Cobra Kai's fifth season is just around the corner, and the series has made it very clear it's not shy about pulling characters from its past lore. With both the old and new characters in the franchise shining, the series does not use its nostalgia factor as a crutch, but to bolster its excellent story.
When the fifth season hits, many fans are left wondering if they will bring back other beloved past characters to Cobra Kai. Now's a good time as any to get a refresher on who these characters are. Be they friend or foe, they'll be sure to bring some spice for season 5, hopefully.
Snake (And Dennis)
Snake, and his ever-loyal fellow henchman Dennis, are among Terry Silver's gang of bullies in Part III. Their presence showed how far Daniel had fallen, as he begins to interact more and more with these kinds of low lives. Not to mention, they're just comically mean.
It would be pretty fun to see the two of them return. The only question is, would they return as friends or foes? As Johnny's friends have shown, even people who were bullies in their younger years eventually grew out of it. Or maybe they're still a bunch of loser bullies, either way is fun.
Jessica Andrews
Daniel's only friend in Part III besides Miyagi himself, Jessica Andrews was a surprisingly platonic one as far as the movies go. Instead of teasing a romance, it's made abundantly clear that Jessica and Daniel only see each other as friends. However, that wasn't exactly the case in early drafts.
Robyn Lively's character was intended to be a love interest at first, but Robyn Lively was 11 years younger than Ralph Macchio at the time of filming. Understandably, Ralph was unhappy that there was a romance being written for him with an actress a decade his junior. Still, a platonic friend to bump into wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Colonel Paul Dugan
Colonel Dugan's return as a villain would be another fun addition to the ever-growing roster. Seeing Michael Ironside in more things is just a great idea regardless of how pathetic the character they're playing is. If anything, it makes the performance even more entertaining.
Colonel Dugan works as a version of Kreese who is pathetic. Despite calling himself Colonel, he has no actual military experience. He claims to run a lean, mean, fighting machine, but unlike Cobra Kai, his "teens" are nothing more than untrained bullies. It would be interesting to see if his character has grown over the years.
Ned Randall
Another villain from The Next Karate Kid, Ned Randall is a much more personal villain for Julie Pierce. While the Karate Kid movies have never been particularly shy about showing toxic masculinity, Ned Randall is by far the worst (and arguably just as badly written) example in the franchise.
Unlike the likes of Kreese, Daniel, and even Mike Barnes, Ned Randall revels in being a scumbag. There's no "honor" or even skill to his bullying. He rides by on pure "charisma" that only works for the other outcasts in the Alpha Elites. Still, seeing where he ended up would be some schadenfreude.
Dutch
Dutch's most famous quote perfectly sums up Cobra Kai's teachings under Kreese: "Point or no points, you're dead meat.". It is very telling that Dutch is one of the few among Johnny's friends who never quite turned himself around. He was said to be in prison during Season 2 and seems to have been doing so over the years.
In real life, Chad McQueen (son of Steven McQueen) played Dutch, and he was simply busy while the second season was being filmed. With Johnny redeeming himself, maybe he can do the same for Dutch. Kreese might even meet a reformed Dutch in prison.
Darryl Vidal
Darryl Vidal is one of the rare non-Cobra Kai/Miyagi-Do champions shown in the series. Unlike Xavier Stone, his presence isn't played for laughs. He's one of the most serious fighters on the roster, despite his flashy style. Even Kreese found it in himself to compliment the guy.
It would be awesome to see him return because the world needs masters besides Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do people. Imagine how cool it would be if Daniel managed to recruit Darryl Vidal to his cause of fighting Cobra Kai. Plus, being a real martial arts practitioner IRL certainly helps Darryl's case.
Mike Barnes
One of the most deplorable villains in the series, Mike Barnes is one of the most violent thugs to ever grace the dojos of Cobra Kai. Specifically hired by Terry Silver, Mike Barnes makes his rivalry with Daniel very personal. Unlike Snake and Dennis, Mike Barnes is a legitimately skilled martial artist.
So skilled that he's a notorious karate champion, known for brutalizing opponents. Mike Barnes was the final boss of Daniel LaRusso and would be his final on-screen fight as a young man. With Daniel's not-so-subtle hint that Terry wasn't the last of the karate psychos from his past, he may show up soon.
Julie Pierce
Miyagi's final student in the Karate Kid timeline, Julie Pierce has the highest chance out of anybody to show up in the series. It's no secret that her movie wasn't exactly a favorite among fans. That said, Cobra Kai has shown that it can take silly concepts and run with them to show real stories.
After all, everybody else has this reverence for Miyagi, but Julie is one of the few to treat Miyagi rather casually. Daniel having someone else to bond with on Miyagi's teachings could be great for him. Julie would be perfect for that role, as someone who can see Daniel eye-to-eye on the topic as a fellow student.