Several characters from The Karate Kid trilogy returned in Cobra Kai, and each character displayed new levels of strength. The Karate Kid films centered around Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) learning karate from Mr. Miyagi and increasing his skills in each movie. He beat Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Cobra Kai in the first film, and faced increasingly more difficult foes, forcing him to acquire new abilities that boosted his strength as a fighter. LaRusso proved himself one of the best fighters in the world, but he still had more to learn.

In Cobra Kai, Johnny returned to reopen the dojo he once trained in under John Kreese (Martin Kove). While Johnny was stronger, he still had more to learn as he only knew the Cobra Kai method of striking first. Daniel also had to release his stubborn hold on Miyagi’s methods and accept that there could be other ways that work. Meanwhile, Kreese and Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) also returned, holding onto their violent but powerful methods. Each of these characters displayed their strength in this series, but their power levels changed from their first Karate Kid appearance to the end of Cobra Kai.

How Each Returning Karate Kid Character Ranked In The Original Series Based On Power Level

Terry Silver Held The Most Power In The Original Trilogy

In the original series, Daniel worked his way through a series of powerful foes. Johnny was likely the least powerful, as Daniel beat him in his first tournament, winning the All-Valley Karate Tournament. Chozen was a more difficult foe, as he faced him in a fight to the death, initially losing to him before utilizing the drum technique to come back and beat him. In The Karate Kid Part III, Daniel fights Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan), besting him by performing the Kata, despite taking a beating from the ruthless fighter.

While Daniel may have earned the right to be known as the most powerful fighter, he lagged behind two intimidating foes: Kreese and Silver. Daniel never fought these two one-on-one until Cobra Kai, so it’s hard to know what he would have done in the original series. Both of these characters were ruthless foes with military training and advanced fighting intellect. Since Silver also had the financial backing to support his mission, he had more resources at his disposal, giving him an advantage over Kreese, who could only rely on his fighting ability.

Each Karate Kid Character Ranked By Power Level At The End Of Cobra Kai

6

Mike Barnes

Mike Didn’t Change Much From The Karate Kid Part III

Barnes was a vicious student for Silver and Kreese in The Karate Kid Part III. In his initial fight against Daniel, he catches him off-guard, beating him before Mr. Miyagi arrives to save Daniel. In their fight at the All-Valley Tournament, Mike is told to hurt Daniel and defeat him in sudden-death. He utilizes some brutal moves on Daniel during their fight, winning and losing points until they arrive at sudden-death, where Daniel ultimately wins. He leaves in disgrace, permanently banned from the All-Valley and never fights again.

In Cobra Kai, Mike is a changed person, running a furniture store. He vows to never fight again but goes back on this promise after Terry burns down his store. While Mike is still a strong fighter, he’s lost a step and is taken out relatively easily during the fight at Terry’s house at the end of season 5. He can hold his own against Chozen, but he’s lost the brutality that made him so intimidating in the original trilogy.

5

John Kreese

Kreese Never Lost His Violent Mentality

Kreese essentially had nothing after the original Karate Kid trilogy. He didn’t have Cobra Kai, he didn’t have any money, and he had no loyal students. He had burned too many bridges with Johnny to ever be trusted again. He returns in Cobra Kai to wreak havoc on Johnny and Daniel but is on a more leveled playing field. Johnny and Daniel are much older and stronger and have honed their karate techniques. Kreese is also older and has lost some of his speed and strength.

However, he is still a clever villain, often using his military experience to play mind games with his opponents. Since he isn’t quite as strong as before, he often resorts to cheap sH๏τs that pack a punch since his ultimate goal is to show no mercy. He also uses weapons, like the eunjangdo, showing he may not be as confident in his fighting skills. He’s defeated by Daniel in season 3, showing that he is vulnerable and no longer stronger than his former pupils. His story does see some redemption, however, when Kreese sacrifices himself to stop Terry from hurting Johnny.

4

Terry Silver

Terry’s Greatest Power Is His Wealth & Resources

Terry is a major antagonist in Cobra Kai, primarily due to his seemingly unlimited resources. He made his money as an investor and left the karate life until Kreese pulled him back in during season 4. Initially, Terry was a useful ally in Kreese’s quest to restore Cobra Kai, but it turned out that Kreese created a monster. Terry is a wildly volatile character, who is obsessed with winning and his legacy and will do whatever it takes to do so.

He made significant investments in Cobra Kai to expand it across the valley and was responsible for the Iron Dragon dojo’s appearance in the Sekai Tekai, encouraging its students to use violent methods against the other fighters. He is willing to cheat, bribe, and even set up kidnapping schemes to eliminate his opponents. As a fighter, Terry is still gifted but has trouble holding his own against younger fighters. He loses to Chozen in a one-on-one fight but almost kills him once his back is turned. He’s a ruthless villain who goes too far, even for Kreese.

3

Daniel LaRusso

The original Karate Kid has some new tricks up his sleeve

Daniel never relied on sheer power to beat other fighters. Mr. Miyagi taught him balance and focus, allowing him to utilize defense and offense to his advantage. It worked against Johnny, Chozen, and Mike in the original trilogy. However, things changed, and Daniel needed to learn to adapt to compete against Cobra Kai and the Iron Dragons. He still matches up evenly against Johnny, but defeated Kreese and Terry in fights, showing he’s a better fighter now than when he was old.

However, he did lose to Chozen after he used a new trick to disable Daniel’s arms and legs. Daniel later used this trick on Kreese but showed mercy. Daniel’s greatest skill is his ability to control his emotions, forcing his enemies to flail while he stays in control. It may not be as strong or threatening as other methods, but it has not let him down for over 40 years.

2

Chozen

Chozen Knows Some Secret Techniques

Similar to Mike, Chozen was a character fueled by anger. He initially got the better of Daniel, but eventually lost and is left to deal with his shame. Years later, Daniel returns to Japan and encounters Chozen again. However, Chozen is a more peaceful individual, and uses his meeting with Daniel to teach him things Miyagi never did. Chozen has many secret techniques that he uses to his advantage, including one he uses on Daniel to incapacitate him.

Chozen isn’t violent anymore, and elects to teach karate to Daniel and Johnny’s students, rather than use his gifts for violence. Still, he defeats Daniel and Terry, proving himself as one of the show’s most powerful fighters. He may not be as scary as he once was, but it would still be wise to remain on his good side.

1

Johnny Lawrence

Johnny Holds A New тιтle That Grants Him A Powerful Status

Johnny has the best character arc in The Karate Kid franchise. He started the series as a weak bully, losing to Daniel in their fight at the All-Valley Tournament. However, at the end of Cobra Kai, he wins the Sekai Tekai for his dojo, making him and his dojo world champions. He turned his life around, even though restoring Cobra Kai was almost a complete disaster.

As a fighter, Johnny still matches up fairly evenly with Daniel and Chozen. His main advantage is that he officially holds the тιтle of world champion, making him the most powerful character by status alone. Daniel may still be able to beat him in a one-on-one fight, but he’s earned the right to be at the top of the power level ranking in The Karate Kid franchise.

The Karate Kid

Created by

Robert Mark Kamen

First Film

The Karate Kid

First TV Show

Cobra Kai

Cast

Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, Martin Kove, William Zabka, Randee Heller, Ron Thomas, Elisabeth Shue, Xolo Mariduena, Mary Mouser, Jaden Smith, Wenwen Han, Taraji P. Henson, Jackie Chan