Cobra Kai is making the move to Netflix on August 28. On that date, the first two seasons will arrive, so you can catch up before the show reaches an even larger audience than it did on YouTube. From there, it’s a countdown to more episodes, and Netflix announced today that we’ll see Season 3 sometime in 2021. Ralph Macchio previously promised us that “[t]he best is yet to come in this series! And I believe in that.” Well, those first two seasons are a tough act to follow, but it’s clear that Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossenberg are committed to doing right by The Karate Kid franchise, and Heald has assured viewers that they won’t go full-The Matrix on everyone. Whew.
What did we learn from the above teaser from Netflix, beyond a vague release date? There’s plenty of highlights from the show’s previous seasons to act as a refresher, but at the end, we get a peek at this Season 3 moment.
It’s quick, but we hear Daniel LaRusso reminiscing about how “Mr. Miyagi treated me like a son… He wouldn’t keep any secrets from me.” Then we see Daniel-san get thrown to the mat, and a voice snarls, “Are you sure about that?”
Oh boy. Could this be the return of The Karate Kid Part II‘s Chozen (portrayed by Yuji Okumoto)? The franchise never clarified what happened to this antagonist following the events of that film, although the loss of his honor can’t bode well for how the past three decades have gone for him. However, Daniel-san is confirmed to visit Okinawa during the third season, which would provide the perfect opportunity for a Chozen reintroduction. The fans are here for it.
Netflix reveals the first footage from #CobraKai season 3 (due out next year), and while it's a super quick shot… is this Yuji Okumoto? The return of Chozen!!?https://t.co/RhcfsXVPIc pic.twitter.com/sI660fkNpW
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) August 24, 2020
https://twitter.com/JonLeeBrody/status/1297934663697096704
My hatred for Netflix conflicts with my love of Cobra Kai.
Chozen is back…I might have to use a free month in 2021. https://t.co/NUto2ArYd8
— Adonis Paul (@AdonisPaulLive) August 24, 2020
i really think this is Chozen sksksks oh my god #CobraKai #CobraKaiOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/UPXsmRu8MG
— space witch🪐 (@saviorloki) August 24, 2020
Was that Chozen in the Cobra Kai promo. pic.twitter.com/HkzKFYyPjL
— Sarah😎Clois💕 Angelina Jolie 💕 Ranveer Singh💕 (@CloisForever23) August 24, 2020
This should shake things up nicely after Martin Kove’s John Kreese finally had the wind taken out of his sails.
Hopefully, Netflix will announce a more precise 2021 date for Season 3 soon, but we know that Macchio will be back, along with much more of William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence and both of their respective dojo members. In the meantime, Macchio has told us of next season’s mess clean up, “I can’t talk about it too much but can say that it is fantastic. So there’s my tease.” Duly noted.
