These "Cobra Kai" characters can throw down! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at win records, skills, and feats to highlight the “Cobra Kai’s” best fighters.
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00:00I have waited a long time for this, Chota.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we're looking at win records, skills, and feats to highlight
00:09the Cobra Kai's best fighters. Although we loved Mr. Miyagi, we'll only focus on characters who
00:16appear outside of flashbacks. Since we'll be talking about where all the fighters stack up
00:21to each other by the end of Season 6 Part 1, beware of major spoilers ahead.
00:27This is where Miyagi-Do ends.
00:32Number 30. Brux.
00:34You, big boy.
00:36This character started out as a bulky and dim-witted tormentor who made life hell for
00:40people like Hawk. However, Brux turned into a big punching bag after his victims started
00:45learning the Cobra Kai karate style. The former villain got beaten to a pulp by both Miguel and
00:50Hawk. Although Brux seemed like he'd fade into the background after his last loss,
00:55he returned for a fraternity brawl in Season 6. When his allies needed help,
00:59he was able to charge into battle and take a few college-aged dudes down by himself.
01:04We're still not sure how Brux would measure up against anyone who actually knows karate,
01:08but we still wouldn't mind having him back us up in a fight.
01:11Where's Brux?
01:17Get Brux!
01:19Number 29. Nathaniel, aka Nate.
01:22While this Miyagi-Do student doesn't always stand out among the ensemble,
01:26he has a surprisingly decent resume.
01:32He beat his rival Burt in a one-on-one match while he was still a relative newbie.
01:36After undergoing more training, Nate was chosen to participate in the skills competition for the
01:40All-Valley tournament. Although he didn't make it past Octo-Finals, he got credit because he
01:46had to face the extremely skilled Kenny. Nate continued to hone his skills and was even considered
01:51to be one of Miyagi-Do's top 12 fighters in Season 6. While he may never hold a first-place
01:57trophy, we'll still give him an award for dealing out some of the series' best insults.
02:06Number 28. Anthony LaRusso.
02:09When this spoiled kid started learning karate, we weren't sure if he'd ever be a real contender.
02:14He had a record for deceiving people and attempting to cheat his way around training.
02:21But once Anthony started taking karate seriously, it became clear that he had a natural talent and
02:30plenty of wit. He was the mastermind who helped his entire dojo pass Sensei Chosen's test.
02:40And after making it to the top 12 of Miyagi-Do, he overcame Nate in a direct duel.
02:45Anthony still needs a lot more fighting experience before he can rise up the ranks,
02:50but he does have the potential to outwit and outmatch opponents in the future.
02:58Number 27. Mitch.
03:03You can call him Muscles, or use one of his more insulting nicknames,
03:07but what you can't do is completely disregard this fighter. Over the seasons,
03:12Mitch has spent time learning offensive techniques from Cobra Kai and Eagle Fang
03:16and took defensive lessons from Miyagi-Do. He's also held his own against tough opponents,
03:20like Chris. Unfortunately for Mitch, he's racked up tons of losses across all six seasons.
03:26It's possible that he could still beat a smaller opponent or someone who has less battle experience.
03:32Mitch just needs to really apply his muscles and the skills he's gained to improve his reputation.
03:37Number 26. Aisha Robinson.
03:53At the beginning of Cobra Kai, Aisha was a reserved student who was constantly harassed
03:57by her peers, but she proved to be a formidable fighter when she joined Cobra Kai. After beating
04:03Miguel in a sparring match, she quietly rose up the ranks within the dojo.
04:13She was even good enough to compete in the quarterfinals at her very first All Valley
04:16Karate Tournament. Unfortunately, we don't get to see much of Aisha fighting outside the dojo
04:21after she lost to a former champ, and we're unsure if she's kept up with her training enough to take
04:26down Miyagi-Do slash Eagle Fang students. But judging by the brutal beatdown she dealt out
04:31in the season two finale, she's still got some fight left. Number 25. Sean Payne.
04:46One of the toughest guys in Robbie's juvenile detention center was unquestionably
04:50Sean. Once the tension between the two reached a boiling point, they threw down in a very vicious
04:55brawl. Sean impressively held his own during the entire bout with a trained Miyagi-Do fighter who
05:00was taking on martial arts champions. Three seasons later, he was able to slip past his
05:06rival's defenses during a heated clash. Sean was also able to hold his own against Miguel and Robbie
05:12at the same time. If this elder Payne ever committed to a karate dojo, he would become
05:17one of the Valley's top contenders. Number 24. Piper Ellsworth. A talented gymnast became one
05:30of Cobra Kai's most promising new recruits. After Piper joined the dojo, she showed off her physical
05:35skills and ability to get into people's heads. She also proved she could effortlessly combine
05:40gymnastic moves with martial arts. Although we knew she could make Tori sweat, we never expected
05:49her to achieve so much in the climactic competition. Piper was able to land a blow on a vastly more
05:55experienced opponent who had almost never lost a serious fight before that point.
06:05Over the span of just a few episodes, she's already proved to be an innovative combatant
06:09who can go against a few of the show's fiercest fighters. Despite being absent from the match for
06:14over a season, we still think she'd still be trouble for competitors. Number 23. Bobby Brown,
06:23Jimmy, and Tommy. Decades after stepping away from Cobra Kai, this trio reunited with Johnny
06:29for a sad occasion. After Tommy discovered he didn't have long to live, he got the gang back
06:35together for one last hurrah. The quartet eventually ended up making some new enemies
06:39at a watering hole. We expected Johnny to do well,
06:53however, we were pleasantly surprised when the rest of the trio tapped into their old skills
06:58and managed to hold their own. Now, of course, it's unclear how any of them would fare against
07:03fighters who kept up with their training through adulthood, but we know for sure that they gave
07:07Tommy an excellent send-off by getting into one last brawl together. Number 22. Raymond,
07:18a.k.a. Stingray. Raymond, a.k.a. Stingray, initially seemed like a comic relief character
07:29who was obsessed with joining Cobra Kai. Although he's still the butt of many of the show's jokes,
07:34he's also a pretty decent fighter. Stingray was clever enough to outwit every other Cobra Kai
07:39during the famous Coyote Creek competition. He took on multiple Miyagi-dos and crushed a
07:54quartet of Cobra Kais. Since most of his most impressive feats are against younger and nameless
07:59karate students, it's hard to tell if he could beat the show's serious fighters. But Stingray
08:05was able to survive a beating from the extremely dangerous Terry Silver, and he was able to easily
08:10defeat his angry neighbor with barely any effort. Stingray could become more than a joke one day.
08:16Number 21. Chris. Although Chris doesn't always get a lot of time to shine, he has quietly become
08:38a serious contender. After leaving Cobra Kai, he was able to completely switch his style and learn
08:43Miyagi-do. Chris also has a talent for using literally any item as a melee weapon to get the
08:49other hand. While he doesn't have a lot of major victories under his belt, he's able to keep up
09:04with a lot of serious threats. He once came extremely close to beating top Cobra Kai student
09:09Kyler during a competition. It's only a matter of time before Chris blows everyone away with his
09:13skill and strength alone. Number 20. Kyler Park. Kyler's fighting journey throughout Cobra Kai
09:32has been an absolute rollercoaster. Although he used to be one of the biggest school tormentors,
09:37he severely pulled back after Miguel beat him. After Kyler enlisted in Cobra Kai,
09:41he became enough of a threat to seriously injure his old rival.
09:52While he had a long losing streak for a while, he bounced back enough to defeat students like Chris
09:57before immediately losing to Eli. The only consistent thing about Kyler is his overconfidence.
10:03But on the rare occasions when Kyler's properly motivated, he can fight at a champion level while
10:09easily dispatching chumps. Number 19. Devon Lee. Few fighters have advanced as quickly as Devon
10:25has. As soon as this debater joined Eagle Fang, she proved that she was a fast learner who was
10:30ready and willing to compete. Devon's ambition took her all the way to the quarterfinals match,
10:45where she was pitted against the fearsome Tory. Although she wasn't able to score any clean
10:50points, she didn't make it easy for the Queen of Cobra Kai to win the match. While she was
10:55bouncing around dojos, she rose to the top six of Miyagi-Do, knocked Hawk down, and was
11:01temporarily chosen to represent Cobra Kai. Devon's wide range of studies may allow her to finally get
11:07a top-shelf win under her belt soon. Number 18. Kenny Payne.
11:25When Kenny first attempted to join Cobra Kai, he was too scared to stand his ground.
11:33But after learning how to harness his speed, he started fighting back. Kenny quickly was
11:38able to turn the lessons he learned against his tormentors. He also became skilled enough
11:42to make it to the quarterfinals during his very first All-Valley tournament.
11:55Kenny went on to be a top Cobra Kai fighter that caught Kyler off guard and overcame Hawk. However,
12:01the young fighter still struggles to beat more experienced fighters without resorting to dirty
12:06tactics. Additionally, Kenny's rage and reliance on Cobra Kai leaves him open for a Miyagi-Do upset.
12:13Kenny needs to center himself and learn more to keep growing. Number 17. Xander Stone.
12:25While Xander Stone's extremely sensitive and empathetic nature made him look like a pushover,
12:32he's a seriously good fighter. After beating numerous opponents to win the All-Valley
12:36Karate Tournament, he returned to defend his title. Xander was able to defeat Aisha in the
12:52quarterfinals by paying attention and making a decisive move. His acrobatic fighting style also
12:58makes it hard for his opponents to predict what he'll do next. Although he ultimately wasn't able
13:02to reclaim his title, there's no reason to think that he can't make a comeback one day. Xander
13:07just needs to spend more time in the dojo and less time working on overly sentimental speeches.
13:12Please join me in a moment of silence as we strive to end intolerance in our time.
13:18Number 16. Yun Do-Jin.
13:30Although we don't know how many fights this martial artist has won over the years,
13:34we know he was once the top student in Master Kim Sung-Yong's dojo. Yun's extensive training
13:40taught him how to penetrate defensive styles and leave opponents too damaged to continue.
13:45Although Yun was once the best, he has struggled to keep up with his competition.
13:50His tendency to stick to what he knows could hold him back if a foe sees his offensive style coming
13:56and counters accordingly. And Yun has lost when he's gotten too cocky. This top student's history
14:02could lead to a future where he becomes a success or a disappointment to his dojo.
14:10Number 15. Dimitri Alexopoulos.
14:25Since Dimitri wasn't welcome at Cobra Kai, he asked Daniel LaRusso to teach him Miyagi-Do karate.
14:30Although he wasn't the best student in the dojo, he didn't give up on his training.
14:34Dimitri's hard work really paid off for the first time when he managed to defeat
14:38his much stronger friend in a one-on-one fight. After the two resolved their issues,
14:48they were able to evenly fight alongside each other as a badass duo. Dimitri reached new heights
14:53after he made it to the All-Valley quarterfinals. While he didn't beat their best fighter, he ended
14:58up improving enough to qualify for the Sekai Taikai. And he's held his own against groups
15:04of opponents multiple times. Could Dimitri hold a championship title in the future?
15:09Number 14. Tori Nichols.
15:17On her very first day at Cobra Kai, Tori challenged the top student to a one-on-one
15:22fight. As soon as she took him down to the mat, we knew another fierce fighter had entered the
15:26dojo. Tori's toughness and ruthlessness made her stand out immediately. Although she tried
15:32to leave the no-mercy philosophy behind, she's still absolutely vicious to her opponents.
15:46Tori's considerable skills took her all the way to the finals of the All-Valley.
15:50Since the referee of the match was bribed, her victory over her fearsome rival, Sam,
15:54has a huge asterisk over it. But Tori did bounce back. She learned Miyagi-Do,
16:00qualified for the Sekai Taikai, and became the female captain of Sensei Kreese's international
16:06Cobra Kai team. Number 13. Kwon Jae-Sung.
16:10This hothead made a strong first impression by executing a powerful karate move that was not
16:15approved by his senseis. From that point on, Kwon continued to amaze us. The cocky martial artist
16:26voluntarily fought Yoon and two other classmates without backup. After easily wiping the floor
16:32with his three foes, he became the top fighter of the international Cobra Kai team. Yoon's
16:37no-mercy style and ability to clearly defeat the strongest fighter around makes him dangerous.
16:43His ability to channel his rage without losing his cool also makes him a brutal wildcard.
16:49If Kwon's foes can keep him at bay with defensive techniques, they may stand a chance. Without an
16:55ace up their sleeves, this martial artist will destroy them. Number 12. Eli Moskowitz, aka Hawk.
17:15Eli was once a Cobra Kai student whose fighting style was as wild as his haircut.
17:19He loved dominating his opponents as much as he loved showing off his back tattoo.
17:23But after Eli realized he had let his rage and darkness take over, he decided to get a
17:28fresh start with his real friends. Like Miguel, his journey back to the light side involved
17:33learning Miyagi-Do karate. Eli was so excellent that he reached the All-Valley finals and faced
17:44Robby. After combining his new skills with his Cobra Kai training, he soared as the new champion.
17:50Admittedly, Hawk has suffered a couple of shocking defeats since his big win,
17:55but he's still got the heart and skills of a champion.
18:07Number 11. Samantha LaRusso.
18:16Being the daughter of a former karate champion certainly has its advantages.
18:20Not only can Sam fight well, but she knows how to analyze her opponent's combat styles for
18:24weakness. Her brains and brawn made fighting multiple Cobra Kais, including the fearsome
18:29Hawk, easy for her. Sam was also cool-headed and skilled enough to beat a weapon-wielding
18:34torii in combat. If all that wasn't enough, Sam is on the way to mastering offensive and
18:40defensive techniques. Although she can be a little
18:49immature in daily life, she brings nothing but experience and poise to her fights. She's
18:54beaten Hawk, knocked adults down, and has trounced multiple female fighters on her level.
19:00Tangling with Sam will usually lead to your defeat.
19:10Number 10. Robby Keene.
19:20Shortly after Robby started learning Miyagi-Do style, he entered the All-Valley Karate Tournament.
19:29He was such a fast learner and natural talent that he was able to make it to the finals and
19:33nearly win. But Robby's true power is his determination. He will absolutely not give
19:45up on a fight, no matter what the odds. Robby has fought while outnumbered, taken on older
19:49opponents, and even went into a tournament match with an injured arm. There's practically nothing
19:54he can't achieve, if he's balanced. When Robby lets his darkness and anger take over, it usually
20:00leads to disaster. But when he collects himself, he can pull off miraculous feats and reach heights
20:06he only dreamed of. Number 9. Miguel Diaz.
20:15If you were to go back in time and tell Miguel what he would accomplish as a Cobra Kai student,
20:26he probably wouldn't believe you. He went from a nerdy fighting enthusiast to a warrior who
20:31could easily fend off multiple large opponents at once. Miguel also defeated great fighters like
20:36former champion Xander and Miyagi-Do prodigy Robby to win the All-Valley Karate title.
20:45Although Miguel got a serious upgrade when he started learning Miyagi-Do,
20:53his struggles to balance both sensei's teachings and back injury limited him. And even after
20:59overcoming physical obstacles, his mental struggles have caused him to fall short. But Miguel's lengthy
21:05winning record and ability to handle multiple assailants still puts him on top of the younger
21:10generation. Number 8. The five Cobra Kai senseis. It's hard to tell how each of these brutal martial
21:21artists stack up against each other, but the group's feats as a whole give us a good indication
21:26of their individual levels. When Chosen and Johnny came to investigate Cobra Kai's shady tactics,
21:33Hyun-Woo was able to hold them off. Sensei Odell easily blocked or avoided most of Kenny
21:38and Kyler's blows when they were assigned to attack him. Min-Jun's use of a sword also suggests
21:44that the five martial artists might also have weapons training. While none of them were able
21:48to surpass any of the show's adult heroes, these senseis can still keep the protagonists on their
21:54toes. Number 7. Kim Da-Un. Whenever this fighter appears in a Cobra Kai setting, it is clear that
22:16she holds a higher rank than 90 percent of the senseis in the room. This is likely due to the
22:22fact that she spent a lifetime training with an intimidating master. Kim Da-Un's brutal years of
22:27training turned her into a ruthless taskmaster that does not hold back against adults or students.
22:33She's also held off the strongest female fighters without breaking a sweat. Since Kim didn't spar
22:38with any adult foes during season five or six part one, we're still curious to see how she
22:44compares to someone like Johnny. We're confident this merciless martial artist would teach any
22:49opponent the meaning of pain. Number 6. Mike Barnes. There's a reason they used to call him
23:08Karate's bad boy. Although he stepped away from karate for decades, he kept up with a seasoned
23:13sensei during his first fight on the show. Barnes also proved to be a valuable asset in a climactic
23:19brawl. He easily took a Cobra Kai sensei down with a few moves. While Mike spent most of the
23:25fight unconscious due to a cheap shot, he later returned and easily destroyed two highly trained
23:31combatants. The first part of season six showed us his current limits by having him get completely
23:36overwhelmed by Johnny. Despite the recent loss, Mike's strong performance overall makes us wonder
23:43what would happen if he took a break from business to hone his considerable skills.
23:50Number 5. John Kreese. After serving the USA in the Vietnam War, a battle-hardened John Kreese
24:05co-founded Cobra Kai. He promotes a brutal fighting philosophy that tells students to
24:10strike their opponents before they can retaliate. Kreese also has such a wicked temper that he
24:15nearly ended the lives of multiple people outside of the war. But his ideology and
24:20attitude aren't the only dangerous things about him. Despite being in his seventies,
24:32Kreese was still able to keep up with senseis like Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso.
24:37He also beat a group of prison inmates senseless while only taking a few hits.
24:42If you're reckless enough to underestimate Kreese in a fight,
24:45this old man won't be likely to show you mercy.
24:59Number 4. Johnny Lawrence.
25:01Decades after Johnny Lawrence lost his shot at a third consecutive All-Valley title,
25:12the Miyagi-Do Sensei has proven that he's still a threat in the present.
25:24Johnny has absolutely no problem beating multiple opponents at the same time.
25:29He was also able to surpass his former master and fight evenly with Daniel in modern times.
25:34Although Johnny has also picked up defensive moves from his rival,
25:37he still needs more practice before he's considered an expert in multiple styles.
25:42Even without achieving mastery, he's solidified his reputation as a top adult fighter.
25:47Johnny even held his own against five Cobra Kai senseis at once. We wouldn't be surprised
25:52if he becomes enough of a beast to finally defeat his old rival, Daniel.
25:59Number 3. Terrence Terry Silver.
26:10Underneath Terry Silver's seemingly charming smile lies one of the most threatening fighters
26:14you'll ever meet. The cold and calculating villain is a Cobra Kai master who does not
26:19believe in showing mercy to opponents. Silver has absolutely no problem fighting dirty,
26:25targeting weaknesses, and manipulating others if it means achieving victory.
26:29His vicious personality and martial arts style enables him to obliterate opponents at a moment's
26:34notice. While we expected him to decimate Stingray, we didn't expect the sensei's
26:46most terrifying feat. Silver easily beat Johnny Lawrence to a pulp in season four.
26:51The villain also defeated an off-balance Daniel at one point.
26:55Since Silver is willing to do anything to win, no one should underestimate this Cobra.
27:01Number 2. Daniel LaRusso.
27:09This fighter needs little introduction. Daniel LaRusso became a local legend after
27:14defeating Cobra Kai's top student at the All-Valley Karate Tournament in the 1980s.
27:18After taking the title for a second time, he let martial arts take a backseat in his life.
27:23But Daniel got back into the fighting spirit when Cobra Kai returned.
27:34He's taken on multiple opponents at a time, defeated John Kreese,
27:38and fought Johnny Lawrence to a stalemate. Daniel's willingness to learn new techniques
27:43allowed him to instantly incorporate Eagle Fang's offensive style after a single day's training.
27:48Secret Miyagi-Do moves he's learned allow him to overwhelm most opponents.
27:53When the former karate kid struck Silver down,
27:56we knew he'd become a master martial artist as an adult.
28:18Number 1. Chozen Taguchi.
28:33At a young age, Chozen became an intimidating fighter that no one in the Tomi village would
28:37cross. He turned his life around after losing a climactic duel against Daniel LaRusso.
28:43While Chozen may have lost to Mr. Miyagi's prized student in the past,
28:46things are very different now. He narrowly outclassed and overpowered Daniel during
28:57multiple sparring matches. Chozen's weapon mastery also gives him a slight edge over
29:02his former rival. Speaking of other fighters, he pulled off a Johnny-like feat by beating
29:07multiple senseis. Chozen also backed Silver into a corner like Daniel did.
29:13The Miyagi-Do master only lost because his foe cheated. In a fair fight,
29:18Chozen has a good chance of beating Terry and most of the show's fighters.
29:31Who's your favorite Cobra Kai fighter? Let us know in the comments below!
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