Cobra Kai is responsible for many of the most exciting and exhilarating martial arts fights ever since it first aired on YouTube Red back in 2015. Yes, many of these can border on ridiculous and get a little silly at times, like a school brawl, an overly popular Karate tournament, and decade old rivals battling it out. But no one can deny that the fight scenes in this epic Karate show are spectacles. With many hyped-up battles, exciting choreography, gorgeous camera work, and intense physicality from all the actors, the greatness of the Cobra Kai fight scenes deserves to be witnessed by everyone. With Season five promising more amazing fight scenes with some iconic team-ups, here are some of the best fights in the series so far.
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9 Johnny Saves Miguel - (Season 1, Episode 1)
Sony Pictures Television
As the very first fight of the show, this exhilarating fight between Johnny and the bullies set the tone for the rest of the show, and laid down the stakes for the show going forward. This simple, but effective fight scene delivers in impressive choreography, impeccable camerawork, and believable physicality from all involved. William Zabka is incredible in his return as the once Karate Champion, Johnny Lawrence, and in a real character turn, Johnny decides to save a young and inexperienced Miguel (Xolo Mariduena) from bullies. Johnny beats the kids down with punches and kicks, before being pepper sprayed by the police and getting arrested.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Tory vs Sam - (Season 4, Episode 10)
The All Valley Karate Championship is filled with many amazing one-on-one fights, but arguably the most emotionally charged and hyped-up, is Tory vs. Sam. After The school brawl back at the end of Season two, Sam has since suffered PTSD, because Tory used spiky knuckle-dusters to attack and wound her. They have since met toe-to-toe, but none were as epic or as raw as this battle to be the All Valley Karate Champion. Similarly, Tory has been fueled with anger since Sam kissed Miguel, while he was dating Tory. However, she has slowly reconciled and has had growth ever since. Making us want both sides to win, adding to the tension of the scene. The scene also offers an awesome fight with amazing choreography and engaging camera work.
7 Battle at Golf N’ Stuff - (Season 3, Episode 5)
The battle at Golf N’ Stuff yet again pits Cobra Kai against Miyagi Do, but this time, it’s Miyagi Do who commences the fight. But it’s no surprise that Cobra Kai takes the victory once again. While Miyagi Do’s previous losses have been devastating enough, few are quite like this. Sam struggles with her fear of Tory, but in an important and heartbreaking scene, Eli “The Hawk” breaks Demetri’s arm. However, this does give our first hint at Hawk’s character change, as he brutally injures his once best friend. Though it’s a short fight, this scene was no less fun, with great choreography, creative set design, and important repercussions that drove the story along.
6 Daniel vs. Chozen - (Season 3, Episode 5)
Netflix
Few actually ever wanted this rematch to happen, considering that Karate Kid 2 was kind of forgettable. But ultimately, this is a fight we didn’t know we needed. Not only because it was awesome seeing Chozen and Daniel go toe-to-toe once more, but it builds on their relationship, and instead of lifelong enemies, they become friends and share a sense of camaraderie, which makes us all the more excited to see the two team up to take down Cobra Kai in season five.
5 Daniel Vs Johnny - (Season 4, Episode 5)
As one of the best and longest rivalries in cinema, Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso have fought each other on numerous occasions throughout the course of the show. But none is as compelling nor exciting as this showdown of the Senseis. Obviously the hype built up for this fight is incredibly exciting, as Johnny Lawrence trains Rocky-style for the long-awaited rematch. Daniel is recovering from a hangover, and hoping Johnny has forgotten about the fight that they planned after a long night of drinking with one another.
4 Daniel and Johnny vs. Kreese - (Season 3, Episode 10)
Never did we think we would see Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso fight the infamous Karate Sensei John Kreese. But here we are, in an exhilarating, emotional, and tense fight scene, as both former Karate Champions attempt to save Robby from Kreese’s manipulation. This fight scene proves why this show is so special and why this action-packed series is a must-watch. Not only does this scene have incredible choreography and camerawork supported by a heart-pumping soundtrack, but this scene perfectly sets up the narrative of Season four and makes you instantly want to dive into that season, while also giving audiences another showcase of impeccably written characters and character arcs.
3 Eli vs. Robby - (Season 4, Episode 10)
This awesome fight scene is one of the best showcases of martial arts in the show, as two of the best martial artists in the show go head-to-head, to compete for the All Valley Championship. Robby (Tanner Buchanan) and Eli have both proven themselves as very talented martial artists, which makes for one intense and exciting fight. This one-on-one comes after Eli’s character changes back to a kind-hearted young adult, now training at Miyagi Do and no longer a heartless bully who used to train at Cobra Kai. One reason for his change was when Robby shaved Eli’s iconic Mohawk off, causing him to lose all of his confidence. But this fight allows Eli to grow his confidence back, leading him to beat Robby and take home the trophy for The All Valley Male Karate Champion.
Throughout the fight, we are treated to great choreography as most rounds last until their times, due to them both being so incredibly skilled. Arguably this scene is so memorable because both take off the tops of their gis in a sort of anime power-up moment, which added another layer of excitement to this epic Karate showdown.
2 Battle at the LaRusso House - (Season 3, Episode 10)
The battle at the LaRusso house, takes all the previous fights and dials it up to 11. This scene delivers on everything we love about the show; impressive choreography, gorgeous camerawork (including an inspired one-take, as the kids battle it out throughout the house), heart-pounding music, and satisfying, yet emotional character arcs. More specifically with Eli, this is the scene that turned the bully back into the caring friend he once was. As we see Eli and Demetri finally team up and beat many Cobra Kai students to a pulp, making all our hearts melt.
Similarly, Miguel gains back his fighting spirit and defeats his old bullies, who Johnny saved in from in the show’s premiere episode. Finally, we see Sam face her fear of Tory and finally fight back against the torment that Tory caused Sam this past year. This fight scene is beyond incredible, even if the scene does start with a child getting thrown through the window, seemingly uninjured.
1 The High School Brawl - (Season 2, Episode 10)
As one of the most pivotal moments and fights scenes of the whole show, the high school brawl is a spectacle that simply has to be seen to be believed. Yes, this scene is completely unrealistic and silly at times, but no one can deny that this is one of the best scenes in the whole show. We get to witness every student from both Cobra Kai and Miyagi Do go head-to-head in this all-out brawl; even Stingray gets in on the action and lays the heat down on some high schoolers. This scene treats audiences to a flurry of well-choreographed Karate and incredible camera work, with the first long-take fight scene of the show. The brawl unfortunately results in one of the most devastating moments in the whole show, as Robby kicks Miguel off a balcony, causing him to break his spine, leading into his tragic character arc throughout season three.
