Fans of Cobra Kai have been waiting over a year for the next season to premiere. Season 3 was initially set to release in Spring 2020 but was delayed when the series moved from YouTube to Netflix. Fortunately, fans won't have to wait too much longer.
Season 2 ended with multiple cliffhangers, leaving plenty of questions for future seasons to answer. From plot details to new and returning cast members, here's what we know about Cobra Kai Season 3 so far.
The Story So Far
Season 2 ended with a school-wide brawl that left several of Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso's students in the hospital and Johnny's star pupil, Miguel, on life support. This led Daniel to give up karate and by extension Miyagi-Do at his wife's insistence. In contrast, Johnny was shocked to discover that his former sensei, John Kreese, had taken over Cobra Kai in his absence. Finally, Johnny missed a notification on his smartphone that Ali Mills Schwarber, both his and Daniel's former love interest, sent him a friend request.
With so many unanswered questions, Season 3 certainly has a lot to cover. Aside from dealing with the fallout from last season, not much is known about what will happen next. Since Daniel and Johnny both lost control of their respective dojos, some are hoping that the two will finally put aside their differences and come together to stop Kreese. As for Ali, some have speculated that since she's a pediatric surgeon, she could return as a doctor who saves Miguel's life. While it hasn't officially been confirmed, it seems likely that Ali will make an appearance in the near future.
In the first Season 3 tease, it was confirmed that Daniel will be returning to Okinawa, Japan where he will uncover some secrets from Mr. Miyagi's past. The show's creator Hayden Schlossberg also confirmed in a Tweet that at least three people will die in Season 3. Despite Miguel's precarious situation, most fans are confident that he will survive and that the deaths will most likely be contained to the adult characters.
Trailer
Netflix has released a full trailer along with a couple teasers. When the show moved to the streaming service, Netflix released a trailer for the series that ended with a tease for Season 3. In it, Daniel, now in Okinawa, is pinned down by an unseen figure with a sai. In voice over, Daniel insists that his mentor Mr. Miyagi didn't keep secrets from him, but another voice challenges this notion.
Netflix later debuted a release date announcement teaser. The trailer consists of a quick series of character shots intercut with the brawl from the Season 2 finale when Miguel was seriously injured in a fall. In these shots, one can see a battered Johnny behind bars, a bloody but smiling Kreese, a distraught Daniel and family, a fully-recovered Tory, a crazed-looking Hawk, and Robby in what appears to be a juvenile detention center. Finally, the teaser ends with Miguel waking up in his hospital bed.
In the full-length trailer, Johnny and Daniel are both facing the consequences of their rivalry which resulted in a school-wide brawl between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do. Miguel survived his fall but struggles with learning to walk again, Robby is getting beat up in juvenile detention, and Kyler has returned to join Cobra Kai. Although Johnny and Daniel appear to be putting their differences aside to team-up against Kreese, the feud between their dojos continues at school through Demetri and Hawk. In spite of Amanda's ban on karate, Sam will resume training with her dad but it's unclear whether or not her rivalry with Tory will continue. Meanwhile, Daniel returns to Okinawa where he will reunite with his former love interest, Kumiko, and fight another antagonist from the past, Chozen Toguchi.
Release Date
Season 3 will be available to stream on January 1, 2021. Although Cobra Kai Season 3 was initially scheduled to be released in April 2020 on YouTube, it was delayed when the series moved to Netflix. Filming for Season 3 wrapped in 2019 while post-production was finished early in 2020 as stay-at-home orders went into effect for the COVID-19 pandemic. Netflix has also ordered a fourth season which is already in development. Both Seasons 1 and 2 are currently available to stream on Netflix.
Cast & Crew
The majority of Cobra Kai's main cast will be returning for Season 3, including Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence, Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz, Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso, Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, Peyton List as Tory, Jacob Bertrand as Eli Moskowitz, Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso, and Martin Kove as John Kreese. This season will also see Tamlyn Tomita reprise her role as Kumiko and Yuji Okumoto return as Chozen Toguchi. While Elisabeth Shue is rumored to be reprising her role as Ali Mills Schwarber, the actress's return has not been confirmed.
Cobra Kai stars William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni Decenzo, Peyton List and Martin Kove. Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix. Season 3 premieres on Jan. 1, 2021.