An iconic action franchise from the 1980s was almost dead before Netflix played a key role in reviving it.
Netflix is known for pulling the plug on many promising shows after one or two seasons. The streaming service has previously not shied away from canceling even some of its most acclaimed shows. However, looking back, it is hard not to see how Netflix deserves respect for giving an action franchise a second chance.
The Karate Kid's TV reboot, Cobra Kai, did not first land on Netflix. Instead, the series was initially a flagship scripted series written for YouTube Red. After the show earned critical acclaim in season 1, it was renewed for another season on YouTube Red. However, after YouTube decided to move away from high-budget scripted originals, Cobra Kai was put up for shopping.
After its initial critical success on Netflix, Cobra Kai could have become another forgotten reboot that could not reach its full potential. While the action series is incredible in seasons 1 and 2, it truly levels up its dojo rivalry and nostalgia value from season 3. Owing to this, if Netflix had not acquired the series, Cobra Kai probably would have struggled to reach the level of commercial success that it eventually did.
This, in turn, would have held the series back from lasting for six seasons and etching a distinct identity for itself as a worthy extension of the Karate Kid franchise.
Even after all these decades, the first Karate Kid movie is arguably considered the best addition to the franchise. Its sequel, too, was fairly good, but the movies that followed struggled to leave their mark. 1994's The Next Karate Kid attempted to reboot the franchise, but received extremely underwhelming reviews from viewers and critics.
While the 2010 reboot that starred Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith showed some promise, it also could not pave the way for another series of movies. Cobra Kai was the first reboot in the franchise that managed to completely reimagine the original Karate Kid movie's formula and bring something new to the table. Netflix gave it the platform to a wider audience and breathe new life into a franchise that was seemingly dead.
The first Karate Kid movie and even its sequels and reboots followed a typical narrative formula. They established clear boundaries between heroes and villains, prompting viewers to root solely for Mr. Miyagi and his underdog students. Instead of following the same redundant formula, Cobra Kai cleverly flipped the original script.
It took the first movie villain, Johnny Lawrence, and turned him into its main underdog character. While it did not antagonize the original hero, Daniel LaRusso, it showed how he, too, was never perfect despite being Mr. Miyagi's student. This made the original rivalry from the movie even more fascinating in the show.
As Cobra Kai progressed, it re-introduced other villains from the original movies and made them seem far more human by walking through their traumas and backstories. This made almost every Cobra Kai character rootable in one way or the other. The show also never shied away from dropping many references to the original films and other classic '80s action movies to keep the nostalgia factor high.
At the same time, Cobra Kai also found creative ways to appeal to a new generation of audiences by featuring a whole roster of well-written young characters. If it wasn't for Cobra Kai and Netflix's willingness to continue it for six seasons, the Karate Kid action franchise would still have been dead.
Cobra Kai is a sequel series continuing the narrative of the Karate Kid saga, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It focuses on Johnny Lawrence seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.
