Cobra Kai Season 5 Release Date, Cast, Plot, And Trailer - What We Know So Far

These days every past blockbuster, franchise, or cinematic classic seems to become fodder for the nostalgia-fueled remake, re-imagine, and/or spin-off craze that's taken hold of both studios and streaming services. While that approach has generally led to more misses than hits, there have been a few welcome surprises to emerge from the Hollywood recycling machine of late. And if we're talking surprises, arguably no franchise re-hash has proven quite as unexpectedly solid as Netflix's "The Karate Kid" sequel series "Cobra Kai."

The series, of course, began on the now defunct YouTube Red and was picked up by Netflix after its first season. Since making the jump, "Cobra Kai" has become one of the streamer's biggest hits to date (via The Hollywood Reporter). And the "Cobra Kai" team has continued to crank out new seasons chock full of piercing personal drama, high stakes karate action, and yeah, a fair amount of unabashed '80s nostalgia. 

Luckily for fans for the series, Season 5 of "Cobra Kai" premiered on September 9, 2022. Here's everything we know about the new season.

It's as good a time as any to talk about who's returning to the fight for Season 5. There are a few obvious answers to that question as "Cobra Kai" simply would not exist without a few key cast members. That list includes long-time stars like Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso), William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence), Courtney Henggeler (Amanda LaRusso), Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso), Tanner Buchanan (Robby Keene), Xolo Maridueña (Miguel Diaz), Vanessa Rubio (Carmen Diaz), and Jacob Bertran (Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz), among others. 

As for more recent additions to the cast, you can be certain that the likes of Peyton List (Tory Nichols), Martin Kove (John Kreese), Thomas Ian Griffith (Terry Silver), Griffin Santopietro (Anthony LaRusso), and a few other familiar faces will factor heavily in the new season. And on the subject of familiar faces, another old "The Karate Kid" franchise foe will indeed feature prominently, with Yuji Okumoto set to reprise his role as Chozen Toguchi after making a couple of oh-so memorable appearances in Season 3.

As for what the new season of "Cobra Kai" is about, well, that's as loaded a question as can be asked of the series. That's largely because the minds behind the "Cobra Kai" action have pulled narrative threads almost too numerable to count since the series' 2018 debut. Over the course of the show's first four seasons, bitter feuds have erupted, violent throwdowns have occurred, fragile friendships have been forged, and shocking twists aplenty have been thrown into the mix.

In spite of that, Season 5 of "Cobra Kai" may be a bit more centrally focused, as it appears that even amid their various personal dramas, Daniel, Johnny, and the rest of the crew will be hell-bent on finally bringing down big, bad Terry Silver. Given where Season 4 left off, Silver is now fully in charge of not only Cobra Kai, but the karate culture of the entire San Fernando Valley and beyond. And if you know anything about Silver, you know he's the last man alive who should have that much influence over a generation of karate kids. Here's hoping Team Miyagi can find a way to rally and put the vile Silver in his place for good. 

It's unclear how things are going to play out in Season 5 of "Cobra Kai," but the narrative picture came a bit more into focus with the release of the new season's trailer. And from the look of things, matters will be dire indeed for Team Miyagi when Season 5 opens. After their stunning loss to Terry Silver and the Cobra Kai faction at the 51st All Valley Karate Tournament, Miyagi-do has officially closed up shop, with Daniel LaRusso desperate to find a way to bring Silver down before he can indoctrinate an army of impressionable teens via franchising his infamous dojo. To do so, Daniel's enlisted the help of his frenemy Chozen Toguchi, with the duo getting plenty of screen time in the trailer.

As for Team Miyagi's loss, we naturally found out both the Cobra Kai team's win (along with Tory Nichols') were bought and paid for by Silver himself. There will surely be repercussions for the fix, and judging from the trailer, Tory is struggling mightily with her new status as All Valley champ. Elsewhere, Johnny Lawrence and Robby Keene are seen teaming up on a mission to find an MIA Miguel Diaz, and bring him home. And though he's barely glimpsed in the trailer, you can bet old John Kreese will be back with something to say about his pal Silver landing him in prison.

Just how all these narratives will intertwine remains a mystery, and we cannot wait to see how it all goes down.