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Published Mar 21, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
Memory Ngulube joined Screen Rant in April 2024 as part of the Movies and TV team. Since then, she has written for the Perennials and Streaming team, covering a wide range of topics from new releases to old movies and TV shows. Memory is currently a Classic TV writer.
Before joining Screen Rant, Memory was a freelance copywriter who specialized in email marketing and social media management. While she enjoyed her job, her true passion was always movies and TV.
When she isn’t writing for Screen Rant, Memory can be found reading, baking (which is one of her passions), or watching her favorite K-drama.
Netflix’s six-season action show has the rare ability to grip audiences from its very first episode. A spinoff of a classic movie, this series has mastered the art of suspense and carefully engineers its every twist, making it so you will have no choice but to keep wanting more. The beauty of action TV shows lies in how they thrive on immediate danger and high stakes.
This makes them highly addictive because audiences can’t wait to find out how the conflict presented in the series will be resolved. Fortunately, Netflix has capitalized on the popularity of action TV shows with hits like The Night Agent, The Recruit, and The Bodyguard. As great as the aforementioned TV shows are, Cobra Kai is arguably the best action series on the streaming platform.
With Cobra Kai, It's Almost Impossible To Watch Just One Episode
The rise of streaming has had a significant impact on how we watch TV shows. Instead of waiting a week before diving into our favorite series, almost all episodes are readily available at once, particularly when it comes to those on Netflix, which makes it easy to binge-watch. Despite the number of series that are now available to choose from, very few are as addictive as Cobra Kai.
Netflix’s Cobra Kai hailed from the beloved Karate Kid movies. So, the expectations for the TV show were quite high, more so because other attempts at a revival did not excel. Although Cobra Kai is a legacy sequel, it was never meant to duplicate the classic films. Instead, it distinguished itself by making the movies' villain, Johnny Lawrence, the main focus.
Cobra Kai’s episodes had a short run time of 23 to 30 minutes, so every moment in the series wasn't wasted. Because of this, the action TV show ensured that each installment was packed with enough tension and cliffhangers to keep the story moving and audiences guessing. At every moment, there was always a sense that something big was about to happen in the show.
Whether it was escalating rivalries or characters being extremely flawed, Cobra Kai had that addictive quality that is missing from some TV shows. Perhaps Cobra Kai’s biggest appeal was its character-driven narrative. As much as the series included several action sequences, it placed relationships and characters at its center.
The show never failed to dive into whether its characters would evolve, stay the same, or fall back into their bad habits. This made viewers become emotionally invested in whether they would succeed or not. For six seasons, Cobra Kai remained consistently good while also reinventing itself when there was a need to.
Cobra Kai Being So Moreish Made It One Of Netflix's Best Series
There are instances where a TV show is good, but it's missing that one thing that entices audiences to abandon their daily routine and remain glued to their screens for hours on end. Cobra Kai's ability to hook audiences helped turn the show into one of Netflix’s best series. Due to its popularity, it became clear that the series wanted to be better with each season.
Related
The 15 Best Fights In Cobra Kai, Ranked
Cobra Kai's six seasons are simply packed full of badass fight scenes, but over the years, a few have stood out for their action, drama, and feeling.
Streaming shows running for six seasons are pretty rare these days, but Cobra Kai managed to bring in more audiences, both returning and new ones. The Netflix original TV show understood its strengths from the get-go. Cobra Kai never once tried to change its narrative in order to appeal to a wider audience.
The show capitalized on its nostalgia factor and villain redemption arc to keep people interested. Throughout its six-season run, Cobra Kai did not take itself too seriously, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t deep. The show blended action, compelling characters, and perfectly choreographed action sequences, making it a must-watch on Netflix.
Release Date 2018 - 2025-00-00
Network Netflix, YouTube Premium
Showrunner Jon Hurwitz
Directors Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, Joel Novoa, Jennifer Celotta, Steven K. Tsuchida, Sherwin Shilati, Marielle Woods, Steve Pink, Lin Oeding, Michael Grossman
Writers Josh Heald, Ashley Darnall, Chris Rafferty, Bill Posley
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Ralph Macchio
Daniel LaRusso
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English (US) ·