Netflix’s Cobra Kai, the follow-up to the classic Karate Kid movies, features the return of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. But which other characters figure into this show, and who plays them? Here are all the major actors and cast members for Netflix’s Cobra Kai.
All Major Actors & Cast Members for Netflix’s Cobra Kai
![Johnny Lawrence from Cobra Kai talking to Miguel in Daniel Lawrence's garden.](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/cobra-kail-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C675)
Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
Ralph Macchio, the original Karate Kid (sorry, Hilary Swank and Jaden Smith), returns as Daniel LaRusso 30 years after last stepping into the role. The series begins with LaRusso acting as the owner of a car dealership, using his karate skills as a gimmick. But when his old rival returns to karate, he ends up training a new generation.
The Karate Kid movies aside, you remember Macchio from My Cousin Vinny, but as tells The Guardian, his career hit a dry spell after that; it’s Cobra Kai that’s put him back in the limelight.
William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence
Johnny Lawrence is LaRusso’s karate rival, who got his butt kicked at the end of Karate Kid. And if that wasn’t enough, his former mentor attacked him outside the tournament. Now, he’s barely touched karate and is doing odd jobs to make ends meet. A chance encounter outside a garage leads him to take a new student under his wing and ultimately resurrect Cobra Kai, his former dojo.
He’s played by William Zabka, who stepped away from the mainstream to work in independent films and study to become a filmmaker. His short film, Most, which sounds incredibly bleak, was nominated for an Academy Award.
Martin Kove as John Kreese
John Kreese, with his “No Mercy” attitude to karate, is the founder of Cobra Kai. He featured in the first and third films, and despite his alleged death, he returned at the end of the first season of Cobra Kai. Actor Martin Kove, who portrays Kreese, has featured in a host of films and also had a regular role on Cagney and Lacey back in the ’80s, but Kreese is by far his most memorable role.
Xolo MaridueƱa as Miguel Diaz
Miguel Diaz is the teenager Johnny Lawrence saves from being beaten up, which gets him pepper sprayed by the cops. Diaz becomes Lawrence’s first student, but he later comes to realize that No Mercy might not be the right path. He has an on-off-on relationship with Samantha LaRusso, Daniel’s daughter. Diaz is played by Xolo MaridueƱa, who you may have seen as Jamie Reyes in DC’s live-action Blue Beetle movie.
Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso
As part of the cast of Cobra Kai, Mary Mouser plays Daniel’s daughter, Samantha LaRusso, who ends up being dragged into the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and her father. At various points, she ends up dating both Miguel and Johnny Lawrence’s son Robby, which is the cause of some tension between the two boys. She also ends up with her own rival, Tori, played by Peyton List.
Mouser also played Lacey Fleming on Body of Proof, though at 65 episodes, Season 6 included, Cobra Kai is her longest role.
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Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene
Robby is Johnny Lawrence’s semi-estranged son, who is absolutely right to be upset with his dad’s lack of parental responsibility. He’s got even more reason to be annoyed when he sees Miguel getting the attention he never got, and that helps set him up as Miguel’s rival. He’s appeared in Girl Meets World, The Fosters, Game Shakers, and more, but, like Mouser, Cobra Kai is his biggest role to date.
Mr. Miyagi hasn’t appeared in the show since Pat Morita passed away in 2005. But several other former Karate Kid characters come back, including Chozen and Mike Barnes, from Karate Kid 2 and 3, respectively. They get many new students, some of whom end up changing sides.
Here’s the cast list for Cobra Kai:
- Daniel LaRusso – Ralph Macchio
- Johnny Lawrence – William Zabka
- Amanda LaRusso – Courtney Henggeler
- Miguel Diaz – Xolo MaridueƱa
- Robby Keene – Tanner Buchanan
- Samantha LaRusso – Mary Mouser
- Eli ‘Hawk’ Moskowitz – Jacob Bertrand
- John Kreese – Martin Kove
- Demetri – Gianni DeCenzo
- Carmen Diaz – Vanessa Rubio
- Tory Nichols – Peyton List
- Anthony LaRusso – Griffin Santopietro
- Bert – Owen Morgan
- Kenny Payne – Dallas Dupree Young
- Mitch – Aedin Mincks
- Chris – Khalil Everage
- Kyler Park – Joe Seo
- Abe – Jayden Rivers
- Terry Silver – Thomas Ian Griffith
- Nathaniel – Nathaniel Oh
- Chozen Toguchi – Yuji Okumoto
- Moon – Hannah Kepple
- Aisha Robinson – Nichole Brown
- Devon Lee – Oona O’Brien
- Rosa – Rose Bianco
- Raymond – Paul Walter Hauser
- Yasmine – Annalisa Cochrane
- Anoush – Dan Ahdoot
- Louie LaRusso, Jr. – Bret Ernst
- Sergio Duque
- Brucks – Bo Mitchell
- Shannon – Diora Baird
- Young Kreese – Barrett Carnahan
- Kim Da-Eun – Alicia Hannah-Kim
- Nestor – Vas Sanchez
- Lynn – Susan Gallagher
- Daryl – Keith Arthur Bolden
- Piper – Selah Austria
- Lyle – Matt Borlenghi
- Gunther – Carsten Norgaard
- Shawn Payne – Okea Eme-Akwari
- Trey – Terayle Hill
- Cruz – Jeff Kaplan
- Young Silver – Nick Marini
- Ron – Matt Lewis
- Sheila – Kwajalyn Brown
- Rory – Dawson Towery
- Rickenberger – John Cihangir
- Sensei Vicario – Craig Henningsen
- Zara Malik – Rayna Vallandingham
- Sue – Cara AnnMarie
- Counselor Blatt – Erin Bradley Dangar
- George – Kurt Yue
- A.J. – Jonathan Mercedes
- Sensei Hyan-Woo – Jake Huang
- Draga – Paula Rae Taylor
- Sid – Edward Asner
- Armand Zakarian – Ken Davitian
- Lucille LaRusso – Randee Heller
- Captain Turner – Terry Serpico
- Mr. Palmer – Dustin Lewis
- Paul – Christian Anderson
- Zack – Brock Duncan
- Gabriel – Owen Harn
- Lia – Milena Rivero
- Kumiko – Tamlyn Tomita
- Dr. Howard – Aba Arthur
- Referee – Christopher Conolley
- Ali Mills – Elisabeth Shue
- Tom Cole – David Shatraw
- Bobby – Ron Thomas
- Hector – Luis Roberto GuzmĆ”n
- Mrs. Jenkins – Linda Boston
- Rhonda – Carole Kaboya
- Laura – Candace Moon
- Young Johnny – Owen D. Stone
- Vanessa – Julia Macchio
- Judy – Kylie Delre
- Maria – Elvia Hill
- Ellen – Jemarion Jones
- Mikey – Chris Schmidt Jr.
- Mike Barnes – Sean Kanan
- Dr. Emily Folsom – Tracey Bonner
- Luis – EJ Sanchez
- Pham Minh Thao – Han Soto
- RenĆ© – Frederic Jean
- Young Kim Da-Eun – Sarah Anne
- Marcus – Jaden Labady
- Betsy – Emily Marie Palmer
- Gavin – Brian Troxell
And those are all the major actors and cast members of Cobra Kai.
Cobra Kai is streaming now on Netflix.
Published: Jul 10, 2024 07:46 am