About “Cobra Kai” in a few words:

Cobra Kai is a popular American martial arts comedy-drama series that follows the lives of two former karate rivals, Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, as they clash again over their karate dojos. The show is a sequel to the classic movie, The Karate Kid, and brings back the original cast with new characters. It has gained a massive following for its thrilling fight scenes, relatable characters, and nostalgic storyline.

Meet the characters from Cobra Kai

Aisha

Aisha is the quietly fierce backbone friend who somehow manages to be both the voice of reason and the person who will absolutely throw down if someone disrespects her crew. She’s smart, principled, and more patient than she has any right to be—also sometimes petty, which I love. She’s got this steady confidence that makes you think she never doubts herself, but she definitely does, like, in private, probably over coffee. Oh and random little thing: she’ll correct your grammar mid-argument and then forget where she parked her car five minutes later.

Xander

Xander is the lovable goof with loyalty stitched into his DNA, the kind of friend who will roast you and then defend you to the end. He oscillates between awkward comic relief and genuinely brave teammate moments, which is endearing and sometimes surprising. He’s a bit of a worrywart, tries hard to be cool (succeeds more in a charmingly awkward way), and has weirdly specific opinions about pizza toppings. Also, he cries during award shows? No, wait—I saw him tear up at a dog rescue commercial.

Hawk

Hawk is chaos wrapped in paint—intimidating, raw, and honestly kind of brilliant when he’s focused; he becomes a battle-hardened symbol and then melts into this unexpectedly soulful, loyalty-first friend. He’s like, loud and proud and wild, but has a soft spot (don’t tell anyone) for little rituals and quiet spots where he scribbles weird poetry. He scares new people into submission and then will bring you a snack at midnight because he cares too much. Sometimes he’s terrifyingly consistent in his aggression, other times he’s bafflingly sentimental—both at once, which is the point.

Tory

Tory is the ruthless, quick-witted storm of a character who really never forgets or forgives, and she wears that as armor. She’s competitive to the bone, cutthroat in a way that makes you nervous and oddly impressed, but she’s also deeply wounded—like you can see the hurt under the swagger if you look. She’s got razor-sharp comebacks and a tendency to push people away (then act surprised when they do), and she’s always, always ready for a fight. Tiny aside: she might have a soft spot for guilty-pleasure rom-coms, which feels wrong but somehow fits.

Robby

Robby is the broody, complicated son-of-a-mess who is constantly trying to figure out who he is without making the same mistakes as his dad (and failing sometimes, and also sometimes succeeding spectacularly). He’s fierce in the ring but tentative in life, protective and prickly and wildly loyal if you earn it. He keeps secrets like trophies and has this weird habit of taking pictures of mundane things—paint chips, receipts, I don’t know—but it’s like his way of remembering. He can be icy one moment and ridiculously tender the next, which is maybe my favorite thing about him.

Samantha

Samantha is the level-headed, empathetic heart who somehow balances being a teenager and being a moral compass for everyone around her, which is a lot, honestly. She’s thoughtful, kind, and competitive when she needs to be—pretty sure she could out-argue you at a school board meeting and then bake you cookies. She’s fiercely independent but also desperately wants for people to get along (classic mediator energy), and she’s into fashion but refuses to be shallow about it. Little weird note: she organizes her life via color-coded sticky notes and probably has a playlist for every mood.

Miguel

Miguel is the scrappy underdog turned champ—you can smell the grit and the big heart from a mile away; he fights with everything he has and keeps trying even when life punches back. Loyal to a fault, romantic when it counts, and stubborn as a mule, he’s the kind of guy who’ll show up at two in the morning with spare keys and a pep talk. He’s proud but humble, fierce in the dojo and surprisingly soft in private—likes sentimental movies, don’t judge. Also he has the worst sense of direction ever but somehow always finds the best taco spots.

John Kreese

Kreese is pure merciless philosophy personified; brutal, militaristic, and sincerely convinced that life is a zero-sum game—you win or you don’t exist. He’s terrifyingly charismatic in a way that drags people into his world and he never apologizes, which is both the point and the problem. He’s all about conditioning, control, and making sure no one feels safe enough to slack off—also, he probably reads old war memoirs at 2 a.m. and drinks something suspicious. He’s the villain you can’t look away from, partly because he’s so unrepentant and partly because he’s oddly consistent in his cruelty.

Johnny Lawrence

Johnny is the gruff, lovable disaster who is trying to do better and keeps tripping over his own past pride—and you can’t help rooting for him. He oscillates between clueless and deeply insightful, makes terrible decisions in public, and then surprises everyone with a surprisingly tender move in private. Old-school dojo guy with a soft spot for kids, motorcycles, and ’80s nostalgia (he genuinely thinks mullets will make a comeback). He’s a mess with a heart, terrible with money but somehow great at giving life advice when you least expect it.

Daniel LaRusso

Daniel is the equal parts wise and insecure sensei/businessman who wants to do right by tradition but keeps getting tangled in his own ego, which is kind of the best part. He’s principled, a little dramatic (waxing philosophical about bonsai and karate in the same breath), and weirdly competitive with his old rival while also secretly craving validation. He’s the moral center who smells like aftershave and car polish and probably journals about honor at midnight. Also he’s a dad who tries very hard and fails occasionally (adorably), which is frankly relatable.