Warning: SPOILERS for Cobra Kai season 3.
Here's everything we know about Cobra Kai season 4 and when it will be released. In 2020, Netflix acquired the first two seasons of Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid continuation series, which originally streamed on YouTube, became a huge success around the world. Netflix even moved up their planned January 8, 2021 release date for Cobra Kai season 3, which was already fully completed in 2019.
Cobra Kai season 3 raised the stakes even higher and reshuffled the karate dojo landscape once again as the villainous John Kreese (Martin Kove) consolidated the Cobra Kai dojo's power base. When he failed once again to repair his relationship with his son Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) focused on helping his student, Miguel Diaz (Xolo Mariduena), rehab his injuries. Meanwhile, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) also tried to save Robby as well as save his car dealership business, help his daughter Samantha (Mary Mouser) cope with her own arch-rival Tory Nichols (Peyton List), and learn new secrets about Mr. Miyagi during a fateful trip to Okinawa.
Cobra Kai season 3 only made the story even more explosive and left everything hanging in an exciting cliffhanger for season 4 to resolve. But the good news that the story is guaranteed to continue since Cobra Kai is all set to return for a season 4.
Cobra Kai Season 4 Release Date
Netflix renewed Cobra Kai for season 4 in October 2020. On October 23rd, executive producer Jon Hurwitz tweeted that all of the scripts for Cobra Kai season 4 were written, and on November 27th, Hurwitz updated that they were aiming to start production of Cobra Kai season 4 in January 2021.
As for when Cobra Kai season 4 will be released, Hurwitz said "I would imagine it would come out a year after season," which targets January 2022. Because of its ensemble cast and Los Angeles locations, shooting Cobra Kai season 4 will be particularly challenging because of the sharp rise of COVID-19 cases in California but numerous films and TV shows have been shooting under strict safety conditions during the pandemic. While Cobra Kai season 4's production may be far slower than before, it's reasonable to assume that they can make an early 2022 release date.
Cobra Kai Season 4 Cast
Cobra Kai has a huge ensemble cast and fans can expect nearly everyone from season 3 to come back. Cobra Kai season 3 re-introduced Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita) and Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) from The Karate Kid Part II into the modern-day mythos, as well as the long-teased comeback of Ali Mills Schwarber (Elisabeth Shue), and it's not clear if they will return. However, Cobra Kai season 3 ended with John Kreese calling one of his old army buddies, which bodes for the return of Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) from The Karate Kid Part III.
Now that the first three Karate Kid movies have been thoroughly referenced, it only leaves The Next Karate Kid as the last of the Mr. Miyagi-canon films to be woven into Cobra Kai. It's possible Julie Pierce (Hilary Swank) could finally make an appearance in Cobra Kai and unite Miyagi's two pupils together on screen.
Cobra Kai Season 4 Story Details
Just as Daniel and Johnny made peace, Cobra Kai season 3 ended with an even more outrageous act of violence when Kreese's students invaded the LaRusso home and engaged in a destructive brawl. This brought Johnny and Daniel into direct conflict Kreese and directly set up Cobra Kai season 4, where all three dojos - Kreese's Cobra Kai, Daniel's Miyagi-Do, and Johnny's Eagle Fang - will compete in the All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament, with Kreese promising he'll leave if Cobra Kai loses.
With Kreese's Cobra Kai proving to be an enemy neither Johnny nor Daniel can beat on their own, the two rivals finally united their dojos. But can they and their students actually work together to beat Cobra Kai? This is just one of the numerous questions Cobra Kai season 4 will have to answer.