15 Shows To Watch If You Liked Cobra Kai

The former YouTube Red series Cobra Kai gained the audience it deserved after moving to Netflix, but there are a lot of shows like Cobra Kai fans might be interested in. The show serves as a sequel to the classic Karate Kid movie franchise, reuniting the film's two lead actors along with a fresh perspective on their characters' karate-driven rivalry. Central to the series is the personal clash between Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the karate teacher at the Cobra Kai dojo, and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), the ex-karate champion and automobile magnate. But going back to its roots, Cobra Kai also revolves around several coming-of-age subplots for its teenage characters.

With the series coming to an end after six seasons, fans of the show might be looking for a new series to fill that void. Whether they look forward to the martial arts action, the coming-of-age stories, the rivalries, or some combination of all three, there is something out there for everyone. Rather than rewatching Cobra Kai repeatedly, these series give the audience a chance to get to know more characters and experience more stories with similar themes.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993-1996)

Teenagers With Attitude Save The Day

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is a now-nostalgic series about a group of super-powered teenagers using their powers to fight evil. The original characters are recruited by an alien being to fight alien forces intent on taking over the planet. The series is full of fight scenes, teen drama, and '90s nostalgia that any fan of Cobra Kai would most likely enjoy. It also launched a much larger Power Rangers franchise spanning 30 years if fans are looking for something to binge long-term.

Cobra Kai partly focuses on teen characters who know how to fight and stand up against evil forces. Although it's not as over-the-top as Power Rangers, it's still a series for Cobra Kai fans to enjoy if they haven't already. It has to be noted, however, that Cobra Kai is a decidedly more mature series. The Power Rangers franchise, though it is enjoyed by plenty of adults, is decidedly aimed at children, especially in its earliest iterations. Episodes frequently feature valuable lessons for kids to learn.

Jackie Chan Adventures (2000-2005)

A Globe-Trotting Martial Arts Adventure

Jackie Chan is known for his choreographed fight scenes and stunts in live-action movies, but he lends his voice to this animated series that ran for 5 seasons. The series followed Jackie Chan and his young niece Jade as the two search for magical artifacts and fight evil forces. The series sees Chan as an archaeologist who is also a martial arts expert. He gets help from his niece and wise "uncle" in this adventurous series.

Animation, however, is a little different, allowing illustrations of martial arts to really push the envelope, which this series does.

There are limits to what can be pulled off by martial artists in live-action. Physics and the human body can only go so far. Animation, however, is a little different, allowing illustrations of martial arts to really push the envelope, which this series does.

While the fight scenes are largely what Jackie Chan Adventures and Cobra Kai have in common at first glance, there is also the mentor-mentee bond. Jackie's bond with his niece is not unlike Daniel's with his own kids or Johnny's with Miguel (and later, Robby), or even Mr. Miyagi's with Daniel. Jade learns from her uncle even as she fights alongside him.

Highlander: The Series (1992-1998)

There Can Be Only One

Connor MacLeod holds a sword in Highlander the Series

Highlander: The Series ran for 6 seasons in the 1990s and although it had a science-fiction edge to it, there's still enough fighting and good and evil for any fan of Cobra Kai to enjoy. The series spins out of several movies, and there is even an animated adaptation, so if fans become intrigued by the show, there is also plenty more story for them to explore.

The series follows the immortal Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul) who can only be killed by decapitation. Immortals like him can live for centuries before encountering real danger. MacLeod, however, risks his life to save and defend good people, even though he has seen how terrible humanity can be during his hundreds of years on earth. He is also continually hunted by other immortals and observed by "watchers" who record their history.

While the epic rivalry between good and evil will certainly appeal to Cobra Kai fans, they should note that the fighting style here is very different. Rather than martial arts, which often relies on precise movements and stances, Highlander has more swashbuckling, which means the fighting has more showmanship and decidedly more swords.

Kung Fu (1972-1975)

A Martial Arts Western

Kung Fu was a 1970s martial arts western that has become a cult classic series since it aired for 3 seasons. The series melded both the Western and martial arts genres as it followed a Shaolin monk and martial arts expert named Caine (David Carradine) who flees China after his master is murdered. The series follows Caine as he travels through the Old West in America defending helpless people against various bad guys. Caine is also trying to evade bounty hunters and looking for his half-brother throughout the series as he fights for good.

If fans are looking for a more modern take, the CW has a Kung Fu remake that premiered in 2021 featuring a young woman helping her friends and neighbors in San Francisco while also saving the world.

The big draw here, like most of the shows like Cobra Kai, is going to be the martial arts themselves. The fight scenes are well-choreographed and have a particular flair. Where the series finds common ground with Cobra Kai beyond that is in the need to help people. A big theme in Cobra Kai is that, despite the main characters having the skills to intimidate and bully, they all learn not to and defend others from those who would endanger them.

How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)

The Series Takes A Meta Approach To Karate Kid

William Zabka as Himself and Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother as a series itself isn't similar to Cobra Kai, but for any fan of the two Karate Kid/Cobra Kai leads Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, the later seasons are worth checking out. Both of them appear in one episode - Season 8, Episode 22 - as the gang throws Barney a bachelor party.

Barney believes that Johnny Lawrence was the real karate kid, and hilariously, William Zabka and Ralph Macchio appear as fictionalized versions of themselves in the series to react to Barney's opinion. Zabka appears in several other episodes in Season 9 of the series as he and Barney become friends and the audience gets a look into his life as fans hate him for being the bully in the original Karate Kid movies. His appearances are very meta for fans of the Karate Kid movies and Cobra Kai series.

Kingdom (2014-2017)

Mixed Martial Arts Students Learn From A Former Fighter

Instead of karate, this gritty drama focuses on the world of mixed martial arts. Frank Grillo plays Alvey Kulina, a retired MMA fighter who runs his own training gym. Just like Cobra Kai lead Johnny, Kulina is a troubled character who must deal with his own personal family troubles while leading his students to victory.

The show is filled with enough MMA action to engage viewers with the right amount of melodrama. It hits the same balance that Cobra Kai does between its older and younger characters as well, so there are storylines that multiple age groups can enjoy. The series did only last for three seasons, so it's not quite as much story to get through as Cobra Kai. It's also interesting to note that one of the main cast members is singer Nick Jonas, who plays one of Kulina's sons.

Kickin' It (2011-2015)

Disney's Take On A Karate Dojo

For fans of Cobra Kai who are interested in seeing a lighter approach to martial arts, this show is a good route to take. This Disney show deals with a martial arts dojo in a mall with a less-than-stellar reputation and the efforts of its sensei to train a bunch of underdogs. Jason Earles (Hannah Montana) plays the role of goofy sensei Rudy as he tries to whip the aimless youngsters into shape.

While the show isn't a realistic portrayal of martial arts by any means, Kickin' It still respects the art of combat fighting and serves as a feel-good show aimed at younger audiences. It might not be as dramatic of a coming-of-age experience for its young cast, but they do also go through plenty of the trials of growing up that the kids of Cobra Kai do, like first love and competing against one another.

Black Dynamite (2011-2015)

Blaxploitation And Martial Arts Influence Adult Animation

Inspired by the film of the same name, Black Dynamite is an adult-oriented animated action-comedy. While the show relies on the tone of the film, including taking a satirical look at racism and other social issues, it isn't a direct follow-up or continuation to the original movie. The animated series is firmly its own story.

With Michael Jai White reprising the lead role of an ex-CIA agent and vigilante, the show makes use of its blaxploitation influences and action movie tropes. While fighting some evil kung-fu masters involved in his brother's death, the titular character picks up martial arts and uses it to unleash stylish vengeance on his goofy enemies.

The draw for most fans will be seeing the animated version of martial arts sequences. The series, however, also has a lot in common with Cobra Kai in terms of comedy. Though Cobra Kai could technically be classified as a drama because of the character arcs, the characters are undeniably funny in their line deliveries and their quips during fights. A similar tone is struck here.

Wu Assassins (2019)

A Chef Becomes The Chosen One

Starring Iko Uwais (The Raid), this show is a treat for fans of martial arts television and film. Uwais plays a chef who gets involved with the Triad gangs of San Francisco after obtaining an ancient power known as Wu Xing. It's revealed that he's the latest "Wu Assassin," a title passed on over the generations to various chosen heroes.

The rest of the show involves the Wu Assassin dealing with criminals who hold similar powers, but are using them for their own vile means. While Wu Assassins occasionally falls victim to tired genre clichés, it's fueled with enough combat to keep Cobra Kai viewers engaged.

Cobra Kai fans will have to be prepared for the fantasy elements of the series though. As over-the-top as Cobra Kai can be, the show is still rooted in reality with there being limits to what the dojos can do and how far the fights can go. Wu Assassins does not have those same kinds of limits.

Into The Badlands (2015-2019)

Martial Arts In A Post-Apocalyptic World

Into The Badlands follows a warrior and his young student on a journey through a post-apocalyptic feudal land called the Badlands. On their quest to master the art of fighting, the two also seek spiritual enlightenment while encountering barons and nobles, each with their own selfish intentions.

Even though it ran for only three seasons, the show was a major step forward for depicting martial arts on television while avoiding the usual clichés or caricatures inherent in the genre. It was also a positive step towards representation by casting Hong Kong industry legend Daniel Wu as the lead.

The series was a favorite of critics during its run for the combination of realistic and fantastical elements. Like Cobra Kai, however, its strength lies in the bonds of its main characters and in their fighting abilities. The focus here is narrowed to just a handful of characters instead of Cobra Kai's larger ensemble, but the approach is not all that different, even in a vastly different landscape.

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