Cobra Kai executive producers/co-showrunners Jon Hurwitz and Josh Heald explained by Nicole Brown's Aisha won't return for Season 3 of the YouTube Premium-turned-Netflix series.
"We love Aisha and we love Nichole Brown," Hurwitz told TVLine. "Certain characters we loved in Season 1 didn’t appear at all in Season 2, like Kyler, Yasmine and Louie. Before the season, we told Nichole the same thing we told those actors: That just because a character doesn’t appear for a period of time doesn’t mean they’ve left the universe, that they can’t return again. We love that character, and perhaps we’ll see her again one day."
"We have a long story left to tell. We tend to look at the show in a very long view, where entrances and exits are impactful and important," Heald added. "Sometimes people need to exit to make their [re-entry] a little bit different and bigger."
Aisha was the former best friend of Samantha LaRusso and one of Johnny Lawrence's students at Cobra Kai. However, while she won't be back for Season 3, Hurwitz previously teased more familiar faces, saying, "Any character who has lived within this Miyagi-Verse has potential to show up at some point on Cobra Kai and I can say that the three of us, as writers, have literally discussed pretty much every person who has appeared in those films, from these large characters you're talking about, like the Terry Silvers of the world, to the most minor characters who had one or two lines." One such character returning to the franchise is Tamly Tomita's Kumiko from The Karate Kid Part II.
COBRA KAI takes place over 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament with the continuation of the inescapable conflict between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Season 3 finds everyone reeling in the aftermath of the violent high school brawl between their dojos, which has left Miguel in a precarious condition. While Daniel searches for answers in his past and Johnny seeks redemption, Kreese further manipulates his vulnerable students with his own vision of dominance. The soul of the Valley is at stake, and the fate of every student and sensei hangs in the balance.
Cobra Kai stars William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni Decenzo, Peyton List and Martin Kove. Season 3 arrives on Netflix Jan. 1, 2021.
Source: TVLine