COBRA KAI Showrunner Says Season Three Is Looking to Honor Mr. Miyagi's Spirit in a Whole New Way

The series Cobra Kai has always been a love letter to the fans of the original films and an homage to the heart of the story, Pat Morita’s character, Mr. Miyagi. While we have seen the impact that Mr. Miyagi has had over Daniel’s life over the first two seasons of the show, co-showrunner Jon Hurwitz says the upcoming season is looking to honor the character even more.

In a recent interview with Total Film, Hurwitz explained:

“It’s a constant struggle for [Daniel] to live up to the legacy of his beloved father figure. We’re constantly looking for ways to honour Pat Morita’s legacy and make it feel like he’s a part of the series, because he’s such an important part of the Karate Kid universe.”

He went on to add that the upcoming season is set to “honour Mr. Miyagi’s spirit and Pat Morita’s performance in a whole new way,” as Daniel makes a soul-searching pilgrimage to Miyagi’s homeland of Okinawa for the first time since 1986. “One of the coolest things about season 3 is the Okinawa storyline, and being able to revisit The Karate Kid Part II, which was actually the most successful of all the three original Karate Kid movies,” fellow showrunner Hayden Schlossberg added in the interview. “There’s nostalgia there, but there is also a sense of expanding the world of the TV show.”

Although The Karate Kid Part II was actually filmed in Hawaii, the cast of Cobra Kai was able to make the trek all the way to the real Okinawa this time around. I can’t wait for this season of the show and to see what the trip to Mr. Miyagi’s homeland will bring to the story. Cobra Kai season 3 is set to drop on Netflix on January 8th. Will you be watching?