YouTube's hit Cobra Kai TV series is returning for a third season that will debut in 2020. Following the events of the original Karate Kid films from the 1980s, the original series debuted on YouTube Red - now called YouTube Premium - in 2018 to great success. The quality of the programming surprised many, as the first season struck the perfect balance between riding the nostalgic wave of seeing Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) on screen together again and progressing the story forward to focus on a young group of aspiring martial artists.
Season 2 of Cobra Kai debuted just over a week ago and it continued to defy expectations. The new batch of episodes showed Daniel forming a dojo of his own, Miyagi-Do, which fueled the rivalry with Johnny even more. Meanwhile, the young cast of characters at the center of the series, Johnny's prized pupil Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), Johnny's estranged son Robby (Tanner Buchanan), and Daniel's daughter Samantha (Mary Mouser) each saw their stories progress in exciting ways. The ending clearly set the stage for more episodes, and fans of Cobra Kai can rest easy knowing that more are on the way.
YouTube officially announced that a third season of Cobra Kai has been ordered. Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg will continue to serve as the showrunners on the series, as well as write and direct the majority of future episodes. The decision comes after what YouTube calls "a record-setting premiere of season two," as well as great reception from critics and fans alike. In addition to the press release, Hurwitz took to Twitter to share an announcement video, which also confirms that season 3 will premiere in 2020.
In addition to the returns of the showrunners, Will Smith, James Lassiter, and Caleeb Pinkett will continue to serve as Executive Produces for Overbrook Entertainment in association with Sony Pictures Television Studios, as will Susan Ekins, Macchio and Zabka. The young and aforementioned cast members are all expected to return, and the same can be said for Martin Kove as Johnny's former mentor John Kreese. There was even a tease in season 2 that Ali Mills Schwarber - Daniel's girlfriend in The Karate Kid - could be returning to the story, which could mean Elisabeth Shue might reprise the role.
This is welcomed news for fans of Cobra Kai and for the various creators and cast members that have poured their hearts and souls into successfully revitalizing this property. And for anyone looking to catch up on the series before then, the first two seasons will be made available to watch for free with ads later this year on YouTube. Based on the plot lines that the end of season 2 left hanging, it appears that the third season will continue to progress Daniel and Johnny's stories in interesting ways, possibly even by seeing if they can find a way to put their long-standing differences aside. After the success of the first two seasons, viewers should have all the confidence in Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg to continue Cobra Kai as a surprising continuation of The Karate Kid story.
Cobra Kai seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on YouTube Premium.
Source: YouTube, Jon Hurwitz