Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence have been rivals ever since they first encountered each other in The Karate Kid. Regardless, Netflix’s new trailer for the fourth season of Cobra Kai shows us something we’ve never seen before: Johnny and Daniel as partners. They have a common enemy now, but that doesn’t mean that they’re suddenly going to be friends.
Within the Cobra Kai season 4 trailer, there’s still quite a bit of tension between Johnny and Daniel, especially when it comes to Miguel. And it seems that Johnny has mixed feelings about a seemingly unequal partnership with Daniel. It was Johnny who restarted the Cobra Kai dojo to reclaim his self-worth, but now he finds himself and a few of his students aligned with Danny’s Miyagi-Do. Perhaps the combined efforts of Daniel and Johnny can prepare their students for their biggest challenge ahead in the All Valley Karate tournament.
Johnny’s former sensei, John Kreese, has retaken control of the Cobra Kai dojo from Johnny and alienated his ex-pupil with his brutal ways. However, Kreese knows that he can’t beat Daniel and Johnny by himself. That’s why Kreese has called upon his old friend, Terry Silver, the primary antagonist from The Karate Kid Part III. And unlike Miyagi-Do’s odd couple, this duo is on the same page thanks to their desire for revenge.
The biggest weapon in Kreese and Silver’s arsenal is Robby, Johhny’s estranged son and Daniel’s former student. While Robby was once Miyagi-Do’s star pupil, he is firmly committed to the new Cobra Kai. The season 4 trailer reveals that Robby’s knowledge of Miyagi-Do’s techniques may give Cobra Kai the advantage in their upcoming tournament. It’s somewhat distressing to see how far Robby has fallen, as well as the fact that he could sink even further out of the misguided desire to hurt those who used to be close to him.
But there is hope for the next generation. The Cobra Kai defectors, including Miguel, are training alongside Daniel’s daughter, Samantha, for their showdown with Kreese and Silver’s students at the All Valley Karate tournament. Yet somehow we suspect that this dojo rivalry will once again explode into open conflict in the outside world as well. And it looks like Daniel and Johnny may even get a chance to have their own All Valley Karate rematch.
Ralph Macchio and William Zabka headline the series as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, respectively. Xolo Maridueña also stars as Miguel Diaz, with Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso, Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso, Martin Kove as John Kreese, Jacob Bertrand as Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz, and Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver.
Cobra Kai season 4 will premiere on December 31 on Netflix.
