Picture: Netflix / Sony Pictures Television
A fan-made documentary about the legacy and making of Cobra Kai is on the way in 2026. A teaser trailer for Kai Hards was dropped today, giving insight into what to expect when it launches next year.
Kayvon Derak Shanian is directing the documentary, which is a natural choice given that he’s already produced two major docs on the world of Karate Kid, including More Than Miyagi and The Real Miyagi. Drew Raskin, perhaps better known online as Cobra Kai Kid, is producing it. He is a popular YouTuber who has built a dedicated audience of nearly 250,000 subscribers and has been covering the show in-depth since its early days on YouTube and its big jump to Netflix.
The official synopsis for the upcoming doc is as follows:
“Kai Hards is a documentary that explores the passionate, global fandom of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai. Beyond the screen, this community spans generations and cultures, united by themes of perseverance, mentorship, and redemption. Through exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and fan stories, the film celebrates the impact of this saga on people’s lives. It highlights why Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid are more than just entertainment—they’re a way of life. Join us in bringing this story to life and honoring the legacy of these iconic franchises!”
Who was interviewed for the documentary? All three creators of Cobra Kai are on board, which means Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald, who have been model showrunners regarding fan interaction, will all be featured throughout.
Interviews extend to the cast, with them participating in the documentary in numerous settings, including at fan conventions. Among the confirmed participants (more are TBA) are some of the OG Karate Kid stars like Martin Kove (John Kreese) and Yuji Okumoto (Chozen Toguchi), plus some of cast who were introduced in the Netflix show such as Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso), Tanner Buchanan (Robby Keene), Brandon H. Lee (Kwon Jae-Sung), Patrick Luwis (Axel Kovačević) and Jesse Kove (Varsity Captain David).
You can see the short two-and-a-half minute teaser below with snippets of quotes from both the cast and showrunners. Josh Heald is quoted talking about the fandom for the show, saying, “We had a healthy amount of hope and expectation that we would connect with the rest of the fandom, and we knew that there was a giant fandom out there that was a sleeping Dragon.”
In an Instagram reel, Raskin said about the documentary, “We want to share with the world the impact this story has had, showing people all over the world that they can stand up for themselves, find balance in their lives, and never give up on their dreams.”
Cobra Kai isn’t new to having behind-the-scenes on Netflix, of course. The show was among the first wave of titles to be part of The Afterparty back in 2021, with David Spade, London Hughes, and Fortune Feimster interviewing the cast following the premiere of season 3. That show never really took off and was canceled before completing its first season.
For season 6, we got three episodes of a companion talk show called Inside The Dojo, which was released alongside each of the three batches of the final season. Episodes, sadly, only clock in at 12 minutes, but they do provide plenty of snippets and factoids about production on that excellent final season. All three episodes are streaming now on Netflix.
Picture: Cobra Kai Kid
Rating: TV-14
