15 Best Cobra Kai Characters (Ranked)

Cobra Kai is a few seasons deep and has faithfully picked up the storyline from the famous The Karate Kid movies in a way most people thought was not possible. So let’s look at this show and rank the best Cobra Kai Characters to see who the real Karate Kid is.

15. Anthony LaRusso

One of the few characters who doesn’t undergo any huge change throughout Cobra Kai, Anthony is Daniel’s son and doesn’t contribute much to the show apart from having some of the funniest lines.

Due to being spoiled, he is not living up to his father’s honor or abilities, instead deciding to be a smart mouth that is quite useless throughout.

14. Demetri Alexopoulos

Being encouraged to join the Cobra Kai dojo at the insistence of Eli, Demetri leaves not long after due to disagreeing with the Cobra Kai philosophy.

Demetri is used to be the moral compass of the group, often eschewing violence unless necessary.

After a run-in with Kreese, Demetri leaves Cobra Kai for the second time and joins Miyagi-Do. The conflicts between him and his former best friend, Hawk, grow worse until after several fights, Hawk breaks Demetri’s arm.

13. Kyler Park

A minor character but important foil for most of the show, Kyler is a bully whose defeat by Miguel shows several characters the possibility that karate can play in their lives.

One of his initial meetings with Miguel is the impetus for Miguel to seek out the help of Johnny. Eventually joining Cobra Kai himself, Kyler becomes even more ruthless and a bully, however, the more skilled fighters at the other dojo continue to beat him.

12. Eli Moskowitz 

Also known as Hawk, Eli is the main character that joins the Cobra Kai dojo after getting bullied.

Disturbed by the mentality of those at Cobra Kai, he joins the new dojo that is a result of Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang combining. His previous actions are not forgiven, and his new teammates are eager to seek revenge on him.

11. Aisha Robinson

A chubby and nerdy girl, Aisha undergoes a drastic transformation to become one of the best students at the Cobra Kai dojo.

Her friendships with people in both dojos allow her to be a mediator between the two warring factions, but her association with Cobra Kai makes it hard for her to be trusted by some. 

In the end, her ability to reason with others means she is respected both in and outside the ring.

10. Louie LaRusso Junior

The cousin of Daniel LaRusso is portrayed by Bret Ernst. While very impulsive and often his own worst enemy, the flipside of this is Louie’s outgoing nature that brings brightness to where he is.

A decision to torch Johnny’s car led to him being fired by Daniel, but eventually, he got his job back and the experience certainly matured him. However, his nature is that of a bully and childish except when it comes to matters of family

9. Chozen Toguchi

Playing a minor but important role in Cobra Kai, Chozen is the main antagonist to Daniel in The Karate Kid Part II, where he constantly bullies him during his stay on Okinawa.

Eventually becoming the sensei of the Miyagi-Do, Chozen appears in Season 3 of the show when Daniel is trying to save his car business by communicating directly with some Japanese suppliers. 

Despite Chozen’s hatred of Daniel, the time has softened his attitude and despite his great shame for the actions against Daniel all those years ago, Chozen now realizes how good Daniel is and they work together out of respect for Mr. Miyagi.

8. John Kreese

One of the main antagonists throughout the history of the Karate Kid universe, Kreese is a Vietnam vet suffering from unknown problems, causing him to be a center of conflict and bad influence throughout the series.

Not learning from his previous defeats at the hands of Mr. Miyagi, Kreese continues to push his students into the no mercy style that made him infamous and broke Johnny.

While fleeing from the valley after the events of the movies, he returns to Cobra Kai to take back his dojo from Johnny. 

7. Robby Keene

Like Tory, Robby is a bit of a loose cannon and is also the estranged son of Johnny. While eventually maturing after training with Daniel, he has some very ugly incidents where his temper gets the better of him.

Almost paralyzing Miguel after kicking him off a balcony, Robby is hot-headed and often barges into situations without first understanding everything is going on. The conflict between him and Johnny eventually leads to Robby joining Cobra Kai under Kreese.

His abilities in martial arts cannot be denied, with him forming a fierce rivalry throughout the series. However, Robby’s inability to deal with his emotions sees him getting into needless fights and overreacting instead of approaching the situation calmly.

6. Amanda LaRusso

A completely underrated character on the show, Amanda is Daniel’s wife and provides the much-needed guidance and advice that Daniel is missing in his life since Mr. Miyagi’s passing.

She is the voice of reason, defusing many situations before they explode, and imposing fair punishments on those who have done wrong, such as by grounding Sam when it is revealed that she was involved in the hit and run on Johnny’s car.

5. Samantha Larusso

One of the main characters of Cobra Kai and the daughter of Daniel, her initial fighting career is marred by the fight with Tory, and she becomes unable to defend herself without having anxiety attacks.

The drama between the members of the various dojos sees her eventually conquer this fear, with a little help from Johnny.

The injuries and near-death experiences cause Sam to give up karate, although some important perspective given by her father causes her to get back into training.

Eventually, she meets up with her rival Tory in the All-Valley Tournament, ultimately losing because Kreese and Terry Silver bribed the referee. 

Seen as the spiritual successor to Daniel due to her temperament and skill in karate, she has a lot of drama surrounding her due to the perils of young love, and the various characters around her who don’t know how to deal with issues like adults.

4. Tory Nichols

Being one of Kreese’s main students at the revamped Cobra Kai dojo, Tory is very dangerous throughout most of the series, at one point even trying to kill Samantha. 

Personal grudges and lack of maturity lead to Tory getting in a large fight at school, eventually leading to her expulsion and a criminal record. This causes further issues as she is the primary breadwinner in the family, and finds it hard to hold a job.

However, her penchant for erratic behavior and violence as well as lack of a background on her makes her one of the least relatable characters in the show. She does inject a bit of spice into every scene she’s a part of.

3. Daniel LaRusso

While still a fan favorite, the Cobra Kai version of Daniel is an older, family man. He runs an auto dealership with his family and has given up karate, although his meetings with Johnny and former villain John Krease inspire him to open Migagi-Do dojo.

While initially trying to run Johnny out of town, he eventually realizes after being chastised by his wife, that he needs to take a hard look at his own life, visiting Mr. Miyagi’s grave to get some guidance, at which point he resumes his training.

Conflicts with his family, school, and the legacy of Cobra Kai confront Daniel, but he draws on lessons from Mr. Miyagi to turn it all around.

2. Miguel Diaz

A neighbor of Johnny and a victim of bullying, Miguel becomes Johnny’s first student.

Unfortunately, old habits die hard and Miguel gets influenced by the old, toxic Cobra Kai mentality, causing his relationship with Samantha to break down and a rivalry with Johnny’s son Robby Keane starts to get out of control.

Miguel’s own character arc is a fascinating one, as the secrets and histories between his mentor Johnny and the rival school run by Daniel cause all kinds of conflicts, let alone the teenage drama that comes along with young love.

However, the influence of Mr. Miyagi and his legacy begins a change in Miguel, and he becomes more empathetic and open-minded.

1. Johnny Lawrence 

A surprising choice for many who only know the original Karate Kid franchise, Johnny has gone through a big transformation. Switching from antagonist to protagonist, his life took a turn for the worst after the events depicted in the movies.

Eventually, Johnny reopens the Cobra Kai Dojo and becomes a sensei, bringing his new attitude to training the next generation. After going through several years of rough times due to alcoholism and other debauchery, a chance encounter with Daniel starts a rebirth.