“I feel like Carmen is a character we really need in this (series),” says Vanessa Rubio, the actress who has endeared herself to Cobra Kai fans as Carmen, the fierce single mom of young karate whiz Miguel and love interest of Miguel’s teacher, more mature (sorta) karate whiz Johnny Lawrence.

“The fact that she is so fond of Johnny, who does have issues, who is growing up and evolving as we’re watching … the fact that this amazing woman likes him and cares that much about him, it gives us all permission to feel the way we do about him. (Her feelings) about him really do exemplify the surprise that everybody feels that like, “Oh Johnny, I didn't know you had it so rough all these years.”

Rubio, who Netflix viewers may recognize from other series on the streaming network, like Master of None, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (and, later this month, Season 2 of Bonding), went along with The Dipp on a deep dive of her character’s place in the Cobra Kai-verse.

From how she landed the role of one of the fabulous females who make it possible for the men of Cobra Kai to play their karate games and her own personal karate past to what motivates Carmen to be such a supermom and randy love interest for Johnny (oh, that sexy scene in Season 3!) and what she hopes to see for Carmen, Johnny, and Miguel in Season 4, the delightful Rubio shares it all.