Cobra Kai season four: Netflix UK release date and time, trailer, plot and who stars in cast with Martin Kove

Netflix has just served up a brilliant New Years’ treat for fans of the Cobra Kai franchise, as season four dropped on 31 December.

The Karate kid spin off hasn’t had to fight for viewers since it debuted in May 2018, and season four is set to be another knock out.

Netflix released the trailer just three weeks before it was set to be released in the UK, ramping up the excitement for more karate, unlikely friendships and banter.

So, when is season four on Netflix UK, who is in the cast and what can you expect from the series? This is what you need to know.

When is Cobra Kai season four released?

Cobra Kai season four will be available to all Netflix UK subscribers from 8am GMT on New Years Eve.

The series consists of nine half-hour episodes, all available to watch from December 31.

Cobra Kai season four plot

This season picks up where season three ended, with Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence joining forces to be their nemesis, John Kreese.

LaRusso’s Miyagi-Do and the Eagle fang Dojo’s, led by Lawrence, put their differences aside to merge fighting styles in a bid to defeat Cobra Kai at the All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament.

Series producer Josh Heald recently revealed he had every intention of bringing the pair together to defeat Kreese, though things won’t be a marriage made for the mat.

He told TVLine: “Giving them this moment was something we’ve always known was coming. We always felt like this was the time for it to happen, but we are doing it in a way where we’ve also established who these characters are.

“They’re both very strong minded in their own philosophies, ideals and pasts, there does appear to be a very distinct battle ahead, a very clear boundary and set of circumstances that have brought them to this moment.”

“But, time will tell if history repeats itself and they fall back into old habits again, or if they’re going to be able to weather the storm and lean into each other to do the hard work of what it is to form a partnership,” he added.

The official Netflix synopsis says: “whoever loses must hang up their gi. As Samantha and Miguel try to maintain the dojo alliance and Robby goes all in at Cobra Kai, the fate of the Valley has never been more precarious.”

It also teases that, as expected, Cobra Kai won’t go down without a fight and pulls on his contacts, teaching and pupils to become the face of karate in the valley.

What is to be expected is more hilarious pettiness, some authentic karate talent and another epic season from Ralph Macchio, William Zabka and Martin Kove.

Cobra Kai season four cast

The main cast all return for the fourth edition of Cobra Kai, including Martin Kove as the titular character.

Hollywood legend Kove is best known for his role as John Kreese in the 1980s Karate Kid movies, as well as Once Upon A Time in Hollywood (2019), D-Day (2019), Rambo: First Blood part Ii (1985) and a string of other critically acclaimed titles.

Kove is also a black belt in martial arts, including Kendo, Okinawa-te and Tiger Kenpo.

Also returning is Karate Kid co-star Ralph Macchio, who plays Daniel LaRusso in both the 1980s films and Cobra Kai.

Macchio played teen LaRusso in the original 1984 Karate Kid, which shot him to fame for his roundhouse wheelding knockouts. He returned to the franchise for Cobra Kai, as a much older teacher of martial arts.

He has also starred in American sitcom Happily Divorced and his other film credits include Crossroads (1986) and Hitchcock (2012).

In season four, his character marries up with William Zakba’s character to defeat his longtime rival, Kreese.

Zakba is another co-star of Karate Kid, making Cobra Kai a winner with all generations as it tells its own story while also being reminiscent of the 1980s blockbusters.

When Zakba first hit the screen for Karate Kid, he was just 21-years-old. Now 54, he has starred in titles such as How I Met Your Mother, Python (2000) and Python 2 (2002) and Hot Tub Time Machine (2010).

Thomas Ian Griffith will join the cast for season four, having been reintroduced at the end of season three, following his role in Karate Kid 3.

He plays Terry Silver, a longtime friend of Kreese and someone who he believes will give him the edge to win the All Valley tournament.

Griffith is a martial artist and has starred in various Hollywood titles, including Behind Enemy Lines (1997), the title character in Rock Hudson (1990) and Crackerjack (1994).

The starring trio are joined by stars from previous seasons - Mary Mouser, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan and Jacob Bertrand.

Another potential Karate Kid actor who could make an appearance is professional karate fighter Mike Barnes, who was played in the films by Sean Kanan.

Kanan said of the opportunity to star in Cobra Kai: ““I think (the creators) would like to work everybody in. At least 50 people a day hit me up on Instagram asking me if I’m coming back for season four. I think there’s a definite possibility, but I can neither confirm nor deny.”

Will there be a Cobra Kai season five?

Before season four had even been released, filming for season five had wrapped.

It appears Kobra Kai and his rivals aren’t going anywhere, as Heald confirmed a “multi-series” plot, so long as the main actors were supportive.

According to Fandom, he said: “We still have a multi-season story in our heads to resolve this in the way that we want to resolve it. I can’t say how many seasons it is because it always gets a little bit cloudy as we grow.

“You know, I’ve said it before, but there are storylines that we’ve kicked and we’ve gotten to, and there are storylines that we’ve kicked and we haven’t even approached yet.

“We have multiple seasons of this story left in us to tell, but the fun of this show is that it always hits a new climax that feels like this is it, you know?”