Cobra Kai season 5 cast: Who’s new and who’s returning?

It’s almost time for a new season of Cobra Kai! The karate dramedy, which serves as a sequel series to the iconic Karate Kid movies from the 1980s, takes place over three decades later, following Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence as fathers. A lot has happened since they were fighting in their dojos, but it almost feels like no time has passed once they get back into karate.

Cobra Kai season 5 debuts this Friday, Sept. 9 only on Netflix, and it won’t be one to miss! This time around, the threat of Terry Silver is real as he wants to expand Cobra Kai to more locations. Of course, Daniel will do everything in his power to stop this takeover from happening, but Silver’s a hard guy to defeat. On and off the karate mat.

While we wait for the 10 new episodes, let’s take a look at the Cobra Kai season 5 cast, both the new actors and the returning ones.

Cobra Kai season 5 cast: New actors

Sean Kanan as Mike Barnes

Sean Kanan is Cobra Kai‘s latest actor to reprise his role from the Karate Kid movie series. Fans of the films will remember him as Mike Barnes, who was branded karate’s bad boy. He appeared in The Karate Kid Part III (1989) after Terry Silver hired him to take down Daniel LaRusso. In the end, Daniel defeated Mike, and their feud is one of the many memorable ones. Expect Mike to be one of the new characters in Cobra Kai season 5!

Where have you seen him before? Apart from The Karate Kid Part III, you might recognize Kanan for his role as Deacon Sharpe in The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. He’s also appeared in shows such as General Hospital, Desperate Housewives, and Sunset Beach.

Alicia Hannah-Kim as Kim Da-Eun

Alicia Hannah-Kim plays a brand-new character in the Karate Kid universe named Kim Da-Eun. According to a report from Deadline, this new character was enlisted by Silver and will help him in his plan to expand the Cobra Kai franchise. “Working with Silver can only mean one thing: Kim is fighting for the dark side,” the site writes. We’re excited to meet a new villain in season 5!

Where have you seen her before? Though Hannah-Kim has not appeared in Cobra Kai or the Karate Kid movies, you might recognize her from shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Minx, Alone Together, or General Hospital. It looks like she hasn’t had a starring role in a big show yet, so maybe Cobra Kai will change that. We’ll have to wait and see what her character does in season 5!

Cobra Kai season 5 cast: Returning actors

Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso

The character Daniel LaRusso is synonymous with the Karate Kid franchise, and Cobra Kai would not be the same show without him. Of course, we can expect actor Ralph Macchio to reprise his role in season 5. In addition to his most iconic role, viewers will recognize Macchio from shows like The Deuce and Ugly Betty, as well as movies such as The Outsiders and My Cousin Vinny.

What’s next for Daniel LaRusso in Cobra Kai? As teased at the end of Cobra Kai season 4, Daniel is enlisting the big guns in his fight against Silver and Kreese. He’s invited Chozen to Los Angeles, who will no doubt be a powerful asset for Miyagi-Do.

William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence

Just as important in Cobra Kai is Johnny Lawrence, played by William Zabka. Though they started as enemies, Johnny and Daniel have since learned how to work together (somewhat successfully). Zabka is most recognizable for his role in the Karate Kid franchise, but you’ve also seen him in movies like Hot Tub Time Machine, Back to School, and National Lampoon’s European Vacation. He also played Scott McCall in the 1980s show The Equalizer.

What’s next for Johnny Lawrence in Cobra Kai? Johnny and his son Robby finally make amends in Cobra Kai season 4, so we suspect their relationship to only grow in season 5. In the trailer, Johnny says he’s no longer a sensei, focusing on his family this time around instead of karate. But the threat of Terry Silver will likely be enough for him to team up with Daniel once more.

Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz

Behind Daniel and Johnny in Cobra Kai, Miguel Diaz is one of the most important characters. The actor who plays him, Xolo Maridueña, will reprise his role in season 5 despite Miguel heading to Mexico at the end of season 4. Miguel is in multiple scenes in the trailer, so we’ll expect him to return to Los Angeles pretty quickly. Apart from the Netflix Original, Maridueña has appeared in the shows Parenthood, Cleopatra in Space, Major Crimes, and others.

Next, Maridueña will play the titular character in the superhero movie Blue Beetle from DC Films.

What’s next for Miguel Diaz in Cobra Kai? At the end of season 4, Miguel is lost. Johnny has been a father figure to him for a while, and now that Johnny is getting closer to Robby, Miguel isn’t sure what to do. He decides he’ll go seek out his own father who he’s never met.

We’re not sure if he gets to meet his dad in season 5, but we know based on the trailer that he’ll be at odds with Robby again. Despite Johnny wanting the two boys to get along, neither of them want to. We’ll see if they can ever be friends given their history.

Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso

Mary Mouser will be back in Cobra Kai season 5 as Daniel’s lovable daughter Samantha. If you think the actress looks familiar, you might’ve seen her in the movie Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. She’s also appeared in shows like Room 104, Freakish, Scandal, The Fosters, and NCIS.

What’s next for Sam in Cobra Kai? Sam has a lot of frustration built up after losing to Tory at the All Valley tournament at the end of season 4. Plus, her and Miguel are on the rocks despite both teens wanting to make things work. In season 5, we suspect her to be on her dad’s side in wanting to take Cobra Kai down, but will the pressure be too much for her? We’re hoping she and Miguel are together in the end! We love them as a couple.

Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene

He’s All That star Tanner Buchanan is confirmed to return as Robby Keene in Cobra Kai season 5. The actor has appeared in a number of popular TV shows over the years, including The Fosters, Fuller House, Girl Meets World, The Goldbergs, and Grey’s Anatomy. He’s set to star in an upcoming movie called How to Date Billy Walsh, alongside Heartstopper actor Sebastian Croft.

What’s next for Robby in Cobra Kai? Now that Robby and his dad Johnny are on better terms, we’re hoping they only get closer in season 5. That might be difficult, however, when Robby and Miguel are still feuding. Robby and Tory are an item at the end of season 4, so we’ll be curious to see if that lasts throughout the new season.

Martin Kove as John Kreese

One of the biggest villains from the franchise returned in Cobra Kai, and you can expect him to be in the fifth season as well! John Kreese is played by Martin Kove, who appeared in all three Karate Kid movies. Kove has a long list of acting credits to his name, and apart from the karate movies and show, you might’ve seen him in films like Death Race 2000 and Rambo: First Blood Part II.

What’s next for John Kreese on Cobra Kai? Kreese is behind bars in Cobra Kai season 5 after Silver set him up in the season 4 finale. We know Kreese is innocent, but it probably won’t be that easy to prove it with all the power that Silver has. As we’ve seen in the trailer, Kreese is causing havoc in prison, unsurprisingly. We’ll be curious to see how big his storyline is this time around.

Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver

Though Thomas Ian Griffith only appeared in one Karate Kid movie as Terry Silver, he certainly made an impact. Where we’re at in Cobra Kai, he’s the worst villain we’ve seen yet, and it doesn’t seem like he has plans to slow down anytime soon. The actor has also been seen in movies such as Vampires, XxX, Excessive Force, along with shows like One Tree Hill and Another World.

What’s next for Terry Silver in Cobra Kai? As evidenced in the season 5 trailer, Silver is only doubling down on his plans to take over the valley, opening up multiple Cobra Kai locations and not letting anything or anyone stand in his way. Can Daniel stop him? We hope so!

Yuji Okumoto as Chozen Toguchi

Thankfully, Daniel will have more backup this time around. Yuji Okumoto, who played Chozen in the The Karate Kid Part II, came back to reprise his role in season 4. In the finale, we saw that Daniel had enlisted him to come to Los Angeles, likely to help in the fight against Cobra Kai. As for Okumoto, he’s also appeared in shows like Z Nation and The Mentalist, as well as movies such as Inception and Pearl Harbor.

What’s next for Chozen in Cobra Kai? Chozen’s got a new home in Los Angeles in season 5, though we don’t know how long he’ll stick around. He and Daniel are on really good terms now despite their past feud, so perhaps Chozen will befriend Johnny as well. We’re sure he’ll be able to provide a fresh perspective on Miyagi-Do.

Jacob Bertrand as Eli ‘Hawk’ Moskowitz

Cobra Kai wouldn’t be the same without Hawk! Jacob Bertrand will reprise his role as Eli ‘Hawk’ Moskowitz in the fifth season of the Netflix Original. The actor has been in plenty of other TV shows and movies, including Ready Player One, Kirby Buckets, iCarly, Community, and more.

What’s next for Hawk in Cobra Kai? Hawk has been in a steady relationship with Moon for a bit now, and we expect their relationship to be thriving in season 5. As for karate, he’s part of Miyagi-Do and will likely be just as passionate as the others about taking Cobra Kai down.

Peyton List as Tory Nichols

Tory Nichols is one of the best characters in Cobra Kai, so we’re happy to confirm that Peyton List will return in season 5! The actress has been in the business since she was young, appearing in movies like 27 Dresses, Remember Me, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, and Something Borrowed. More recently, she played famous serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the movie Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman. She’s also been in a handful of Disney Channel titles.

What’s next for Tory Nichols in Cobra Kai? Tory will probably have the best storyline this time around as she struggles with the fact that she only won the All Valley because Silver cheated. Should she confess or keep it to herself? Tory always has a guard up, but that’s only because she’s been hurt in the past. She carries a lot of trauma and she only deserves the best! We’ll be rooting for her in season 5.

See a quick list of other actors who are set to return in Cobra Kai season 5:

• Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso
• Gianni DeCenzo as Demetri Alexopoulos
• Vanessa Rubio as Carmen Diaz
• Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny Payne
• Griffin Santopietro as Anthony LaRusso
• Paul Walter Hauser as Raymond “Stingray”
• Oona O’Brien as Devon Lee
• Hannah Kepple as Moon
• Rose Bianco as Rosa Diaz
• Diora Baird as Shannon Keene
• Dan Ahdoot as Anoush
• Bret Ernst as Louie LaRusso Jr.
• Joe Seo as Kyler Park
• Annalisa Cochrane as Yasmine

We’re just days away until the release of Cobra Kai season 5! Don’t forget to check back with us at Netflix Life for our full coverage of the new episodes.