Who would’ve thought that the surprise Karate Kid successor that nobody asked for would go on to be such a runaway hit for Netflix in 2020? Yes, from fans freaking out over the new trailer, to the possibility of a big name actress returning to reprise her iconic role, to the third season’s official release date getting pushed forward a week, it’s fair to say that the buzz and excitement surrounding the dojo-battling action-comedy is utterly palpable.
Indeed, with Cobra Kai‘s next run on its way to the popular streaming giant on January 1st, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka’s ongoing onscreen rivalry is finally ready to answer some big questions while upping the ante and raising the stakes to boot.
Right now, early reviews of the uber popular show are starting to trickle in from critics and long story short, they’re absolutely loving it, which is reflected by a mighty impressive Rotten Tomatoes rating of 96% at the time of writing. Go ahead and check out what folks are saying about Cobra Kai‘s much-anticipated season 3 down below:
Consequence Of Sound
“It’s a staggering accomplishment that continues to crane kick our expectations. What’s been keeping it all together — and this is important — is balance. That was Miyagi’s greatest lesson. As he told Daniel way, way back in 1984, “Balance is key. Balance good, karate good. Everything good. Balance bad, better pack up, go home. Understand?” That’s a lesson Cobra Kai has yet to forget, and as long as Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg stay true to those words, the best Karate remains inside of them and there’s no reason for any of us to leave the mat. Besides, this thing has to last long enough to give us Silver.” – [Full review]
Entertainment Weekly
“Since production wrapped, Cobra Kai moved to Netflix and earned an early season 4 renewal. The ensuing popularity boost could suggest a long run ahead — but the finale points toward an endgame. And that finale is wonderful, wonderful, ridiculous, and wonderful: A high energy showdown for youth in revolt, alongside a never-more-sensitive portrayal of middle-aged reminiscence. It reaffirms Cobra Kai as one of the cleverest reboots in our nostalgia-drunk era. The series crafts a moral fable beyond any obvious definitions of irony and sincerity. “Being a badass doesn’t mean being an a–hole,” Johnny explains. It’s a goofy line, and a real evolution. Like all the best teachers, he’s still learning.” – [Full review]
/Film
“In some ways, you could draw direct parallels between Cobra Kai and the Star Wars sequel trilogy. If season 1 of this show took a bit of a The Force Awakens approach, reintroducing us to the legacy characters while telling a new story in the same universe that was all about confronting the legacy of the original story and season 2 was all about asking whether these characters (or anyone) can actually change, season 3 is all about teachers and how their legacy shape their students in profound ways. That’s right: this is The Last Jedi of the Karate Kid universe. There’s also a little bit of Rise of Skywalker in here, especially with the ongoing machinations of John Kreese.” – [Full review]
AV Club
“[T]he season works overtime to win viewers over with its loose, goofball charms, and when Daniel makes a nostalgic trip to Okinawa halfway through the season, the narrative and humor both start to accelerate in far more enjoyably broad ways. There are still more than a few moments of badly engineered plotting and situations that leave you dumbfounded none of these kids have called the police; but Cobra Kai isn’t trying to score points for believability. Season three pummels you with enough broad laughs and over-the-top twists to keep you coming back to its televised dojo, no matter how often it backslides into hokum. As Johnny says, right after delivering an inspiring speech to his students, only to then turn around and slap the books out of the hands of a random nerd passing by: ‘Sorry, kid—old habits.'” – [Full review]
Metro
“Cobra Kai season 3 strikes first, strikes hard and shows no mercy when continuing to deliver a series that shouldn’t be as good as this is for a nostalgia trip. The team who write the show have managed to perfectly balance the old with the new and created something that is truly gripping TV. William Zapka remains the jewel in the series crown, the entire ensemble cast is just a lot of fun to watch. The only downside is the sparse use or explanation of certain characters that deserved more from the story than just being ‘the angry kid’ – most notably Robby, Tory and Hawk.” – [Full review]
Polygon
“Heading into Cobra Kai season 3, I worried that the mess made in season 2 was setting us up for a serviceable mop up, and little more. I was especially troubled by the teases for Daniel’s Japan visit, thinking we would be getting more nostalgia sizzle than narrative steak. But season 3 still has plenty of substance; it got me to care again, about what has happened and what will happen to these people, rather than regret the previous 10 episodes as a tale that didn’t need telling. That’s a hell of a good comeback, but then, we expect no less of The Karate Kid.” – [Full review]
So, there you have it. Clearly, all signs are looking pretty damn good and it’s likely that we’ll be in for one helluva ride come New Year’s Day when the third outing of Cobra Kai crane kicks its way to the streaming giant.
But tell us, are you going to be binge-watching the entire show like us? Or are you going to be dodging it like a roundhouse kick to the noggin? Let us know in the usual place down below and be sure to stay tuned, as more reviews are bound to surface as we get closer to the series’ return next month on Netflix.
