Cobra Kai Season 3 release date, trailer, cast, spoilers for the Netflix show

Netflix is about the sweep the leg with Cobra Kai Season 3. The Karate Kid sequel series began as a YouTube Red original, but after Netflix bought the rights and started streaming the first two seasons the show became an overnight phenomenon. Now, the release date or Cobra Kai Season 3 is finally in sight.

If you've never seen Cobra Kai do yourself a favor and watch it ASAP. The series picks up decades after the original Karate Kid and defies expectations by setting up the original bad guy, Johnny Lawrence, as its underdog protagonist as he attempts to resurrect the infamous karate dojo without repeating the mistakes of his old sensei. Meanwhile, Johnny LaRusso returns as a pompous businessman who's still using his high school karate fame to sell cars. However, the show quickly moves past this simple rivalry to explore new characters and bring back other originals while telling a very modern story about high school, bullying, and punching stuff really hard.

Here's everything you need to know about Cobra Kai Season 3, from the latest trailer to plot details. So grab your karate gi because it's time to kick some butt.

Is Cobra Kai renewed for Season 3 on Netflix?

Yes! Netflix announced plans for a third season a while back and was able to film Season 3 before the coronavirus pandemic brought Hollywood to a grinding halt. In even better news, Cobra Kai has already been renewed for Season 4!

What's the Cobra Kai Season 3 release date on Netflix?

Cobra Kai Season 3 releases Friday, January 8 on Netflix at 3 a.m. Eastern time.

According to showrunner John Hurwitz, Season 3 has been ready to go since at least early September, so it's unclear why Netflix is making us wait until January. Maybe it has more to do with avoiding a long break between Season 3 and 4? Either way, we're just a few months away from more Cobra Kai.

Is there a trailer for Cobra Kai Season 3?

Yes — sort of. Netflix released a short teaser confirming the Season 3 release date and revealing that Miguel is alive after falling off a balcony and landing badly on his back at the end of Season 2. The trailer also teases a few other details. You can watch it here, or if you can't watch a video right now, check out some screenshots below.

Update: Trailer 2!

Do we know any plot spoilers for Cobra Kai Season 3?

Well, we know Miguel is alive, so that's a pretty big one.

In an interview with Collider, Zabka also hinted that Cobra Kai Season 3 could begin with a bit of a time jump, rather than picking up immediately after the events of Season 2. Here's a relevant quote (emphasis added):

"I think Johnny is growing, but he's definitely going to have some downs and some ups, and some downs and some ups, and some sideways. He wasn't doing too well at the end of Season 2, and you know, it picks up a little bit later in time after Season 2, Season 3 does, so you're going to meet the result of what those events would do to someone like Johnny Lawrence."

It's possible this means Cobra Kai Season 3 will pick up days, weeks, or months after Season 2. However, it's also possible the show won't feature a time jump, but Johnny won't be around for at least the first episode. This makes sense when you remember that he's behind bars in one scene from the trailer.

Finally, we also know that Daniel LaRusso will go back to Okinawa, Japan in Cobra Kai Season 3. This will presumably be a trip of self-discovery after the traumatic events of Season 2. Whether he brings his daughter or his star pupil Robby remains to be seen.

During Comic-Con 2019, series co-creator Josh Heald confirmed that Season 3 would borrow this plotline from The Karate Kid 2, which follows Mr. Miyagi and a young LaRusso as they return to the karate master's hometown.

"We find that Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do… dig a little bit into those origins," Heald said. "In that journey, we will see Daniel LaRusso return to Okinawa."

Is Elisabeth Shue in the cast of Cobra Kai Season 3?

Good question! While the Karate Kid actress hasn't turned up yet, she still loomed large in the first two seasons of Cobra Kai. Johnny and Daniel both still think about their mutual highschool flame, and Daniel even admits to checking in on her Facebook and learning that Shue's character Ali is now married and a doctor. Johnny ends up sending her a friend request, and at the end of Season 2, Ali responds with a message.

That feels like a pretty big clue, and Shue isn't denying the possibility either. She even hinted it could happen when asked about joining the cast of Cobra Kai.

“I have seen it and I thought it was really well done,” she told ET Canada in May 2019. “I’m thinking about making an appearance.”

For what it's worth, geek culture news site Murphy's Multiverse also claims to confirm that Shue was on set during Cobra Kai Season 3 and will appear on the show as Ali.

What else can I do while I wait for Cobra Kai Season 3?

Check out this blooper reel. It's only a few minutes long, but it's pretty great.

Cobra Kai Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Netflix.