Cobra Kai has become one of Netflix’s most popular shows, thanks to its army of fans from The Karate Kid franchise and its new audience who fell in love with the young cast and dynamic story. Part 1 of the show’s sixth and final season is out now, and we had the chance to Facetime with the incredible Jacob Bertrand, who has played Eli “Hawk” Moskowtiz for six seasons. We talked with Jacob about the growth of his character, his relationship with his castmates, and what he hopes people take away from the show and Hawk. 

Cobra Kai is a sequel to the original The Karate Kid films taking place 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament and follows the rekindling of the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). 

COBRA KAI SPOILER: The final season of Cobra Kai picks up with Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley, with the senseis and students deciding if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai, the world championship of karate.

All your favorite Cobra Kai stars are back for season six, including some new faces. 

Part 2 of the sixth season debuts on November 15 and the final installment will drop in 2025. 

Jacob has been in the entertainment world since 2005, when he joked his family would send out Christmas cards to agencies to book roles. He appeared in the 2009 film Duress and has guest roles on series including The Cape and The Middle. You may also recognize him from the Disney XD series Kirby Buckets and as Jack Malloy in the Disney Original The Swap. Jacob has since embraced his role as Hawk on Cobra Kai since the show premiered in 2018.

“I like to be myself on set and hang out, then once we’re rolling and you hear action, you can snap into [your character].”

One thing that is obvious is how close this Cobra Kai cast is. From his “binary brother” Gianni DeCenzo, to working with girlfriend Peyton List, Jacob said the cast hung out a ton off set and have gotten so close over the last six seasons. 

“It’s almost like this [set] was our college in a way.”

Jacob is also the co-host of the incredibly popular Lone Lobos podcast series alongside his Cobra Kai co-star Xolo Maridueña. Jacob and Xolo wanted to tap into the podcast space and bring on fun guests and be able to look back on these projects in the future. He hopes they can take the Lone Lobos show on the road someday too. 

“We have a lot of friends that we would love to interview and we like bringing a unique voice to the podcast space.”

We asked Jacob what it was like working with the OGs of the show including Ralph Macchio. William Zabka and Yuji Okumoto. Jacob said he learned a lot about dialogue and movement from them and would love to work with all of them again, especially having them direct more projects. 

“Whether it’s a TV show or movie, I would love to work with [Ralph Macchio, William Zabka and Yuji Okumoto) again on an acting front but specifically a directing front too.”

When reflecting on his character, Jacob joked that Hawk could have killed many people but chose not to. His character has been bullied, been a bully, gone on to be a champion, and so much more. Jacob said he would love to do more action work in the future, and with all his fight choreography under his belt, we cannot wait to see what is next!

“Hawk could have murdered so many people and he chose not to, that level of restraint deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.”

Thank you, Jacob, for Facetiming with Young Entertainment! Make sure to follow him on his Instagram at @thejacobbertrand. Make sure to watch the rest of the interview where we ask Jacob more about the choreography and hair and makeup for season six, his acting techniques, and stay tuned at the end for a round of rapid fire questions all about firsts! Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment.

Consider this: 

• Actors Access is a service that allows actors to submit themselves for roles online. If you are interested in getting into the acting space, just get involved in any way you can. Sign up for Actors Access, apply for student short films, meet other creatives, and try to cut a reel together to submit to agents.  
• Writing down your and other characters’ lines is a good way to memorize them.