Top 10 Best Cobra Kai Fights

“No Mercy”

We’ve yet to get a fight between Daniel and Johnny on par with their climactic match in the first “Karate Kid.” “Cobra Kai” seems to be taking a slow burn approach, building up the tension with each season. In Season 1, they almost squared off at Daniel’s house, only to be interrupted by Amanda. In Season 2, Daniel shows up at Johnny’s apartment, looking for his daughter. Since Samantha and Robby were inebriated, Johnny did the responsible thing by letting them stay the night. Daniel is quick to jump to conclusions, though, kicking the door open. The brawl that ensues is a personal and heated one that mirrors their All-Valley Karate Championship fight, although the two are once again interrupted before they can “finish” it.

“Ace Degenerate”

34 years after losing to Daniel, Johnny Lawrence is out of work and gets his dinner at a mini-mart. While eating his crummy slice of pizza in the parking lot, Johnny sees a group of privileged bullies harassing Miguel. It reflects the scene from the first “Karate Kid” where Johnny and his friends beat up Daniel, only for Mr. Miyagi to intervene. In this case, it’s Johnny who assumes the Miyagi role. Of course, this is less about defending Miguel and more about defending his car. It’s four against one and Johnny is now in his 50s, but he’s still got enough kicks to go around. While the cops break it up, the scene establishes that Johnny hasn’t lost his fighting spirit.

“The Moment of Truth”

As Hilary Swank demonstrated back in 1994, you don’t have to be a boy to be a karate kid. In Season 2, “Cobra Kai” added to its roster of strong female characters with Tory. In an epic introduction right out of a classic ‘80s sports movie, Tory challenges Miguel to a fight when nobody else has the guts. Tory quickly asserts that she’s not a beginner, influencing Miguel to hold nothing back. The two swap one-liners while dodging each other’s kicks and punches, building tension and chemistry with each move. When it appears Miguel has the upper hand, Tory seizes the opportunity to catch him off guard. Pinning Miguel down, Tory shows no mercy, making her a good fit for Cobra Kai.

“Lull”

Over the first two seasons, Miguel and Eli both go through drastic evolutions. Eli reinvents himself as Hawk, but he becomes just like the bullies who once tormented him. While Miguel also becomes a hothead, he shows more restraint than Hawk. Training in Coyote Creek, Miguel realizes that Hawk has crossed a line, trashing Miyagi-Do and stealing Miyagi’s Medal of Honor. Their argument escalates into an intense showdown that’s only made more atmospheric thanks to the woodland setting. Miguel emerges on top, but he doesn’t hesitate to finish Hawk, showing that neither student has the moral high ground. Although Miguel seemingly secures the black team’s victory, there turns out to be a “Stingray” in his pond, resulting in one of the show’s funniest moments.

“Take a Right”

Just as “Cobra Kai” redeems Johnny, it also finds the humanity in his old friends, Bobby, Jimmy, and Tommy. Tommy is best remembered as the kid who told Johnny to put Daniel in a body bag. In a tragic twist of fate, it’s Tommy who winds up in a body bag at the end of this episode. Before he succumbs to a terminal illness, Johnny’s friends treat him to one last night out. After a bar patron is rude to a waitress and Tommy, however, a brawl ensues. The set-piece makes impeccable use of its environment, incorporating pool cues and beer mugs into the choreography. The guys have little trouble taking down the barflies. It’s a fitting reunion, as well as a triumphant sendoff for Tommy.

“All In”

While a mall cop is out to lunch (literally), Hawk and his fellow Cobra Kai students pursue Demetri over a negative Yelp review. They corner him in the food court, but Sam swings in before Hawk can beat a positive review out of Demetri. Robby rushes to Demetri’s aid as well, getting us pumped up for a face-off between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do. Although they’re outnumbered and Demetri can barely throw a punch, Sam and Robby make for an unstoppable duo. In a slick bit of editing, we cut between the mall fight and their training. Sam and Robby act like a unit here, perfectly balancing each other out. The mall setting also gives the fight a genuine ‘80s vibe, which is always welcome.

“Counterbalance”

Samantha is stunned when her jerky ex Kyler starts spreading lies about her. Unwilling to take this disrespect sitting down, Sam confronts Kyler at lunch. Miguel, who has his own beef with Kyler, isn’t afraid to stand up for Sam. Having learned a few new moves since he last dealt with Kyler, Miguel puts his karate training to effective use. In a one-on-four fight, Miguel serves up a fistful of knuckle sandwiches, turning the cafeteria into his personal playground. Taking advantage of his environment, he uses a lunch tray to annihilate the bullies, which is both funny and badass. Standing atop a table in victory, Miguel earns the admiration of Sam and their classmates, although the school faculty isn’t all that impressed.

“Mercy Part II”

Season 1 ended with a major bombshell, revealing that John Kreese is alive and ready to reclaim his place at Cobra Kai. Season 2 picks up immediately where we last left off. We weren’t sure how Johnny would react, but seeing him throw a punch at his old sensei was surprising and on-brand. After Kreese disarms his student, Johnny retaliates by kicking his cigar out of his mouth and into a trash can. Sweet! This fight is stressful on multiple levels. As Johnny and Kreese throw punches and reminisce about the old days, the audience can’t help but worry about the fire breaking out. Worrying that he’ll become what he hates, Johnny shows his opponent mercy, but Kreese still doesn’t know the meaning of honor.

“Mercy”

Like the original film, the first season of “Cobra Kai” climaxes with a karate tournament. In an ironic twist, though, Daniel has trained Johnny’s son Robby to challenge Cobra Kai. Like Daniel before him, Robby is injured when Hawk uses an illegal move on him.(xref) Although Daniel can’t suppress the pain with Mr. Miyagi’s Reiki technique, he does get Robby back in shape for the final round against Miguel. Unlike the first film’s fight between Daniel and Johnny, there isn’t a clear hero or villain here. Both Miguel and Robby have demonstrated their honorable sides in the past. In this case, however, Miguel wins by showing no mercy. It’s familiar yet fresh, which is also the best way to describe the series as a whole.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Aisha vs. Miguel, “Counterbalance”
Aisha Crushing Miguel Is Priceless


Samantha vs. Robby, “Lull”
Cooling Off While Turning Up the Heat

Beach Fight, “The Moment of Truth”
That Went Much Better Than Daniel’s Last Beach Fight

“No Mercy”

“Cobra Kai” saved its most ambitious set-piece yet for the Season 2 finale, in which every rivalry reaches its boiling point. Tory kicks things off with Samantha, prompting another one-on-one match between Miguel and Robby. From there, an all-out battle breaks out between the two dojos, delivering the show’s best choreography to date. While it’s satisfying seeing Demetri finally best Hawk, the main action takes place on the second floor where Sam disarms Tory and Miguel pins down Robby. In a reversal of last season’s tournament fight, Miguel shows Robby mercy. Robby’s instincts kick in, however, causing him to accidentally send Miguel over the rail. It was a brutal, heart-pounding, and devastating way to cap off a season with no winners, only losers.