The co-creators of Cobra Kai explain why the show is ending with season 6. Starting off as a scripted original on YouTube in 2018 before moving to Netflix, where it became an Emmy-nominated success for the streamer, Cobra Kai follows the original Karate Kid characters Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) while introducing a host of new faces and bringing back several franchise veterans. The upcoming, series-ending Cobra Kai season 6 is close to debuting, with the creative team reflecting on why the story is coming to a close.

During Screen Rant‘s visit to the season 6 set ahead of new episodes debuting on July 18, co-creators Hayden Schlossberg and Jon Hurwitz talked in-depth about why Karate Kid spinoff series is coming to an end. The duo, who co-created the dojo dramedy with Josh Heald, underlined the role that season 5 played in determining the conclusion. Also in the quote below, Hurwitz looked back on the show’s early days on YouTube and its subsequent journey in the years since. Read their quotes below:

Hayden Schlossberg: The point was in season 5 to have the kids kind of come together so that they can kind of join as one giant team in this Sekai Tekai against the next level fighters that they’re about to face. There were still some hanging chads left at the end of season 5, namely Kreese, so we’ll see what happens with all that. But yeah, we knew in season 5 that we were in endgame times by doing that, and it wasn’t until after we shot season 5 that we kind of worked out exactly, “Okay, this is going to be the end afterwards.”

Jon Hurwitz: It was hugely important to us from the beginning [to have a finish line]. It’s weird, we entered this series partly naively, partly wishful thinking and confidence in the story that we’re telling that, “Okay, where we’re ending the series, much of what’s happening in the final episode have elements of what we talked about before we started shooting season 1.” So, we knew where we wanted the Johnny and Daniel relationship to be, and we knew some of the things that are happening in that final episode. A lot of things evolved along the way, but there was always sort of that North Star, and we were determined to will as many seasons as possible. Dating back to the YouTube days, we felt really confident that we would crush it the first season, and that we’d be able to keep making more. The big twist for us was that YouTube stopped being a thing. [Laughs] So, at that point, it was like, “Okay, we got to do everything we can.” I remember when making the third season, for example, we were like, “How do we make this season have so much spectacular stuff and have so many elements that are making you want more?” So that, in a scenario — which is what happened — which was YouTube was going to end, so that they can be shopping it around, and then there’s enough juice to make it appealing to other places. Hopefully, Netflix, and here we are.

Why Cobra Kai Season 5 Is So Significant To The Show’s End

All The Major Rivalries Have Ended

Schlossberg gets to the root of the importance of the Cobra Kai season 5 ending, almost two years after it originally aired. Though there remains the threat of Kreese, who is out for revenge, it’s significant that the Netflix series essentially ended all of its major rivalries. Daniel and Johnny are on good terms, as are former archrivals Robby and Miguel. Even though Samantha and Tory are not exactly close, they work together and seem to have a better understanding of one another. It’s a significant step, and if Cobra Kai continued for too long, it would have to undo it.

This is not to say that Cobra Kai season 6 will be free of tension. But if the series continued, it would inevitably have to rehash old grudges in a way that would feel repetitive and neuter character growth. Or, alternatively, it might increasingly have to amp up the stakes and overpower the villains to the point where the show might lose its overall lighthearted charm. All stories have to end eventually, and season 5 laid the groundwork.

Season 6 is split into three parts, with the first five episodes arriving on July 18. The next five drop in November 28, while the last five will be released sometime in 2025. Depending on how the story is crafted, each of those five could serve as their own mini-season and work as a fitting farewell to Cobra Kai‘s cast of characters. Overall, though the possibility of spinoffs remains very much alive, it’s a fitting time to say goodbye.