Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Season 1 – Cobra Kai

Play trailer 2:34 Poster for Season 1 – Cobra Kai May 2018 Comedy Drama Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Thirty-four years after events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, a down-and-out Johnny Lawrence seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with a now successful Daniel LaRusso.
Watch on Netflix Stream Now

Where to Watch

Cobra Kai — Season 1

Cobra Kai — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Cobra Kai continues the Karate Kid franchise with a blend of pleasantly corny nostalgia and teen angst, elevated by a cast of well-written characters.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Brad Newsome Sydney Morning Herald 09/30/2020
This marvelous sequel series to The Karate Kid isn't just a huge suckerpunch of nostalgia for kids of the '80s. It's also a sharp, dry comedy of the kind we've come to expect these days Go to Full Review Alex McLevy AV Club 12/22/2018
This could all fall apart pretty easily... but right now I like the harsh tone and unsparing assessment of misguided men stumbling into something bigger than either of them. Go to Full Review Danette Chavez AV Club 12/22/2018
I struggled with the premise of middle-aged white dudes reigniting their rivalry, but while I doubt I'll binge the first season, my interest has definitely been piqued. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Apr 13
3.5/4
The genius of the series is in not merely having these characters again play the hero and the antagonist but rather in having both play believably flawed men who need to turn back to karate to find their balance and their better selves. Go to Full Review Fausto Ponce Alta Fidelidad Magazine 04/27/2021
It's funny, clever and has the necessary dramatic elements to come up with something moving, without losing sight of its comedic essence. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Sarah Knight Adamson Sarah's Backstage Pass 02/13/2021
3/4
Builds on the challenges faced by the original characters Johnny Lawrence, played by William Zabka, and Daniel LaRusso, played by Ralph Macchio. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Robert M. @robert.m1010 May 30 Incredible season. Incredible soundtrack, great acting, throwbacks and nostalgia on another level. If you love the 80s, love great music, love action and drama, this is the show for you! 10/10 all day every day! See more Jaycen D. @JDtheGoat May 10 I’ve had this on my watchlist for a while, and I binged this entire first season in a day 💀 It’s a nice refreshment for the Karate Kid universe (even though you could say it’s a little bit of CTRL + C, CTRL + V from the original). I am genuinely very excited for the following seasons!! See more Eddie R. @CorkLovesMovies Apr 5 the episodes were amazing besides the second to last one and blew my expectations out of the water. I Definently think Dimitri and Miguel were my favorites. The only character I found myself hating was that little snot nosed brat Anthony. Otherwise amazing season, can’t wait for season two! See more Mark D @RT04190277 Mar 30 One of the best shows of the past decade, and the best belated sequel work ever made. The perfect antidote to the feminist nihilism that currently infects Hollywood. See more Noah H. @Noah85 Jan 17 AWESOME show. Yeah, it may be a little cheesy sometimes but that’s part of the charm. There is still SO MUCH in this to LOVE. The action is VISCERAL, the score is BLOOD-PUMPING, and the characters all have GREAT arcs, especially Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. Here, in this show, we get to know SO MUCH about them. SO MUCH MORE than we did in the movies. Ralph Macchio and William Zabka absolutely KILL it in their roles just like how they did in the first movie. I would also say that all the actors playing the new characters do a solid job as well. Overall, GREAT show. Definitely watch it if you’re a karate kid fan. See more Nikolas H @NikTheNerd Jan 12 Perfect blend of nostalgia and fresh writing. No subverting of legacy characters and the rare retconning only builds characters up instead of tearing them down for "modern" identity politics. Great series and heroism at its best. See more Read all reviews
Cobra Kai — Season 1

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Josh Heald

Creator

Jon Hurwitz

Creator

Hayden Schlossberg

Creator

William Zabka

Johnny Lawrence

Ralph Macchio

Daniel LaRusso

Courtney Henggeler

Amanda LaRusso

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired May 2, 2018 Ace Degenerate 34 years after losing the All Valley Karate Championship, Johnny Lawrence decides to reopen the Cobra Kai Dojo while his school adversary, Daniel LaRusso, runs a successful auto business. Details Episode 2 Aired May 2, 2018 Strike First Daniel LaRusso discovers Johnny is reopening the Cobra Kai dojo and is determined to stop it from happening. Details Episode 3 Aired May 2, 2018 Esqueleto Johnny tries to recruit more students; Daniel chaperones Samantha's high school dance; Miguel takes things too far with his bullies. Details Episode 4 Aired May 2, 2018 Cobra Kai Never Dies Daniel's defaced billboard causes tension with Johnny; Johnny's son Robby is embarrassed by his father and his new dojo; the bullying against Miguel escalates and Johnny finds himself motivated in a surprising way. Details Episode 5 Aired May 2, 2018 Counterbalance Daniel uses underhanded tactics to try to drive Johnny out of business; when Miguel defends Samantha's honor at school with his new karate skills, the resulting viral video drives a new wave of enrollment at the Cobra Kai dojo. Details Episode 6 Aired May 2, 2018 Quiver Johnny is less than pleased with his new batch of students; Robby takes a job with Daniel with the ultimate goal of angering his father; Daniel inspires interest in karate from an unlikely source. Details Episode 7 Aired May 2, 2018 All Valley Daniel begins training his new student using Mr. Miyagi's classic method; Robby faces temptation to return to his delinquent ways; Johnny gives Miguel advice for his first date with Samantha. Details Episode 8 Aired May 2, 2018 Molting Helping his students prepare for the tournament inspires Johnny to clean up his own act; Daniel's cousin vandalizes Johnny's car, leading to a confrontation between Johnny and Daniel at the LaRusso residence. Details Episode 9 Aired May 2, 2018 Different but Same Johnny and Daniel revisit the past together; Miguel senses that Samantha is lying to him; the Cobra Kai kids strike first to steal a popular party spot from the cool kids. Details Episode 10 Aired May 2, 2018 Mercy The All Valley Karate Tournament has come, and Johnny and Daniel find themselves at battle again, this time fighting vicariously through their students. Details

More Like This

View All
AJ and the Queen 55% 89% AJ and the Queen Watchlist TRAILER for AJ and the Queen Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return 100% 90% Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return Watchlist The Politician 50% 80% The Politician Watchlist TRAILER for The Politician Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt 96% 84% Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Watchlist TRAILER for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Atypical 90% 92% Atypical Watchlist TRAILER for Atypical Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Related TV News

View All
The 5 Most Anticipated TV & Streaming Shows of September 2022 11 TV Shows You Should Binge-Watch This December 11 TV Shows You Should Binge-Watch This January
View All

Cobra Kai — Season 1

Movieclips: Cobra Kai's Best Scenes - Seasons 1 & 2 Movieclips: Cobra Kai's Best Scenes - Seasons 1 & 2 33:50 Cobra Kai: Season 1 Trailer Cobra Kai: Season 1 Trailer 2:34 View more videos
View All

Cobra Kai — Season 1

Cobra Kai Cobra Kai Cobra Kai Cobra Kai View more photos

Season Info

Director
Jon Hurwitz, Steve Pink, Hayden Schlossberg
Creator
Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Network
Netflix
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date
May 2, 2018