Coming soon to Netflix, “Cobra Kai” season three is bound to be a success. An already successful series that Netflix got its hands on, the sky’s the limit for the upcoming season. 

Season three was originally planned on premiering on Netflix Jan. 8 until the release date was suddenly removed. With this unprecedented decision, speculation is being made that the new release date will be somewhere closer to New Year’s Day.

To recap last season, Cobra Kai’s top student Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) suffered a fatal injury that hospitalized him. Diaz’s injury was very severe, having a chance that he would be paralyzed from the waist down. Sensei Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), who teaches at Cobra Kai, loses his cool and completely gives up on his students. Due to this abrupt exit, Sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) takes the reins as the new instructor. 

The relationship between Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) and Demetri (Gianni Decenzo) is one to watch out for. Hawk and Demetri were best friends and were both bullied by Kyle (Joe Seo), but now that Hawk has joined Cobra Kai, the bullying has stopped and Hawk is the new bully. This is evident through the change of the color of his mohawk, which was blue but is now red. Demetri also has grown to have antagonistic qualities after his decision to join Miyagi Do.

Ironically in the trailer, Kyler is seen at the Cobra Kai dojo, possibly wanting to join. Kyler’s hairstyle has changed from his recognizable mohawk to a clean slick back. Kyler has had only a minor role in seasons one and two, so I want to see more of him. I also want to see a fight between Kyler and Hawk, as it would be a good test for Hawk to see his progress in his training.

A pair of characters who I want to see go up head to head are Tory (Peyton List) and Samantha (Mary Mouser). Both have dated Miguel and have been very scrappy with each other, even getting into a shoving match on Halloween. I trust the writers to write interesting scenes between the two.

A notable actor who will be returning for season three is Yuji Okumoto, who played Chozen Toguchi, the notorious gangster who made Daniel Larusso’s (Ralph Macchio) vacation in Okinawa during “Karate Kid Part II” a hot mess. Though he is portrayed as a villain, Okumoto is a fan favorite due to his cunning and lively personality. Another actor who will be returning is Tamlyn Tomita, who played Kumiko, Larusso’s love interest in Okinawa. I am excited to see what roles each actor will play in the upcoming season. 

I’m also pumped to see what will happen to Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan). Robby is a great guy in general, and his beef with Miguel hit its breaking point. His karate skills are top-notch, as he’s able to hold his own against some of the best fighters in the series like Miguel and Hawk. I hope he is able to overcome adversity and maybe make a comeback in season three.

Overall, this season is looking to be action-packed and I’m excited just like any other fan of the “Karate Kid” trilogy. I believe this season will truly show growth in Johnny’s relationship with his son, and I predict Hawk will have a much larger role due to Miguel being out and him being the top fighter for the Cobra Kai dojo.