Farewell Cobra Kai: A Look at the Beginning and Conclusion of the Karate Saga from the Perspective of Its Creators

      “In our opinion, Karate Kid was as significant as Star Wars,” states Jon Hurwitz, one of the three showrunners of Cobra Kai.

      He met Hayden Schlossberg, another showrunner, in high school, and Josh Heald, the third showrunner, in college. All three grew up in New Jersey and were enchanted from a young age by the tale of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), a boy from Jersey who relocates to Los Angeles with his mother and trains in martial arts under Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). Daniel's newfound abilities enable him to confront the bullying from Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and his classmates at the Cobra Kai dojo.

      Netflix starts airing the final episodes of Cobra Kai today, concluding an incredible six-season journey that saw Daniel and Johnny clash, form a friendship, and strive to maintain their often-threatened partnership. To commemorate this occasion, we spoke with Hurwitz, Schlossberg, and Heald about the long-standing origins of one of Netflix's most cherished and successful series — rejuvenating the Karate Kid universe.

      By the time they had made their entrance into the franchise, there was never any doubt that they would helm Cobra Kai. However, they undertook considerable work to reach that point.

      **Cobra Kai Origins**

      (L-R) William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence, Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, and Yuji Okumoto as Chozen in Cobra Kai. Photo credit: Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2024

      Hurwitz and Schlossberg began writing together during college, generating enough momentum from their first spec script, an R-rated comedy titled Filthy, to relocate to Hollywood post-graduation. It was the early 2000s; Heald was in San Francisco, working as a management consultant and occasionally visiting his friends Hurwitz and Schlossberg.

      “We spent a lot of time indulging in burgers, staying up late, and discussing comedy. That suited my lifestyle more at that age than creating financial models for a major computer chip corporation,” Heald reflects.

      He consequently moved to West Hollywood, conveniently near Hurwitz and Schlossberg. He secured a job handling coverage for different studios while developing his own pilots. At the same time, Hurwitz and Schlossberg made a significant breakthrough with their script for the 2004 film Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

      Around that period, Hurwitz recalls, they happened to view a new DVD release of The Karate Kid.

      “We would write during the day and socialize at night,” Hurwitz reminisces. “While watching the 20th Anniversary Edition DVD of Karate Kid, we came across special features where Billy Zabka discussed his portrayal of Johnny Lawrence. To him, he wasn’t the antagonist of the film; he was just another teenage kid with a crush trying to navigate high school. Then, this guy came into town and disrupted his plans.”

      As they gained more influence in the industry, the trio held on to the notion that Johnny may not be inherently bad.

      Hurwitz and Schlossberg were asked to direct their script for the Harold and Kumar sequel, 2008’s Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, and they went on to write and direct the 2012 American Pie sequel, American Reunion. Meanwhile, Heald gained recognition as a co-writer on the nostalgic film Hot Tub Time Machine, which was released in 2010, along with its 2015 sequel, Hot Tub Time Machine 2. (The first film featured Zabka.) The three also worked together on a competitive-eating script that elevated their visibility in the industry.

      It was finally time to give Johnny Lawrence his due.

      “We all found ourselves re-emerging just as streaming began gaining traction. We noticed advertisements for Stranger Things, a prominent ‘80s nostalgia project, and Fuller House with billboards featuring Kimmy Gibbler,” Hurwitz recalls.

      Gibbler is the best friend of D.J. on Full House.

      “We thought, ‘If Kimmy Gibbler can have a billboard, then Billy Zabka and Ralph Macchio deserve one too,’” Hurwitz adds.

      Initially, the trio envisioned a new Karate Kid movie featuring an adult Daniel and Johnny, but they quickly recognized the potential for a series. Reflecting on the original Karate Kid and its two sequels with Macchio, they identified numerous themes to delve into.

      “There were father-son dynamics, found family, bullying, the underdog narrative, overcoming challenges, being the newcomer, feeling out of place — all these universal themes that weren’t exclusive to 1984,” Heald explains. “These themes resonate with both kids and adults today. We started to consider, ‘What’s different about the present?’ leading us to explore modern forms of bullying. Now there’s cyberbullying; it’s no longer just ‘meet me at the flagpole at noon.'”

      **Legacy**

      Jacob Bertrand as Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz in Cobra Kai.