# Top 10 Martial Artists on "Cobra Kai"
For a show about fighting, "Cobra Kai" boasts some of the most impressive martial artists on TV. This list looks at the top fighters from the first four seasons. As much as we love Mr. Miyagi, we'll focus only on characters outside of flashbacks. Beware of major spoilers ahead as we rank these fighters by their skills and accomplishments up to the season 4 finale.
### 10. **Kyler Park**
Kyler started as a bully with minimal fighting skills but improved significantly after joining Cobra Kai. His aggressive style and physical strength make him a formidable opponent, though he still lacks the finesse and discipline of some higher-ranked fighters.
### 9. **Robby Keene**
Robby's natural talent and training under both Daniel and Johnny give him a unique fighting style combining Miyagi-Do's defense and Cobra Kai's offense. His ability to adapt and learn quickly makes him a dangerous competitor.
### 8. **Tory Nichols**
Tory's ferocity and fearlessness set her apart. Her street-fighting background, combined with Cobra Kai training, makes her one of the most aggressive and relentless fighters in the series.
### 7. **Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz**
Hawk's transformation from a bullied kid to a top Cobra Kai student is impressive. His dedication and intensity, along with his willingness to go to any lengths to win, make him a standout fighter.
### 6. **Samantha LaRusso**
Samantha combines her father's Miyagi-Do teachings with her own fierce determination. Her agility and technique, along with her strategic mindset, make her a highly skilled martial artist.
### 5. **Johnny Lawrence**
Johnny's years of experience and natural talent are evident in every fight. His raw power and aggression, coupled with his evolving understanding of both Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do principles, keep him among the top fighters.
### 4. **Daniel LaRusso**
Daniel's mastery of Miyagi-Do karate and his strategic approach to fighting make him a formidable opponent. His years of training and deep understanding of martial arts philosophy contribute to his high ranking.
### 3. **Miguel Diaz**
Miguel's journey from a novice to the All-Valley champion showcases his incredible growth. His balance of offense and defense, along with his determination and heart, place him among the top martial artists in the series.
### 2. **John Kreese**
Kreese's decades of experience and ruthless approach to karate make him one of the most dangerous fighters. His deep knowledge of Cobra Kai's brutal techniques and his strategic mind are key to his high ranking.
### 1. **Chozen Toguchi**
Chozen's appearance in season 3 reveals his advanced skills and deep understanding of Miyagi-Do karate. His disciplined approach, combined with his extensive training and experience, make him the top martial artist on the show by the season 4 finale.
Who’s your favorite martial artist on “Cobra Kai”? Let us know in the comments below!
For a show about fighting, "Cobra Kai" boasts some of the most impressive martial artists on TV. This list looks at the top fighters from the first four seasons. As much as we love Mr. Miyagi, we'll focus only on characters outside of flashbacks. Beware of major spoilers ahead as we rank these fighters by their skills and accomplishments up to the season 4 finale.
### 10. **Kyler Park**
Kyler started as a bully with minimal fighting skills but improved significantly after joining Cobra Kai. His aggressive style and physical strength make him a formidable opponent, though he still lacks the finesse and discipline of some higher-ranked fighters.
### 9. **Robby Keene**
Robby's natural talent and training under both Daniel and Johnny give him a unique fighting style combining Miyagi-Do's defense and Cobra Kai's offense. His ability to adapt and learn quickly makes him a dangerous competitor.
### 8. **Tory Nichols**
Tory's ferocity and fearlessness set her apart. Her street-fighting background, combined with Cobra Kai training, makes her one of the most aggressive and relentless fighters in the series.
### 7. **Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz**
Hawk's transformation from a bullied kid to a top Cobra Kai student is impressive. His dedication and intensity, along with his willingness to go to any lengths to win, make him a standout fighter.
### 6. **Samantha LaRusso**
Samantha combines her father's Miyagi-Do teachings with her own fierce determination. Her agility and technique, along with her strategic mindset, make her a highly skilled martial artist.
### 5. **Johnny Lawrence**
Johnny's years of experience and natural talent are evident in every fight. His raw power and aggression, coupled with his evolving understanding of both Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do principles, keep him among the top fighters.
### 4. **Daniel LaRusso**
Daniel's mastery of Miyagi-Do karate and his strategic approach to fighting make him a formidable opponent. His years of training and deep understanding of martial arts philosophy contribute to his high ranking.
### 3. **Miguel Diaz**
Miguel's journey from a novice to the All-Valley champion showcases his incredible growth. His balance of offense and defense, along with his determination and heart, place him among the top martial artists in the series.
### 2. **John Kreese**
Kreese's decades of experience and ruthless approach to karate make him one of the most dangerous fighters. His deep knowledge of Cobra Kai's brutal techniques and his strategic mind are key to his high ranking.
### 1. **Chozen Toguchi**
Chozen's appearance in season 3 reveals his advanced skills and deep understanding of Miyagi-Do karate. His disciplined approach, combined with his extensive training and experience, make him the top martial artist on the show by the season 4 finale.
Who’s your favorite martial artist on “Cobra Kai”? Let us know in the comments below!
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 20 Strongest Cobra
00:14Kai Fighters.
00:20For this list, we'll be looking at the most impressive martial artists we've seen in Cobra
00:23Kai's first four seasons.
00:25As much as we love Mr. Miyagi, we'll only focus on characters who appear outside of
00:29flashbacks.
00:30And since we'll be talking about where all the fighters stack up to each other by the
00:33season four finale, beware of major spoilers ahead.
00:37Who's your favorite martial artist on Cobra Kai?
00:39Let us know in the comments.
00:42Number 20.
00:43Kenny Payne
00:44You know, in the real world, we have to fight our own battles.
00:48Cobra Kai can teach you how, but you have to prove that you're worthy.
00:53When Kenny first attempted to join Cobra Kai, he was too scared to stand his ground.
00:57But after learning how to harness his speed, he started fighting back.
01:01Kenny quickly was able to turn the lessons he learned against his tormentors.
01:05He also became skilled enough to make it to the quarterfinals during his very first All
01:08Valley Tournament.
01:19Since Kenny is young and relatively new to Cobra Kai, he still has some room to grow
01:23before he can compete with the older fighters.
01:26And he also has to work on keeping his rage in check.
01:28But if Kenny keeps maturing and growing as fast as he did in season four, he could become
01:32one of the best fighters around.
01:44Number 19.
01:45Chris
01:46Although Chris doesn't always get a lot of time to shine, he has quietly become a serious
01:56contender.
01:57After leaving Cobra Kai, he was able to completely switch his style and learn Miyagi-Do.
02:01Chris also has a talent for using literally any item as a melee weapon to get the other
02:06hand.
02:17While he doesn't have a lot of major victories under his belt, he's able to keep up with
02:20a lot of serious threats.
02:22He once came extremely close to beating top Cobra Kai student Kyler during a competition.
02:28It's only a matter of time before Chris blows everyone away with his skill and strength
02:31alone.
02:38Number 18.
02:39Sean Payne
02:44One of the toughest guys in Robbie's juvenile detention center was unquestionably Sean.
02:49Once the tension between the two reached a boiling point, they threw down in a very vicious
02:53brawl.
02:54Sean impressively held his own during the entire bout with a trained Miyagi-Do fighter
02:58who has taken on martial arts champions.
03:00This fact could become very important in the future.
03:08Sean's little brother Kenny Payne currently has a strained relationship with Robbie.
03:12If their relationship really sours, the eldest sibling may step in to protect his brother.
03:17With a little Cobra Kai training, Sean could go from a raw brawler who gave Robbie trouble
03:21to a seriously talented threat.
03:30Number 17.
03:31Raymond aka Stingray
03:39Raymond aka Stingray initially seemed like a comic relief character who was obsessed
03:43with joining Cobra Kai.
03:45Although he's still the butt of many of the show's jokes, he's also a pretty decent fighter.
03:49Stingray was clever enough to outwit every other Cobra Kai during the famous Coyote Creek
03:53competition.
04:04He also had enough ability to take out multiple Miyagi-Do students during a big brawl.
04:08Admittedly, Stingray's most impressive feats are against much younger opponents.
04:13Since he hasn't beaten any trained martial artists that were near his own age on screen
04:17yet, it's hard to tell how strong of a fighter he actually is.
04:21All we know for certain is that Stingray is more than just a joke.
04:35Number 16.
04:36Devon
04:37Few fighters have advanced as quickly as Devon has.
04:47As soon as this debater joined Eagle Fang, she proved that she was a fast learner who
04:51was ready and willing to compete.
05:04Devon's ambition took her all the way to the quarter-finals match where she was pitted
05:08against the fearsome Tori.
05:10Although the newest Eagle Fang wasn't able to score any clean points, she didn't make
05:14it easy for the Queen of Cobra Kai to win the match.
05:16The fact that Devon was able to compete against the eventual woman's finalist after just over
05:20a month of work is astonishing.
05:22We're definitely looking forward to seeing what she can accomplish after she gets more
05:26training.
05:32Number 15.
05:33Kyler Park
05:41Kyler's fighting journey throughout Cobra Kai has been an absolute rollercoaster.
05:45Although he used to be one of the biggest school tormentors, he severely pulled back
05:49after Miguel beat him.
05:51After Kyler enlisted in Cobra Kai, he became enough of a threat to seriously injure his
05:55old rival.
06:04While he had a long losing streak for a while, he bounced back enough to defeat students
06:07like Chris before immediately losing to Eli.
06:11The only consistent thing about Kyler is his overconfidence.
06:14He almost always underestimates more powerful opponents and ends up on his back.
06:18If Kyler ever started to take his foes seriously, he'd be a constant danger to everyone around
06:24him.
06:28Number 14.
06:29Aisha Robinson
06:37At the beginning of Cobra Kai, Aisha was a reserved student who was constantly harassed
06:41by her peers.
06:42But she proved to be a formidable fighter when she joined Cobra Kai.
06:46After beating Miguel in a sparring match, she quietly rose up the ranks within the dojo.
06:56She was even good enough to compete in the quarterfinals at her very first All-Valley
07:00Karate Tournament.
07:01Unfortunately, we don't get to see much of Aisha fighting outside the dojo after she
07:05lost to a former champ, and we're unsure if she's kept up with her training enough to
07:09take down Miyagi-Do-slash-Eagle Fang students.
07:12But judging by the brutal beatdown she dealt out in the Season 2 finale, she's still got
07:16some fight left.
07:23Number 13.
07:24Dimitri Alexopoulos
07:33Since Dimitri wasn't welcome at Cobra Kai, he asked Daniel LaRusso to teach him Miyagi-Do
07:38karate.
07:39Although he wasn't the best student in the dojo, he didn't give up on his training.
07:43Dimitri's hard work really paid off for the first time when he managed to defeat his much
07:47stronger friend in a one-on-one fight.
07:55After the two resolved their issues, they were able to evenly fight alongside each other
07:59as a badass duo.
08:01Dimitri reached new heights after he made it to the All-Valley quarterfinals.
08:05Although he couldn't triumph over his much tougher opponent in the semifinals, he still
08:09earned the respect of his sensei and his peers by the end of the fight.
08:17Number 12.
08:18Piper Ellsworth
08:19A talented gymnast became one of Cobra Kai's most promising new recruits.
08:24After Piper joined the dojo, she showed off her physical skills and ability to get into
08:28people's heads.
08:29She also proved she could effortlessly combine gymnastic moves with martial arts.
08:37Although we knew she could make Tori sweat, we never expected her to achieve so much in
08:42the climactic competition.
08:44Piper was able to land a blow on a vastly more experienced opponent who had almost never
08:48lost a serious fight before that point.
08:56Over the span of just a few episodes, she's already proved to be an innovative combatant
09:00who can go against a few of the show's fiercest fighters.
09:04There's no telling how high she'll climb in future seasons.
09:11Number 11.
09:12Xander Stone
09:13While Xander Stone's extremely sensitive and empathetic nature made him look like a pushover,
09:25he's a seriously good fighter.
09:27After beating numerous opponents to win the All-Valley Karate Tournament, he returned
09:31to defend his title.
09:44Xander was able to defeat Aisha in the quarterfinals by paying attention and making a decisive
09:49move.
09:50His acrobatic fighting style also makes it hard for his opponents to predict what he'll
09:53do next.
09:55Although he ultimately wasn't able to reclaim his title, there's no reason to think that
09:58he can't make a comeback one day.
10:00Xander just needs to spend more time in the dojo and less time working on overly sentimental
10:05speeches.
10:12Number 10.
10:13Tori Nichols
10:14On her very first day at Cobra Kai, Tori challenged
10:23the top student to a one-on-one fight.
10:25As soon as she took him down to the mat, we knew another fierce fighter had entered the
10:29dojo.
10:30Tori's toughness and ruthlessness made her stand out immediately.
10:34Although she tried to leave the no-mercy philosophy behind, she's still absolutely vicious to
10:38her opponents.
10:41Tori's considerable skills took her all the way to the finals of the All-Valley.
10:53Since the referee of the match was bribed, her victory over her fearsome rival Sam has
10:57a huge asterisk over it.
10:59But given Tori's track record, we wouldn't be surprised if she beats her old foe fair
11:03and square one day.
11:12Number 9.
11:13Samantha LaRusso
11:21Being the daughter of a former karate champion certainly has its advantages.
11:25Not only can Sam fight well, but she knows how to analyze her opponent's combat styles
11:29for weakness.
11:30Her brains and brawn made fighting multiple Cobra Kais, including the fearsome Hawk, easy
11:35for her.
11:36Sam was also cool-headed and skilled enough to beat a weapon-wielding Tori in combat.
11:41If that wasn't enough, Sam is also on the way to mastering both Miyagi-Do and Eagle
11:45Fang Karate.
11:53Although she can be a little immature in daily life, she brings nothing but experience and
11:58ploys to her fights.
11:59Tangling with Sam will usually lead to your defeat.
12:09Number 8.
12:10Robby Keene
12:23Shortly after Robby started learning Miyagi-Do style, he entered the All-Valley Karate Tournament.
12:28He was such a fast learner and natural talent that he was able to make it to the finals
12:32and nearly win.
12:33But Robby's true power is his determination.
12:42He will absolutely not give up on a fight, no matter what the odds.
12:46Robby has fought while outnumbered, taken on older opponents, and even went into a tournament
12:50match with an injured arm.
12:52There's practically nothing he can't achieve, if he's balanced.
12:56When Robby lets his darkness and anger take over, it usually leads to disaster.
13:00But once he's balanced again, he becomes an opponent you don't want to mess with.
13:14Number 7.
13:15Miguel Diaz
13:24If you were to go back in time and tell Miguel what he would accomplish as a Cobra Kai student,
13:28he probably wouldn't believe you.
13:30He went from a nerdy fighting enthusiast to a warrior who could easily fend off multiple
13:34large opponents at once.
13:36Miguel also defeated great fighters like former champion Xander and Miyagi-Do prodigy Robby
13:41to win the All-Valley Karate title.
13:52Although Miguel got a serious upgrade when he started learning Miyagi-Do, his struggles
13:56to balance both Sensei's teachings and his back injury have temporarily limited him.
14:01But there's a strong chance that this one-time champ will overcome his issues and get back
14:05on top once more.
14:15Number 6.
14:16Eli Moskowitz, aka Hawk
14:24Eli was once a Cobra Kai student whose fighting style was as wild as his haircut.
14:28He loved dominating his opponents as much as he loved showing off his back tattoo.
14:32But after Eli realized he had let his rage and darkness take over, he decided to get
14:37a fresh start with his real friends.
14:39Like Miguel, his journey back to the light side involved learning Miyagi-Do Karate.
14:50Eli was so excellent that he reached the All-Valley finals and faced Robby.
14:54After combining his new skills with his Cobra Kai training, he soared as the new champion.
14:59Eli's incredible journey ensured that he stood tall as one of the strongest young fighters
15:04by the end of season 4.
15:15Number 5.
15:16John Kreese
15:25After serving the USA in the Vietnam War, a battle-hardened John Kreese co-founded Cobra
15:30Kai.
15:31He promotes a brutal fighting philosophy that tells students to strike their opponents before
15:35they can retaliate.
15:37Kreese also has such a wicked temper that he nearly ended the lives of multiple people
15:41outside of the war.
15:43But his ideology and attitude aren't the only dangerous things about him.
15:54Despite being in his 70s, Kreese was still able to keep up with senseis like Johnny Lawrence
15:59and Daniel LaRusso.
16:00And younger fighters wouldn't stand much of a chance against him.
16:04If you're reckless enough to underestimate Kreese in a fight, this old man won't be
16:08likely to show you mercy.
16:18Number 4.
16:19John Johnny Lawrence
16:28Decades after Johnny Lawrence lost his shot at a third consecutive All-Valley title, the
16:32Eagle Fang sensei has proven that he's still a threat in the present.
16:44Johnny has absolutely no problem beating multiple opponents at the same time.
16:48He was also able to surpass his former master and fight evenly with Daniel in modern times.
16:54Although Johnny has also picked up defensive moves from his rival, he still needs more
16:58practice before he's considered an expert in multiple styles.
17:02But if he does become more comfortable with Miyagi-Do's advanced techniques, he could
17:06become near impossible to beat.
17:08An eagle that can strike first and block any attack that comes its way would be a formidable
17:13beast.
17:24Number 3.
17:25Daniel LaRusso
17:32This fighter needs little introduction.
17:34Daniel LaRusso became a local legend after defeating Cobra Kai's top student at the All-Valley
17:39Karate Tournament in the 1980s.
17:41After taking the title for a second time, he let martial arts take a backseat in his
17:45life.
17:46He got back into the fighting spirit when Cobra Kai returned.
17:57He's taken on multiple opponents at a time, defeated John Kreese, and fought Johnny Lawrence
18:02to a stalemate.
18:04Daniel's willingness to learn new techniques allowed him to instantly incorporate Eagle
18:08Fang's offensive style after a single day's training.
18:11And secret Miyagi-Do moves he's learned allow him to overwhelm most opponents.
18:16Although we knew him as the Karate Kid, he's clearly become a master martial artist as
18:20an adult.
18:25Number 2.
18:26Chozen Taguchi
18:27At a young age, Chozen became an intimidating fighter that no one in the Tomi village would
18:40cross.
18:41He turned his life around after losing a climactic duel against Daniel LaRusso.
18:46While Chozen may have lost to Mr. Miyagi's prized student in the past, things are very
18:50different now.
18:57He narrowly outclassed and overpowered Daniel during multiple sparring matches.
19:02And as soon as he started losing, he took complete control of a fight with just a few
19:06hits.
19:07Since Chozen is familiar with dangerous techniques and is willing to use them, we have no idea.
19:12But any fighter who can consistently take Daniel LaRusso down in training is probably
19:18someone who could destroy an average opponent in the real world.
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19:47Number 1.
19:49Terrence Terry Silver
19:50Underneath Terry Silver's seemingly charming smile lies one of the most threatening fighters
20:03you'll ever meet.
20:04The cold and calculating villain is a Cobra Kai master who does not believe in showing
20:08mercy to opponents.
20:10Silver has absolutely no problem fighting dirty, targeting weaknesses, and manipulating
20:15others if it means achieving victory.
20:17His vicious personality and martial arts style enables him to obliterate opponents at a moment's
20:22notice.
20:30While we expected him to decimate Stingray, we didn't expect the sensei's most terrifying
20:35feat.
20:36Silver easily beat Johnny Lawrence to a pulp in season four.
20:40If the Cobra Kai sensei can leave one of the show's top martial artists down while barely
20:45breaking a sweat, anyone who faces him is in for the fight of their life.
20:54Do you agree with our picks?
20:56Check out this other recent clip from WatchMojo.
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