Last updated: October 23, 2020
When will Cobra Kai season 3 be released and what can fans expect? The second season of YouTube’s continuation of The Karate Kid story escalated the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). In Cobra Kai season 2, Daniel opened up his own karate dojo, Miyagi-Do, to stop Cobra Kai’s influence from spreading across the San Fernando Valley.
Cobra Kai season 1 surprised fans by being a far better TV series than expected; it smartly capitalized on nostalgia for The Karate Kid movies and wove clever callbacks throughout the season, but YouTube’s series also created endearing new young characters, including Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), Johnny’s prize pupil, and Samantha (Mary Mouser), Daniel’s daughter. Meanwhile, Johnny’s estranged son Robby (Tanner Buchanan) not only became Daniel’s student, but he also came to live with Daniel and started dating Sam, forming a love triangle with Miguel, who is Sam’s ex-boyfriend. Cobra Kai season 1 concluded with Miguel winning the All-Valley Karate Championship, but Johnny was in for a nasty surprise when his old sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) suddenly re-entered his life.
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The conclusion of Cobra Kai season 2 saw tragedy strike both dojos and Johnny’s career as a sensei was completely upended. Daniel didn’t exactly come out of things looking great either. With the story primed to continue, here’s what we know so far about Cobra Kai season 3.
Cobra Kai Season 3 Release Date
Cobra Kai has been renewed for season 3, and was originally planned to premiere in 2020. However, thanks to it moving to a new streaming service in Netflix, Cobra Kai season 3 ended up bumped forward into 2021 so that the streaming giant could have time to introduce its subscribers to seasons 1 and 2, which are now available. Season 3 will finally premiere on January 8, 2021.
Cobra Kai Season 3 Is Moving to Netflix
While Cobra Kai has been a huge hit for YouTube Premium, the Google-owned streaming outlet is moving away from original scripted programming, and production studio Sony TV has brokered a deal with Netflix to acquire Cobra Kai season 3, and produce a planned season 4. Netflix also gains the rights to stream seasons 1 and 2 on a non-exclusive basis, allowing its subscribers to binge the whole series.
Cobra Kai Season 3 Cast
Besides stars and executive producers Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, all of the actors from Cobra Kai season 2 are expected to return for a third season, and that includes Martin Kove as well. Along with Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, and Jacob Bertrand as Hawk, Cobra Kai season 2 expanded the young cast of characters to build up the ranks of the Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do dojos, which included Peyton List as Tory, who became Sam’s arch-rival.
The final shot of “No Mercy”, the Cobra Kai season 2 finale, also included a tease for the lone major character from The Karate Kid who has yet to appear on the YouTube original series: Ali Mills Schwarber. Whether or not Elisabeth Shue will reprise her role remains to be seen, but Ali has been repeatedly referenced throughout both seasons of Cobra Kai and Johnny admitted he has “never gotten over her”. Where her return might leave Daniel’s marriage to Amanda is anyone’s guess.
Cobra Kai Season 3 Story
In Cobra Kai season 2, tensions between the students of the Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do dojos finally exploded into all-out war. The chaos was unlike anything that fans have seen in The Karate Kid movies and had devastating consequences. Daniel and Johnny both realized their epic failures as senseis; Daniel’s wife Amanda laid down the law that there would be “no more karate” in their lives. Meanwhile, Kreese betrayed Johnny and changed the course of the Cobra Kai dojo.
A clue for where the series can go next was offered by Robby to Johnny in the season 2 finale, that he and Daniel “could learn a lot from each other.” After the tragedy that struck their students and children, Cobra Kai season 3 will likely determine whether eternal rivals Johnny and Daniel can finally put their differences aside and learn to work together for a common good. One thing that’s confirmed is that Daniel will head to Okinawa, Mr. Miyagi’s hometown, and a place they traveled to together in The Karate Kid Part 2. Additionally, it’s been teased that more will be revealed about the origins of both Miyagi’s and Cobra Kai’s martial arts philosophies, which ties directly to Daniel’s Okinawa excursion.
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