Every Cobra Kai Season Finale Ranked: From Missed Kicks to Knockout Classics

If there is a playbook for reviving a legacy franchise, Cobra Kai laminated it. The finales in particular always go for the jugular: tournaments, full-on melees, left-field heartbreak. Some hit harder than others, but every last episode nudges (or shoves) Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence to their next big turning point. Here’s how the season-enders stack up for me, worst to best, with every big swing they take.

1. Season 1 finale: 'Mercy'

   A rock-solid closer that’s mostly about planting flags. The All Valley Tournament scratches the Karate Kid itch, sure, but the real punch lands after the final point: Johnny sees his own teachings twist Miguel in exactly the way he’s always feared, and it rattles him. Daniel stepping in as Robby’s sensei snaps the story back to those Miyagi-Do roots. Then the stinger drops: Kreese walks out of the shadows, instantly reframing the show and loading the runway for the next few years.

2. Season 4 finale: 'The Rise'

   Quieter than some, but sneaky impactful. The updated All Valley brings a bunch of character arcs to a head, and Hawk beating Robby is the cathartic payoff his season-long rebuild needed. The emotional crown, though, goes to Johnny and Robby finally breaking through and actually connecting. We exit on a handful of dangling threads: Miguel heads to Mexico to look for his biological father; Chozen appears alongside Daniel at Mr. Miyagi’s grave (a wonderfully cold, high-stakes image); and Terry Silver does Terry Silver things, bribing and scheming his way into having Kreese arrested by engineering the Stingray assault and pinning it on him.

3. Season 3 finale: 'December 19'

   The LaRusso house turns into a war zone, and it’s glorious, chaotic, and tightly staged. Sam fights through her PTSD. Hawk flips sides and redeems himself mid-brawl. Then the adults take center stage: Kreese vs. Johnny vs. Daniel is brutal, with Robby catching a KO from his own dad while trying to stop Kreese. Daniel pulls out the Miyagi pressure-point technique, a clean throwback to the movies, and the episode closes on the thing fans have wanted since minute one: Daniel and Johnny putting aside the nonsense and deciding to train together.

4. Season 5 finale: 'Head of the Snake'

   Wall-to-wall mayhem, the fun kind. Johnny plows through multiple Silver senseis, the dojo erupts into a massive brawl, and the episode keeps stacking crowd-pleasers. The best grace note: Johnny digs deep off an ultrasound photo of his unborn kid — a full-circle moment for a guy who once ran from responsibility and now finds strength in it. Then we get the Avengers team-up: Daniel, Johnny, Chozen, and Mike Barnes versus Terry Silver. Silver is exposed, and Daniel caps it with a combo of Silver’s own QuickSilver method and the signature crane kick. Chef’s kiss.

5. Season 2 finale: 'No Mercy'

   The one that changed the temperature of the show. The school fight is an instant classic, but it isn’t spectacle for spectacle’s sake — it detonates everyone’s lives. Miguel and Robby both break from what they’ve been taught, and it ends with Robby kicking Miguel off a balcony. After that, the dominos fall fast: Kreese seizes Cobra Kai, Daniel shuts down Miyagi-Do, Johnny loses basically everything. There’s a single flicker of hope — Ali’s Facebook friend request — but otherwise this is the gut-punch turning point.

6. Season 6 finale: 'Ex-Degenerate'

   The top spot goes to the end of the road, because it actually lands the plane. Johnny’s fight with Sensei Wolf isn’t just about karate; it’s about identity, legacy, and what redemption looks like when you’re out of second chances. Daniel shows up in a black gi to back him up and fires him up with a distinctly Cobra Kai-style pep talk — a sly, nerdy detail that says a lot. The finale mirrors Johnny’s All Valley showdown with Daniel, but this time Johnny doesn’t charge in; he breathes, finds balance, and wins with smarts. It’s the best comeback any character in this series gets. The aftermath sticks the emotional landing: Johnny has a real family, the kids chart their own paths, and Johnny and Daniel finally teach together. It feels complete, and that’s rarer than people think.

How the critics saw each season

For the numbers folks: Season 1 sits at 100% Tomatometer and 95% Audience Score; Season 2 at 98% and 92%; Season 3 at 95% and 91%; Season 4 at 92% and 80%; Season 5 at 91% and 92%; Season 6 at 90% and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Bottom line: Cobra Kai has a weirdly consistent habit of nailing its finales, and the series ender doubles down on closure without sanding off the characters’ rough edges. Which finale is your favorite?

Cobra Kai is currently streaming on Netflix (USA).