Cobra Kaicontinued many of the old rivalries and villainous partnerships of theKarate Kidfranchise by frequently pitting these characters against one another. While the Netflix spinoff series featured a variety of new characters, a handful came straight from the original 1980s films. Johnny Lawrence, Daniel LaRusso, Chozen Toguchi, John Kreese, Terry Silver, and more are even better fighters inCobra Kaithan they had been inThe Karate Kid, so their fights were naturally that much more exciting.
Of course,not every legacy fight inCobra Kaiwas created equal. OriginalKarate Kidcharactersfought in nearly every one of the show’s six seasons, and some were full of that specific flavor of drama and flair, others fell a bit flat. Some fights were packed with exciting choreography and artistic filming and editing techniques, while others were over almost before they started. So, how do theseCobra KaifightsbetweenKarate Kidcharacters rank, said and done?
17John Kreese vs. Terry Silver (Round 1)
Season 6, Part 2
Johny Kreese and Terry Silver’s longKarate Kidhistory naturally makes their fights inCobra Kaiintriguing. However, the one featured in season 6, part 2 didn’t give audiences much to get excited about. Kreese is beyond his prime by this time in the story, while Silver’s size and strength make him a dangerous opponent regardless. For precisely this reason, Kreese brought a knife to the fight, but he dropped it before reaching Silver. This fact meant thatSilver made simple work of Kreese, who was only spared because Johnny Lawrence stepped in at the right moment.
16Chozen Toguchi vs. Mike Barnes
Season 5
Chozen Toguchi and Mike Barnes were villains ofThe Karate Kid Part 2andThe Karate Kid Part 3, respectively, but they never had anything to do with one another in the film franchise. Still, seeing these two face off inCobra Kaiseason 5 was a great deal of fun.The fight was brief and took a more comedic angle than a dramatic one. It’s for this that Chozen and Barnes' fight can’t rank higher. Still, seeing Chozen come to Daniel’s rescue after mistakenly believing that Barnes was on the attack was undeniably entertaining.
15Johnny Lawrence vs. Terry Silver (Round 2)
Since Terry Silver joined up with Kreese inThe Karate Kid Part 3, Johnny had no experience with the man before he appeared as a villain inCobra Kai. Of course, it didn’t take long before things grew personal between them. Back inCobra Kaiseason 4, Silver ambushed Johnny at the Cobra Kai dojo, kicking him in the face upon entering the building. While their rematch inCobra Kaiseason 6, part 2 was short, it was satisfying because it allowed Johnny to get even. Just as Silver was about to finish off Kreese, Johnny jumped in and delivered a surprise kick to the face.
14Johnny Lawrence vs. Daniel LaRusso (Round 2)
Season 3
Cobra Kaiseason 2 saw one ofJohnny and Daniel’s early alliances, but it didn’t last long. They had come together to hunt down Robby Keene but quickly realized they had differing methods. The oldKarate Kidrivals fought back to back against a gang in an auto garage, but when Johnny became too violent, Daniel stepped in to stop him. The result wasa brief fight that ultimately ended in a draw. It’s always great to see these two face off, but this one was a bit anticlimactic compared to their other fights.
13Johnny Lawrence vs. Daniel LaRusso (Round 1)
Season 2
This fight was excellent in that Cobra Kai included brief clips of their fight from The Karate Kid as a contrast.
Cobra Kaiseason 2 came with the big moment during whichJohnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso faced off with one another for the first time since their 1984 All-Valley match. Ironically, Daniel was the hothead this time, barging into Johnny’s apartment and demanding to see his daughter. Johnny attempted to help Daniel calm down, but things quickly became intense. This fight was excellent in thatCobra Kaiincluded brief clips of their fight fromThe Karate Kidas a contrast. However, the fact that they were interrupted before they could finish put a damper on things.
12Johnny Lawrence vs. John Kreese (Round 1)
Cobra Kaiseason 2 also saw the return of John Kreese for the first time since theKarate Kidfranchise, and Johnny wasn’t particularly thrilled. The last time the student and sensei had seen each other was when the latter placed the former in a choke hold after his 1984 All-Valley loss.Cobra Kaireminded audiences of this through flashbacks to the scene inThe Karate Kid Part II, which certainly cranked up the tension for the on-screen fight. This moment could have featured more interesting choreography, but it was a solid fight betweenKarate Kidalums.
11Daniel LaRusso vs. Terry Silver (Round 1)
The first timeDaniel LaRusso and Terry Silverfought inCobra Kaiwas packed with references to their oldKarate Kid Part IIIdynamic. In this film, Daniel is temporarily Silver’s Cobra Kai student, and this is a detail that the villain attempts to use against Daniel inCobra Kaiseason 5.He clearly got under Daniel’s skin, and while the original karate kid demonstrated some powerful moves (resulting in bloody knuckles), he lacked the calm balance that Miyagi-Do is typically known for. In the end, Daniel was left beaten and humiliated.
10Daniel LaRusso vs. Dennis de Guzman
Dennis de Guzman was a minor villain inThe Karate Kid Part IIIwho had served as one of Terry Silver’s lackeys.Cobra Kairevealed that these two were still in cahoots, since Guzman was hired to kidnap Daniel during the Sekai Taikai tournament. This ultimately led to a fight between Daniel and Guzman, and though our hero didn’t remember the villain from decades past, this was still a rather fun fight.It was another chance for Daniel to pull out his classic crane-kick technique, which naturally earned him a few additional points in his fight with Guzman.
9Daniel LaRusso vs. John Kreese
Kreese proved himself too much for Johnny to handle inCobra Kaiseason 3. However, Daniel turned up in the nick of time to help out. This was the only time these two ever faced off, and it quickly became apparent that Kreese was willing to put a definitive end to Mr. Miyagi’s student. After the two fell through the front window of Cobra Kai, Kreese grabbed a shard of glass and came at Daniel, who whipped out the Miyagi-Do nerve technique Chozen had just taught him. In a rather satisfying conclusion,Daniel rendered Kreese’s arms completely useless.
8Johnny Lawrence vs. Terry Silver (Round 1)
Season 4
What made this all so impactful was that it was Johnny’s first chance to demonstrate the defensive moves he learned from Daniel.
Johnny’s first fight with Terry Silver inCobra Kaiseason 4 was significant for a handful of reasons—especially in the way ofKarate Kidnostalgia. Silver had lured Johnny to the original Cobra Kai dojo, where he mounted a surprise attack as John Kreese watched on (feeling morally conflicted). Johnny received a nasty kick to the head, which kept him from being at his best during the fight. However, what made this all so impactful was that it was Johnny’s first chance to demonstrate the defensive moves he learned from Daniel. Of course, Johnny wouldn’t win against Silver until he learned to balance defense and his Cobra Kai offense.
