It may be over, but Cobra Kai never dies.
We're still celebrating the end of this show on Sweet N' Sour with the second ranking of the week. The best thing about Cobra Kai? The characters. Whether they originated in any of the Karate Kid movies or are born from the show, Cobra Kai is filled with memorable, compelling characters that make this series as great as it is. Season six especially had some interesting new additions and some great endings to our characters, so it drastically changed my ranking. That said, here are all the main characters from Cobra Kai, ranked worst to best.
24. Kwon Jae-Sung
Spoiler alert: the bottom of this list is a bunch of the new season six characters. Kwon is our big new Cobra Kai bully guy. In the first section of episodes, he is introduced as an arrogant, cocky jerk that, like everyone in this show, takes karate too seriously. Once he gets to the Seikai Taikai, he immediately clashes with our Miyagi-do characters. I found nothing compelling or interesting here. There is no backstory to reveal why he's like this. There's nothing redeeming about him at all. He's just one of these karate psychopaths, which makes him a bad character already...but his death feels like the laziest way to bring shock into the show. There's no emotional resonance. It just feels like they wanted to have a shocking moment, so they killed him off during the big Sekai Taikai fight. It was so stupid. I just hate this character.
23. Zara Malik
Very similar to Kwon is Zara. Kwon acts specifically as an enemy to Robby, really, and Zara acts as an enemy to Tory. She is horrible. They paint her as the most stereotypical, generic social media influencer (which, as a teenager myself, this is not how anyone acts in real life), and it is just cringe-worthy. On top of her ridiculously over-the-top social media thing, she is just a complete b**ch. Like, for no reason. The excuse for people being terrible can't just be that they train really hard or train under Silver or Kreese. Some characters have to have motivation besides just being pure psychopaths. And neither Kwon nor Zara do.
22. Sensei Wolf
The only reason I'm putting Sensei Wolf above those other two is because we understand him slightly more than Zara or Kwon. He is a low-level fighter looking for money, which is an easy position to manipulate. Of course, Silver is a master manipulator, so Wolf falls into his trap. I don't think that's a terrible idea for a character, but it's executed pretty poorly. Lewis Tan is not a good actor, and his line delivery is just as cartoonish as can be. Again, he just comes off as a complete jerk and psycho for no reason. Just because someone is connected to Silver should not make them as evil as he is. Especially when they aren't as well-developed and as awesome as Silver.
21. Axel Kovačević
Axel is another character who has an interesting concept that isn't executed well. He's this soft-hearted karate machine who does not want to go to the lengths that Wolf and Silver do, but is forced to. Between his jealousy towards Miguel and his abuse at the hands of his senseis, he really turns out as this brutish antagonist by the end of the show. I wish they had showed his soft side a little bit more than they do. He kind of stands up to Wolf in the end, but not enough for it to be satisfying. I was just not a fan of these new villains in season six, unfortunately.
20. Aisha Robinson
Aisha was a strange addition to Cobra Kai, because she never really got any characterization. She was kind of just there. Like it was cool that they had a girl be Johnny's second student, and some of the reactions that Johnny had to that were, of course, hilarious, but she never really did anything interesting. She started off as a character who showed that bullies come in all different shapes and sizes and that she was suffering from a different kind of bullying than Miguel, but once Cobra Kai became bigger, her character just disappeared. So there was potential here, but that's really all there was.
19. Kim Da-Eun
Kim is one of the few characters that I felt improved in season six. In the fifth season, she is introduced as a motivation-less psycho, which, as I've said throughout this ranking, I hate. But in season six, as we see her with Kreese rather than with Silver, we begin to see a bit more of a good side in her. Her relationship with Chozen, although weird, was kind of fun. You can see that she cares about her students even if she's hard on them, and I appreciated that. She is still not a great character. She really isn't even a good character. But she improved this season, so I had to sing her praises a bit.
18. Anthony LaRusso
If this ranking had been a few years ago, Anthony would've been dead last on this list. I despised his character for the first few seasons of this show. He felt forced and unnecessary. It was so strange to me that Daniel had such a good relationship with his daughter and never really focused on his asshat of a son. Then they made him Kenny's bully, which made me hate him even more. But they've done a somewhat good job of rectifying his character and making him more likable. I still don't like him that much, but I don't hate him as I once did. It feels like he fits in with the Miyagi-do characters
17. Demetri Alexopoulos
Demetri has had a very up-and-down history on this ranking. He is unbearable in the first few seasons of Cobra Kai. He's so whiny and annoying and just irritating overall. Even though he is meant to be a protagonist, he just comes off as the most unlikable guy. Seasons four and five fix him a bit as he actually joins Miyagi-do and becomes one of our main characters. He becomes more confident and less whiny...but season six reverts him into the whiny, annoying Demetri. Even at his highest, I've never been a huge fan of this character, and I think that his lows are really low, so I don't really like this guy.
16. Kyler Park
Our first bully on the show is a bit ridiculous, but I think Kyler works for the purpose he serves. He's not meant to be a big character with a personality and an arc. Unlike the season six "bullies", he's not really a complete psychopath. He just feels like an actual jerk who picks on Miguel. I think his character is strongest in season one. I'm a bit annoyed that he stays in the later seasons and joins Cobra Kai, and I don't think we needed him to return in season six as a good guy. He's an overused character, but he works as the main villain of season one, so for that, he gets a few points.
15. Devon Lee
Devon is another strange character, because she kind of came out of nowhere. It feels like her character is wholly unnecessary, but I enjoy her for what she is. She's this no-nonsense, fun, energetic presence that has been on Johnny's side since he started Eagle Fang. She felt like a very good side character, but I feel like she got promoted in season six to a main character when she didn't need to be. She embarrasses Kenny in a very cruel way just to get to the Sekai Taikai, and I felt like that was a pretty big leap for her character that I did not like or buy. I don't mind her, but she feels like another character who was hurt by season six.
14. Kenny Payne
I think Kenny works really well in season four, but beyond that, has really kind of faltered. You feel terrible for this kid when he is being bullied by Anthony, and I thought it was an interesting route to do the usual karate kid treatment (bullied kid learns karate and fights off said bullies) but have him go too far. Instead of being a Daniel or Miguel, Kenny joins Cobra Kai and becomes a villain. After that, though, they didn't really have a good place to go with him. They try to have some interesting dynamics with him and Robby, but nothing feels really that earned or satisfying with his character. And, like many, he has just a stupid plot line in season six that makes his character overall worse.
13. Raymond "Stingray" Porter
I was debating whether or not to include Stingray on this list, but it's my list, so I decided to. There are a few times where Cobra Kai takes itself too seriously. There are also times where it does not. Stingray is one of the cases where the show is kind of winking at the audience, and I think his character works as that. He is a fully grown man who is super into karate and Cobra Kai and wants to get involved in this karate war with a bunch of high schoolers. He's such a ridiculous character, but Paul Walter Hauser is so funny and he is written in such a goofy way that is somehow works. He's not great. He's not even in a lot of the show. But every time he appears, there's just an inevitable laugh, so, for that, I have to put him higher. I also love that he's a sensei for the new Cobra Kai. I think that's such a great final touch on his character.
12. Tory Nichols
Tory is another character who has had a very up-and-down history in my character ranking. She is introduced in season two as a season six-level psychopath. There is almost nothing redeemable about her character. She is just the worst...but then season three and especially season four do a much better job of fleshing her out and helping us understand why she acted like a whack job. I enjoyed her redemption in season five...but season six has her revert back to Cobra Kai. She doesn't go back to a psycho, but she goes backwards in her character arc, which is the opposite of what you should do when writing a character. I do like where they ended her, however. Beating up on Zara and essentially getting to take her place and make money as a social media influencer is a satisfying place to end Tory's character, so she went out on a high note.
11. Chozen Toguchi
One of the things I'm realizing while writing this ranking is that the show has a problem of keeping characters around for too long. I love Chozen in his first appearances in Cobra Kai. Bringing him back during the Okinawa plot in season three was fun, and I also enjoyed his return in season five. But as season five went on and as season six has gone on, I start to wish that we got a little less Chozen. He is such a fun, funny character that is also an incredibly skilled martial artist, and I think there's a lot to lean on there, but he's not meant to hold an entire plot line or have an arc. Sometimes, he gets too goofy (especially in season six), so it's knocked him down a bit for me. I still think he's a good character, but I wish I could love him as much as I did when he first came back in this show.
10. Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz
Hawk is another one of these characters that has gone back and forth because of his varying alliances. He was really the first character to become too confident and too "badass" when it came to actually using karate, and I think he's interesting for that. Sometimes, he went too far, but after season three, he comes back down to Earth. I enjoy his confidence and his "coolness", and I think it's fun to see this nerd turned karate badass really come into his own. Say it with me, though; he hasn't had a lot to do in season six. He is just constantly fighting with Demetri and bickering about college, and that is not interesting to me at all. I do think he's a good character, but he's definitely had some ups and some downs.
9. Samantha LaRusso
I've never loved Sam. I've always felt like she was a bit overdramatic and never really had one of the best arcs in a given season. She has never been one of my least favorites, either, though, so I'm putting her near the middle. I do enjoy that we have at least one character who has never switched sides, and I think that speaks to Sam as a whole; she is loyal. Despite dating both Robby and Miguel, she has always been loyal to her dad and her belief system, which I actually really appreciate. For that, I give her props. I also think her final decision to not fight in the Sekai Taikai is a really great capper to her arc. She's never been in this for any reason besides defending herself; it's never been about winning to her. So it makes sense for her not to fight Tory, and I think that shows her growth and maturity as a character. I loved that ending for her so much that it made me bump her up two spots from where I initially had her.
8. Amanda LaRusso
Amanda feels like the audience POV character of the show, and that's important, because Cobra Kai is very over-the-top. Amanda sees the whole karate war as completely ridiculous, and she feels like the grounding weight for Daniel and Johnny. She can be very funny at times while also providing some genuine wisdom and giving the audience a break from the cartoonish sides of the show. I appreciate that the writers have her operate as this character, because without Amanda, Cobra Kai would probably be too ridiculous and too cartoonish to be successful.
7. Carmen Diaz
Carmen feels a bit like Amanda with some more emotion tied into her character. At the end of the day, Cobra Kai is a show mainly about Johnny overcoming his struggles and becoming the best version of himself, and Carmen is one of the biggest parts of that. She is both the grounded, realistic anchor and the emotional anchor for Johnny, and she functions great as both. She cares about both Miguel and Johnny heavily, and we can see that in the things that she does. She advocates karate at times. She is against it when she sees it hurting her son or her boyfriend. The episode where she has trouble with the pregnancy in season six is one of the most emotionally harrowing episodes in the show. And she is one of the few characters to not be tainted by the final season. I really, really love her as a character, and I think she is one of the most underrated elements of Cobra Kai.
6. Robby Keene
Ranking these characters is so tough, because how good of characters they are varies from season to season. Robby starts off as our other karate kid in the first season, and we see him go from Daniel to Kreese to Johnny. His relationship with Johnny is one of the cores of the show, and I think resolving that is one of the best arcs that this series has had. However, they have resolved everything with Robby's character. He has found himself a family. He has reconciled with his dad. He has reconciled with Miguel. He isn't this lost soul that is trying a bunch of new things to feel like he has a purpose. Because all of his arcs and flaws feel like they have reached a satisfying point, his character seems to have reached a natural endpoint...yet there's still another season after all that. The initial part of season six felt like it was manufacturing conflict with Robby, but it resolved in such a satisfying way that I was okay with the direction it took. His final conversation with Johnny after he gets injured in his fight against Axel was incredibly emotional and, like Sam, shows us how much Robby has grown since the first season.
5. Terry Silver
Silver is a character drastically improved by Cobra Kai. We first learn that during The Karate Kid Part III he was hopped up on cocaine, which explains his insanity in that movie. But then, as the show goes on, we see this monster start to emerge as Silver is tempted back towards karate. As soon as that side of him takes over, he is much more menacing and scary than Kreese. This man will cross lines that no one else will cross to maintain power and keep Cobra Kai alive, and that is terrifying. Because of the fact that he has no boundaries and no limits, his presence makes the show feel more dangerous. He feels like the true villain of Cobra Kai, and his villainy really raises the stakes. I also think Thomas Ian Griffith is great at being smiley and charming while also being Terry-fying (you like that pun?) at the same time. Season six knocked him back a bit; I felt like his return was forced and his psychopath antics went a bit too far. Like, he was really going to kidnap Johnny's wife and infant daughter? C'mon. This guy is not Gus Fring. So, while I was a bit disappointed in his going too far in the final season, he is still a great, formidable bad guy.
4. John Kreese
Kreese is another one of these characters who is fully improved by Cobra Kai and the characterization they gave him. In the main Karate Kid movies, Kreese is a completely over-the-top character, but Cobra Kai grounds him a bit more. Although his backstory is ridiculous, we start to understand who he is. We start to understand that he does care about his students, even if he can be incredibly aggressive and violent. He is made to be a much more complex villain, which just makes him more interesting. You never know if you can trust him or if he has some secret plan that he is building up to, and I think that makes him one of the most fun characters on the show. His redemption at the end of the final season is incredibly satisfying, and I think they really landed the ship beautifully with him. Kwon's death finally shows him that he always leaves a path of destruction behind him, so he goes and tries to make amends as best he can. His conversation with Johnny during the final rounds of the Sekai Taikai was one of the most emotional moments on the show. He's a truly great villain with a truly great redemption.
3. Miguel Diaz
Miguel is easily Cobra Kai's best original character. He is this show's karate kid, but instead of being trained by Mr. Miyagi or some wise, old martial artist, he is trained by Johnny. And that is a lot of fun. Miguel and Johnny's dynamic is the heart of Cobra Kai, and, even in season six where things have gotten a bit over-the-top, every interaction with them is filled with heart. We see Miguel go through this journey of becoming confident and joining Cobra Kai and almost going too far...and then he breaks his back, which sets him entirely back and he has to overcome all adversity once again. You also see this kid desperate for a father figure, and you see Johnny really fill that void in multiple ways. He's just a great character, and he works as an emotional core for this show.
2. Daniel LaRusso
The original Karate Kid establishes Daniel LaRusso as one of the most fun, charming teenagers of the 80s, and Cobra Kai doesn't continue that route. I think that makes for a more interesting, layered character. Daniel is not always the good guy. He's not always right. He clashes with Johnny a lot, and, oftentimes, you are on Johnny's side rather than Daniel's. It's interesting to see Daniel struggle as a father and a mentor, and I think Cobra Kai mostly does a really good job of that. Like Robby, I was initially very frustrated with his characterization in season six. They show him obsessed with Mr. Miyagi's past and focused on winning this world tournament...but that was never what Mr. Miyagi's teachings were about, and, in the final episodes, Daniel realizes that. He takes a step back and realizes that he has done his job by spreading Miyagi-do across the world...but he also understands Johnny's need to win, and he wants to help him, so he helps restart Johnny Lawrence's Cobra Kai. And that was frickin' awesome. The original karate kid is still one of the best characters on this show. And only one character tops him.
1. Johnny Lawrence
How do you kick off a Karate Kid YouTube Red spin-off show right? Well, you make Johnny Lawrence your main protagonist. This guy is the heart and soul of this show. I love the characterization of him as this loser stuck in the 80s. He clearly peaked in high school, and Cobra Kai is about him getting his life back together. We see him as this lost soul looking for connection with his son. And, instead of getting that, he finds Miguel, which sets him on the path for reconnecting with Robby. Johnny's redemption is the story of Cobra Kai, and it's done in such a compelling and emotional way. We see him start to get his family back together and we watch as karate gives him a life. The final exclamation point on it is him redeeming himself from the All-Valley in 1984 by beating Sensei Wolf in front of the world cameras. He can be incredibly funny, but there are also tons of moments with his character that will make you cry. I just love everything about this character. It's so funny re-watching The Karate Kid with Cobra Kai existing and knowing who he becomes. Easily my favorite character on the show and truly one of my favorite TV characters of all time.
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