Cobra Kai: Every Main Character, Ranked By Likability

As fans eagerly await Season 3 of Cobra Kai on Netflix, viewers are left searching for answers after an explosive ending to Season 2. What has made Cobra Kai so interesting to viewers has been their ability to give their characters time to grow, make mistakes, and look to atone for those errors.

Are fans still siding with Daniel LaRusso or have they found solace with Johnny Lawrence? Is Miguel Diaz the new hero or is it Robby Keene? With the cast so diverse and large, where do the viewers place their loyalty? Who are the characters they place at the top of a list of those they either like or dislike?

10 John Kreese

John Kreese is the original villain of the Karate Kid franchise and that hasn’t changed in Cobra Kai. The writers led viewers to believe that Kreese was out to redeem himself but it was just a ploy to get what he wanted from Johnny. He’s easily the most hated of the characters.

Kreese is only out for himself and has visions of bringing back the original Cobra Kai. Will he lead his new followers down a dark part the same as he did with Johnny and his friends decades ago?

9 Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz

Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz is the new-age Johnny Taylor. In the early stages of the first season, Hawk was the same as Demetri. But he changed his persona and the writers did a great job of making him the new face of Cobra Kai even if he hasn’t been named that yet.

Hawk wants all the glory and attention that comes with being popular. In all fairness, he may be worse than Johnny was in the original film. Hawk is willing to put his past behind him even if that means turning his back and bringing physical harm to his former friends.

8 Amanda LaRusso

Even in her short screen time, Amanda comes off on the safe side of things. Married to Daniel LaRusso, she tends to forget who her husband is and what he’s been through. She’s gentle and firm when it comes to the well-being of her family. Her heart is in the right place but it comes at a cost to the liking of her character.

With Daniel back at the Dojo more, it’s Amanda who has taken up the day-to-day of running the family business. She wants Daniel to stop with the karate but she has to know deep down, he won’t.

7 Daniel LaRusso

Daniel LaRusso is straddling the fence. The new guy who became a champion and now has a successful business and good family life. But something in Daniel comes across as privileged when he was not raised that way. His hate for Johnny is stronger than Johnny’s hate for him. Daniel has had trouble letting go of the past.

Viewed as the hero in the original franchise, this version of Daniel is not as likable. He’s way too snobby at times but that has mostly to do with his deep obsession with something that happened decades ago between him and Johnny.

6 Samantha LaRusso

Sam didn’t want to follow in her father’s footsteps but she was clearly destined for it. Hanging out with the wrong crowd put her in a tight spot where she had to keep secrets from her father. Her taste in men is not the best either. Sam is just a teenager going through the motions of following orders and wanting her independence as well.

Sam has shown that she can’t be loyal either. Once great friends with Aisha, she turned her back on her and she did the same with Miguel and Robby. Can she be ever be trusted?

5  Miguel Diaz

Miguel made his appearance in Cobra Kai as the good-hearted kid who just wanted to learn karate. Miguel wanted to fit in. He fell for Sam and in the process came across as more Daniel than Johnny. But then his jealous side took over and in a split second, he became a hated character.

By the end of Season 2, Miguel began to show more signs of the good kid viewers loved at the beginning of Season 1. His heart is good, he’s just confused. Each strong character must face trials, and the Season 2 finale was his.

4 Robby Keene

Robby began the series with a huge chip on his shoulders weighed down by the void left by his father Johnny. After learning the history between Johnny and Daniel, Robby wanted to prove a point.

Bobby grew to love the LaRusso family and became the hero by Season 2. However, one mistake may have taken that status away from him. Can Robby be viewed as a true villain? That’s one of the questions heading into Season 3. He’s still a very likable character despite the early goings and bad judgment call.

3 Aisha Robinson

Once regarded as Samantha LaRusso’s best friend, Aisha is one of those characters that has gone through the ups and downs of teenage emotions. She wants to be Sam’s friend but also seeks that solidarity that comes with being a member of Cobra Kai. While grouped in with the in-crowd, Aisha still misses her friend and wants everyone to get along.

Aisha is fierce but she still comes across as the female version of Demetri. In her mind, everyone can still be friends despite their differences when it comes to their Sensei’s

2 Johnny Lawrence

Johnny Lawrence is the original bad guy from the Karate Kid franchise and has no problem taking on that role again as a Sensei in Cobra Kai. However, viewers were given a picture of Johnny that they didn’t get to see in the original movie. His heart is in the right place but Johnny still makes childish mistakes from time to time.

Despite his setbacks, Johnny comes across as a likable villain because he’s trying to unlearn everything he was taught young. Besides that, he brings the comic relief to Cobra Kai.

1 Demetri

Pure comedy is the best way to describe Demetri. From the beginning, he was introduced to the Cobra Kai audience as a nerd and outcast. While that may hold true, he’s still just a kid trying to find his way. He was against learning karate the Cobra Kai way and was set on remaining an outcast.

Not the strongest of the cast members but by far one of the smartest. Demetri can be ultra annoying at times but in his defense, he may be the only character to ever stand his ground and remain who he was from the beginning.

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