Ralph Macchio Reflects on the Heartfelt Farewell of Cobra Kai: A Nostalgic Tribute to an Iconic Franchise

Ralph Macchio describes the Cobra Kai series conclusion as a heartfelt embrace – and we devoted Karate Kid enthusiasts are inclined to concur.

Caution: Major spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6 episode 3 below!

“What I appreciate about the series finale is that it genuinely embodies a classic ’80s Karate Kid film, resembling a truly exceptional Karate Kid story filled with emotion, cheers, tears, and the ‘F yeah!’ moments,” Macchio shares with GamesRadar+. “I recall watching [the original film] for the first time in a cinema, and people were leaping from their seats, high-fiving acquaintances and even strangers. By the end of the show, that same exhilaration lingers, albeit through a Cobra Kai perspective.”

“It carries the hallmark that the Cobra Kai series has established, but it never strays from the essence of what the Karate Kid represented,” Macchio continues. “I’m genuinely pleased with how it turned out. The creators, John, Josh, and Hayden, executed a magnificent job.”

To understand, The Karate Kid, which debuted in 1984, features Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) facing off against the formidable bully Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) in a fiercely contested karate tournament under the guidance of the wise Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita).

Cobra Kai, which unfolds about 40 years after the original film, depicts Daniel and Lawrence as they establish competing karate dojos – although it doesn’t take long for them to set aside their long-standing differences and become true friends.

At the conclusion of the initial film, Daniel achieves his big moment: he triumphs over Johnny in the tournament. Conversely, at the end of Cobra Kai, Johnny claims his own victory – defeating Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan) in the decisive final round of the Sekai Taikai (prepare to shed tears).

“When you’re concluding a grand karate saga that we’ve journeyed through for six seasons, there are numerous characters you want to resolve,” showrunner John Hurwitz explains to GR+. “From the start, we selected certain episodes to spotlight particular characters while others took a backseat. We approached the final five episodes by not cramming everything into one episode, but rather distributing it throughout to give everyone their significant, climactic moment.”

Indeed, every character receives their treasured climactic moment throughout the last five episodes – even Chozen from The Karate Kid 2 receives a joyful resolution. Franchise antagonists Terry Silver and John Kreese certainly find closure… though it may not be happy. Fortunately, Johnny earns his well-deserved moment with Kreese, decades in the making, along with one final, poignant moment with Daniel that resonates back to the original film.

Hurwitz continues: “That’s one of the motivations behind our choice to create 15 episodes for our final season, so we had ample time to explore character arcs. We were adamant about concluding where we began, focusing on Daniel and Johnny as the two main characters that we invested the most time in during the early episodes.”

“This journey has been a remarkable gift, being part of this film franchise and its legacy.”