The 8 Strongest Cobra Kai Students, Ranked

The students of Cobra Kai are dedicated martial artists, and the best and strongest students of the show each bring their own talents and attributes to the action scenes of the Netflix phenomenon. Six years after kicking off in earnest on YouTube Red before migrating to Netflix, Cobra Kai is finally preparing to come to an end with its six and final season. Consisting of 15 episodes, Cobra Kai season six has already released its first five, with The Karate Kid franchise to continue its story in 2025’s Karate Kid with Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso to meet Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han.

Just like Daniel and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the young students of Cobra Kai have all gradually grown more skilled, more knowledgeable, and even wiser in their martial arts studies on the show. However, a few Cobra Kai students have really stood out as especially formidable martial artists through a combination of strategy, willpower, technique, and sheer fighting prowess – and eight students on Cobra Kai reign as the show’s strongest and the best of the best.

8. Devon Lee

O’ona O’Brien’s Devon Lee is a quick study in martial arts, and her progress on Cobra Kai shows her to be a capable and ever-improving fighter. By the same token, Devon is also her own worst enemy, constantly plagued by self-doubt and all too willing to resort to shortcuts and even dishonorable methods to achieve victory. This is most clearly seen in Cobra Kai season six part one, in which Devon cheats her way into a spot on Miyagi-Do’s team for the Sekai Taikai. Ultimately, Devon is a much better fighter than she gives herself credit for, and hopefully she will come to realize her true potential (and atone for her deceptive victory over Kenny) before Cobra Kai season six concludes.

7. Demetri Alexopoulos

The resident dweeb of Cobra Kai, Demetri Alexopoulos (Gianni DeCenzco) is the most intellectually inclined fighter on the show. Demetri applies his logically-inclined mindset to his karate studies and fight scenes on Cobra Kai, with Demetri’s approach to fighting being the most strategic of any of Cobra Kai’s major characters. Demetri isn’t strictly all brains either, and is clearly able to pack a powerful punch when the need arises in a fight. Demetri’s combination of physical and mental fighting acuity ends up earning him a spot on Miyagi-Do’s team for the Sekai Taikai, highlighting the wisdom of Demetri’s predilection for combining brains and brawn.

6. Eli Moskowitz

Eli Moskowitz a.k.a. Hawk (Jacob Betrand) is one of the wild cards of Cobra Kai, going from aggressive Cobra Kai devotee to a more centered Miyagi-Do adherent. Hawk’s power is quite clear in the fight scenes of Cobra Kai, and he’s similar to Tanner Buchanan’s Robby in that his somewhat unbridled temperament can impair his fighter’s focus at times and push him to violent extremes, as seen when he breaks Demetri’s arm. That said, Hawk is able to harness his aggression by the Christmas Eve fight in the LaRusso home, redirecting his strong fighting skills in a more controlled but still powerful way in future seasons.

5. Samantha LaRusso

Daniel LaRusso teenage daughter Samantha (Mary Mouser) brings great enthusiasm and drive to her training as a Miyagi-Do student, and as her performance in the All-Valley Tournament and other big fight scenes on the show illustrate that Sam is a skilled fighter. Sam’s Achille’s Heel is her rivalry with Tory Nichols (Peyton List), whose aggression and all-around greater fighting skill clearly intimidates Sam to the point of making her somewhat timid in their fights opposite each other. While Sam might occasionally face issues with her self-confidence, she also shows the potential to overcome them, and hopefully will be able to do so while fighting for Miyagi-Do in the Sekai Taikai.

4. Kenny Payne

Kenny Payne (Dallas Dupree Young) enters Cobra Kai relatively late with season four, but he immediately proves himself to be a natural in karate. Beginning as a timid kid frequently finding himself fleeing bullies, Kenny gains perhaps the greatest confidence boost of any student on Cobra Kai as his fighting skills grow and his sense of self-respect greatly improves. Indeed, Kenny arguably gets a little full of himself in how strong of a fighter he becomes by Cobra Kai season six, but there’s no denying that his martial arts skills are among the sharpest of any student on Cobra Kai.

3. Miguel Diaz

Xolo Maridueña’s Miguel Diaz is the first major student on Cobra Kai to begin his journey in martial arts, and his progress is quite clear as the show goes on. Miguel’s arc on Cobra Kai runs parallel to Johnny’s own, in many ways, with Miguel beginning to train in the harsh teachings of Cobra Kai under Johnny before developing a somewhat more tempered approach as the show goes on. Miguel’s near-fatal fall in Cobra Kai season two puts Miguel into a long period of recovery, but he returns to action stronger than ever after climbing back to full health, and even becomes one of Miyagi-Do’s team members for the Sekai Taikai, showing Miguel is indeed a seriously skilled martial artist.

2. Robby Keene

Johnny Lawrence’s rebellious son with a chip on his shoulder, Robby Keene proves himself to be one of the most promising young students of Cobra Kai, Eagle Fang, and Miyagi-Do alike. Robby’s experience under Johnny, Daniel, John Kreese (Martin Kove), and Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) have given Robby strong fighting skills and combat versatility, and Robby’s fighting mindset is one of never accepting defeat. This combined with his demonstrated skills in sparring and other major fight scenes show Robby as one of the most skilled martial artists on Cobra Kai, and one who becomes one of Miyagi-Do’s team captains for the Sekai Taikai.

1. Tory Nichols

She may be rough around the edges and she may be so overly scarred by her difficult life as to see enemies lurking behind every corner, but one thing no Cobra Kai viewer can deny is that Tory Nichols is a phenomenal fighter and the strongest and the best fighter on the show. From the moment she first walks through the doors of the eponymous dojo in Cobra Kai season two, Tory has never backed down from a fight and never had to, either. Already well-versed in kickboxing when she arrives on Cobra Kai, Tory has excelled in Cobra Kai, Eagle Fang, and Miyagi-Do karate alike, and is consistently the polar opposite of an underdog in every fight scene on the show with her aggressive fighting style and indomitable determination to win.

Of course, Tory’s aggression can also work against her on Cobra Kai, with Tory’s (admittedly justified) feeling of being consistently cheated causing her to lash out even with the situation doesn’t call for it, or go overboard in her fighting ferocity when it does, as seen in Tory’s rivalry with Sam and their brawls in All-Valley High School and the LaRusso homestead. With that said, Tory’s fighting spirit is born out of the struggles of her impoverished upbringing and the fact that she has, in some form or fashion, had to fight for everything she’s gotten in life. Tory will undoubtedly need to temper her rage if she is to win the Sekai Taikai with honor (and Tory truly deserves to win the Sekai Taikai.) Still, however much Tory might need to master her anger to truly master martial arts, there is no question at all that she was born to be a warrior.

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Tell us, who do you think are the strongest Cobra Kai students?