Cobra Kai: Every Main Character's Age - CBR

Cobra Kai is a wildly popular spin-off series of the successful Karate Kid franchise. This sequel show includes many references to the film trilogy, through memorable quotes, original cast members, as well as a hefty dose of flashback scenes taken directly from the movies. The fandom especially enjoys the nostalgic trip certain characters bring as they reference various aspects of The Karate Kid.

That said, Cobra Kai continues to increase its viewer base by introducing a wide range of show-specific teen characters, almost all of them karate champions in their own right. Several decades have passed between The Karate Kid III and Cobra Kai, making fans wonder how old both returning characters and new additions are.

Updated on October 13, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: With the second part of the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai set to release on November 15, 2024, fans can't wait to see how this iconic spin-off is going to end. Based on Season 6: Part 1, however, appears that the final showdown will involve the original Cobra Kai founder and one of the oldest characters in the show, John Kreese. That said, we've added more information about the ages of all the Cobra Kai main characters.

20 Born In 1967, Daniel LaRusso Is One Year Older Than Johnny Lawrence

Portrayed by: Ralph Macchio

Ralph Macchio reprises his role as Daniel LaRusso in Cobra Kai. More than three decades after his first win at the All-Valley, he's a thriving business owner with a wife and two kids. Daniel's past trauma is seriously triggered when his former rival Johnny Lawrence reopens Cobra Kai, leading to a series of conflicts that just get worse and worse. As of Season 5, however, Daniel and Johnny have become rather close, and fans are hoping that the show ends with them as dear friends.

Character Age	Actor Age
53	62

Interestingly, at the time of the release of the first Karate Kid film, Macchio was 23 years old, whereas Daniel was 17 and in high school. At this point, however, there's a nine-year difference between actor and character. What's even more surprising is that Macchio is actually five months older than actor Thomas Ian Griffith, who played Terry Silver in the third Karate Kid movie, and reprises his role in Cobra Kai.

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19 Tory Nichols Renounces Terry Silver's Hateful Ideology inSeason 4

Portrayed by: Peyton List

If Karate Kid fans thought the members of the original Cobra Kai karate team were corrupted, Tory Nichols is going to take it to the next level. Tory was initially on the dark side of the emotional tug-of-war between her and Sam LaRusso. She has a hard life at home and a fiery temper that can be difficult to control. John Kreese convinces her to join Cobra Kai, which subsequently triggers her pent-up feelings. As a result of Kreese's belligerent teaching style, Tory attacks Sam at school.

Character Age	Actor Age
17	26

Tory later goes on to win the female All-Valley Trophy after defeating Sam, but that's revealed to be the result of Silver bribing the referees. On a positive note, Tory renounces Terry Silver's hateful ideology and becomes a star in her own right. As of Season 6, Tory has rekindled her bizarre relationship with Kreese, and now represents Cobra Kai at the Sekai Taikai.

18 Samantha LaRusso Has a Fluctuating Relationship With Karate

Portrayed by: Mary Mouser

Samantha LaRusso, more popularly known as Sam, is one of the main characters in Cobra Kai. As Daniel's eldest child with his wife, Amanda, she remains disinterested in karate until the events of Season 1 force her to start training. However, Sam had already been somewhat of a karate buff due to her childhood interactions with Mr. Miyagi.

Character Age	Actor Age
17	28

Although Samantha takes up karate once again, her fight with Tory Nichols shatters her confidence and causes her to abandon the martial art. She eventually overcomes the trauma and chooses to forge her own path by fusing the teachings of Miyagi-do and Eagle Fang. Given her closure in the Season 4 finale, the 17-year-old Sam plays a relatively smaller role in Season 5. She now has a prestigious title as the female captain of Miyagi-do.

17 Johnny Lawrence's Character Undergoes a Complete Transformation

Portrayed by: William Zabka

William Zabka reprises his role as Johnny Lawrence, the antagonist in the original Karate Kid trilogy. Johnny was 16 years old in the first Karate Kid, born to Laura Lawrence and an absent father whose identity has never been revealed. Laura marries Sid Weinberg when Johnny is still very young. Unfortunately, his new stepfather has a lot of money but not much love for his new stepson.

Character Age	Actor Age
52	58

Flashforward to Cobra Kai and Johnny is on the path to redeeming himself. That said, Johnny goes through some rough patches now and again but always pulls through with Miguel and Carmen's help. Although he finds it very difficult to ask Daniel for help, Johnny finally allows bygones to be bygones during the Season 4 All-Valley Tournament. On the other hand, the 52-year-old karate master still has to face his former sensei at some point in Season 6.

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16 Eli Moskowitz Flips the Metaphorical Script to Become Hawk

Portrayed by: Jacob Bertrand

Eli Moskowitz was once a reserved student and was abused daily by high school bullies. Most of the insults directed at him revolved around a minor scar resulting from a cleft lip surgery. In a quest for revenge, Eli joins Cobra Kai and earns the nickname "Lip" from Sensei Johnny Lawrence — at least until the latter tells Eli to flip the script. Eli rebrands himself as "Hawk" and gets a Mohawk hairstyle with a large tattoo of a hawk on his back.

Character Age	Actor Age
17	24

Eli is best friends with Demetri, but their friendship becomes strained due to Eli's obsession with karate. The 17-year-old Eli goes through a rather violent and angsty phase but ultimately realizes where his true loyalties lie and returns to Demetri. Eli is the most recent male winner of the All-Valley Tournament, an award he won after defeating Robby Keene. In Season 6: Part 1, he replaces Tory and gets to participate in the Sekai Taikai.

15 Robby Keene Gets Smooth-Talked By Kreese Into Joining Cobra Kai

Portrayed by: Tanner Buchanan

Robby Keene has had nothing short of a troubled childhood. His traumatic upbringing is a product of both his negligent father, Johnny, and his alcoholic mother, Shannon. Daniel takes Robby under his wing as an employee at his car dealership and eventually convinces the boy to become his student at Miyagi-Do Karate. However, Kreese later persuades Robby to join Cobra Kai, after the latter spends time in a Juvenile Corrections Center for assaulting Miguel.

Character Age	Actor Age
17	25

Like most of his peers, Robby has a tough road ahead of him. He takes some time to process his complicated feelings before rejecting Kreese's Cobra Kai and rebonding with his father. Now, finally, Robby is on the path to complete healing. As one of Cobra Kai's main characters, Robby has been a fan-favorite since Season 1. Tanner Buchanan, also known for his role in He's All That, is currently 25 years old.

14 Miguel Diaz Eventually Makes Peace With Robby

Portrayed by: Xolo Maridueña

As Johnny Lawrence's next-door neighbor, Miguel Diaz convinces the older man to train him in the art of karate. Miguel's success is what allows Johnny to transform Cobra Kai into a proper dojo, creating many opportunities for conflict with Sam and Danny. While Miguel suffers a spinal cord injury during the high school brawl, he miraculously recovers complete control over his lower body even after the doctors express their doubts.

Character Age	Actor Age
17	23

As a student at both Eagle Fang and Miyagi-do karate and an All-Valley champion, Miguel defends his title in Season 4. Before his semi-final match, however, he chose to take a different path. By the end of Season 5, Miguel and Robby have reconciled and become a lot more like brothers, much to Johnny's delight. Played by the 23-year-old Xolo Maridueña, Miguel Diaz is 17, the same age as most of his peers.

13 John Kreese Is Back and More Ruthless Than Ever

Portrayed by: Martin Kove

Karate Kid fans can't picture John Kreese without stating the most iconic line: "Sweep the leg." The villainous "no mercy" Cobra Kai sensei is back after 30+ years and having faked his death on more than one occasion. That said, viewers learn considerably more about his backstory, especially his experiences during the Vietnam War, which paints his character in an occasionally empathetic light.

Character Age	Actor Age
73	78

Kreese recruits a familiar face, Terry Silver, to win the All-Valley Karate Tournament. He forces his star students Tory and Robby to comply with his extreme demands, gradually chipping away at their self-esteem. However, when Kreese rejects Terry's offer to create a Cobra Kai franchise, the latter coldly betrays him. 76-year-old Martin Kove reprises his role as John Kreese. Despite his advanced age, though, Kreese is arguably making a serious comeback in Season 6.

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12 Despite His Nonviolence, Demetri Is an Excellent Karate Fighter

Portrayed by: Gianni Decenzo

Demetri Alexopoulos and Eli Moskowitz are both victims of bullying. However, when the pair join Cobra Kai, Demetri leaves because he refuses to tolerate the dojo's hostile environment. Eli and Demetri stop being friends for a while, particularly after Eli transforms into Hawk. Demetri is currently a student at Miyagi-Do, learning a complex karate combination from Senseis Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence, and Chozen Toguchi.

Character Age	Actor Age
17	22

It takes Demetri a while to figure out how to fight; in early seasons, fans were certain that he had no talent for combat, whatsoever. However, he proves everyone wrong by developing and refining his skills, as seen at the 51st All-Valley Tournament. All things considered, Demetri doesn't choose brutality in most situations, highlighting his nonviolent philosophy. He will also participate in the Sekai Taikai, and fans can't wait to watch him triumph — after failing miserably, of course.

11 Amanda LaRusso Often Breaks up Fights Between Johnny and Daniel

Portrayed by: Courtney Henggeler

Amanda LaRusso is another new character added to the Miyagi-verse. She serves as a way to break up the constant bickering between Johnny and her husband, Daniel. Not much is known about Amanda's backstory until Season 5. Here, viewers eventually learn that Daniel's friend, Jessica Andrews from The Karate Kid III, is Amanda's cousin and the one who introduced them in the first place.

Character Age	Actor Age
Unknown	45

Amanda plays a big role in her husband's life by running the auto dealership. She's also an incredible mother to both Sam and Anthony. Interestingly, Amanda's childhood was rather similar to Tory's in the sense that both of them were violent teenagers. Amanda's age is unknown, but 45-year-old actress Courtney Henggeler plays her, so she could be in her 40s or early 50s.