10 original Karate Kid characters who appear in Cobra Kai

10 Karate Kid characters who return in Cobra Kai

One of the fun things for fans of the original The Karate Kid movies has been seeing characters come back in the Cobra Kai series, like these 10.

Let’s start with the obvious leading roles and work our way to the supporting characters, including the one whose return fans were anticipating most.

1. Johnny Lawrence

I will never forget my initial reaction when I started watching the first season of Cobra Kai. I had no idea that before it became a Netflix original series it had first released on YouTube. I wasn’t sure I bought the concept of The Karate Kid being turned into a series, but when I saw William Zabka was back as Johnny Lawrence? Sold!

He was the main antagonist in The Karate Kid, and basically the star student of his dojo and the leader of his fellow Cobra Kais. But in the series, he doesn’t wear his black headband or that trademark Cobra Kai red jacket like he did in the movie.

2. Daniel LaRusso

There have been other Karate Kids, like Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid, or Jaden Smith in the 2010 The Karate Kid remake.

However, the original will always be the one Ralph Macchio first brought to life in 1984: Daniel LaRusso.

He was in the franchise’s first three movies, and just like Johnny, is all grown up and back in the Cobra Kai series.