Netflix’s New 7-Part Martial Arts Drama Is Even Better Than Cobra Kai In 1 Brutal Way

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William Zebka as Johnny LAwrence in Cobra Kai

Published Apr 7, 2026, 11:43 PM EDT

Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns.
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Cobra Kai remains one of the best shows in Netflix's action drama catalog, but the new season of a hit k-drama series on the streamer proves that it does one thing far better than the entire Karate Kid franchise.

For a long time, new additions to the Karate Kid franchise came off as forced and unnecessary extensions of the existing lore. Even the Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith remake struggled to leave its mark. However, decades after the first Karate Kid movie, Cobra Kai single-handedly revived interest surrounding the overarching franchise by not only honoring its legacy but also reframing old heroes and villains in ways that felt both fresh and nostalgic.

Owing to this, Cobra Kai deserves immense credit for breathing new life into a franchise that was growing increasingly stagnant. However, Cobra Kai, too, has its own set of flaws. Netflix's latest addition to the combat sports drama subgenre is not as massive as Cobra Kai in terms of storytelling scale, but it manages to overcome one of the biggest shortcomings of the Karate Kid franchise.

Unlike Cobra Kai, Netflix’s Bloodhounds Does Not Shy Away From Gore & Brutality In Its Action Scenes

Bloodhounds season 2 Baek-jeong in IKFC fight

The Karate Kid movies and Netflix's Cobra Kai have featured several memorable fight sequences that unfold both in and out of the mats of the central dojos. However, almost throughout its runtime, the long-running franchise has shied away from capturing the true brutal nature of combat sports.

Some fights in Cobra Kai have had real consequences. For instance, the school showdown nearly killed Miguel. In season 6, a character in Cobra Kai even died when an unofficial showdown unfolded between all teams at the Sekai Taikai. However, the main characters in the franchise still have had plot armor almost throughout the series.

In Netflix's Bloodhounds, though, nearly every fight sequence ends with brutal violence. The show's villains are portrayed as ruthless criminals who do not care about following the rules of combat sports. This even forces the heroes in the series to resort to extreme violence to protect themselves and their family members.

Many characters even end up dead in Bloodhounds, especially in season 2, which perfectly highlights the high stakes the heroes are dealing with. There are moments when Bloodhounds, too, makes its main characters seem a little too overpowered. However, the Netflix k-drama ensures that, unlike Cobra Kai, it highlights the tangible cost of every victory in its storyline.

Cobra Kai also struggles to establish concrete power scales because of its inability to consistently ground its fights in realistic consequences. Bloodhounds, in contrast, ensures that its power scales remain consistent and even walks through everything its main characters do to be able to beat opponents stronger than them.

The Stakes In Bloodhounds Season 2’s Tournament Are Far Higher Than Cobra Kai’s Sekai Taikai

A man with boxing gloves in the K-drama Bloodhounds.

Like Cobra Kai season 6, Bloodhounds season 2 is also driven by a central fighting tournament. Called the IKFC, the tournament in Bloodhounds season 2 is illegal and underground. This makes it reminiscent of movies like Bloodsport in which even the overpowered protagonist faces real danger.

The outcome of every fight between the main hero and the primary villain feels unpredictable and white-knuckling. There are also fights that promise to end with the death of one of the two rivals. Owing to this, the stakes in Bloodhounds season 2 feel significantly higher and far more immediate.

There are moments in Bloodhounds season 2 where it takes logical leaps and its characters make nonsensical decisions. However, its brutal action scenes and incredible fight choreography ensure that you stick around for more. Its taut seven-episode runtime also gives viewers little time to rest as it unpacks one brutal showdown after another.

While only time will tell whether Netflix's Bloodhounds will end up lasting as long as Cobra Kai, it seems to be on the right path towards etching its legacy among some of the best combat sport dramas on the small screen. Hopefully, its success will prompt Netflix to renew it for more seasons in the future.