Cobra Kai Interviews: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka and the creators on why the Karate Kid legacy lives on

It’s hard to believe, but The Karate Kid franchise is over forty years old. Despite this fact, the franchise seems to be stronger than ever, with a new movie in the saga, Karate Kid: Legends, due out in 2025. But, before that, the series which kick-started the franchise’s return to the zeitgeist, Cobra Kai, is starting to wrap up its run on Netflix with a super-sized sixth season. The second part of the three-part season made its debut Friday (read our review here), as Sensei Daniel (Ralph Macchio), Johnny (William Zabka) and students of Miyagi-Do head to the Sekai Taikai in Barcelona to take on their arch-enemies, the students of Cobra Kai, and their sensei Kreese.

Recently, we had the chance to sit down with Ralph Macchio and William Zabka to discuss the amazing legacy the franchise has left behind and why it’s endured for over four decades. We also dig into how the show specializes in humanizing its villains and how Johnny has become just as iconic as Daniel in his own way. We also chat with the series creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg about their end game in wrapping up the show’s run, and how this season is inspired by some of the classic eighties fight movies like Bloodsport and Best of the Best. We also dig into how the show’s fight choreography has gotten better than ever.

Cobra Kai is now streaming on Netflix!

About the Author

Editor-in-Chief - JoBlo

Favorite Movies: Goodfellas, A Clockwork Orange, Boogie Nights, Goldfinger, Casablanca, Scarface (83 version), read more Heat, The Guns of Navarone, The Dirty Dozen, Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, Blade Runner, any film noir

Likes: Movies, LP's, James Bond, true hollywood memoirs, The Bret Easton read more Ellis Podcast, every sixties british pop band, every 80s new wave band - in fact just generally all eighties songs, even the really shit ones, and of course, Tom Friggin' Cruise!

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