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List of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai characters

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This list of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai characters reflects fictional characters from The Karate Kid franchise. Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg define the following works as part of the "Miyagi-verse" canon (characters who interacted with Mr. Miyagi): The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), The Next Karate Kid (1994), and Cobra Kai (2018–present). Hurwitz clarified that the Karate Kid animated television show is not canon, but an easter egg from it appears in Season 3 of Cobra Kai.[1]

Overview

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  • An A indicates an appearance through pre-recorded material.
  • An F indicates a performer stood in as a character's body-double for fight sequences.
  • A Y indicates an actor or actress portrayed a younger version of their character.
Character Films Television series
Daniel LaRusso Ralph Macchio
Mr. Miyagi Noriyuki "Pat" Morita Noriyuki "Pat" MoritaA
Fumio DemuraF
John Kreese Martin Kove Martin Kove
Barrett CarnahanY
Johnny Lawrence William Zabka William Zabka
Owen StoneY
Thomas ParobekY
Ali Mills Elisabeth Shue
Lucille LaRusso Randee Heller
Bobby Brown Ron Thomas
Tommy Rob Garrison
Dutch Chad McQueen Chad McQueenA
Jimmy Tony O'Dell
Mrs. Mills Sharon Spelman Deborah May
Freddy Fernandez Israel Juarbe Israel JurabeA
Sato Toguchi Danny Kamekona Danny KamekonaA
Akihiro KitamuraY
Chozen Toguchi Yuji Okumoto Yuji Okumoto
Shigi OhtsuY
Kumiko Tamlyn Tomita
Yuna Traci Toguchi
Terry Silver Thomas Ian Griffith Thomas Ian Griffith
Nick MariniY
Mike Barnes Sean Kanan
Jessica Andrews Robyn Lively
Dennis William Christopher Ford
Amanda LaRusso Courtney Henggeler
Samantha "Sam" LaRusso Mary Mouser
Miguel Diaz Xolo Maridueña
Robert "Robby" Keene Tanner Buchanan
Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz Jacob Bertrand
Demetri Alexopoulos Gianni Decenzo
Carmen Diaz Vanessa Rubio
Tory Nichols Peyton List
Kenny Payne Dallas Dupree Young
Anthony LaRusso Griffin Santopietro
Devon Lee Oona O'Brien
Kim Da-Eun Alicia Hannah-Kim

Miyagi-verse characters

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The Karate Kid (1984)

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Character Actor Description
Daniel LaRusso Ralph Macchio The protagonist of The Karate Kid franchise. He has recently moved to Los Angeles from his native New Jersey, and takes up karate to defend himself. One of the main characters in Cobra Kai.
Mr. Miyagi Pat Morita A karate master from Okinawa who served as a teacher for both Daniel LaRusso and Julie Pierce, before passing away in 2011.
Ali Mills Elisabeth Shue Daniel and Johnny's former high school girlfriend, and the cause of their rivalry. She appears in Cobra Kai season 3, where she recounts attending UCLA for college, going to medical school, marrying oncologist Gregory Schwarber, and having two children. She also states that they are getting a divorce. During a dinner with Daniel, Johnny, and Amanda, she clarifies why she and Daniel broke up, and helps Daniel and Johnny resolve their differences.
Johnny Lawrence William Zabka The secondary antagonist of The Karate Kid and the overarching protagonist of Cobra Kai. He was the top student of the Cobra Kai dojo back in the 1980s, a two-time defending champion of the All Valley Under-18 Karate Championships, and Daniel's high school rival, whom Daniel ultimately defeats in the All Valley. They meet again a few decades later in Cobra Kai. While he originally brings back Cobra Kai to help kids gain great strength and confidence, he later sees the negative effects John Kreese and the dojo's philosophy is having on many of his students. He quits being a Cobra Kai sensei in the season 2 finale, and opens his own dojo in season 3: Eagle Fang Karate.
John Kreese Martin Kove, Barrett Carnahan (young) The main antagonist of The Karate Kid, and one of the two main antagonists (alongside Terry Silver) of Cobra Kai. Johnny's sensei and a co-founder of the Cobra Kai dojo. Served as a Special Forces veteran in the Vietnam War before opening the Cobra Kai dojo with his best friend, Terry Silver. He returns in the season 1 finale of Cobra Kai, and once again becomes the main Cobra Kai sensei in season 2. However, he loses control of the dojo in the season 4 finale when he is framed by Terry Silver, and is sent to prison throughout all of season 5. In season 6, after escaping from prison, he forms a new Cobra Kai dojo in South Korea alongside Kim-Da Eun, the granddaughter of his original sensei.
Lucille LaRusso Randee Heller Daniel's mother, a widow, and Amanda's mother-in-law. She was concerned with how Daniel was being harassed by Johnny and his gang. In Cobra Kai, she and Amanda have a troubled relationship that is later fixed by Lucille's granddaughter Samantha.
Bobby Brown Ron Thomas Trained under John Kreese's dojo, Cobra Kai, and was later tasked to kick Daniel "out of commission" by injuring his knee. He later left Cobra Kai completely for his actions. In Cobra Kai season 2 and Cobra Kai season 3, he appears as a pastor.
Tommy Rob Garrison A friend of Johnny and the third Cobra Kai member to be defeated by Daniel. Tommy later left Cobra Kai due to Kreese severely beating him up. In Cobra Kai season 2, Tommy has brain damage and is terminally ill, so Johnny, Bobby and Jimmy take him on one last camping trip together, Tommy then admits to Johnny that he too had a crush on Ali years ago. In the morning, Johnny, Bobby and Jimmy discover that Tommy died peacefully in his sleep. The actor passed away in 2019, not long after filming.
Jimmy Tony O'Dell A friend of Johnny and Cobra Kai student who's quiet and is the only brown belt in the group. He was a witness to Bobby injuring Daniel. In the second season of Cobra Kai, he is married with two sons.
Dutch Chad McQueen A friend of Johnny and a Cobra Kai student who bullies Daniel. He is the fourth person to be defeated by Daniel, and is a witness to Kreese assaulting Johnny for his second place win. In Cobra Kai season 2, Johnny refers to the fact that Dutch is in prison at the Lompoc Federal Penitentiary. Although McQueen had originally opted not to return to the series, he later expressed interest in doing so for season 6. However, injuries prevented him from appearing. He died in September 2024, after the release of the first part of season 6.[2]
Darryl Vidal Himself The third-place winner of the All Valley Under-18 Karate Championships tournament. He is the only person to shake hands with Johnny. Vidal was described in Cobra Kai as a third-generation black belt.
Freddy Fernandez Israel Juarbe Daniel's neighbor, whose invitation to a beach party for their high school led him to meet Ali. After Johnny beats Daniel up during the party, Freddy abandons him.
Susan Juli Fields Ali's best friend who dislikes Daniel and is later seen cheering for Daniel.
Barbara Dana Andersen Ali's friend who, like Susan, dislikes Daniel at first but cheers him on later.
Mr. Mills William Bassett Ali's father who talks with his daughter about going out with Daniel instead of Johnny.
Mrs. Mills Sharon Spelman Ali's mother who silently judged Daniel.
Deborah May 30 years later in Cobra Kai, Ali's mother disapproves of the fact that Ali is getting a divorce.
Mrs. Milo Frances Bay An elderly resident of Daniel's apartment complex who was also originally from New Jersey.
The Referee Pat E. Johnson The referee in the first three Karate Kid films.
Jerry Robertson Larry B. Scott A student at the Cobra Kai dojo who is not a part of Johnny's gang. He was the first Cobra Kai member to be defeated by Daniel in the 1984 All Valley Under-18 Karate Championships tournament.
The Ring Announcer Bruce Malmuth The announcer for the tournament in the first two Karate Kid films.
Judy ? Daniel's first girlfriend whom he says goodbye to in the opening of the film as he and his mother leave New Jersey. A few decades later, Daniel tells Sam about her in Cobra Kai season 2.

The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

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Ralph Macchio reprises his role as Daniel, and Pat Morita as "Mr. Miyagi" (referenced as Nariyoshi Miyagi) in this film.Karate Kid actor Martin Kove briefly appeared as John Kreese in the beginning of the film. Additionally, Karate Kid actors Rob Garrison (Tommy), Ron Thomas (Bobby Brown), Tony O'Dell (Jimmy), and William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence) were in the movie.

Character Actor Description
Kumiko Tamlyn Tomita Briefly has a relationship with Daniel during his visit to Okinawa. She and Daniel meet again a few decades later in Cobra Kai season 3, after she has become a professional dancer who once toured with a dance company. During this visit to Okinawa, she helps Daniel and Chozen resolve their decades-long rivalry, and reunites Daniel with Yuna.
Chozen Toguchi Yuji Okumoto The main antagonist for The Karate Kid Part II, and Daniel's rival. Chozen is Sato's nephew, and the top student of his dojo. He and Daniel meet again a few decades later in Cobra Kai season 3, where Chozen is now the sensei of Miyagi-Do in Okinawa. After Kumiko helps them resolve their differences and become friends, Chozen helps Daniel in his feud in Cobra Kai season 5 and Cobra Kai season 6.
Sato Danny Kamekona Chozen's uncle and Mr. Miyagi's former best friend. He was arranged to marry Yukie, but she had already fallen in love with Miyagi. In the third season of Cobra Kai, it was revealed that before he died, he matured, was respectful towards Mr. Miyagi, made Tomi Village a tourist attraction and reformed Chozen.
Yukie Nobu McCarthy Mr. Miyagi's childhood girlfriend and Kumiko's aunt. Yukie and Sato were planned to marry each other, but Yukie in actuality loves Miyagi. This led to a death match between Sato and Miyagi, in which Miyagi decided to forfeit. In the third season of Cobra Kai, it is revealed that Yukie died and Kumiko had inherited her property.
Yuna Traci Toguchi A little girl who is nameless in the film and who lives at Tomi Village. Daniel rescues her from the bell tower during a typhoon. A few decades later in Cobra Kai season 3, she appears as Yuna, the senior vice president of sales for Doyona International, who saves Daniel's business.
Toshio Joey Miyashima Chozen's friends who helped to torment Daniel.
Taro Marc Hayashi
Miyagi Chōjun Charlie Tanimoto Miyagi's father; trained both Miyagi and Sato.
Ichiro Arsenio "Sonny" Trinidad Old villager that lives in Tomi Village; witness to Daniel's first confrontation with Chozen when Chozen is exposed as a fraud.

The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

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Ralph Macchio reprises his role as Daniel, and Pat Morita as "Mr. Miyagi" in this film. Karate Kid actors Randee Heller and Martin Kove reprised their roles as Lucille LaRusso and John Kreese in the film.

Character Actor Description
Terry Silver Thomas Ian Griffith The main antagonist of The Karate Kid Part III, and one of the two main antagonists (alongside John Kreese) of Cobra Kai. Co-founded Cobra Kai with John Kreese, a war comrade and friend of his. He takes over the Cobra Kai dojo completely in the season 4 finale of Cobra Kai, and runs it throughout all of season 5 until he is defeated by the protagonists in the season finale. Afterwards, he becomes the manager of the Iron Dragons in season 6, hoping to get revenge on both Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai.
Mike Barnes Sean Kanan The secondary antagonist of The Karate Kid Part III. Returns in Cobra Kai season 5 as a furniture store owner. He eventually becomes an ally of Daniel, Chozen, and Johnny in both season 5 and Cobra Kai season 6.
Jessica Andrews Robyn Lively Came to work in her Aunt Pat's pottery shop (across the street from Daniel and Mr. Miyagi's shop) after Elizabeth-Anne Rooney ruined her relationship; spent time with Daniel LaRusso, but they decided to just be friends. Appeared in Cobra Kai season 5 as the Amanda's cousin (and Daniel and Amanda's matchmaker).
Snake Jonathan Avildsen One of Silver's henchmen who, along with Mike and Dennis, torments Daniel throughout The Karate Kid Part III . It is later revealed that he passed away sometime before the events of Cobra Kai season 6.
Dennis de Guzman William Christopher Ford One of Silver's henchmen who, along with Snake and Mike, torments Daniel throughout The Karate Kid Part III. He later returns as a major antagonist in Cobra Kai season 6, where he once again works with Terry Silver, who at this point has become the manager of the Iron Dragons.
Uncle Louie (Louie LaRusso Sr.) Joseph V. Perry Daniel's uncle and Lucille's brother-in-law; becomes ill.
Milos Jan Triska Terry Silver's butler.
Margaret Diana Webster Terry Silver's secretary.
Elizabeth-Anne Rooney NA Jessica's classmate who steals her boyfriend. A few decades later in Cobra Kai season 5, she confronts Jessica (and her cousin Amanda, also Rooney's classmate) in a bar.
The Announcer Rick Hurst Announcer of the All Valley Under-18 Karate Championships tournament in The Karate Kid Part III.

The Next Karate Kid (1994)

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Ralph Macchio does not appear as Daniel in this film. Pat Morita reprises his role as "Mr. Miyagi" (referred to as "Keisuke Miyagi") in this film.

Character Actor Description
Julie Pierce Hilary Swank Protagonist of The Next Karate Kid. Teenage girl who lost her parents, Susan and her unnamed father, now living with her paternal grandmother Louisa Pierce. As she is a frequent victim of bullying, Mr. Miyagi teaches her Karate to defend herself.
Lieutenant Jack Pierce NA Julie's late grandfather, husband of Louisa Pierce, father of Julie's unnamed father, and Mr. Miyagi's military commander during World War II; both were in the 442nd Infantry Regiment (United States). Mr. Miyagi eventually taught Jack Pierce Karate as a message of thanks for saving his life. Pierce would eventually teach Karate to his son, who taught it to Julie.
Louisa Pierce Constance Towers Julie's grandmother, wife of Jack Pierce, mother of Julie's unnamed father. Mr. Miyagi sends her to Los Angeles in order to give him time to bond with Julie, and help her cope with bullying, as well as the loss of her parents.
Colonel Paul Dugan Michael Ironside Main antagonist of The Next Karate Kid. Leads a JROTC-style program, Alpha Elite, at Julie's school.
Eric McGowen Chris Conrad New student who joins Alpha Elite to someday be accepted into the Air Force Academy; Julie's love interest.
Ned Randall Michael Cavalieri Secondary antagonist of The Next Karate Kid. Skilled academy student and gang leader of the Alpha Elite; fought Eric.
Charlie Walton Goggins One of Ned's friends; student of the Alpha Elite.
Abbot Arsenio "Sonny" Trinidad The monks. Abbot is the lead monk of the monastery.
Tall Monk Jim Ishida
Monk Rodney Kageyama
Buddhist Monk Seth Sakai
Senator Daniel Inouye Himself Made a cameo giving the opening speech at Arlington National Cemetery for a commendation for Japanese-Americans who fought in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II.[3]

Cobra Kai (2018–present): returning

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Cobra Kai picks up 33 years after the original Karate Kid film. The following characters from The Karate Kid franchise return for the series: Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence, Lucille LaRusso, John Kreese, Bobby Brown, Tommy, Jimmy, Ali Mills, Mrs. Mills, Kumiko, Chozen Toguchi, Yuna, Terry Silver, Dennis, Mike Barnes, and Jessica Andrews.

Cobra Kai: Season 1 (2018) introductions

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Karate Kid actor Randee Heller reprised her role as Lucille LaRusso (Daniel's mother) in this season while Martin Kove reprised his role as John Kreese in the season finale.

Character Actor Description
Amanda LaRusso (née Steiner) Courtney Henggeler Daniel's wife and co-owner of LaRusso Auto Group, a chain of car dealerships; Samantha and Anthony's mother.
Miguel Diaz (Miggy) Xolo Maridueña The main protagonist of Cobra Kai. He is a 15-year-old Ecuadorian American teenager with asthma who, after an encounter with some bullies at the start of the series, becomes the first student in Johnny's Cobra Kai dojo. He later begins an on-off relationship with Samantha LaRusso, but as a result forms a rivalry with Robby Keene, Daniel's top Miyagi-Do student and Johnny's estranged son. He eventually leaves the Cobra Kai dojo in season 3 after it is taken over by John Kreese and joins Eagle Fang Karate, Johnny's new dojo.
Samantha “Sam” LaRusso Mary Mouser; Reese TinLee (child) Daniel and Amanda's teenage daughter who was taught karate by her father at a young age; is in an on-and-off relationship with Miguel Diaz; suspended from a school brawl for two weeks, then decides to restart Miyagi-Do, despite dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. In Season 4, she trains under Johnny and Daniel's dojos; experiences an identity crisis after losing the All-Valley tournament.
Anthony LaRusso (Ant) Griffin Santopietro Daniel and Amanda's son; Samantha's younger brother; sent to summer camp where he becomes more active; is peer pressured into bullying new student Kenny Payne; later exposes Terry Silver for bribing the tournament referee in Cobra Kai's favor.
Louie LaRusso Jr Bret Ernst Daniel's cousin; works at LaRusso Auto; torched Johnny's car with his biker buddies in revenge for defacing Daniel's billboard and disrepecting the family.
Carmen Diaz Vanessa Rubio Miguel's mother; dated a British man named Graham; told Miguel that his father does not know who his own son is.
Rosa Diaz (Yaya) Rose Bianco Miguel's grandmother and Carmen's mother.
Robert Swayze "Robby" Keene Tanner Buchanan Johnny's estranged teenage son who becomes Daniel's first and top student in Miyagi-Do, thus forming a rivalry with Miguel, Johnny's top Cobra Kai student. In the season 2 finale, he is expelled from West Valley High School for accidentally crippling Miguel at the end of the school brawl. After a series of misunderstandings, he betrays Miyagi-Do and joins Cobra Kai (now under the tutelage of John Kreese) near the end of season 3, and becomes its new top student in season 4. He eventually sees the error of his ways and rejoins Miyagi-Do (who at this point has formed an alliance with Johnny's Eagle Fang dojo) in season 5, and in the process makes amends with his father, Daniel, Miguel, and Hawk.
Shannon Keene Diora Baird Johnny's ex-girlfriend and Robby's mother, alcoholic. Goes into rehab later.
Sid Weinberg Ed Asner; Michael H. Cole (Young) Johnny Lawrence's stepfather and a retired film producer. He gives Johnny a check as a way to break off the relationship, which Johnny later uses to fund Cobra Kai. Asner passed away in 2021 before the completion of the series.
Laura Lawrence Candace Moon Johnny Lawrence's mother and Robby's grandmother. Died before Robby was born in 2002.
Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz Jacob Bertrand Demetri's best friend and one of Miguel's high school friends. He is often bullied for his cleft lip which leads to him joining Cobra Kai, where he takes on the moniker of Hawk and develops a more aggressive personality. While he originally joined Cobra Kai to gain some confidence and stand up to his bullies, he gets easily influenced by John Kreese's "No Mercy" lifestyle, that it leads to him becoming an even worse bully and a major antagonist in seasons 2 and 3. Though, he eventually realizes just how far he has fallen and switches sides to Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang in the season 3 finale, making amends with his friend Demetri and everyone else he hurt.
Aisha Robinson Nichole Brown Samantha LaRusso's best childhood friend, who is bullied by high school classmates. She becomes the first student after Miguel to join Cobra Kai. She later transfers out of the high school after the school brawl in Season 2.
Demetri Alexopoulos Gianni Decenzo An intelligent, nerdy, and socially awkward outcast who is Hawk's childhood best friend and a member of Miguel's high school friend group. He goes on to join Miyagi-Do in season 2, after Hawk's violent personality change causes a massive drift between the two. While originally a big whiner, he gains confidence throughout his time in Miyagi-Do and even gets together with Yasmine, the girl of his dreams, in season 3. Although he is not the strongest fighter among the new generation of karate students, his fighting skills have greatly improved throughout the series to the point where he makes it to the top four at the 51st All-Valley Karate Tournament (Boys Division) in the season 4 finale.
Bert Owen Morgan A diminutive junior student of Cobra Kai who is later kicked out by John Kreese in season 3, which leads to him joining Eagle Fang Karate.
Kyler Park Joe Seo The main antagonist of season 1, a major antagonist in seasons 3-5, and a minor protagonist in season 6. He is a high school bully from a wealthy Korean American family who is Sam's first boyfriend in the series. He officially joins Cobra Kai in season 3 after it is taken over by John Kreese (and later Terry Silver), and remains loyal to the dojo until the season 5 finale.
Moon Hannah Kepple One of Sam's friends and Hawk's girlfriend at West Valley High. She is a bisexual pacifist who does not condone violence, and even attempts to ease the tension between the Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do students in season 2, to no avail. Her and Hawk originally got together near the end of season 1, before breaking up halfway through season 2. Afterwards, she gets a girlfriend named Piper near the end of season 2, before ultimately getting back together with a reformed Hawk in season 4.
Yasmine Annalisa Cochrane One of Sam's friends and Moon's best friend. She is the leader of the rich girl clique at West Valley High, and is very antagonistic towards the protagonists throughout all of season 1. However, after getting humiliated by Aisha and developing romantic feelings for Demetri, she becomes a better person. While she isn't officially a member of any dojo, she still supports Miyagi-Do as it is the dojo her boyfriend Demetri is in. Though, her and Demetri eventually break up in season 6.
Lynn ("Homeless Lynn") Susan Gallagher Homeless woman who hangs around the strip mall.
Tom Cole David Shatraw Owner of Cole's Autos on Van Nuys, a rival automotive dealership;
Rhonda Carole Kaboya Sid's caregiver, who is a target of Sid's verbal abuse.
Armand Zarkarian Ken Davitian Armenian American real estate tycoon.
Roland Zakarian Alex Huff Armand's son.
Cruz and Trey Jeff Kaplan & Terayle Hill (respectively) Robby's former friends who spend their time committing petty theft; both were sent to jail by the start of Season 3.
Daryl Keith Arthur Bolden African American member of the All Valley Committee; announcer for the 2018 and 2019 All Valley Under-18 Karate Championships.
Ron Matt Lewis President of the All Valley Committee; invites pop star Carrie Underwood as a guest performer for the All-Valley tournament before the qualifying matches.
Sue Cara AnnMarie Only female member of the All Valley Committee.
George Kurt Yue Asian American member of the All Valley Committee; close friend of Daniel.
Xander Stone Talin Chat Represents Topanga Karate; 2017 All Valley Under-18 Karate Champion.
Patricia Stone Suehyla El-Attar Xander's mother.
Mrs. Jenkins Linda Boston Vice-Principal of North Hills High School.
Mr. Palmer Dustin Lewis Science teacher at West Valley High School.
Counselor Blatt Erin Bradley Dangar A counselor at West Valley High School, and former high school classmate of Daniel. She is Susan's (The Karate Kid) younger sister.[4]
Judy Kylie Delre A rich woman who causes Johnny to lose his job after an argument. They later meet accidentally through a dating app.
Edwin A.J. Hicks Cobra Kai student.
Abe Jayden Rivers Cobra Kai students who later defected to Miyagi-Do karate.
Frank Cameron Markeles

Cobra Kai: Season 2 (2019) introductions

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Actors from The Karate Kid, Rob Garrison (Tommy), Ron Thomas (Bobby Brown), Tony O'Dell (Jimmy), and Randee Heller (Lucille LaRusso) made guest appearances during this season.

Character Actor Description
Tory Nichols Peyton List The secondary antagonist of Cobra Kai. She is a troublemaker from a poor family who joins Cobra Kai and becomes its top female fighter, earning her the nickname "Queen Cobra". She eventually leaves Cobra Kai in the season 5 finale and officially joins the Miyagi-Fang alliance at the start of season 6, only for her to later leave them and rejoin John Kreese and Kim Da-Eun's newly established Cobra Kai dojo in South Korea. Her character has evolved from being a merciless villain (seasons 2 and 3) to a more sympathetic anti-heroine (seasons 4-6).
Raymond "Stingray" Porter Paul Walter Hauser A Cobra Kai student, a manchild and a member of Hawk's gang. Is put on probation, but later is able to return when Terry coerces him into a deal.
Chris Khalil Everage One of the Cobra Kai students, but then leaves to join Miyagi-Do.
Mitch Aedin Mincks One of the Cobra Kai students, but gets kicked out by Kreese and then joins Eagle Fang, but then ends up defecting back to Cobra Kai.
Sunny Mitchell Kathleen Hogan Host of the annual Valley Fest.
Sandra Robinson Kim Fields Aisha's mother; boasts about how Cobra Kai changed her daughter's life for the better.
Mrs. Moskowitz Caroline Avery Granger Seen in a flashback where she urges West Valley High over the phone to do something about the cyberbullying inflicted on her son, Eli, about his facial deformity.
Big Red Christopher Ryan Lewis Cobra Kai student; Lil Red's older brother.
Lil Red Shane Donovan Lewis Cobra Kai student, then joins Miyagi-Do; Big Red's younger brother.
Mikey Miller Chris Schmidt Jr. One of the Cobra Kai students and the second-in-command of Hawk's gang; supporting antagonist in Seasons 2 and 3; quits Cobra Kai.
Doug Rickenberger John Cihangir One of the Cobra Kai students and member of Hawk's gang; supporting antagonist in Seasons 2 and 3; quits Cobra Kai.
Graham Alex Collins British man who dates Carmen.
Piper Elswith Selah Austria Moon's ex-girlfriend; joins Cobra Kai along with her teammates; inspired Sam to use her Eagle Fang training instead.
Melissa Gena Shaw Woman who hits on Johnny at the bar; later spends time drinking with Johnny.
Cutter Stephan Jones Construction worker who loans Johnny his cement mixer truck for the Cobra Kai students to manually rotate the drum as part of their strength training.

Cobra Kai: Season 3 (2021) introductions

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Actors from The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid II, Elisabeth Shue (Ali Mills), Ron Thomas (actor) (Bobby Brown), Tamlyn Tomita (Kumiko), Traci Toguchi (Yuna), and Yuji Okumoto (Chozen Toguchi) all made guest appearances during this season.

Character Actor Description
Shawn Payne Okea Eme-Akwari Former juvenile detainee at Sylmar Juvenile Corrections, which he was eventually released from by the start of season 6. He is the older brother of Kenny Payne.
Rodney Grayson Berry Tory's apartment complex landlord; harasses Tory for rent.
David Jesse Kove Portrayed Martin Kove's son, he is a college varsity captain in 1965; enlisted for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, but chose to bully John Kreese throughout high school.
Betsy Emily Marie Palmer Kreese's girlfriend from his youth; originally David's girlfriend; her death causes Kreese to become devastated.
Captain George Turner Terry Serpico Kreese's commanding officer during the Vietnam War; taught his team his style of self-defense which would become the foundation of Cobra Kai karate.
Ponytail Seth Kemp One of John Kreese's old Vietnam buddies; shot dead by the Vietcong.
Councilperson Roberts Zele Avradopoulos City councilmember who wanted to ban the All-Valley Under 18 Tournament due to the aftermath of the school brawl; made a compromise that students must sign a waiver.
Dee Snider Himself In Cobra Kai, he is a heavy metal singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the band Twisted Sister; Miguel went through security to go to one of his concerts.[5]

Cobra Kai: Season 4 (2021) introductions

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Thomas Ian Griffith reprised his role as Terry Silver from The Karate Kid III, and actors from The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid II, Yuji Okumoto (Chozen Toguchi) and Randee Heller (Lucille LaRusso), made guest appearances.

Character Actor Description
Kenny Payne Dallas Dupree Young Younger brother of Shawn Payne and the son of a U.S Army soldier; joins Cobra Kai in an attempt to fight back against his bullies, initially as Robby's protege; in Season 5, he becomes one of the top students behind Tory in Silver's Cobra Kai.
Devon Lee Oona O'Brien Student and member of the debate team at West Valley High School who joins Eagle Fang; later joins Topanga after the former shuts down.
Kandace Rebecca Lines Tory's maternal aunt.
Lia Cabrera Milena Rivero Student at West Valley Middle School, childhood friend and crush of Anthony LaRusso.
Charlotte Phoebe French One of Terry Silver's newly recruited female students who joins Cobra Kai.
Lindsey Gianna Graziano Another female student recruited by Terry Silver alongside Charlotte and Piper Elswith.
Cheyenne Hamidi Salome Azizi Terry Silver's girlfriend; app developer.
Vanessa LaRusso Julia Macchio Louie LaRusso's sister, Daniel's cousin, second year graduate student in child psychology. Portrayed by Ralph Macchio's daughter, her interactions with Daniel reference Marisa Tomei's character in Macchio's 1992 film, My Cousin Vinny.
Zack Thompson Brock Duncan Student at West Valley Middle School, one of Anthony's friends; suspended from school because of bullying Kenny.
Greg Hughes P.J. Byrne Stingray's next door neighbor; later beaten up by Stingray for Greg pointing out Stingray's underage drinking.
Slade Wang Alex Boyer Student at West Valley Middle School; member of Anthony's gang who helps Anthony catfish Kenny; later suspended along with his friends.
Marcus Jaden Labady Member of Anthony's gang who helps him bully Kenny at school; eventually suspended.
Carrie Underwood Herself In Cobra Kai, she is a multi-Grammy Award-winning country pop singer who is invited by Ron to the 51st All-Valley Karate Tournament.

Cobra Kai: Season 5 (2022) introductions

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Yuji Okumoto reprised his role as Chozen Toguchi from The Karate Kid II and Sean Kanan and Robyn Lively reprised their roles as Mike Barnes and Jessica Andrews from The Karate Kid III.

Character Actor Description
Hector Salazar Luis Roberto Guzmán Miguel’s biological father, Carmen's ex-husband and a criminal in Mexico.
Joanne Rachelle Carson-Begley Amanda’s mother who lives in Ohio and who divorced her husband after he cheated on her. She supports Amanda when she has a difficult moment in her marriage.
Elizabeth-Anne Rooney (Lizzie-Anne) Sunny Mabrey Rival and former classmate of Amanda and Jessica, whom Jessica refers to in The Karate Kid III. She confronts Amanda and Jessica in a bar.
Kim Da-Eun Alicia Hannah-Kim The secondary antagonist of season 5, and a major antagonist turned anti-heroine in season 6. She is a Korean karate master that is summoned to the United States by Terry Silver to be a Cobra Kai sensei, but later returns to South Korea and joins forces with John Kreese instead.
Kim Sun-Yung Don L. Lee; flashback (Season 5),

C.S. Lee (Season 6)

South Korean sensei who is a master of Tang Soo Do karate during the Korean War; built the philosophy of the Cobra Kai dojo: "Strike first, strike hard, no mercy."
Gunther Braun Carsten Norgaard German representative for the Sekai Taikai karate tournament.
Gabriel Owen Ham Criminal who beats up John Kreese in the prison; implied to have helped Kreese fake his death and escape prison.
Sensei Odell Tyron Woodley One of Kim Da-eun's six hired senseis.
Dr. Emily Folsom Tracey Bonner Psychiatrist at John Kreese's prison; Kreese used her keycard to escape prison.

Cobra Kai: Season 6 (2024) introductions

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Yuji Okumoto reprised his role as Chozen Toguchi from The Karate Kid II. Sean Kanan reprised his role as Mike Barnes, Thomas Ian Griffith reprised his role as Terry Silver, and William Christopher Ford reprised his role a as Dennis De Guzman, all from The Karate Kid III. Mr. Miyagi, who in seasons 1-5 is referred to as Nariyoshi Miyagi, is also referred to as Keisuke Miyagi (his name in The Next Karate Kid) in this season.

Character Actor Description
Zenker Christian Carlson The president of the fraternity “Theta Omega” at the College of the Valley.
Kwon Jae-Sung Brandon H. Lee The central antagonist to the Miyagi-Do students in season 6. He is the top student of Kim Da-Eun's dojang who goes on to become the male captain of the newly revived Cobra Kai (South Korean branch). During the all-dojo brawl at the Sekai Taikai, he accidentally impales himself with Kreese's knife while fighting Axel Kovačević, which kills him. Not counting flashbacks, Kwon is the third character to die onscreen in the series (after Tommy and Grace Nichols), the first character to die from karate, and the first child/teen to die.
Yoon Do-Jin Daniel J. Kim Another student of Kim Da-Eun's dojang. Formerly the top student of the dojang until defeated by Kwon.
Shane Page Tony Cavalero Owner of a boxing gym founded by his grandfather and Mr. Miyagi in the 1940s and who tells Daniel and Chozen about Mr. Miyagi’s past of having committed assault and theft once.
Grace Nichols Bethany DeZelle Tory and Brandon's mother. She dies of a pulmonary embolism in the first part of season 6.
Sensei Wolf Lewis Tan One of the three main antagonists (alongside John Kreese and Terry Silver) of season 6. Sensei of the Hong Kong-based Iron Dragons, and a three time Sekai Taikai champion. He forms an alliance with Terry Silver, and develops a rivalry with Johnny Lawrence over the course of season 6.
Axel Kovačević Patrick Luwis The male captain of the Iron Dragons. He develops romantic feelings for Samantha LaRusso, but is turned down by her. This leads to him developing an intense hatred for Miguel Diaz, Sam's boyfriend.
Zara Malik Rayna Vallandingham The female captain of the Iron Dragons. She is Tory's main rival during the Sekai Taikai. Their rivalry gets more personal later on when Zara has a one-night stand with a drunk Robby Keene.
Maria Alvarez Jewelianna Ramos-Ortiz The female captain of the Spanish team Furia de Pantera (Panther's Fury). She is a formidable opponent who makes it to the semi-finals of the Sekai Taikai, and also develops romantic feelings for Demetri by dancing with him. Later on, she and her team fight alongside Demetri and Hawk during the all-dojo brawl.

Additional adaptations

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The Karate Kid (1989 animated series)

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The animated series had different voice actors for the following characters: Joey Dedio as Daniel LaRusso, Robert Ito as Mr. Miyagi, and Janice Kawaye as Taki Tamurai.

The Karate Kid (2010)

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This film is a remake of the 1984 original, set in China.

Character Actor Description
Dre Parker Jaden Smith Protagonist of The Karate Kid. Goes into training for self-defense after being bullied; later wins in the Open Kung Fu Tournament. Moved from Detroit, Michigan, to Beijing, China. Counterpart of Daniel LaRusso.
Mr. Han Jackie Chan Chinese maintenance man who becomes Dre's Shifu; lost his wife and son to a car crash. Counterpart of Mr. Miyagi.
Sherry Parker Taraji P. Henson Mother of Dre Parker. Counterpart of Lucille LaRusso.
Cheng Zhenwei Wang Main antagonist; Dre's arch rival; top student at the Fighting Dragon studio run by Master Li. Counterpart of Johnny Lawrence.
Meiying Wenwen Han Dre's love interest, violin player; her parents deem Dre to be a bad influence, but Dre rehearses a written apology to Meiying's father in which he asks for forgiveness. Counterpart of Ali Mills.
Liang Shijia Lü One of Cheng's friends, second-best student at the Fighting Dragons studio; disqualified due to injuring Dre's leg. Due to his disqualifing, he is counterpart of Bobby Brown.
Master Li Yu Rongguang Cheng's Kung Fu instructor; instructs Liang to deliver an illegal strike to Dre's leg. Counterpart of John Kreese.

Karate Kid: Legends (2025)

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Character Actor Description
Daniel LaRusso Ralph Macchio Mr. Miyagi's student in the 1984 film, The Karate Kid
Mr. Han Jackie Chan Dre's Shifu in the 2010 film, The Karate Kid
Liu Fong Ben Wang A young Chinese boy who is trained by Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso.
Victor Joshua Jackson
Ms. Morgan Shaunette Renée Wilson
Sadie Stanley
Ming-Na Wen
Aramis Knight
Wyatt Oleff
Jennifer Lyn-Christie

Broadway

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In January 2020, a Broadway musical adaptation of The Karate Kid was revealed to be in development. Amon Miyamoto served as the director, with an accompanying novel being written by the original film's screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen. Drew Gasparini is the lyricist and composer of the score, while Keone and Mari Madrid choreographed the play. Kumiko Yoshii and Michael Wolk will serve as producers, with The Kinoshita Group. The cast will include Jovanni Sy as Mr. Miyagi, John Cardoza as Daniel LaRusso, Kate Baldwin as Lucille LaRusso, Alan H. Green as John Kreese, Jake Bentley Young as Johnny Lawrence, Jetta Juriansz as Ali Mills, and Luis-Pablo Garcia as Freddie Fernandez.[6] The adaption debuted in St. Louis in June 2022.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Jon Hurwitz [@jonhurwitz] (September 24, 2020). "The Karate Kid cartoon is not canon. But there is an Easter Egg from it in Season 3" (Tweet). Retrieved January 23, 2021 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ "Cobra Kai co-creator reveals why 'unique' Chad McQueen never appeared on the show". The Independent. 2024-09-13. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  3. ^ "FEMININE KARATE KID IS HEAVY-HANDED". scholar.lib.vt.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  4. ^ Erin Bradley Dangar "For the inquiring minds who wanted to know
  5. ^ "Watch Dee Snider Perform a Concert During Cobra Kai Season 3". Ghost Cult Magazine. January 4, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  6. ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (January 22, 2020). "New Musical The Karate Kid, Based on the Hit '80s Movie, Aims for Broadway". Broadway Buzz. Archived from the original on 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  7. ^ Bahr, Sarah (2022-06-01). "Strike First, Strike Hard: How 'The Karate Kid' Became a Musical". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
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