Cobra Kai and 3 Martial Arts Shows to Stream on Netflix Right Now
These gems are clearly better than straight-forward Hollywood actions.
These days Netflix ’s global chart is prominently dominated by the show of quite an unlikely genre — a martial arts drama. Such shows display Asian traditions of combat that are really spectacular and unique in today’s TV landscape full of generic titles.
Here are 4 martial arts shows available for watching on Netflix that can entertain you much more than the majority of modern actions.
1. Cobra Kai ( 2021 - …)
First comes Netflix’s top-tier hit that obviously rekindled people’s interest in martial arts titles. The sequel to the original Karate Kid films has Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprising their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, giving another vision of their story told in the iconic 1984 flick. Attention TV show bingers: you’ve got work to do, as the first part of Cobra Kai Season 5 is already out, and you still haven’t seen it.
2. The Brothers Sun (2024)
Next is a show that was unfairly canceled after just one season, but is still a must-watch for those who enjoy action-packed stories. Starring Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), who is no stranger to martial arts flicks, this TV gem follows a Taipei gangster and a relentless killer who is forced to go to L.A. to protect his family after their father is killed all of a sudden.
3. Song of the Bandits (2023)
Miss Kung Fu Panda? This South Korean show depicts a lot of brutal kung fu in such an artful way that no other title has ever managed. Set during the Japanese occupation in the 1920s, it focuses on a group of people who flee to Gando, China. They must make a living in this foreign land of lawlessness and later team up to return home.
4. Wu Assassins (2022)
The last entry on today’s list is a series that blends martial arts, crime drama, and supernatural movie elements, and, surprisingly, this mix works. It tells the fabulous story of a warrior who is chosen as the latest and last Wu Assassin (just like the Dragon Warrior), who must restore the balance of forces in San Francisco's Chinatown.