Cobra Kai star on Daniel's 'struggle' as Mr Miyagi's secret past emerges
The legendary Karate Kid character is seen in a different light in season 6.
Cobra Kai star Ralph Macchio has teased an important storyline coming up for Daniel LaRusso in season 6, as startling secrets are revealed about his late and revered mentor Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita).
A continuation of The Karate Kid franchise, this final season kicks off with former rivals Daniel and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) in a fragile peace as they set their sights on a prestigious international karate tournament.
However, before they can even get there, Daniel is "thrown off balance" when he discovers possessions once owned by Mr Miyagi that were kept hidden for decades – causing him to question his belief in the man who helped raise him.
"That's a big part of the arc this season for Daniel LaRusso," said Macchio in an interview with RadioTimes.com. "It kind of throws him for a loop.
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"It's the thing when someone is no longer there, and you learn something about their life that they may not have spoken to you about... Is this not the man on the pedestal that I thought?"
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He continued: "Or are there flaws in everyone's past, and it's more how you stick the landing and less about mistakes that you've made?"
This intriguing subplot gets under way in season 6 part 1, which arrives later this month, but Macchio teased it will continue through parts 2 and 3 as well – currently scheduled for November and 2025 respectively.
The actor explained: "He struggles with all of that, and he's really thrown off balance for the majority of the season as he's trying to navigate his friendship and mentor the kids and head onto the world stage in the Sekai Taikai."
Although fans were sad to learn that Cobra Kai would be ending with its sixth season, Macchio appeared confident that the show was going out on a high note, describing season 6 as " one of the richest" yet for Daniel LaRusso.
"I'm really super excited about that. And I think the fans are going to enjoy that mystery, intrigue and journey," he added.
Pat Morita, who played Mr Miyagi, sadly passed away in 2005 – aged 73 – but has appeared in Cobra Kai through the use of archive footage and audio taken from the original Karate Kid trilogy (1984-89).
Cobra Kai season 6 part 1 is available to stream on Netflix from Thursday 18th July 2024. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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