If it’s Cobra Kai till we die, then who would you want to ride with through it all?
The thrilling — and yes, sometimes hokey — series based on the Karate Kid movies has captured the hearts of fans new and old alike, bringing nostalgia full circle and setting up a series that so far has been able to seamlessly cycle in new characters while fleshing out the backstories of the established cast.
If we were to transport ourselves into the world of Cobra Kai (and now that Cobra Kai dojo itself has gone full circle back to being evil, do we call it Eagle Fang now? Miyagi Do?), who would we most like to hang out with? Who’s back would we have? Where would we side?
As we sit and meditate (and maybe wash some cars) waiting for season five to roll around, let’s take a gander at the characters that we like the most, with the caveat that most of them are and/or were kids, so let’s not take this too seriously, shall we?
Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio)
First off, we love Ralph Macchio, and even like Daniel-san quite a bit.
But jeez, can the dude drop the bag, repeatedly, and contradict himself, and just not stay out of his own way.
Sure, his heart is in the right place, but for a full-grown man who built himself an automobile enterprise, he sure is heavily reliant on Mr. Miyagi to decide things for him way too much. We keep half expecting a force ghost of Miyagi to show up and slap Daniel-san and say, “I gave you all the lessons and knowledge already decades ago, think for yourself man!”
And we’ve got to add that Barney Stinson’s (Neil Patrick Harris) hatred of Macchio and Daniel San and his love of Johnny and William Zabka definitely changed our perspective on the whole thing as well (from How I Met Your Mother).
John Kreese (Martin Kove)
A bad, bad man. Depending on your scope and perspective, that’s either a wicked thing, or a cool thing, but based on his history and treatment of underage kids (damn did that dude scar Johnny), we’re gonna put him in the former category.
The things Kreese does wouldn’t be out of place on Better Call Saul, actually, as he deceives an adult Johnny, secretly steals his dojo and manipulates him into thinking he’s homeless and down on his luck, then turns his own students and even his dojo entirely against him, pushing Jonny to dark places all over again.
Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith)
Another character who seems to relish being a bully to kids, even as he becomes a well-adjusted adult. It doesn’t take much for him to turn to the dark side all over again, teaming up with Kreese and lusting after taking down a now-adult Daniel-san.
What is it with these adults holding grudges against kids into their own adulthood?
Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser)
Sam is so close to being cool, which seems to be a main reason why fans love to hate her.
She’s a kid who didn’t want to follow in her dad’s footsteps and who tries to follow her heart, only to be burned again and again.
She has to see multiple people she loves get bruised and battered, both emotionally and literally, while her dad can’t seem to be consistent enough to be there for her when she really needs him.
Look at how the LaRusso kiddos turned out, and is it any wonder why they suffer some instability?
Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan)
It makes sense why Robby has such a hard time trusting anyone with the way both his mother and father have faded in and out of his life.
Still, the dude sure knows how to be stubborn as hell (like his dad) and even teams up with some pretty awful folks to spite the people trying to love him.
He didn’t mean to break Miguel’s back, but when Miguel reaches out a hand of kindness instead of hurting him, and Robby uses that moment to get in another swing is enough for us not to trust him at all.
Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz (Jacob Bertrand)
Listen, we love Hawk. We love the way he flips the script and channels his inner self to avoid relying on the judgement and perspective of others, and instead defines who he is for himself.
But the way he treats his best friend, Demetri, the way he constantly pushes people away and how he embraces the dark side before finally coming around again leaves us not trusting him to ride or die.
It’s not uncommon for those who are bullied to become bullies themselves, but how do we know he won’t pull a gotcha again?
Tory Nichols (Peyton List)
Well, this is the point in the list where we realize Cobra Kai really likes to give its kids a shit-ton of baggage to lug around and sort through.
Tory is on the brink of likeability. Her struggle is real, as she has to work her ass off to support herself and her mom. She’s been dealt a tough hand in life.
Yet, anyone who wields a weapon during hand-to-hand combat can’t be too high on our list. Just like when someone pops out a knife or gun in a fistfight, it’s just not honorable unless you’re literally fighting for your life.
When she scars Sam and is willing to really inflict genuine and possibly mortal harm on her nemesis, she goes a bit too far.
We like that she is willing to open up her heart even as it keeps getting trampled on, and she seems like she’d have your back once you were on the same side no matter what, but we can’t shake the image of her ready to fight with guns blazing.
Carmen Diaz (Vanessa Rubio)
She doesn’t get a ton to do in the show, but she makes the most of the time she gets.
From her family loyalty, to her embracing and trying to lift up those around her, Carmen never turns heel or acts out of character. We respect that, and we’d have her line up on our side anytime.
The fact that she’s understanding, even when Johnny is at his lowest (which happens more than once), and that she tries her damndest to make a good life for her son and is even open to befriending those around Johnny to give him some peace and happiness, is cool by us.
Amanda LaRusso (Courtney Henggler)
In real life, we kinda feel like she woulda ditched Daniel by now, but she also is devoted and loyal to her family, and is the voice of reason and the source of stability for her kids.
The way she tries to handle situations can leave some things to be desired, but you can see that she basically could become the parental figure for just about any kiddo in the Cobra Kai world and they’d be better off for it. She tries with Tory. She tries to get Daniel and Johnny to soften up, to friggin’ grow up, even in the face of people faltering all around her over and over again.
We’re down to our top three now…
Demetri Alexopoulos (Gianna DeCenzo)
When we started this list, there was a chance that Demetri was going to end up at the top.
The dude is staunchly loyal and always believes in his bestie, Hawk, through the guy turning evil and breaking his arm at one point. When it seems history will repeat itself, Hawk even sees how genuine and great of a guy Demetri is and gets back on his side.
We love that Demetri fights becoming a fighter himself for so long, but even as he whines and complains, he finally figures it out and decides to stand up for himself.
Slowly, he gets better and stronger, both physically and mentally, and he’s a beacon for those around him.
Johnny Lawrence (Willam Zabka)
This may fly in the face of things we’ve said earlier, because Johnny can’t keep it together, can’t stay out of his own way, and does things as an adult that we’re hard on the kids for doing.
Still, damn, isn’t he likeable as all hell? Isn’t Johnny the guy you want on your side, whether in a fight or to just have a Banquet beer and some wings with?
Haven’t we all been Johnny at some point in time? Down on our luck, okay with just cruising through life on auto pilot for a bit, but with the full knowledge that we know better and just need a little pick-me-up (or kick in the ass and face) to get things rolling again.
His genuine side is so great. The way he truly cares for people, for respect, for loyalty, and for trying to do the right thing even while being way too stubborn, keeps the show’s heart and soul going.
That still leaves us with one more character who is the through line through it all.
Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña)
We’re waiting and hoping that Miguel gets his own standalone Karate Kid film at some point in time.
From the weakling who gets his ass kicked, to the kid who strives to become better and stronger, to the lover at heart who won’t stand to let his heart get trampled, to the way he holds his ground to hold others accountable and is willing to give people a second and third chance — that maybe they don’t even deserve — is admirable.
That’s where we left things at the end of season four. Miguel wants to find and meet his dad, even though all signs point to him not being a great guy, and may even try to bring Miguel to the dark side.
The first four seasons of Cobra Kai are streaming on Netflix now, and the fifth season is set to release on Netflix soon — September 9.
