[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Cobra Kai Season 4.]We knew the deal going into Cobra Kai Season 4. The losing dojo at the All Valley Tournament has to shut down for good. The initial thought was that it was either going to be Cobra Kai or the Miyagi-Do/Eagle Fang combo, but when Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny (William Zabka) fail to bring their dojos together, it became two smaller entities fighting a behemoth. Yes, Miyagi-Do did come quite close to taking the title, but one’s got to assume that Daniel and Johnny would have had a better shot of ending Cobra Kai’s reign if they stuck together.
But so it goes! With Tory’s (Peyton List) “win” over Sam (Mary Mouser) in the girls finals, Cobra Kai remained the champions of the valley. If the senseis adhere to the original deal, that means Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang must shut down. But this is a very successful Netflix series we’re talking about here that’s already filmed its fifth season and deserves to have a mighty long run ahead of it. We can’t put Daniel and Johnny out of business, right?
At the very end of Season 4, it seems clear that Daniel has no intention of giving up being a sensei. While visiting Mr. Miyagi’s grave he says, “I’m supposed to give up my dojo and step down as a sensei, but there’s too much at stake to honor an agreement made with men who have none.” Daniel is determined to stop Cobra Kai and he’s bringing in back-up to help support him in that mission — The Karate Kid Part II and Cobra Kai Season 3’s Chozen (Yuji Okumoto).
But what about Johnny and Eagle Fang? At the end of the season, Johnny is wholly focused on a bigger issue, bringing Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) home safe. While that’s clearly the more appropriate priority, it’s hard not to wonder about the fate of Johnny’s dojo. Does he think that’s really it or does he also have a plan to push forward like Daniel?
During our Cobra Kai Season 4 chat, Zabka was kind enough to indulge my eagerness for Season 5 details. When I asked if Johnny really does plan to close Eagle Fang he said, “They made a bet with Kreese, right?” He laughed and added, “I know, here we go. You’re fishing for five already. I love it!” Zabka also highlighted that the Cobra Kai writing team will keep viewers on their toes as always, but also made sure to emphasize, "But they did make a bet, you know, and we’ll see what happens on that.”
Before wrapping up the conversation, Zabka did give us a little something to chew regarding Johnny’s priorities moving forward. My initial question might have been about the karate of it all, but Johnny’s focus could be elsewhere next season. Here’s how Zabka put it:
“At this point, Daniel and Johnny they separated but then they come back together at the end. But really, more than the martial arts, more than the Eagle Fang of it, they’re connected to these people, these humans, these characters so Johnny starts with Miguel, wherever Miguel is, and Robby. So what happens with Eagle Fang, we’ll see.”
Eager to hear more from Zabka? Be sure to check out our full interview in the video at the top of this article. We also discuss his evolving collaboration with Macchio and a particular Kreese/Johnny scene that called for some workshopping.