That's all, folks. Cobra Kai has thrown its last kick in anger and come to a definitive conclusion. But amid the melees, last-minute twists, and deaths, you may be waiting for the dust to settle before taking stock of the season 6 ending.
For that, we're here to help. Below, we'll run you through a recap of not only what went down in the Sekai Taikai, but also its immediate aftermath. There are even answers to the biggest post-finale questions, including what this all means for its cast of Cobra Kai students, the fate of the dojo, and the meaning behind that slightly out-of-left-field last scene. We'll even talk Karate Kid: Legends and how – if at all – the events of the upcoming movie starring Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio are influenced by the Cobra Kai season 6 ending.
So put your headbands on and get on your gis: this is our guide to the Cobra Kai season 6 ending. It should go without saying, major spoilers follow.
Cobra Kai season 6 ending recap
The Cobra Kai season 6 ending – structurally, at least – begins after the surprise 'defection' of Tory (Peyton List) and Miguel (Xolo Mariduena) to Cobra Kai for the Sekai Taikai.
In the first final match-up, Tory handily defeats the Iron Dragons' Zara to claw back some of the remaining points needed for the dojo to win the tournament.
In the boys' final, Miguel starts badly against Axel and only begins to turn it around after a pep talk from Johnny. During the comeback, various lessons that he learned throughout the series comes into play. He scores the decisive blow after Axel, perhaps fighting back against his sensei Wolf, slightly hesitates.
However, that's not the end of the Sekai Taikai. Cobra Kai and the Iron Dragons are level on points, which means a final tiebreaker between Johnny and Wolf.
Before the final showdown commences, Kreese (Martin Kove) finds Johnny and says he is proud of him and surpassed him as a teacher long ago. The two tearfully reconcile.
Despite the looming match, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) doesn't want to take any chances. With his reputation and legacy on the line, he orders the kidnapping of Johnny's wife and newborn child. But Kreese boards his yacht and foils his plans. In the ensuing fight, petrol leaks onto the deck. In one final desperate move, Kreese flings his cigar into the petrol and the yacht is engulfed in flames, killing them both.
After being intimidated by Wolf heading into the fight, Johnny starts off tentatively. It's only after some Cobra Kai-style rhetoric from Daniel (Ralph Macchio) does Johnny begin to find his mojo again. He emerges triumphant, with Cobra Kai the toast of the karate world.
Several storylines are then wrapped up in a montage-of-sorts: Chozen reunites with Kim at her dojo in Korea; Robby and Tory are offered karate contracts on mega money; Sam heads to Okinawa for her year-long placement and Miguel travels with her to help her settle in; Johnny buys a new house for his family, and even Stingray gets a job at the new Cobra Kai teaching weekend lessons for beginners.
With a new generation of students waiting for some Cobra Kai discipline, Johnny announces that he will train them the Cobra Kai way – and also the way of defense over at the Miyagi-do dojo.
In one final scene, Daniel and Johnny sit down for dinner. In a moment reminiscent of a Karate Kid scene with Mr. Miyagi, Daniel once again attempts to catch a fly with his chopsticks. This time, though, there's no "beginner's luck" as Johnny squashes it flat with his hand.
Who dies in the Cobra Kai season 6 ending?
We get confirmation, as if any was needed, that Kwon died during the events of the previous part. Aside from that, the two other deaths during the Cobra Kai ending are that of Terry Silver and Kreese aboard Terry's yacht.
The pair of one-time war buddies perish after Kreese blows up the yacht during their final showdown. Their explosive deaths aren't confirmed – we never see a body, after all – but the lack of post-credit tease or otherwise suggests that their story is definitively wrapped up here. A fitting farewell to two of Karate Kid's great villains – even if Kreese more than made amends with his reconciliatory actions in the final five episodes.
Who won the Sekai Taikai?
Initially, the Sekai Taikai is a tie between Cobra Kai and the Iron Dragons. Yet, as tournament head Gunther reveals, a tiebreak is needed to separate the two dojos.
To that end, Johnny and Sensei Wolf do battle to decide who is the ultimate victor. Johnny comes out victorious, with Wolf's reputation as a sensei and undefeated karate master in tatters.
Cobra Kai's victory appears to get mainstream attention, with the dojo even appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated. There is also an influx of new students at the initial dojo in the Valley. As the saying goes, Cobra Kai never dies.
What happens to the Cobra Kai dojo?
In one of the Netflix's series most touching character endings, Daniel buys the lease for Cobra Kai's old dojo and gifts it to Johnny. From there, Johnny sets about training a new generation of talent – with a twist.
While Johnny will pass down the mantra of striking first, striking hard, and doing so without mercy, he is happy to pass along his students to teach defense at Miyagi-do. In effect, every student in the Valley will now get a balanced training regime between Johnny and Daniel who, as Amanda reminds him, will always be a sensei.
In a fun twist, it's also revealed that Cobra Kai is expanding – with Stingray back to help teach weekend classes for beginners. Devon and Anthony are also busy training for the next All-Valley tournament.
Where do the students go from here?
Given how quickly everything wrapped up, you may have lost track of what happened to some of the younger cohort in Cobra Kai.
Hawk and Demitri will be heading to CalTech together because, clearly, the 'Binary Brothers' can't be separated.
There's also a happy ending for Tory and Robby, who are approached by an agent who wants to market their karate skills and burgeoning reputations.
Sam sets off for new pastures. While she still remains with Miguel, she heads off on a year-long placement in Okinawa. Miguel also accompanies her so she can settle in on the Japanese island.
Does Cobra Kai set up Karate Kid: Legends?
Previously, the director of Karate Kid: Legends said there had been talks about how Cobra Kai would connect to the upcoming Karate Kid movie.
Jonathan Entwistle told Entertainment Weekly, "I've had some really detailed conversations with the Cobra Kai team about just cool stuff that we can do in the movie and can make this whole thing feel holistic."
Despite that, there aren't too many plot threads that could continue on the big screen. As far as we know, Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso will unite with Jackie Chan's Mr. Han to train a new student, Li Fong (Ben Wang). It also takes place three years after the events of Cobra Kai. Entwistle only teased that "the Han family and the Miyagi family are connected all the way back to the old times."
Right now, though, it's unclear if Cobra Kai sets up Karate Kid: Legends. The sixth season doesn't do much in that respect, so we imagine the upcoming movie will be a largely standalone affair with only some small nods to Cobra Kai's story.
What does the final scene mean?
Aside from the cute meta cameo from creators Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg as they try to pitch each other the idea of an alternate take on the Karate Kid story, Cobra Kai ends with Johnny and Daniel baking bread – or perhaps dumplings – in a restaurant.
As they look ahead to the All-Valley, Daniel reminisces about a lesson Mr. Miyagi taught him about catching a fly with chopsticks. If he can do that, the karate master says, he can accomplish anything. In the scene from the film, Daniel catches it quickly – something Miyagi laments as "beginner's luck".
Daniel attempts to do so again in the present-day, but Johnny returns from his bathroom trip and quickly squishes the fly. The moral of the story? Same outcome, different methods. Johnny and Daniel's teaching styles may be very, very different, but they both stay true to the honorable history of karate.
For more, check out our Cobra Kai season 6, part 3 review and our picks for best Netflix shows.
