Fans do not have to wait any longer, as the third season of Cobra Kai is set to premiere on January 8, 2021. With less than a month until its return, Netflix treated fans with another trailer to provide more hints on the upcoming season. Based on the newest trailer, things seem to be more complicated than before, as each major character tries to move on from the events of the West Valley High School karate fight.
The latest trailer revealed a few hints as to what to expect for some of the main characters. Some of these expectations include complicated character arcs and a few surprising character returns.
Miguel's Recovery Process
Viewers were able to breathe again when the first trailer for season 3 showed Miguel was alive after he awoke from his coma. Since then, questions rose regarding Miguel's recovery process and how soon he would be able to get back on his feet.
Luckily, Miguel looks to be recovering miraculously well with his head brace gone. Unfortunately, though, he has not fully recovered, as he has limited movement control from the waist down. Nevertheless, Johnny looks to help him with his recovery process, which will further highlight their growing relationship.
Amanda Getting A Bigger Role
In the past two seasons, Amanda was running the car dealership by herself, while her husband went off to teach karate to young students for free. She may not be the most likable character, but she always had good intentions, as she only wanted her family to be safe.
Now, the situation looks different for Amanda, with a bigger role in season 3. At one point in the trailer, she arrives at the Cobra Kai dojo and slaps John Kreese on the face, likely to confront him for what he did to Daniel as a kid and the events leading up to her daughter getting hurt. It looks like she will be more involved in the karate world and she may even show more support for her husband and his karate.
Alliance Between Daniel And Johnny
In the final moments of season 2, Johnny lost his dojo and his students to John Kreese after going behind his back to regain ownership. With his favorite student in the hospital and his only son wanted by the police, Johnny eventually hits his lowest point in the series. As for Daniel, he lives with the regret of being a failed sensei and not protecting his daughter against his childhood nightmare.
With nothing to lose, Johnny and Daniel have let their differences aside. They are now working together to what Amanda LaRusso describes as a "Tango and Cash" duo. In one scene, they both are even fighting together against some goons and using their karate skills to take them down. This alliance has been the moment that most fans have been waiting for, and it looks to deliver in season 3.
Return Of The Karate Kid Part II Characters
Since the premiere of Cobra Kai, fans questioned whether characters from The Karate Kid franchise would ever make an appearance on the spin-off show. While Ali Mills remains the number one pick that fans hope would return, they also wished that characters from other karate movies would appear, particularly those from The Karate Kid Part II.
At last, the latest trailer revealed that Yuji Okumoto and Tamlyn Tomita reprise their roles as Chozen and Kumiko, respectively. While Daniel will reunite with an old-time ex-girlfriend, he will also meet with his past rival.
Demetri Might Go Rogue
Most viewers remember a time when Demetri was one of the whiniest characters, who showed little effort to learn karate. However, people also sympathized with him at times, especially when Hawk would try to hurt and bully him. In season 2, he managed to learn karate under Daniel and defeated Hawk during the West Valley High School fight.
Surprisingly, the direction for Demetri's characterization is changing in season 3. While he looks more confident and is no longer scared of Hawk, he is also becoming more antagonistic towards Hawk. In one scene, he unfairly pushes and kicks Hawk, which actually violates the principles of Miyagi-Do Karate. This small teaser may indicate that dojos are not always black and white, with the Miyagi-Do Karate having a few bad students, like Cobra Kai.
Return Of Kyler
One of the most shocking moments in the trailer was the return of the bully and Sam's ex-boyfriend, Kyler. The trailer even highlights the times he harassed Hawk before joining Cobra Kai. Now, it seems that things are going to become more complicated for Hawk, as Kyler also joins Cobra Kai under John Kreese.
Having started the series with low self-esteem and a shy nature, Hawk eventually became an overconfident and ruthless karate fighter. Consequently, his new persona got the best of him as he became a bully towards Demetri, which made him one of the more disliked characters. However, with Kyler joining and Demetri attacking him in school, it appears that Hawk may become one of the more complex characters in season 3.
Robby Might Switch Sides
Robby Keene was the cause of Miguel's injury after Robby kicked him from the second floor. At the time, no one knew his whereabouts, as he attempted to flee from being prosecuted for Miguel's injuries. Though the previous season 3 trailer already hinted that Robby was in a juvenile detention center, his story may get even more complicated.
The trailer hinted at Robby being harassed by his inmates before eventually taking them on with karate. However, the most shocking moment is when we see Kreese visiting Robby. Though it is unclear why Kreese wants to meet with Robby, it is possible that Kreese may help him with his situation, causing him to change sides to Cobra Kai.
Daniel Continues Karate
One of several questions from fans after the conclusion of season 2 was whether Daniel was going to give up karate for good, given the warning by his wife, Amanda. However, the new trailer may have already answered this question, with Daniel indeed continuing karate.
The theory has it that Daniel may reevaluate his karate life by taking a trip down memory lane to Okinawa, Japan, which may explain the return of Chozen and Kumiko for season 3. As a result, he returns to karate after his visit and trains with his daughter again. Daniel's life with karate may become a central storyline for his character arc based upon the scenes shown in the season 3 trailer.
Miguel Returns To Karate (At Some Point)
Along with Miguel's journey to recovery, the trailer also showed snippets of Miguel slowly beginning karate again under the guidance of Johnny. He even appears to be fighting in tournaments in one sequence in the trailer.
It is not clear as to how much Miguel recovers and restarts his karate training. There could be a potential time jump between the events in season 2 and his recovery period to highlight his struggle as he tries to get into karate again with Johnny. But it is possible that Miguel fully returns to karate before the end of the season.
The Growing Rivalry Among Karate Fighters
Of course, the show would not exist without the numerous karate rivalries between characters. While it appears that some rivalries are turning more amicable, like Johnny and Daniel, and some are taking a halt like Miguel and Robby, there are still several feuds that are stronger than ever.
One of the more talked about rivalries is Sam vs Tory, and the trailer hints at even more bad blood between the female fighters. They appear to encounter each other several times, which means fans may see a possible rematch. Another feud that will increase in intensity is Kreese vs Johnny. Though the latest season 3 trailer does not show footage of Johnny and Kreese together, it does show Johnny angrily arriving at the Cobra Kai dojo to stop Kreese and his ruthless tactics, once and for all.