Cobra Kai premiered on YouTube Premium in 2018, picking up where the original Karate Kid film left off. The series follows Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the former rival of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), as he reopens Cobra Kai, the infamous karate dojo. The show's creator, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald, aimed to breathe new life into the beloved franchise while maintaining its nostalgic charm.