With season four of Cobra Kai now out, all of the characters in it are continuing to improve their karate skills. Some have learned both Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang styles, extending their skills and becoming more balanced fighters. Others have continued to stick with Cobra Kai while learning to exploit the weaknesses of their enemies.
Now that Terry Silver is back, the Cobra Kai students are growing even stronger. There are plenty of strong fighters in the new generation, but the older generations have proven that they are still a force to be reckoned with. If anyone picks a fight with these characters, a tough confrontation is waiting.
Update on October 8, 2022, by Sarah Prado: With the fifth season of Cobra Kai out, fans are now eagerly waiting for the next season. There are plenty of fighters in the series, but there are some that just outshine most of them. Some familiar faces have come back and showed that they’re still just as good as they were in their younger years. The next generation has expanded and has new faces joining in, creating new rivalries and partnerships. These fighters are the best in the series thanks to their strength and skill, making them formidable opponents for anyone fighting them.
16 Kyler Park
Love him or hate him, it can’t be denied that Kyler is one of the best fighters in the show. Thanks to his wrestling background and natural talent, Kyler was able to pick up karate pretty easily. Before learning karate, he was able to put up a decent fight against Miguel back in the earlier seasons. Now that he’s learned some karate, he’s a pretty tough opponent, even against experienced fighters like Robby, Miguel, and Hawk.
However, these experienced fighters are still better than him in overall skill. Kyler was easily defeated by Hawk in the last All Valley Tournament and has lost against Robby and Miguel. He’s also lost against Kenny, who is still new to karate.
15 Mike Barnes
Even though he doesn’t fight anymore and is living a normal life, Mike Barnes proved that he still has some fight left in him. In his younger days, Mike was one of the best fighters in karate but did have a reputation for using underhanded tactics in matches. He was a very aggressive fighter and used his speed to do combinations that were hard to block. Mike defeated Daniel in one fight in the bonsai tree shop and nearly beat him a second time, but Mr. Miyagi stepped in and defeated him.
In Cobra Kai, it’s clear that Mike is a little rusty, but he’s not completely defenseless. He was able to hold his own against Chozen, who’s been keeping up with his karate training for decades. When he, Johnny, and Chozen went to Terry Silver’s house, Mike was able to fight and only got knocked out because one of the henchmen snuck up on him.
14 Chozen Toguchi
If fans thought Chozen was strong before, he proved just how strong he really is in Cobra Kai. He was Sato’s strongest student in his younger years and was a more aggressive fighter than Daniel. Being a student of Miyagi-Do, Chozen learned how to counterattack and has great defensive techniques. However, unlike Daniel, Chozen also learned the offensive side of Miyagi-Do, showing that he is probably the best fighter in the whole series.
Along with his karate techniques, Chozen is also very skilled at using his sai weapons. He was able to defeat Terry Silver, who was using a katana, but only lost because his back was turned. With his wide range of skills, it’s easy to see why Daniel asked Chozen for his help in taking down Cobra Kai.
13 Kim Da-Eun
Kim Da-Eun has only appeared in one season, but fans are hoping to see more of her in the future. Having been trained by her grandfather, Kim Sun-Yung, she has the same fighting style as Terry Silver and John Kreese. She is a very aggressive fighter, but she’s also smart and keeps her cool when fighting. Like Silver and Kreese, she’s merciless and not above fighting dirty and will use any means necessary to win.
She also isn’t afraid to use underhanded tactics and will try to get into her opponent’s head before the match if she can. Kim Da-Eun fought both Tory and Sam at the same time, then later fought Devon and Tory shortly after, showing her expertise and skill in karate.
12 Devon Lee
She’s only been learning karate for a short time, but Devon has quickly risen to be one of the best fighters in the new generation. Devon had no experience prior to joining Eagle Fang, but she was able to make it to the quarterfinals in the last All Valley Tournament after a few weeks of training. However, she still has trouble fighting against more experienced fighters like Sam and Tory.
Thanks to her training at Cobra Kai, Devon’s skills have greatly improved, and show her potential to be a great fighter. Her technique still needs a lot of work, but she has the determination to succeed and mentors willing to help her.
11 Kenny Payne
A fighter who started off as weak and meek but is now one of the best. Kenny doesn’t have much physical strength, but he has enough to get him by. His best asset is his speed and smaller height to his advantage when going up against bigger and stronger opponents. Thanks to Robby’s training, Kenny is able to do quick attacks that are pretty strong. He was able to make it to the quarterfinals in the last All Valley Tournament and only lost because Robby is more experienced.
With Terry Silver and Kim Da-Eun’s training, Kenny has become more aggressive and merciless against his enemies. Silver taught him the “Silver Bullet,” a technique in which the user strikes the opponent’s sternum and cuts off the air to their lungs. He was able to defeat Hawk using this technique and then later used it on Robby.
10 Demetri Alexopoulos
Demetri has come a long way since season one. He isn’t the most aggressive fighter, but he’s become one of Miyagi-Do’s best fighters, thanks to his technique. His defense is solid, and he’s able to counterattack when given a chance. He held his own against Hawk during the school fight and fought well against Robby in the 51st All Valley Karate Tournament.
What he lacks in natural talent for karate, he makes up for with his sharp mind and speed. He’s been able to work together with his fellow Miyagi-Do comrades and even his best friend Hawk with ease.
9 Samantha “Sam” LaRusso
As the daughter of Daniel LaRusso, it’s no surprise that Sam is one of the best fighters in Cobra Kai. With Miyagi-Do training, Sam is a solid fighter who has excellent defense and can be aggressive as well. She expands her skill set after learning from Johnny Lawrence and becomes a better striker. However, because she excels in both Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang karate, Sam can get confused about which style to use during fights.
After taking advice from her dad to just be her, Sam combined both styles to create her own. She was able to defeat Devon Lee during the fight for a spot in Sekai Taikai tournament even though Terry Silver paid the referee to let Cobra Kai cheat. Sam used precise strikes to make it undeniable that she earned points and helped Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang earn a spot.
8 Miguel Diaz
Miguel’s style is solid in both defense and offense. He can patiently wait to counterattack an aggressive opponent, and can also be a great offensive fighter. Compared to his peers, Miguel is the most well-balanced fighter. He doesn’t use flashy moves like Hawk or Robby and tends to use simple techniques and combos. Thanks to learning Miyagi-Do from Daniel, Miguel’s defense has gotten better and expanded his knowledge.
After season two, Miguel’s strength diminished due to his spinal injury. Most of his strength has returned since; however, his injury comes back to haunt him from time to time. He has to be careful not to get hit in the back and must use caution when performing moves where his body will twist a lot.
7 Robert “Robby” Keene
Like Miguel, Robby’s fighting style is on the basic side, but this makes him solid in both defense and offense. Thanks to his natural talent, he is able to put up a good fight against other fighters. Experienced in both Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai styles, Robby has a lot of skills at his disposal. While not as flashy as Hawk, he does the occasional high-risk move and is a little smoother while doing so.
However, his emotions can get the better of him. Even as skilled as he is, Robby also has trouble against opponents who are equal to him in skill. In season four, he and Hawk were equal throughout their match. However, Hawk proved to be the better fighter and was able to counterattack Robby’s high-risk moves.
6 Tory Nichols
Tory hasn’t had an easy life, but that’s the fire she uses in her fights. She started off only knowing kickboxing but has become one of Cobra Kai’s best students. She’s very aggressive and fights like her life depends on it. Her striking technique was a bit rough at the beginning but has improved a lot. Tory still seems to prefer using kicks during her fights. Even though Sam has trained longer than her, Tory is more than able to hold her own against her.
With her natural strength, speed, and aggression, Tory is one of the strongest fighters of the new generation. However, one thing that works against her is her anger. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword for her since it fuels her aggression in fights, but it can also lead to her being a little sloppy at times.
5 Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz
Like Demetri, Hawk has come a long way since season one. His fighting style is a little more flashy and high-risk compared to other new generation fighters. It also helps that he can be quite aggressive in his fights. While training under Cobra Kai, his defense was solid, but not the best. His offense is his greatest asset and what he tends to rely on when fighting.
However, Hawk's overreliance on offense has proven to be his downfall against opponents who have great defense, like Demetri and Miguel. Now that he’s trained under Daniel and learned Miyagi-Do, his defense has greatly improved. He’s more focused on technique, and his timing has improved when counterattacking.
4 John “Johnny” Lawrence
In his younger days, Johnny was considered the best student at Cobra Kai. He was an aggressive fighter that would overwhelm his opponents with his combos. Despite this aggression, Johnny doesn't attack mindlessly and keeps a pretty clear head in his fights. Now that he’s an adult, Johnny's skills are still great, but he’s more tactical now. Even though he’s more of an offense fighter, Johnny’s defense is also pretty good.
Now that he’s learned a little Miyagi-Do, his defensive skills are even better. Johnny has managed to stay on equal grounds against Daniel, but he does struggle at times against more experienced fighters like Kreese and Terry Silver.
3 Daniel LaRusso
Having trained under Mr. Miyagi for years, Daniel’s defense is among the best in the series. His offense is also pretty solid, but it mostly focuses on counterattacking. In his younger years, Daniel wasn’t physically the strongest fighter when compared to Johnny, Chozen, and Mike Barnes, but he made up for this in skill and technique. Because he’s not an aggressive person, he does struggle at first when fighting them, but he quickly collects himself and counterattacks them when given a chance.
In Cobra Kai, Daniel focuses on using defense and teaches his students this. However, in season three, Daniel was overwhelmed by Chozen’s better and more technical offense. He learned about using pressure points in fights, though he initially hesitates to use this.
2 John Kreese
Though he uses the Cobra Kai style of fighting, Kreese is a pretty well-balanced fighter. His offense is his best weapon, but his defense is also pretty solid. Like Johnny, Kreese manages to keep a clear head during his fights and doesn’t let his emotions get the better of him. His best weapon is his roundhouse kick.
Despite his skill and experience, Kreese was never able to defeat Mr. Miyagi, losing twice to him. Johnny was able to fight him on equal grounds. He was only defeated because Kreese attacked him after he showed mercy in season two and because he was distracted by Robby in season three.
1 Terry Silver
A co-founder of Cobra Kai, Terry’s offensive skills are among the best. In his younger days, he favored speed and power over defense. He normally overwhelms his opponents with his aggressiveness. However, against experienced fighters like Mr. Miyagi, Terry’s offense and lack of defense shows his weaknesses. In Cobra Kai, it seems he kept up his training and was able to defeat Johnny, who has been training since the beginning of the show.
Terry’s true talent lies in his ability to get into his opponent’s head. It’s clear that Daniel is still haunted by his time training under Terry. He’s good at reading his opponent’s weaknesses and uses this to his advantage.
The fifth season of Cobra Kai was released on September 9, 2022, and is available to stream on Netflix.