Cobra Kai Season 5 Updates: Cobra Kai is a spinoff of the original 1980s Karate Kid movies set in the present day. After the events of Karate Kid III, life moved on for Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, and while life was kind to Daniel, it wasn’t to Johnny.
At the beginning of the series, an aging Johnny is depressed and angry at the world, working one dead end after another. He now lives in Reseda, having fallen from his rich pastures and away from his verbally abusive and estranged stepfather (played by the late Ed Asner in the series).
After saving his teenage neighbor with the karate skills he learned in high school, he rediscovers his interest in the sport and opens a new Cobra Kai dojo. In the process, he catches the eye of his old nemesis Daniel LaRusso, now a successful businessman who owns several car dealerships.
When Does Cobra Kai Season 5 Premieres?
Cobra Kai Season 5 premieres September 9 on Netflix.
Cast Of Cobra Kai Season 5 And Where They Have Appeared Before:
Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso)
Daniel established his own dojo, Miyagi-Do, to counter the teachings of Cobra Kai. He and his wife own and operate several car dealerships in the San Fernando Valley, although business has been steadily declining.
The seemingly ageless Macchio (he’ll be 60 in 2021!) took on the role of Daniel LaRusso when he was in his early 20s. (The Karate Kid was released back in 1984.) Before that, he had a memorable turn in The Outsiders. His real son is named Daniel after his Karate Kid character.
William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence)
Johnny is a nonsense jack of all trades and master of none. He struggled with every job he had. He is no longer with Shannon Keene, the mother of his estranged son Robby Keene.
In an effort to get his life back on track, Johnny reopens the Cobra Kai Dojo. Johnny Lawrence was Zabko’s first film role. He later studied filmmaking and wrote and produced a short film called The Bridge, which was nominated for an Oscar.
Martin Kove (John Kreese)
Kreese is Johnny’s old sensei and a guy who is as shady as they come. Johnny gives him the benefit of the doubt and believes that people can change and lets Krees back into his life and his dojo.
Unfortunately, Kreese is just as vile now as he was 30 years ago. He emphatically takes back the leadership of the dojo and teaches Johnny’s students that they should not let anything stand in the way of victory.
Kove has been acting since the early 1970s, but it was The Karate Kid that put him on the map. He starred in two follow-up films, The Karate Kid II and The Karate Kid III, and later had roles in Wyatt Earp and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Xolo Maridueña (Miguel Diaz)
Miguel is Johnny’s new protégé. Once bullied, Miguel learned to fight back under Johnny’s tutelage. Before Cobra Kai, Maridueña played Victor Graham in Parenthood and had roles in Major Crimes and the Twin Peaks reboot. He has been cast as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle in the upcoming HBO Max movie Blue Beetle.
Tanner Buchanan (Robby Keene)
Robby is the estranged son of Johnny Lawrence. He starts out as a troublemaker, but changes his ways after training with Daniel LaRusso. He becomes one of Daniel’s best students before his life spirals in an accident.
Before Cobra Kai, Buchanan played the president’s son, Leo Kirkman, on Designated Survivor. He’s also had recurring roles on Girl Meets World and The Fosters, and recently starred in Netflix’s He’s All That.
Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso)
Samantha is Daniel’s teenage daughter. She is also trained in karate and studies her father’s reopened Miyagi-Do Karate. After a fight at West Valley High School, he becomes conflicted about martial arts. Mouser does a lot of voice work and also has roles in Scorpion, Criminal Minds and Scandal.
Jacob Bertrand (Eli/Hawk)
Eli was once a nerd, but now he’s a punk. After deciding to change his narrative and stop being bullied for his cleft lip, Eli got a mohawk and changed his nickname to Hawk.
Bertrand began his career as a child actor and had roles in Community, Parks and Recreation and The Middle.
Gianni Decenzo (Demetri)
Demetri is a jerk who wants to fight but doesn’t know how. He joined Miyagi-Do after twice trying to join Cobra Kai with mixed results. Decenzo has appeared in Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, Liv and Maddie and The Middle.
Peyton List (Tory Nichols)
Tory is a troubled teenage girl who speaks her mind and juggles multiple jobs, school, her boyfriend, and an ailing parent. She is willing to fight anyone who angers her and is responsible for starting the school karate war.
List started her career as a child model. She, her twin, Spencer, and her younger brother, Phoenix, are all actors.
Not to be confused with actress Peyton List, who appeared on The CW’s Tomorrow People and the first season of Star Trek: Picard.
Courtney Henggeler (Amanda LaRusso)
Amanda is Daniel’s wife and business partner in their car dealerships. She is also the mother of Samantha and Anthony. Amanda tries to be the voice of reason when Daniel’s rivalry with Johnny Lawrence reignites. Henggeler had roles on The Big Bang Theory, Jane the Virgin and Bones.
Vanessa Rubio (Carmen Diaz)
Carmen is Miguel’s mother and loves Johnny. Rubio’s previous credits include The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings and Master of None.
Thomas Ian Griffith (Terry Silver)
Griffith returns to the Valley to reprise his role as Terry Silver, who was the main antagonist in The Karate Kid III. Silver is recruited by his old army buddy Kreese to return to Cobra Kai. He eventually turns the tables on his old friend and takes over the Cobra Kai dojo.
Yuji Okumoto (Chozen Toguchi)
Chozen was the villain of the story in The Karate Kid Part II. After reuniting with Daniel decades later, when Daniel revisits Mr. Miyagi’s hometown in Japan, the two part as friends.
Daniel seeks out Chozen to help him in this upcoming season of Cobra Kai. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Okomoto is a third generation Japanese American.
He graduated from Hollywood High School, which is also the alma mater of such notable actors as Mickey Rooney, John Ritter and Sarah Jessica Parker.
