Cobra Kai Season 3: 10 Bold Predictions
Never Dies.
*Article will contain spoilers*
Netflix's acquisition of Karate Kid sequel-series Cobra Kai brought a stellar show to mainstream audiences. What was once isolated on the YouTube Premium service is now readily available in homes across the world, and as such is finally receiving the recognition it deserves.
Cobra Kai is an 80's revival done right. Recapturing the heart of the original trilogy of films but never relying on it, we're once again reintroduced to Daniel Larusso and Johnny Lawrence as their paths cross once again.
It's layered with exceptional character development and grounded in real-world themes, but is beautifully garnished with a nostalgic 80's cheese that makes every episode immensely watchable.
Season one concluded, naturally, at the All Valley tournament, and the story continued in season two before reaching a shocking conclusion that nobody --new fan or old-- could have seen coming. Karate returning to the valley has resulted in Miguel being hospitalised, Daniel's marriage hanging by a thread and Cobra Kai in the hands of former abusive sensei John Kreese.
The creators took the show in a bold direction, and theorising about the direction season three will take has quickly become part of the fun.
10. Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do are no more
Though the Los Angeles civil war between Daniel's Miyagi-Do and Johnny's Cobra Kai took centre stage last time out, returning to the same template for season three simply wouldn't feel like progression. The spectacular school brawl that ended the last season proved that these characters coming to blows is at the centre of the excitement, regardless of if it's at the All Valley tournament or not.
Truthfully, the petty conflict between Daniel and Johnny --while immensely enjoyable at times-- was the only thing keeping Cobra Kai from being a believable, plausible story. The childishness on show makes for some hilarious dialogue between Daniel and Amanda, as her constant sarcasm highlights how silly it all really is.
Daniel's disgust that Cobra Kai have returned, provoking memories of his troubled past with the dojo, was a compelling thread in the first season, but Daniel's insistence that creating a school all his own felt like an --albeit inconsequential-- mis-step.
Seeing Miguel in a critical condition, Sam injured and Hawk truly descended into villainy eclipses the need for Miyagi-Do, and focusing season three on the decline of Cobra Kai could be an interesting wrinkle to the show's otherwise fantastic story.