Get ready for an epic countdown of the most intense, emotional, and jaw-dropping fights from the "Cobra Kai" series! From school brawls to tournament showdowns, we're breaking down the most memorable martial arts moments that had us on the edge of our seats.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most well-choreographed
00:13and emotionally satisfying fights on Cobra Kai.
00:17Since we're discussing major plot points of all six seasons, a spoiler warning is now
00:22in effect.
00:31Number 25.
00:32Miguel vs Axel at the Sekai Taikai.
00:49With the Sekai Taikai tournament back on, Robby seemed poised to win it all.
00:54But disaster struck when Axel Kovacevic broke his leg mid-fight.
00:58With that, all eyes then turned to Miguel, who faced Axel in a dramatic battle marked
01:04with intense strikes.
01:06And just when it looked like Miguel was on the brink of defeat, Johnny reminded him to
01:09leave it all on the mat and go all in.
01:24Sparking a flood of memories, this proved to be just what he needed to push through
01:28and take the win.
01:30It was a feel-good victory, following Tory's equally passionate triumph over Zara.
01:43Number 24.
01:44Bar Fight.
01:46Just as Cobra Kai redeems Johnny, it also finds the humanity in his old friends Bobby,
01:51Jimmy, and Tommy.
01:52Tommy is best remembered as the kid who told Johnny to put Daniel in a body bag.
02:00In a tragic twist of fate, it's Tommy who winds up in a body bag at the end of this
02:04episode.
02:12Before he succumbs to a terminal illness, Johnny's friends treat him to one last night
02:16out.
02:17After a bar patron is rude to a waitress and Tommy, however, a brawl ensues.
02:27The set piece makes impeccable use of its environment, incorporating pool cues and beer
02:31mugs into the choreography.
02:33The guys have little trouble taking down barflies.
02:36It's a fitting reunion, as well as a triumphant send-off for the actor who played Tommy before
02:41his passing.
02:45Number 23.
02:47Parking Lot Fight.
02:4834 years after losing to Daniel, Johnny Lawrence is out of work and gets his dinner at a mini-mart.
02:54While eating his crummy slice of pizza in the parking lot, Johnny sees a group of privileged
02:59people harassing Miguel.
03:05It reflects the scene from the first Karate Kid where Johnny and his friends beat up Daniel
03:09only for Mr. Miyagi to intervene.
03:12In this case, it's Johnny who assumes the Miyagi role.
03:19Of course, this is less about defending Miguel and more about defending his car.
03:24It's four against one and Johnny is now in his fifties, but he's still got enough kicks
03:28to go around.
03:29While the cops break it up, the scene establishes that Johnny hasn't lost his fighting spirit.
03:38Number 22.
03:39Kreese Takes Out the Trash.
03:48During a series of season two flashbacks, you initially believe that the obnoxious jock
03:52in the letter jacket is Karate Kid's most notorious villain, John Kreese.
03:57But Kreese is actually the waiter getting harassed by the guys.
04:01While taking out the trash, he sees these terrible men hassling Betsy behind the diner.
04:06Kreese doesn't hesitate to defend her.
04:12Since this scrap happens before he learned karate, the fight's a little rough around
04:16the edges, but it's immensely satisfying to watch horrible guys get their just desserts.
04:22Seeing Kreese as a hero taking down evil is an excellent subversion and a great way to
04:27develop his character.
04:36Number 21.
04:38Robbie Adjusts to Juvie.
04:46After putting Miguel in the hospital, Robbie finally comes face to face with the consequences
04:50of his actions and gets sent to Juvenile Hall.
04:54Just like high school, Juvie is ruled by an aggressive clique.
04:58It doesn't take long for Robbie to get on their bad side.
05:01While he tries to avoid fighting, he can't stand by and let the group get away with tormenting
05:06others.
05:14It's impressive to watch Robbie hold his own against three fierce opponents by using a
05:18defensive style.
05:19Although he loses this bout, he chooses to strike first a couple of episodes later.
05:24Not only is the rematch fun and cathartic to watch, but Robbie earns the respect of
05:29the clique's leader, Sean.
05:38Number 20.
05:40Lunchroom Fight.
05:41Samantha is stunned when her jerky ex, Kyler, starts spreading lies about her.
05:45Unwilling to take this disrespect sitting down, Sam confronts Kyler at lunch.
05:50Miguel, who has his own beef with Kyler, isn't afraid to stand up for Sam.
05:54Having learned a few new moves since he last dealt with Kyler, Miguel puts his karate training
05:59to effective use.
06:06In a one-on-four fight, Miguel serves up a fistful of knuckle sandwiches, turning the
06:10cafeteria into his personal playground.
06:13Taking advantage of his environment, he harnesses nearby tools and uses a lunch tray to annihilate
06:18his enemy, Kyler, in a funny and badass moment.
06:26Standing atop a table in victory, Miguel earns the admiration of Sam and their classmates,
06:31although the school faculty isn't all that impressed.
06:39Number 19.
06:41Johnny vs. Mike Barnes.
06:53It seemed like the Valley wasn't big enough to hold two former Cobra Kai villains at once.
06:59After they had several public disagreements, Johnny tried to clear the air between them
07:03privately.
07:04However, they ended up trading insults and blows instead.
07:18We loved seeing these franchise antagonists finally get into a one-on-one next to a table
07:23saw.
07:24But this battle wasn't just about fan service.
07:27Underneath the surface, they dueled to see who had grown the most as a fighter.
07:31Johnny was only able to beat his opponent after he combined Miyagi-Do lessons with his
07:35personal style.
07:37His definitive win over Mike established that the sensei had evolved past his bad Cobra
07:42Kai teachings.
07:49Number 18.
07:51Chosen clashes against six senseis.
08:02At the beginning of Season 5, Chosen attempts to infiltrate Cobra Kai by applying to be
08:07one of its new senseis.
08:09But after Silver sees through this deception, he sends six fighters after the hero.
08:14It was almost tragic to see how unfair the fight was for the group of senseis.
08:19Chosen absolutely decimates every single man who dares to challenge him.
08:23He becomes a living whirlwind of one-shot takedowns, crushing blows, and skillful karate
08:29moves.
08:36This uneven matchup established that Chosen has only become sharper with age.
08:41Hearing him finish the fight with one of the greatest threats in franchise history was
08:44the icing on top of this tremendous scene.
08:57Number 17.
08:58Miyagi-Do defeats Cobra Kai.
09:13What makes Cobra Kai a force to be reckoned with is how easily they get under people's
09:17skin.
09:18It's that tactic that keeps Miyagi-Do off its collective game in the early stages of
09:23the Sekai Taikai.
09:24Heading into the semifinals, Cobra Kai looks poised to enter the tournament of champions.
09:29But Robby has had enough.
09:31With their captain regaining his groove, Miyagi-Do rallies with excellent teamwork in order to
09:36deplete the Cobras of their energy.
09:46Culminating in a showdown between Robby and Quan, the former combines the best elements
09:50of both dojos he's trained under, and the result is one of the final season's most
09:55satisfying moments.
09:57Robby's discipline not only nets Miyagi-Do a much-deserved victory, but ensures that
10:02Cobra Kai's defeat absolutely stings.
10:20Number 16.
10:21Robby vs. Miguel.
10:26Five and a half seasons after this duo clashed over the All-Valley title, they battled to
10:31see who would take the first Miyagi-Do captain spot.
10:34Although they both had immense talent and great training, Miguel pulled out ahead at
10:38first.
10:39But Robby was able to get back into the battle after he centered himself once more.
10:48As soon as he tied the score, we moved to the edge of our seats.
10:52The duo's stakes or choreography would've been enough to put it at the top, but what
10:56made it among the best of the batch was Robby's win.
11:00After watching him come up second so many times, it was immensely satisfying to see
11:04him celebrated as Miyagi-Do's champion.
11:12Number 15.
11:14Sam vs. Devin.
11:26Three senseis, two dojos, and a bunch of students needed Sam to win a pivotal fight
11:31against Devin in order to strike a heavy blow against Cobra Kai.
11:35Although the young LaRusso impressively held her own against her foe, a corrupt referee
11:40kept ruling against her.
11:50The high stakes and unfair circumstances only pushed Sam to kick things into a new gear.
11:56Watching her go from failing to dominating her enemy was breathtaking.
11:59Since Sam's technique was so clean and strong, the ref had no choice but to award her the
12:04three points she needed.
12:06Her overwhelming victory and the weight it carried made this fight into one of the season's
12:10brightest bouts.
12:17Number 14.
12:19Laser Tag Fight.
12:25After tensions build up between kids from Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do, they meet up in a
12:30derelict laser tag building.
12:32This leads to a clash in the coolest action location the show's ever given us.
12:37Initially, it looks like Miyagi-Do students will triumph over their foes, but then they
12:41start losing to their rivals one by one.
12:44Sam's trauma from a previous brawl causes her to run and hide from Tori.
12:49This means LaRusso can't help when Hawk purposely breaks Dimitri's arm in one of
12:54the show's most violent moments.
13:01While seeing Miyagi-Do on the back foot is shocking, there is hope at the end of this
13:05battle.
13:06For the first time in a while, we see that Hawk has serious doubts about Cobra Kai.
13:15Number 13.
13:16Johnny vs. Sensei Wolf.
13:27With Cobra Kai and Iron Dragons tied at the Sekai Taikai, the ultimate winner is about
13:32to be decided through a fight between the senseis, Johnny and Sensei Wolf.
13:37Johnny enlists Daniel as his sensei for the fight, leading to an iconic moment in which
13:42LaRusso wears a black gi.
13:44At first, Johnny struggles to get the upper hand with his previous losses still at the
13:48forefront of his mind, not to mention Wolf's mind games.
14:01Without Johnny faltering, Daniel's tough love kicks in, urging him to attack instead
14:06of relying on Miyagi-Do defense.
14:09By going full Cobra Kai, Johnny overcomes Wolf, securing victory and redemption for
14:14his dojo.
14:23Number 12.
14:24Sam vs. Tori.
14:35In Season 4, the All-Valley is separated into three divisions.
14:39The girls' competition is the last and most important fight.
14:43So naturally, it could only be another showdown between Sam LaRusso and Tori Nichols, the
14:49show's most potent rivals.
14:51The two both come prepared with both offensive and defensive techniques.
14:55While Sam tries not to let her hatred for her rival control her, Tori tries to honor
15:00Amanda LaRusso's kind wishes and avoid pressure from Silver to break the rules.
15:05The tense clash features plenty of great techniques and a nail-biting finish.
15:16It was fantastic to root for Tori as more than a one-dimensional villain.
15:20However, the fight's greatness is a bit overshadowed by the fact that Silver bribed
15:25the ref so she'd win.
15:35Number 11.
15:36Johnny vs. Kreese vs. Daniel.
15:46Shortly after Kreese lets Daniel know he's back, he succeeds in forcing Johnny out of
15:51Cobra Kai.
15:52It soon becomes clear that the Valley isn't big enough for three senseis.
15:56Once Johnny discovers Cobra Kai students instigated a huge brawl, he comes face-to-face with Kreese
16:02himself.
16:03The heated duel is beautifully intercut with Kreese's own fight to the death back in
16:07Vietnam.
16:09Just when Lawrence is about to win, Robbie attacks him to save Kreese.
16:13After everything goes sideways, Daniel saves his rival's life and faces Kreese himself.
16:22The extended battle's brutal conclusion is halted when Sam and Miguel arrive.
16:31All three senseis decide whichever dojo wins the next All-Valley gets to survive.
16:37Their bargain is a crowd-pleasing conclusion to an epic fight.
16:48Number 10.
16:49Robbie vs. Miguel.
16:51Like the original film, the first season of Cobra Kai climaxes with a karate tournament.
16:56In an ironic twist though, Daniel has trained Johnny's son Robbie to challenge Cobra Kai.
17:02Like Daniel before him, Robbie is injured when Hawk uses an illegal move on him.
17:13Although Daniel can't suppress the pain with Mr. Miyagi's Reiki technique, he does get
17:18Robbie back in shape for the final round against Miguel.
17:21Unlike the first film's fight between Daniel and Johnny, there isn't a clear hero or villain
17:25here.
17:30Both Miguel and Robbie have demonstrated their honorable sides in the past.
17:34In this case, however, Miguel wins by showing no mercy.
17:37It's familiar yet fresh, which is also the best way to describe the series as a whole.
17:45Number 9.
17:46Mall Fight.
17:47While a mall cop is out to lunch, literally, Hawk and his fellow Cobra Kai students pursue
17:52Dimitri over a negative Yelp review.
17:55They corner him in the food court, but Sam swings in before Hawk can beat a positive
17:59review out of Dimitri.
18:03Robbie rushes to Dimitri's aid as well, getting us pumped up for a face-off between Cobra
18:08Kai and Miyagi-Do.
18:10Although they're outnumbered and Dimitri can barely throw a punch, Sam and Robbie make
18:13for an unstoppable duo.
18:18In a slick bit of editing, we cut between the mall fight and their training.
18:22Sam and Robbie act like a unit here, perfectly balancing each other out.
18:26The mall setting also gives the fight a genuine 80s vibe, which is always welcome.
18:41Number 8.
18:42Daniel vs. Johnny.
18:52Cobra Kai finally gave audiences a tournament-like bout between an off-balance Daniel and angry
18:57Johnny at the midpoint of Season 4.
19:00Only the winning sensei will get to teach their personal karate style and philosophies
19:04to all of their promising students.
19:07The fight is an homage to their iconic duel that is full of great twists on their history.
19:12Seeing Johnny overcome Daniel's greatest Miyagi-Do technique instead of losing instantly
19:17was just one of many great moments.
19:34Unlike their original movie matchup, there's no winner.
19:37Their tie suggests that no matter how many rematches they go through, the rivals will
19:42both lose if they aren't balanced when they fight.
19:53Number 7.
19:54Rematch to the death.
20:03When Daniel returns to Okinawa, he reunites with his fierce karate rival, Chosen.
20:08This brutal fighter previously lost to LaRusso in a duel that nearly had fatal consequences.
20:14After Chosen offers to teach Daniel more Miyagi-Do secrets, the two have a series of fights.
20:19It's great to see them go from using their bare hands to wielding wooden staffs.
20:24Unfortunately for Daniel, Chosen is an even tougher opponent than he was as a young man.
20:29In the end, it looks like LaRusso's luck has finally run out, but Chosen instead returns
20:33the favor Daniel gave him 30 years ago and honks his nose.
20:41Who knew one of the show's greatest fighting montages would end in such a hilarious way?
20:52Number 6.
20:53Robby vs. Hawk.
21:01As the Cobra Kai's second All-Valley Tournament went on, everyone was expecting a rematch
21:05between reigning champion Miguel and previous finalist Robby.
21:09But when the former champ forfeits, reformed Cobra Kai student and new Miyagi-Do disciple
21:15Hawk-slash-Eli must step up.
21:18Since Eli and Robby know each other's karate inside and out, their face-off is evenly matched.
21:24In the end, it all came down to balance.
21:26Robby gets distracted at key moments because he's struggling with Cobra Kai's brutal
21:31teachings.
21:32However, Hawk is able to embrace two schools of teaching and score a victory for the good
21:37guys.
21:38This fantastic clash closed Eli's long redemption arc while cementing him as one of the Valley's
21:43best fighters.
21:50Number 5.
21:51Daniel defeats Silver.
22:03There are three major elements that make this rematch so satisfying.
22:07First, Daniel learns from his mistakes and waits for Terry to strike first.
22:11Secondly, the hero combines his defensive Miyagi-Do training with the lessons on offense
22:17he's picked up from Johnny and Silver himself.
22:28The third major moment that makes the fight so epic is how much it literally mirrors Karate
22:32Kid 3.
22:33In that film, Mr. Miyagi faces a disrespectful Silver to protect kids from Cobra Kai, decades
22:40After the veteran mentor sent the villain flying into a mirror, Daniel did the same
22:44with a single crane kick.
22:46All these epic elements came together in one final fight that felt like it incorporated
22:51everything we love about this franchise.
22:54Number 4.
22:55Home Invasion.
23:01The Miyagi-Do's and Eagle Fangs thought they would be safe at the LaRusso house.
23:06Unfortunately, Cobra Kai shows up to attack all of their rivals.
23:10Things don't look too good for the Eagle Fangs and Miyagi-Do's for most of the well-shot
23:14clash.
23:15Miguel gets thrown around after he's just started to heal, Sam is still afraid of Tory,
23:20and Dimitri's arm nearly gets broken.
23:22But everything starts to turn around when Hawk betrays Cobra Kai in a triumphant return.
23:35After this awe-inspiring moment, Miguel overcomes his injuries and beats his old rival.
23:40To cap it all off, Sam faces her fears and puts Tory on notice.
23:44Seeing students from different dojos rise up against a common enemy helped end Season
23:493 on an exhilarating note.
23:58Number 3.
23:59Miguel and Robbie's grudge match.
24:11Nearly two seasons after Robbie seriously injured Miguel in the shocking school fight,
24:15the duo finally squared up for a rematch.
24:18There's no points, no rules, and no stopping until they've burned through all the bad
24:22blood between them.
24:24The fight features excellent choreography and emotional performances.
24:34Having Miguel repeat the same series of moves that led to his devastating fall against Robbie
24:39was a particularly outstanding creative choice.
24:43In the end, the former All-Valley champ decides to call the fight before it goes too far.
24:48His decision to show mercy brought their feud and this great grudge match to a beautiful
24:53conclusion.
25:05Number 2.
25:06The brawl to end all brawls.
25:19The vicious nature of the Sekai Taikai often made it look like a fight with no rules.
25:23That idea is taken literally after Quan takes a cheap shot at Robbie during the Tournament
25:28of Champions.
25:30All hell breaks loose as the finest dojos in the world take aim at each other and more
25:34than prove what makes them the best of the best.
25:47character is given a chance to shine, and the ingenious editing of the sequence ensures
25:51that each bit of chaos still has something to reward us with.
25:55The results are some of the most consequential outcomes of the entire series, capped off
25:59by a shocking final blow that not even the show's biggest fans could have seen coming.
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26:30Number 1.
26:31School showdown.
26:32Cobra Kai saved its most ambitious set piece yet for the season 2 finale, in which every
26:37rivalry reaches its boiling point.
26:39Tori kicks things off with Samantha, prompting another one-on-one match between Miguel and
26:45From there, an all-out battle breaks out between the two dojos, delivering the show's best
26:49choreography to date.
26:58While it's satisfying seeing Dimitri finally best Hawk, the main action takes place on
27:02the second floor, where Sam disarms Tori and Miguel pins down Robby.
27:12In a reversal of last season's tournament fight, Miguel shows Robby mercy.
27:17Robby's instincts kick in, however, causing him to accidentally send Miguel over the rail.
27:22It was a brutal, heart-pounding, and devastating way to cap off a season with no winners, only
27:27losers.
27:35What's your favorite fight from Cobra Kai?
27:37Is there an awesome fight we forgot about?
27:40Let us know in the comments.
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