – you’ll remember him as the wise mentor from the 2010 Karate Kid movie with Jaden Smith. It was a dream pairing, and honestly, a big reason I went to see it.

Why Karate Kid’s New Movie Couldn’t Replicate Cobra Kai’s Success

The new film, Karate Kid: Legends, centers around Ben Wang, a talented young karate student and Mr. Han’s grandnephew. When Ben moves to New York, he receives guidance from both Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han, uniting the characters from different eras of the Karate Kid series. Critics gave the film mixed reviews, with a score of 58% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I was really excited for Karate Kid: Legends, especially after seeing how well it did at the box office – making $117 million with a $45 million budget is amazing! But honestly, it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. What made Cobra Kai on Netflix so brilliant was its willingness to show shades of gray, to make you question who the ‘good guys’ really were. Legends seemed to lack that complexity, and I think that’s what ultimately held it back.

It wasn’t surprising that Karate Kid: Legends didn’t try to be as gritty as the popular Netflix series. As a big summer movie with a shorter length, it aimed for a more straightforward story with easily defined good guys and bad guys. Unfortunately, this decision ended up being the film’s downfall.

The original Karate Kid movies were classic stories of unlikely heroes triumphing over adversity, and that’s what made them popular in the 1980s. However, when a remake tried the same thing in 2010, it didn’t do well, showing audiences had seen enough of that formula. Cobra Kai cleverly revitalized the series by shifting the focus to the villain’s point of view, which was exactly what it needed.

The Karate Kid Franchise Needs More Cobra Kai

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The Karate Kid franchise would really benefit from more shows and movies like Cobra Kai. This doesn’t have to be a continuation of the original story, a reboot, or even a story told from the point of view of a villain. It just needs to capture the same spirit.

The franchise needs to be innovative again, like it was with Cobra Kai, instead of just repeating old ideas with shows like Karate Kid: Legends. Cobra Kai succeeded because it took a chance on a complex, even unlikeable, hero, while the reboot failed by sticking to familiar territory.

Karate Kid: Legends felt like a predictable attempt to capitalize on nostalgia, as the idea of bringing together a new mentor and the original hero was a common reboot strategy. Cobra Kai, however, surpassed it by taking a surprising and original approach: centering the story around the original movie’s unlikeable villain. This made the show genuinely fresh and unique.

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2026-02-20 20:39