The final sixth season of “Cobra Kai” cranks on Netflix on July 18, Miyagi Road fans will be able to catch up with many beloved characters from the show, including Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio), Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), and Miguel Diaz (Zorro Maridueña) Catching up with returning characters

The older actors, who launched the “Karate Kid” franchise that “Cobra Kai” was based on in 1984, are no strangers to playing characters over the years, but it's a new experience for Maridueña, who has recently been on the martial arts drama since it premiered in 2018, He told Forbes how both he and his character Miguel have changed 'Miguel has changed tenfold,' he said 'From the first time I met him, I think Miguel has gone on a journey to explore his family roots and become more confident and sure of himself For me, that was a really big turning point”

In Season 5 of “Cobra Kai,” Miguel travels to Mexico in search of his biological father, Hector Salazar, but is reunited with Johnny when he discovers that Hector is a dangerous criminal

Playing Miguel over the course of seven years had an impact on the actor himself, who was only 16 when he landed the role Maridueña said, “Now that I'm 23, I think I can bring things, experiences, and emotions to the 17-year-old Miguel that I might not have been able to if I were 17”

“Really getting to know who this character is and living in his shoes for seven years has been one of the most comforting and warm experiences of my life,” he continued

“I think it prepared me to lead with my heart first and to try as hard as I could to make others comfortable on the set”

In Season 6 of the series, Miguel not only has to deal with “normal kids” like college acceptance (he has been accepted to Stanford) and a romantic relationship with Sam LaRusso (Mary Mouser), but also a lot of karate-related drama

However, Maridueña believes that Diaz is capable of dealing with whatever the next season throws at him, telling “Forbes”: “Miguel is so smart, and going through hardships, as we all do in our daily lives, is really It's a character-building moment”

And Tom's Guide will keep you informed of any developments regarding Miguel Diaz and the other characters in “Cobra Kai,” including behind-the-scenes tidbits, casting information, showrunner insights, and more While you wait for the first five episodes of Season 6 to be released on July 18, you can revisit the last five seasons of the karate comedy drama with your Netflix subscription