Cobra Kai season 4: release date, cast, story, and everything else we know so far
Cobra Kai season 4 has finished filming! Better still, Netflix has now narrowed down the release date of the Karate Kid sequel series to just three months in 2021.
So it's about time to face forward, bow, and wax lyrical about the upcoming season. By the time you're finished, you'll have a black belt in Cobra Kai, and can impress your friends with a dazzling array of the ins and outs of the new season, including some quite literally incomings in terms of new cast members.
Alongside that, we've got photos from set, some exclusive quotes from the show's creators, and we even speculate on how the fourth season by go down as the warring Eagle Fang and Cobra Kai dojos see their rivalry renewed.
You ready? QUIET! Here's everything you need to know about hash brown Cobra Kai season 4.
Cobra Kai season 4 release date: Q4 2021
Officially, there isn’t a Cobra Kai season 4 release date – but that doesn’t mean we have no idea about when it’ll land on Netflix, especially now filming has finished.
Creator Jon Hurwitz said on Twitter that he “would imagine Season 4 will come out roughly a year after Season 3.”
Netflix has zeroed in further, saying we'll get Cobra Kai S4 in Q4 2021. That means it's coming between between October 2021-December 2021. Our best guess? Expect December, going by Hurwitz's comments. Cobra Kai's third season, you may remember, aired on New Year's Day.
Cobra Kai season 4 cast: will Ali and Aisha return?
Cobra Kai wouldn’t be Cobra Kai without the eternal sparring (verbal or otherwise) between Daniel LaRusso and his long-time rival, Johnny Lawrence. So, expect Ralph Macchio and William Zabka to return.
Similarly, it’d be a huge surprise to see Xolo Mariduena (Miguel), Mary Mouser (Sam), Tanner Buchanan (Robby), Jacob Bertrand (Hawk), Peyton List (Tory), and Martin Kove (Kreese), given how the third season ended. List and Vanessa Rubio (Carmen) have been upgraded to series regulars, while Dallas Dupree Young and Oona O'Brien will be joining the Cobra Kai season 4 cast.
There are a couple of big question marks, however. One revolves around the identity of the man Kreese was calling during the Cobra Kai season 3 ending. All signs point to a return of Karate Kid villain, Terry Silver. However, actor Thomas Ian Griffith hasn’t acted in 15 years – so the jury is still out on whether the black belt billionaire will show up as part of the Cobra Kai season 4.
Meanwhile, much has been made about Aisha being MIA during the events of the third season. Nichole Brown, who played the character, announced on Instagram she wouldn’t be back for the third season. But that might not be the end for the character.
Creator Jon Hurwitz told Pop Sugar: “We love that character, and perhaps we'll see her again one day.”
And what of Ali? Elisabeth Shue returned as Daniel and Johnny’s former flame. The door is very much left wide open for her to stick around, depending on how the creators shape the upcoming story.
Executive producer Hayden Schlossberg told us: “When we were creating her character, we were thinking about all the different possibilities of where that character could go. You learn that, you know, she’s single, and she has kids of her own. That is now out into the universe, and people can take that and run with it, and maybe we’ll do something with it. Maybe we won’t. And that’s part of the fun of the show.”
Cobra Kai season 4 story: what will happen in the new season?
More than any other season prior, Cobra Kai season 4 has the majority of its upcoming story mapped out well in advance. So we have a good idea of what to expect between the Eagle Fang, Miyagi-do, and Cobra Kai dojos respectively.
That’s because all the pieces on the board have moved into place for a grandstand finish; all eyes are on the U18 All Valley Karate Tournament.
The setup? On one side, Kreese. On the other, Johnny and Daniel in their newly-formed dojo combining Miyagi-do and Eagle Fang. Whichever dojo wins the tournament, the other must disband for good.
So, that appears to be the general outline for the upcoming season, but it could get far more complicated than that. Hawk, it appears, is back on the side of the (karate) angels and fighting the good fight, while Robby is now by Kreese’s side – and could be one of the major villains of season 4 alongside Peyton List’s ruthless Tory.
Then, there’s the small matter of who Kreese is calling during the final moments of the third season. It should be Terry Silver, the main villain from Karate Kid Part 3 and someone he served time with in Vietnam. If the moneybags is back in Reseda, it could spell trouble for Daniel and Johnny – and a vast expansion of Cobra Kai.
Expansion is the name of the game for director Josh Heald, who told Yahoo's Paley Front Row Panel: "We want to make sure we’re delivering on goosebumps, on tears, on belly laughs, and fist bumps."
"It’s the same recipe with different tastes and everything else, but it’s even bigger so we’re really, really proud of what we’re making so far. I can’t wait for you to see what everybody’s doing."
Beyond Cobra Kai season 4: is it the final season?
If the creators have their way, Cobra Kai season 4 won't be the final season, merely a stop on the way to the endgame.
“We have an endgame in our heads. We’ve had one for quite some time, and it’s not in season 4,” executive producer Josh Heald told TVLine. “It’s well beyond that. In our minds, we have seasons’ worth of story that is necessary to tell before we get to that endgame. That will be a discussion going forward with our new partners at Netflix. Can we write to that endgame? Can we know that it’s coming?”
Of course, that's all up to Netflix. But, given the show's success, we can see it carrying on for a couple more seasons at the very least.
Cobra Kai season 4 trailer: when can we expect one?
The short answer: not for a while. Netflix usually release teasers and trailers when filming has wrapped and plans are in place for it to start streaming. That shouldn’t be any different for Cobra Kai season 4.
For a point of reference, two of Netflix’s biggest recent originals – The Queen’s Gambit and Bridgerton – didn’t have full trailers released until the month prior to streaming. So, expect a full look at Cobra Kai season 4 in late 2021 at the earliest. For now, this set photo from Johnny's actor William Zabka will have to make do.
After 3 1/2 months of production, I’m proud to say #CobraKaiSeason4 is officially wrapped! “Ready???! LET’S BEGIN!”#sentfrommysmartphone🦅 pic.twitter.com/1aX3Hj247OMay 1, 2021
In the meantime, make sure to catch up on everything we know about one of Netflix's other huge shows, The Witcher season 2.
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