The 5 Best Fighters In Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 2, Ranked

This article contains spoilers for "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 2.

For a show that has spent years establishing the martial arts prowess of its central cast, "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 2 is not kind to a number of established karate masters. Most younger characters spend their time in complex and often embarrassing Sekai Taikai tag battles that require heavy teamwork, which locks champion fighters like Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) out of chances to shine individually.

The adults don't have it any easier. Favorites like Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) lack their customary conclusive fight scenes, and instead spend their time brawling with kidnappers and struggling against fearsome foes. Meanwhile, noted powerhouses Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto) and Kim Da-Eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim) are distracted by an unexpected but entertaining martial arts-themed courtship ritual. Even the potentially amazing confrontation between major villains Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) and John Kreese (Martin Kove) proves underwhelming and full of trickery. To add insult to injury, "Cobra Kai" uses AI to bring back Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) from "The Karate Kid," and has his younger self (Brian Takahashi) show how it's done by kicking Daniel six ways to Sunday. The dearly departed Miyagi-do sensei would probably top this list if it wasn't for the fact that he only appears in a dream.

Fortunately, the introduction of the Sekai Taikai tournament brings lots of new fighters into the mix — and where many familiar faces fail to shine, the newcomers are more than happy to pick up the slack. So, let's take a look at the five fighters with enough feats to belong on a list of the best fighters in "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 2. 

Kwon Jae-Sung (Brandon H. Lee) started out stronger than just about anyone else on "Cobra Kai." John Kreese's (Martin Kove) latest protégé co-captains the South Korean Cobra Kai team and enters the second block of season 6 episodes as a pre-established hardman. He's the most visually impressive fighter the series has seen, and displays a refreshingly simple one-note villain attitude that's a clear throwback to the original "The Karate Kid" trilogy. The kid is so ebullient that he maneuvers the hard-hitting Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), of all people, into the helpless protagonist role the franchise loves so. And when Kwon fights ... well, people tend to stay fought. 

However, after spending much of season 6 part 2 as an invincible standout, Kwon hits two consecutive walls. First, Robby turns the tables by beating Kwon in their semi-final match in episode 9, titled "Blood In Blood Out." Then, he faces off with the Iron Dragons captain Axel Kovačević (Patrick Luwis) during the massive brawl in the following episode, "Eunjangdo." After growing angry with Axel's dominance, Kwon finds Kreese's Eunjangdo knife and takes it to the fight, only for Axel to disrupt his attack, causing the Cobra Kai captain to fall fatally on the blade.

Kwon's shocking death in "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 2 is a game-changer, but before it, so is his fighting ability. Kwon's Tang Soo Do-infused, kick-heavy style is strong and fast, and his acrobatic take on the most violent aspects of Cobra Kai training make him a formidable opponent for just about anyone. Even his bad showing against Axel is largely due to frustration. However, his role is ultimately to be the season's sacrificial lion, which prevents him from climbing higher up the ladder.

In all honesty, this spot seemed custom made for Iron Dragons co-captain Zara Malik (Rayna Valladingham) until "Eunjangdo." However,  Tory Nichols (Peyton List) once again shows everyone that underestimating her is a bad, bad idea.

Tory is dealing with personal drama for much of "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 2 due to her mother's death and her conviction that Miyagi-do has let her down. Predictably as clockwork, John Kreese swoops down and brings her back in the Cobra Kai fold as a Sekai Taikai co-captain. This further escalates tensions between her and her friends, especially since her boyfriend Robby Keene is one of the Miyagi-do captains. To her credit, Tory handles the situation way better than Robby, and performs very well in her matches ... with one notable exception. By insulting her martial arts abilities and setting her sights on Robby, the popular and talented Zara manages to throw Tory off balance, running circles around her during the captain battle between Cobra Kai and the Iron Dragons.

Once push comes to shove, however, Tory shows that she can beat Zara. The two have a lengthy duel during the "Eunjangdo" brawl, and Tory clearly has the upper hand before two of Zara's teammates intervene and the self-professed Queen of Karate mounts a sneaky comeback that has Tory on the ropes until Robby comes to the rescue. It's also worth noting that while Tory is more than capable of standing up to bigger and stronger male opponents, Zara is utterly powerless when she tries to attack Robby in retaliation — he easily blocks her barrage before moving on to other things. While it remains to be seen what happens when Zara and Tory actually have a sanctioned match, this last-minute power level check gives the advantage to team Nichols. 

Despite wearing a Sekai Taikai captain's headband, Robby spends much of season 6 part 2 on the low end of "Cobra Kai" power rankings. Tory's decision to rejoin the Cobra Kai dojo and put their relationship on hold sends him on a free fall that wrecks his confidence and forces the increasingly frustrated Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) to carry the team. However, like Tory and Kwon, Robby manages to flip the script. 

Kwon experiences Robby's true skills the hard way when the two meet in episode 9, "Blood In Blood Out." In "Eunjangdo," Robby then becomes the only Sekai Taikai contestant who isn't soundly beaten by the Iron Dragons top dog Axel Kovačević (Patrick Luwis), even if it's just because their match ends prematurely when the brawl erupts. Robby also handles himself extremely well during the actual throwdown, defeating several opponents by himself while taking care to protect his loved ones. 

Granted, the friendly contest of karate supremacy between Robby and Miguel remains a coin toss. Still, since this time Miguel's arc is largely about non-violent personal growth and Robby's going all in on the classic "Cobra Kai" arc from a bad fighter to a great one, master Keene takes this round. Besides, Robby has proved time and time again that he may be the most dangerous martial artist of the new generation when his focus is on point. His combination of a solid, powerful basic style and an ability to pull off ridiculous special moves at the drop of a hat might even make him the single purest example of "The Karate Kid" franchise's martial arts ethos on "Cobra Kai."

Axel Kovačević isn't a villain. He's a tragic dude who's forced to travel the world and do battle while the cruel Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan) drills him non-stop and beats him up after the tiniest of mistakes. When he chances upon meeting a nice girl, she turns out to be "Cobra Kai" resident drama aggregator Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser), whose rejection causes the dejected Axel to harbor a one-sided blood feud with her boyfriend Miguel. Through no fault of his own, he even contributes to Kwon's tragic death — simply by blocking an attack, without even knowing that the murderous Cobra Kai captain was holding a weapon. That's a lot of baggage, and frankly, it'll be disappointing if the poor guy doesn't get a modicum of redemption in the third part of the final season of "Cobra Kai."

That being said, Axel is most definitely an antagonist, and a major one to boot. He's easily the best fighter on the decidedly evil Iron Dragons team. Physically, he's the latest model from the Dolph Lundgren factory, somehow managing to be both the immobile object and the unstoppable force at the same time. You might as well be trying to punch a brick wall, and when he goes on the offense, the bricks start flying at his helpless opponent. 

Axel is obviously the man to beat in the Sekai Taikai tournament. With a rematch with Robby still on its way and an increasingly difficult personal history with Robby and Sam, we'll likely see him go up against more than one main character before the show is over, too. The big question is: How can anyone hope to beat him?

You don't bring Cole Young from "Mortal Kombat" (2021) on a martial arts show just to drink smoothies and casually watch the proceedings from afar. As such, when Lewis Tan's Sensei Wolf first smirks at the show's protagonists, it's easy for viewers to suspect that the proverbial "it" is well and truly on. 

Wolf doesn't disappoint. While he initially seems to be a vaguely annoying, clean-living sensei with an elitist streak and an attitude toward America, we soon discover that he's financed by franchise big bad Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) on the condition that he humiliates both Miyagi-do and Cobra Kai. He's also a highly abusive trainer, and a cage-fighter who's implied to kill helpless opponents for (and with) kicks.

"Cobra Kai" immediately juxtaposes the refined Iron Dragons leader with the decidedly folksy Johnny Lawrence, who's easily one of the franchise-wide MVP fighters. This is an early sign that Wolf is a tough nut to crack, and "Eujangdo" confirms this when he practically toys with the protagonist. The villain even proves fully ready to take on both Johnny and Daniel LaRusso at the same time.

With Terry Silver seemingly settling on a background mastermind role, John Kreese actor Martin Kove being in his late 70s, and Kim Da-eun showing increasing signs of a protagonist turn, "Cobra Kai" was in dire need of a new hands-on supervillain. Sensei Wolf not only fills this role, but he might actually be the single greatest martial artist the franchise has seen since Mr. Miyagi. As it stands, Wolf is telegraphed to become Johnny's final opponent in the entire series, and one can only dread for the moment when he finally busts out his lethal kick technique during their fight.

"Cobra Kair" season 6 part 3 will premiere February 13, 2025, on Netflix.