Footage in the trailer for Cobra Kai season 4 may point to Robby (Tanner Buchanan) being the subject of a new romantic subplot. In the Netflix series, romance has been a common occurrence in the lives of the Cobra Kai, Eagle Fang, and Miyagi-do students, so it won’t necessarily come as a surprise if the show leans into a new love story when it enters into its fourth season.
In season 4, the show will pick up where the show left off with Robby, who has been on a dark path since the season 2 finale when he critically injured Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) during the high school brawl. Things only got worse for him in season 3, which saw him switch sides from Miyagi-do to Cobra Kai, where he’s now one of the top students of Kreese (Martin Kove). Presumably, he’ll be one of Kreese’s main weapons when his dojo competes against Miyagi-do and Eagle Fang in the next All-Valley Karate Tournament, which is expected to be a key story arc in the upcoming season.
The time Robby spends with Cobra Kai could involve a new romance with another character. The Cobra Kai season 4 trailer supports this, as it includes a shot of Robby dancing with an unidentified girl at the 0:40 mark. As for who this person could be, one possibility is Tory (Peyton List), with whom he was seen sharing a look with in the trailer. The show going down this road does sound plausible, given that these two are likely to get a lot of screen-time together. After all, since they’re students of the same dojo. Of course, Tory hasn’t demonstrated an interest in him yet, but her anger towards Miguel and Sam (Mary Mouser) could cause her to shift her attention to Robby.
A second but much less likely option is Sam, who already has a romantic history with Robby. However, Cobra Kai seems to have moved on from that, with the show returning its focus to the Miguel-Sam romance. An alternative to both Sam and Tory would be Devon (Oona O’Brien), a new season 4 character that viewers know very little about. According to a casting description, Devon is a “quick-tempered” and “relentlessly competitive” fighter. Because of these qualities, there’s a good chance that she’ll join Robby and Tory at Cobra Kai. If so, it could be her who Robby finds romance with in season 4.
It remains to be seen how this new storyline will affect Robby’s character development in Cobra Kai. The longer he trains under Kreese, the harder it will be for him to turn things around later. And getting involved with Tory (or a different Cobra Kai student) could be a bad sign for Robby’s redemption chances. Depending on what happens, the presence of someone like Tory in his life could drag him down further and lead to him making more bad choices. But, Robby being on Kreese's side for an extended basis may be a part of the show’s plan, especially since he could be vital to Cobra Kai's winning strategy in the tournament.