If there’s one revelatory series that has positioned itself among the top ten most-watched series on the Netflix for 2020, it’s Cobra Kai. But what’s going to happen next? Here are our thoughts on the 9 things that need to happen in Cobra Kai season 3.

The background

The adaptation by director Robert Mark Kamen has managed to conquer the nostalgic public that grew up with the stories of Karate Kid. It revived the unforgettable lessons that Mr Miyagi was giving to a young and inexperienced Daniel LaRusso.

It’s been such a success that the series that began with two seasons on Youtube Red in May 2018, managed to attract the attention of the heads at Netflix. They decided to buy the rights and to launch it as part of their own production at the end of this summer.

Nobody expected to see Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso’s characters on the screen again. Much less that they would be played again by their original actors William Zabka and Ralph Macchio. At fifty years of age did they still have the strength to fight in dojo conditions? But they’ve succeeded, reinventing themselves and keeping the spectator glued to the screen.

Ready to return to the dojo?

Here we go!

Where are we up to?

The first and second seasons introduced us to a misguided and sad Johnny Lawrence who had given up his dreams of greatness in the world of Karate. He became a nobody who barely had money to survive. But we find the opposite side of the coin with successful salesman Daniel LaRusso, who seems to have it all figured out. A full and happy life; but of course, if that were so, there would be no story to tell.

The plot is completed with the appearance of Miguel Diaz, a young Latino who is being bullied at school. Miguel needs a paternal influence to help him feel stronger. And that’s where the new plot of the story begins, with the secret training of a new sensei Johnny Lawrence who seeks to turn Miguel into a star of Karate. This leads to a shot of winning the All Valley tournament together; the rest of the story we all know to the end of season 2.

Now, after the end of the second chaotic season full of unexpected turns, what can happen in this third installment of the saga? Here’s what it all comes down to!

These are the top 9 things that need to happen in Cobra Kai season 3.

1. Reconciliation between father and son

If anything has become clear over the first two seasons, it’s that the father-son relationship between Robby Keene and Johnny is not ideal.

It was difficult for Robby to grow up without his father’s presence. This being the main reason why he became a rebellious and problematic teenager. The fact that he started learning karate with his father’s main rival, didn’t help his relationship improve either. Quite the contrary.

However, the end of the second season left us with a broken Robby Keene. He was disowned by his adoptive family and was forced to ask his father for help again despite all his differences. All this before fleeing at the end of the school brawl. Will this be the beginning of a possible reconciliation?

2. More battles between Cobra Kai and the Miyagi-Do

Sensei Kreese’s teaching methods led to the war between the Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai exploding. Causing the final battle of the last chapter of season two that left Michael hospitalized and Robby Keene horrified by what he had done and absent.

Will this be the moment when Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso will be able to smooth over the rough edges? Will they fight together as a team to confront the inhumane methods that Kreese intends to instil in his Cobra Kai students? One thing is certain: there will be a struggle of conscience on both sides.

3. The Recovery of Miguel Diaz

The end of the second season was shocking. It left Miguel hospitalised after the confrontation with Robby Keene in the High School. Johnny Lawrence was torn apart and sunk for having lost his dojo to tyrant Kreese. A man who had managed to trick him again.

Will Miguel recover? The end of the second season didn’t make it clear to us how healthy the young fighter was. But, whatever his state of health when season three begins, Miguel’s life, his family, friends and that of the rest of his teammates won’t be the same.

4. LaRusso and Lawrence: teamwork?

With LaRusso down and Johnny Lawrence giving up. The new season presents itself as an opportunity for both protagonists to put aside years of rivalry and work as a team. To revive karate in the Valley properly. Why not? They need to fix their broken personal lives from the end of the second season first.

5. Sam and Miguel: will they get back together?

One of the most beautiful relationships that Cobra Kai left us was that of Miguel and Sam LaRusso. It all started well and giving us a couple of chapters full of teenage love. But as the dojo rivalries grew so they were not very successful. Soon, romance was interrupted by Miguel’s unjustified jealousy and his desire to win the All Valley tournament.

After Miguel was hospitalised. And after the kiss they shared before the final battle there are possibilities of a rekindled romance. Will love return in Cobra Kai season 3? Or will it simply remain a friendship? A lot will depend on the fallout of Miguel’s injuries and the impact on the school after the fight.

6. Johnny and Ali: a second chance?

If there’s something that fans have missed during the first two seasons, it’s the love plots between adults. More precisely between Johnny and his first love of youth that he still hasn’t been able to forget, Ali Mills.

Over the first two seasons, Johnny’s character was sad and sorry for not having been able to recover his first high school love. Until the last chapter of the second season where we can see a close-up of a friend request accepted by her on Facebook.

Will this mean that in Cobra Kai season 3 Ali will appear again and will give Johnny a new chance to be happy? Perhaps she will be the Dr who treats Miguel?

7. The conversion of many Cobras into Miyagi-Do students

With Kresse again leading the Cobra Kai, many students will be forced to drop out. They will look for a less aggressive training method that is more in line with the ethical and moral values of more traditional karate. Perhaps, Johnny will provide something in the middle?

In Cobra Kai season 3 we will surely see characters like Aisha seek to leave the anger and rancor of the past. Would she better suit LaRusso’s Miyagi-Do? Would she take other students who don’t feel comfortable with the merciless fighting method preached by Sensei Kresee?

Perhaps this is a way to end Kresse’s imposed reign and for Johnny and Daniel to work as a tea? By training a group of young karate students who will trust them to reach the top in Valley and become good people.

8. Anthony Larusso: a new member of the Cobra Kai?

The first two seasons showed us that the LaRusso’s youngest son had no interest in the karate. His father tried to teach him like his older sister who trained since childhood and returned to train with him a decade later.

The boy is a lover of video games and their violence. There’s the possibility that with age and recent events his vision of the sport will change and he will dare to start training but not under his father. Maybe we’ll all be surprised by young Anthony and his karate skills?

9. A new All Valley tournament

In the first season, we were able to relive the excitement of seeing our protagonists compete in the famous All Valley tournament. Don’t forget those shiny blue mats! But this is something that didn’t happen in the second season.

This third season gives a perfect opportunity to see how an alliance between Daniel and Johnny could bring down Kreese at the tournament. Perhaps this is where we could see the return of Mike Barnes or Terry Silver from the Karate Kid part 3, ready to take the show into season 4.

And that’s our list of 9 things that need to happen in Cobra Kai season 3. What do you think, do you agree with us? What do you think will happen? Which character return are you hoping for? Let us know in the comments below.

Read our Cobra Kai season one review HERE and our season two review HERE.

Check out IMDB information on Cobra Kai HERE.