Cobra Kai Season 3 - What We Know So Far

Fans of The Karate Kid received very good news in 2018 when it was announced a TV show about the classic 1980s film would be coming to YouTube Red. The show, Cobra Kai, was an instant hit. It picked up decades after the events of the 1984 film, but this time, the primary focus is on the bully Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). He's still haunted by losing the All-Valley Karate Tournament and decides to gain a new lease on life by training a new generation of karate fighters at the Cobra Kai dojo. The karate kid himself, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), also returns, and he tries to get his kids to follow in his footsteps by learning the art of karate. 

There are plenty of small details alluding to The Karate Kid in the first couple of seasons for fans and newcomers alike to enjoy. Now, the series has reached an even bigger audience since it was picked up by Netflix. The streaming platform renewed the series for season 3, and it promises to carry on the excellent reputation the show has gained for itself. We know a few details about what to expect, such as a theorized connection to The Karate Kid cartoon, but what else is in store for us when the new season drops next year? 

Here's what we know so far. 

The ending of Cobra Kai season 2 took the show to a pretty dark place. The series deals heavily with generational trauma, and how Daniel and Johnny pass on that trauma to new karate students. Part of that trauma comes from Johnny still having feelings for his love interest from the first film, Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue). The season ends with Johnny throwing his phone into the ocean ... right as he receives a message from Ali. There are plenty of dangling plot threads we can hopefully see a resolution to in the next season, and fans won't have to wait long. 

Netflix has announced season 3 will air on January 8th, 2021, and released a teaser trailer giving us a taste of what's to come. What's more, one of the best parts about the trailer announcement was the revelation the show has already been renewed for a season 4. That's plenty of reason to celebrate, as it guarantees we'll get to spend at least a few more years with these beloved characters.

Your favorite cast members from the first two seasons of Cobra Kai will return for this third outing. William Zabka and Ralph Macchio return as Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, respectively. Younger characters are also expected to return, including Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser), Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), Tory Nichols (Peyton List), Aisha Robinson (Nichole Brown), Demetri (Gianni Decenzo), and Eli Moskowitz (Jacob Bertrand). 

One of the more interesting cast developments, however, involves the rumor that season 3 will see the return of Ali Mills, played by Elisabeth Shue in the first Karate Kid movie. Shue could most recently be seen on the Amazon series The Boys. While nothing has been confirmed as of yet, season 2 did end on a cliffhanger in which Ali texted Johnny right as he threw his phone away. Perhaps Ali will return to Los Angeles to give both Johnny and Daniel some much-needed closure. 

In Cobra Kai, we learn Ali has married and moved to Denver. How big of a role could she have in the series if, in fact, Shue returns? We'll have to wait and see if she even physically appears once season 3 drops. 

There were quite a few cliffhangers at the end of season 2 that still need to be resolved. The first thing to expect out of season 3 is that there will be a bit of a time jump. In an interview with Collider, William Zabka mentioned Johnny wasn't in a good place when last season ended. As a result, the new season will pick up some time in the future, when we'll get to see how all of that stress has impacted Johnny. 

The other major development at the end of season 2 involved the wellbeing of Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) after a fight tjat broke out at school ended with him being thrown off a balcony. Miguel was placed on life support, but considering actor Xolo Maridueña has confirmed he's filmed scenes for season 3, it's clear he makes it out all right. What remains to be seen is whether he'll be in good enough shape to continue training, or if he'll be relegated to the sidelines. 

There's a lot for season 3 to wrap up, but you can bet plenty more drama will be introduced to pave the way for the eventual season 4. Seasons 1 and 2 of Cobra Kai are currently streaming on Netflix, and you can watch all episodes of season 3 when they're released on January 8th, 2021.