The primary cast of Cobra Kai is back for season 6, part 2, this time ed by a slew of new faces. Many of these characters (and their actors) have been loved by audiences for decades since they first appeared on screen back in 1984's The Karate Kid movie and its sequels. Of course, Cobra Kai provided an opportunity for the likes of Billy Zabka's Johnny Lawrence and Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso to return with a handful of new young karate students for them to foster.

Now, with Cobra Kai season 6, the cast and characters of this franchise have grown even more. Miyagi-Do has qualified for the global karate tournament, the Sekai Taikai, which sees the best fighters come together in Barcelona, Spain, to duke it out over the championship title. Our three sensei and a brand new rival dojo, the Iron Dragon. Cobra Kai brought in the big dogs for these exciting new roles, and the cast of season 6 features seasoned actors and martial arts champions alike.

19 Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso

Date Of Birth: November 4, 1961

• Active Since 1979

New York native Ralph Macchio is best known for playing Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid movies (1984 - 1989) and has, of course, returned to the franchise to play the same character in Cobra Kai. Some of Macchio's other notable credits include The Outsider (1983) and My Cousin Vinny (1992).

Macchio's Daniel LaRusso has come a long way in the past 40 years, and his development in Cobra Kai alone has been significant. Though he had an intense rivalry with Johnny Lawrence and Cobra Kai dojo that lasted for years, they have since mended their ways and have ed forces for Cobra Kai season 6's Sekai Taikai global karate tournament.

18 William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence

Date Of Birth: October 20, 1965

• Active Since 1982

William Zabka's career quickly took off with 1984's The Karate Kid, and his portrayal of bad boy Johnny Lawrence earned him a reputation for playing villains. He went on to appear in films like Just One of the Guys (1985) and Back to School (1986), before ing the cast of the 1986 TV show The Equelizer. Still, Zabka is best known as Karate Kid's Johnny, a fact that Cobra Kai has solidified.

Johnny Lawrence has completely turned his life around, ing up with Daniel LaRusso's Miyagi-Do, improving himself as a father to Robby and Miguel, and eagerly awaiting a new baby as he prepares for the Sekai Taikai.

Zabka's Karate Kid character has taken the primary role in Cobra Kai, which puts villain redemptions at the forefront. As of the Netflix series' sixth season, Johnny Lawrence has completely turned his life around, ing up with Daniel LaRusso's Miyagi-Do, improving himself as a father to Robby and Miguel, and eagerly awaiting a new baby as he prepares for the Sekai Taikai.

17 Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz

Date Of Birth: June 9, 2001

• Active Since: 2012

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Xolo Maridueña began his acting career playing Victor Graham in the 2012 drama Parenthood before claiming his role in Cobra Kai in 2018. Maridueña also recently played Jamie Reyes (AKA Blue Beetle) in the DC superhero movie Blue Beetle (2023).

Maridueña plays Miguel Diaz in Cobra Kai, the first student Johnny Lawrence took on at Cobra Kai dojo. Miguel has since become a more literal son to Johnny, and as of Cobra Kai season 6, he expects to welcome a baby sibling into his newly mixed family. Now a Miyagi-Do student, Miguel is among the six chosen to participate in the Sekai Taikai, though he lost the qualifying match that would have made him captain.

16 Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene

Date Of Birth: December 8, 1998

• Active Since: 2009

Ohio native Tanner Buchanan started his career on the TV series Modern Family in 2010. Buchanan snagged his first leading role in 2016 with the series Designated Survivor and has since starred in projects like He's All That (2021) and How to Date Billy Walsh (2024).

Buchanan's Robby Keene is Johnny Lawrence's son in Cobra Kai, though he started the series estranged from his father. This is water under the bridge in Cobra Kai season 6, and Robby now practices karate at Miyagi-Do under Johnny and Daniel's combined instruction. Robby is among the six fighters selected from his dojo for the Sekai Taikai and serves as his team's captain.

15 Mary Mo as Samantha LaRusso

Date Of Birth: May 9, 1996

• Active Since: 2002

Mary Mo began her career doing predominantly voice work, notably lending her voice to Eloise in 2006's Eloise: The Animated Series. In 2007, she played a primary role in Life is Wild before starring as Lacey Fleming in the 2011 series Body of Proof.

Mo plays Samantha LaRusso in Cobra Kai, the daughter of Daniel LaRusso and the only teen character in the series to learn karate from Mr. Miyagi himself. Sam easily qualified to represent Miyagi-Do in the Sekai Taikai and became the captain by default when Tory Nichols left the team to up with John Kreese's new Cobra Kai dojo.

14 Peyton List as Tory Nichols

Date Of Birth: April 6, 1998

• Active Since: 2002

Peyton List began her acting career as a young child in projects like 27 Dresses (2008) and Bereavement, but she first gained significant notoriety playing Holly Hills in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies starting in 2011. From there, List took on movies like Thinning (2016) and its sequel, The Thinning: New World Order (2018). After claiming her role in Cobra Kai, List appeared in Valley Girl (2020), Hubie Halloween (2020) and The Inheritance (2024).

Tory had turned over a new leaf at Miyagi-Do, but the tragic death of her ill mother caused her to turn against her teammates and return to Kreese's dojo.

List plays Tory Nichols in Cobra Kai, an aggressive girl who became the queen bee of Cobra Kai Dojo under John Kreese's leadership. In Corba Kai season 6, Tory had turned over a new leaf at Miyagi-Do, but the tragic death of her ill mother caused her to turn against her teammates and return to Kreese's dojo. At the Sekai Taikai, Tory serves as Cobra Kai's team captain.

13 Jacob Bertrand as Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz

Date Of Birth: March 6, 2000

• Active Since: 2007

Los Angeles-born Jacob Bertrand began his career with Nickelodeon, appearing in series like Marvin Marvin, iCarly, and Jinxed. Bertrand later ed up with the Disney Channel, playing Jack Malloy in the 2016 movie The Swap. After rising to greater fame in Cobra Kai, Bertrand claimed a leading voice role with the ongoing 2020 series Batwheels, in which he plays Bam.

Bertrand plays Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz in Cobra Kai, one of Johnny Lawrence's early students at Cobra Kai. He went through his own villain arc in earlier seasons but has since ed up with Miyagi-Do. Hawk is another participant in the Sekai Taikai and is regarded as one of the dojo's most aggressive fighters.

12 Gianni DeCenzo as Demetri Alexopoulos

Date Of Birth: October 27, 2001

• Active Since: 2011

California-born actor Gianni DeCenzo got his start appearing in TV shows like The Middle (2013) and Eagleheart (2013) before landing more significant roles in Coop and Cami Ask the World (2019-2020) and 100 Things to Do Before High School (2015-2016). Cobra Kai remains DeCenzo's most notable credit, though he recently played Cavalli in the 2024 movie Black Spines.

DeCenzo's Demetri Alexopoulos was the least interested in karate of his nerdy friends, but he ultimately proved himself a force to be reckoned with. In Cobra Kai season 6, Demetri managed to earn a spot in the Sekai Taikai alongside his best friend Eli. However, the news that Eli wouldn't attend MIT the following fall drives a significant wedge in the friendship.

11 Oona O'Brien as Devon Lee

September 6, 2006

• Active Since: 2020

Born in Evanston, Illinois, actor Oona O'Brien began her career appearing in commercials for Nickelodeon, American Girl, and more. In 2020, she played Mia Savage in the short film Sky High before being cast as Devon Lee in 2021. Cobra Kai remains O'Brien's most significant credit.

Though Devon is a fighter for Miyagi-Do at the Sekai Taikai, she only secured her position by dosing Kenny Payne's water with laxatives.

O'Brien's Devon Lee was a later addition to Cobra Kai, but she quickly secured herself among the main fighters of the series. She has bounced around between all dojos in the Valley, though she has remained largely loyal to Johnny Lawrence. Though Devon is a fighter for Miyagi-Do at the Sekai Taikai, she only secured her position by dosing Kenny Payne's water with laxatives—something she feels immensely guilty about.

10 Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny Payne

Date Of Birth: October 25, 2006

• Active Since: 2016

Dallas Dupree Young, born and raised in Houston, Texas, started acting in 2016 when he appeared in Murder Among Friends. From there, Young claimed recurring roles in Vampirina (2017), The Fosters (2018), and The Big Show (2020) before he began playing Kenny Payne in Cobra Kai in 2021.

Kenny's morality has jumped around significantly since he first moved to the Valley in Cobra Kai. He was heavily bullied by Anthony LaRusso but became the bully himself after ing up with Cobra Kai. In Cobra Kai season 6, Kenny has more or less come around - though his being dosed with laxatives during the Sekai Taikai team-member selection put a damper on his redemption.