‘How I Met Your Mother’ Season 9 Spoilers: ‘Karate Kid’ William Zabka To Guest Star; Friends With Robin Sparkles?

“How I Met Your Mother” is continuing to stack up their season 9 guest stars. The latest face to be added to the final season of the hit CBS series is actually a familiar one – “Karate Kid” star William Zabka.

Zabka, the “villain” from “The Karate Kid,” made an appearance is season 8 of “How I Met Your Mother” at Barney’s (absolutely) terrible bachelor party. Now Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Zabka will appear as himself in “at least” eight episodes this season.

The site reports that creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas had hoped to keep the “Karate Kid” appearance a secret, but it was spoiled by a main cast member … Robin’s Cobie Smulders!

On Sept. 13, Smulders tweeted an Instagram photo with the following question: “Would you buy this bands album?”

The photo shows Zabka next to Smulders … who’s dressed not as her pop star alter-ego … but the darker Robin Daggers!

Although it has yet to be confirmed, “How I Met Your Mother” fans have speculated that Robin Sparkles would be returning for one last hurrah in the ninth and final season. Smulders even dished to IGN that she thinks Robin’s teen alter-ego should come back in “some way,” but was uncertain how.

The actress suggested that “a song to the groom at the wedding” could potentially happen, but we have our own theories.

As previously mentioned, William Zabka was introduced in season 8 when the gang hatched a plan to throw Barney the worst bachelor party ever. Knowing that Barney always wanted to meet the “real” “Karate Kid,” the group invited Ralph Macchio. And although Macchio did appear as himself, he wasn’t the “real” “Karate Kid” that Barney wanted to meet – it was really William Zabka.

Barney did end up getting to meet Zabka, and according to EW, the reason that he will be in approximately eight episodes is that he’s going to become Barney’s friend in the ninth season. But how did Robin and the gang manage to introduce Zabka to Barney? We’re thinking its through Robin’s old pop star connections.

In a previous season it was revealed that Robin was friends with Alan Thicke, so being old friends with William Zabka wouldn’t be that much of a stretch!

“How I Met Your Mother” season 9 premieres on Monday, Sept. 23 with a special hour-long episode. Will you be tuning in? Let us know your theories on Robin Sparkles and William Zabka in the comments section below.