The third season of Cobra Kai landed with all the impact of a nuclear detonation, and it has shaped up to become potentially the series' best thus far. Plenty of huge surprises were unveiled, including a cast of old faces that made triumphant returns and helped push the Karate Kid story forward. It also ended with one of the biggest powder-keg explosions ever committed to TV, with an all-out brawl between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do inside the LaRusso household.
With the battle lines clearly drawn between the two schools, there's no doubt that season 4 is going to even bigger than the third season in terms of story, spectacle, and endgame. Here are some of the biggest predictions that may yet come true during season 4 of Cobra Kai, and why they're so probable.
Johnny & Daniel Butt Heads On Teaching
Johnny and Daniel might have united over a common enemy, but there's no way the journey forward will be smooth. The two are still at odds over many things, and their natural tendency to butt heads on the smallest of issues is guaranteed to cause trouble as Miyagi-Do moves forward.
Expect both Sensei to argue over the nature of karate, and how/when to apply defense and offense to their teaching structure. Daniel's training with Chozen may have opened his mind to offensive techniques, but Johnny's brash streetfighter attitude will cause the equilibrium to falter.
Tory Defects To Miyagi-Do
Tory might be the bad girl, but it's becoming more and more apparent that she doesn't want to be. Her tough exterior is a shell designed to mask the pain of a difficult family life where she has been forced to grow up way too fast, assume a mother role, and work two jobs to keep things stable.
John Kreese's intervention on her behalf may have gotten a landlord off her back, but it hasn't fixed any of the underlying problems. Until Tory learns that Cobra Kai is a death sentence, she'll continue to suffer. Eventually, it's going to come down to embracing Samantha as a friend and moving into the light.
Terry Silver Returns
John Kreese's phone call at the end of the final episode leaves little doubt as to who was on the other end. Many characters have already made their return on Cobra Kai, and Terry Silver is the next obvious candidate for a major season 4 reveal, especially in light of the Vietnam flashbacks that took place.
Ironically, the character who dies during the Vietnam flashback scenes is the one who looks the most like a young version of Terry Silver, which leaves the other character a potential candidate. It remains to be seen how this plays out, but it's largely a given that Silver will return to terrorize Daniel all over again.
Mike Barnes Returns
If Chozen can make a shocking return to the Karate Kid franchise after the controversial second movie, then so can Mike Barnes. This sociopathic karate champ made his debut in the third movie and quickly became a nightmare opponent far worse than either Johnny Lawrence or Chozen could ever hope to be. Not only was Barnes a much more skilled opponent, but he was able to terrify Daniel on a level that no one had managed before.
If Terry Silver shows up in Cobra Kai, chances are Mike Barnes won't be too far behind. After all, Daniel cost Barnes a highly lucrative deal worth a lot of money, and any chance for payback is one he would undoubtedly take. It would also give Johnny an opportunity to save Daniel as repayment for stepping in during his brawl with Kreese.
Aisha Returns
Actress Nichole Brown was written out of season 3 of the show, apparently because the writers couldn't find a spot for her character in the script. As such, it was revealed that Aisha's parents sold their house and moved out of the city following the violent events that rocked the community in the last season.
The writers have indicated that Aisha can (and probably will) return if there's a place for her in season 4. It could very well be the perfect opportunity to have her character act as a key figure in a story arc - perhaps building a bridge between Samantha and Tory while reminding everyone why she was such a great fighter.
John Kreese Changes His Ways
This one is a long shot, but sooner or later John Kreese will have to realize that he's batting for the wrong team. If he doesn't mend his ways, the character will not have grown beyond an inch since his debut in the first Karate Kid film. By this point, Kreese has lost multiple fights, despite gaining ownership over Cobra Kai.
His recent loss to Daniel is sure to ruffle his feathers in a way that his defeat at the hands of Miyagi could never match. His character's flashbacks in season 3 are indicative of an interesting development in his character, but whether they're fleshed out or not remains to be seen.
Johnny Fights Robby Again
With so much animosity between Johnny and his son Robby, it's a wonder if the two will ever reconcile. Robby has been through the wringer several times since the series began. He's bounced back and forth between life as a misfit, a clear path to peace and harmony as one of Daniel's students, and a bout of rage that landed him in the clink.
Now that he's out on bail and under the tutelage of John Kreese, his character is sure to fall hard before any opportunity for redemption pops up. Johnny and Robby got physical in the final episode of season 3, and it's easy to see them throw down again, this time with Kreese's Cobra Kai training thrown into the mix.
Miguel Redeems Robby
Miguel is the one character in the film that has conquered the most adversity. He went from being the victim of bullies to an All Valley Karate champion before suffering an injury that almost left him paralyzed. Yet, Miguel doesn't seem to harbor hatred or resentment in his heart towards Robby, as evidenced by his friendly talk with Daniel.
If Miguel can stay the path with Johnny and Daniel acting as his support, there's a chance that he may be the one to successfully lure Robby away from Kreese's poisonous teachings. If so, it'll become one of the best relationships of the entire series. The two will undoubtedly square off again in the upcoming All Valley tournament which will decide not only Robby's fate but Cobra Kai's as well.
John Kreese Goes To Jail
Kreese is pushing boundaries in a way that he never did before. Even his psychological and physical torment of Daniel LaRusso in the third Karate Kid film pales in comparison to sending his entire school over to his house and destroying his property. Kreese was all too ready to murder Daniel at the end of season 3, which is indicative of just how far he's willing to go.
If Kreese can't change his ways and give up his destructive attitude, he will no doubt cross a line that he can't back out of. If he's willing to go so far as to murder another human being, then he's standing over a precipice that will require him to make one final, fateful decision. It's very possible he makes the wrong one.
Johnny & Daniel Go Into Business Together
Fan excitement at seeing Daniel and Johnny standing side-by-side in Miyagi-Do at the end of season 3 might be premature. Not only are they going to argue (a lot) over how best to move forward with training, but there's no telling where they will end up once Cobra Kai and John Kreese have been defeated.
Still, it's highly probable that Johnny and Daniel have both realized that their true calling lies in teaching new generations of kids the values of self-defense and confidence that come with martial arts training. There's a lot that both can learn from one another, and that can only spell a long-lasting friendship and collaboration for Johnny and Daniel.