The Cobra Kai Character You Won't Recognize In Season 3

Expectations are high for Cobra Kai season 3. The series, which is now on Netflix despite originally airing on YouTube Premium, picks up over 30 years after the events of The Karate Kid. Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) still can't escape what happened at the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament for better or worse, and that means both of them get involved with their own respective dojos once again to teach a new generation of martial artists how to fight and be a good person. At least, that was the plan.

Season 3 promises to be an even greater exploration of these characters, especially considering how the show will honor the legacy of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) by having Daniel once again travel to his home of Okinawa, Japan. Some big changes are in store for everyone, and that includes Daniel's son, Anthony (Griffin Santopietro), who was conspicuously absent for most of season 2. While it's unclear how big of a role Anthony will have in season 3, Daniel's son has to show up sooner or later, and when viewers first see him, they may be taken aback. 

Anthony LaRusso doesn't have much in common with his karate-loving father. He'd rather play video games than wash a car to learn discipline, and with minimal character development, it's easy to see why his character was sidelined for much of season 2. However, that could all change going into season 3. 

A recent Reddit post reveals the actor who plays Anthony, Griffin Santopietro, has changed a lot between seasons. It looks as though puberty has kicked in, and the little chubby kid is no longer so pudgy. This could be an indicator that perhaps Anthony will take an interest in karate after all. Now that he's in better shape, it would be easy to see him joining one of the dojos and taking after his father. 

Commenters on the Reddit thread were quick to support the actor as it looks like he's lost a good deal of weight. Comments range from "Good for him" to "Now he actually looks like he could be Daniel and Amanda's kid." Others are more concerned about how the show will explain the drastic change in appearance for the child actor with one person writing, "They really are gonna need a time jump to explain these kids change in appearance from growth spurts." While the show's only been on for three years, that's a long time when it comes to a child's development. Kids go through a lot during puberty, which isn't always great when you have a TV show that's only taken place over the course of a few months. 

Regardless of physical changes, we're sure there's some explanation the show will have for why Anthony looks drastically different. We'll just have to wait until Cobra Kai season 3 drops, which could be as early as January 1, 2021, to see what happens next.