“Strike hard. Strike fast. No mercy.” If those words sound familiar, that’s because it was the motto of the infamous Cobra Kai dojo that made Daniel LaRusso’s life a living hell in the classic 1984 movie, The Karate Kid. Of course, that movie ended with Daniel defeating Cobra Kai’s star pupil, Johnny Lawrence, with a crane kick to the head. Daniel and his sensai, the lovable Mr. Miyagi, would go on to have more adventures together in Karate Kid II and III, but what ever became of Johnny?
Well, Karate Kid fans are finally going to get their answer with Cobra Kai, a new spinoff series that sees Ralph Macchio and William Zabka once again playing Daniel and Johnny, respectively, 34 years later. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
What is it?
Cobra Kai is a spinoff/sequel to the original Karate Kid movie. However, it’s not a movie but rather a series produced by the paid streaming service YouTube Red. Set 30 years after Daniel and Johnny’s match at the Under-18 All-Valley Karate Tournament, the series will focus on Johnny as he tries to pick himself up from a downward life spiral and reopen the Cobra Kai dojo. The series is being described as a dramedy and this is evident in the official trailer, as the overall tone feels much more comedic than the Karate Kid films. That being said, expect there to still be quite a bit of dramatic storytelling, as well as a long-awaited rematch between arch-rivals Daniel and Johnny.
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