Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (June 10, 2026)
In 2018, Netflix debuted a series called Cobra Kai that updated the characters from 1984’s The Karate Kid. Season One became a hit and spring 2019 brought Season Two.
Probably due to COVID, fans didn’t get Season Three until early 2021. It includes 10 episodes available on Blu-ray via this “Complete Series” set. The plot synopses come from the series’ official website.
Aftermath: “Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) is fighting for his life, Robby's (Tanner Buchanan) missing, and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence's (William Zabka) reputations are in tatters as the community reacts to the West Valley brawl.”
Just as Season Two commenced immediately after the end of Season One, Season Three picks up right where S2 concluded. That means the characters need to deal with the impact of a high school brawl that left Miguel in a coma.
Like the start of S1, “Aftermath” also finds Johnny back at rock bottom, though he seems rock bottomer now than before the commencement of the series. At least he enjoys company since so many of the other series regulars wind up in dire straits.
This creates significant dramatic tension and we also see more of how insidious elderly sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) stages a hostile takeover of the Cobra Kai dojo. Although “Aftermath” comes with lots of shoe leather, it still turns into an appealing opening to S3.
Nature vs. Nurture: “Daniel and Johnny team up to find Robby. Miguel faces an uncertain future. Kreese tries to bring Tory Nichols (Peyton List) back to Cobra Kai.”
In an intriguing tease, “Nurture” opens with a brief look at a young Kreese (Barrett Carnahan) at a pivotal part of his life. Perhaps someday we’ll get a Kreese prequel project to show what turned him into such a brutal monster.
The best parts of “Nurture” come from time we get with Johnny and Daniel together. Without question, Macchio and Zabka always combine to create a delightful Odd Couple-style pair, and these scenes help make “Nurture” a lot of fun.
Now You’re Gonna Pay: “Daniel's tarnished public image takes a toll on his sales, leading to a takeover offer. Johnny tries to raise money for Miguel's surgery.”
S2 offered a reunion among Johnny and his high school Cobra Kai crew. Now a pastor, Bobby Brown (Ron Thomas) returns here when Johnny consults with him.
That becomes one of a few different intriguing threads in “Pay”. Add the return of Ed Asner and this becomes a quality episode.
The Right Path: “Following an important meeting in Japan, Daniel revisits Mr. Miyagi's hometown on Okinawa. Johnny attempts to reconnect with Robby.”
Much of 1986’s Karate Kid Part II took place in Japan, and “Path” finds a way to send Daniel back there. Inevitably this means an appearance from a Kid II castmember, though I’ll leave that person’s identity a secret.
While predictable, Daniel’s trip to Okinawa comes with charm, and other aspects of “Path” push along S3’s narrative threads well. It turns into another solid show.
Miyagi-Do: “In Okinawa, Daniel spends time with an old friend — and an old enemy, who has much to teach him. The dueling dojos' rivalry comes to a nasty head.”
To avoid spoilers, I’ll continue to avoid the identification of the folks Daniel meets in Okinawa, though their identities will come as no surprise to folks who saw Kid II. Daniel’s involvement in Japan feels contrived but I continue to find this thread enjoyable.
Other character developments materialize as well, especially in terms of how Johnny tries to redeem himself. All this adds up to an appealing program.
King Cobra: “Miguel helps Johnny craft the perfect social media message. Kreese scouts new recruits while Daniel and his wife Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) try to shut down Cobra Kai.”
Johnny’s feeble attempts to deal with modern technology always amuse, and we get an extension of Kreese’s “origin story”. I also like that we find more of Amanda than usual, as the series tends to underuse her.
Obstáculos: “Daniel spends some father-daughter time with a traumatized Sam (Mary Mouser). Johnny plans to form a new karate dojo but struggles to come up with a cool name.”
Will I ever tire of Johnny’s lunkheaded obliviousness? Maybe, but as Cobra Kai nears the middle of its six-season run, I haven’t gotten there yet, so these elements continue to amuse here.
I could live without “PTSD Sam”, as her path tends to feel somewhat trite. Still, other domains develop well and this turns into a satisfactory episode.
The Good, The Bad and The Badass: “Informed that this year's All Valley Karate Tournament is being canceled, the three competing sensei attend a city council meeting to save it.”
The presence of three dojos offers intrigue, as does the possibility the karate contest won’t take place. Of course, it seems likely Johnny and/or Daniel will change this, but it brings a modest twist.
We find reflections of the teen angst melodrama that knocked S2 down a peg, but those moments don’t dominate. “Badass” helps advance S3 narrative efficiently.
Feel the Night: “It's Christmas in the Valley and romance is in the air. Daniel and Miguel find unexpected common ground while the Cobra Kai recruits go on a mission.”
No spoilers, of course, but “Night” sees the return of a Karate Kid mainstay. Because the series hinted at this, I wouldn’t call this person’s arrival a surprise, but it becomes a good curveball of sorts.
Johnny’s social life comes to the fore, and we also see an unlikely alliance. These set up for sparks to follow in the S3 climactic episode.
December 19: “Old wounds begin to heal at a country club holiday party, but a brutal assault by Kreese's students leads to new betrayals and alliances.”
While “19” comes with plenty of violent confrontations, these don’t evolve in the manner expected. That creates some good twists, even though of course the episode leaves doors open for further developments in Season Four.
While I liked S2, I thought it delved into gooey teen romance too much of the time, and S3 lacks that element. Toss in a mix of fun returning characters and S3 becomes a solid collection of shows.
