Last month Netflix released the third season of Cobra Kai, which debuted on Youtube TV May 2, 2018. Cobra Kai is a spin off of the original 1984 movie The Karate Kid, starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. Karate Kid was about a boy named Daniel who gets bullied by a karate group called Cobra Kai with their leader Sensei Kreese and his pupil Johnny Lawrence..

The series Cobra Kai takes place 30 years later and focuses on Johnny Lawrence, who is an alcoholic working different jobs every week, and Daniel Larusso, who owns a successful car dealership. The show follows the two men as they each open their own karate dojos, teaching their very different philosophies to their students. 

The show has become very popular amongst people of all ages. “I watched the show with my parents because they were fans of the movie. I like it because although it is cheesy, it’s a lot of fun to watch,” senior Tia Fuller said.

In Cobra Kai season 1, Johnny Lawrence opens up his own dojo and helps a boy who gets bullied at school  learn karate. Miguel learns to defend himself and e and gets in a fight with one of the bullies trying to defend Daniel’s daughter Sam. After this more kids decided to join Cobra Kai and Daneil starts his own dojo, Miyagi-do. 

Ever since the series debuted on Netflix last fall more than 41 million people have tuned in to watch the showi. “I think it is popular because of the relation to The Karate Kid [movie] and just because it’s gnarly how they make karate look,” junior Will Vaile said. “What I like about the show is the nostalgia you get from seeing Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence.  Karate Kid is one of my favorite movies, so seeing a spin off is great.”

Senior Keegan Kapocious also really likes the show.”I think the show is so popular because it’s a corny high school show. It also reaches out to the adults because they were raised as karate kids,” he said. 

Fans of the show can’t wait to see how Johnny and Daniel work together in season 4. “I think their relationship will have its ups and downs, but they will make a great team. If they want to defeat Cobra Kai, they have to figure out what their differences are and put them aside,” senior Madeline Peetz said. 

Lots of other characters from all three Karate Kid movies make appearances on the show and some even have major roles, like Martin Kove, who plays Sensai  John Kreese, who joins Cobra Kai as an assistant for Johnny. In Season 2 and 3 Kreese continues to teach his students to show “no mercy” which eventually turns the kids against each other and.  At the end of season 2 a big fight breaks out between Cobra kai and Miyagi-Do. which results in Miguel getting kicked off the balcony by Johnny’s son Robby.  

Season 3  focuses on  Miguel getting his strength back as well as some flashbacks of  Kreese in the Vietnam War. “I loved season 3 because you get to see the younger years of John Kreese and what the Vietnam War did to him in the future years of his life.  Also the old girlfriend of Johnny and Daniel came back,” Kapocious said..      

Cobra Kai has a very diverse group of characters. ” “My favorite character is probably Miguel or Johnny Lawrence,” Vaile said. “I like Miguel because he was bullied and then came back and won the tournament and then he got hurt, couldn’t walk and now he can. It’s inspirational. I like Johnny because I like how he is just like a confident guy and he is a tough person.” With a long wait for season 4 of Cobra Kai will be coming out January, 2022.