Cobra Kai Fights We Want To See Happen

"Cobra Kai" is a series propelled by relatively simple ideas. It's a story about the need for balance in life, about the dangers of bullying, and about the value of personal growth. Aesthetically, it's a well-produced dramedy loaded with 1980s cultural references. And while all that certainly holds appeal for many of the show's viewers, the thing that truly sets "Cobra Kai" apart from the competition is the karate –- the fights. And man, there are a lot of them.

This is still the "Karate Kid" universe, after all, and as such, it's bound to have its fair share of martial arts smackdowns. In its first four seasons, "Cobra Kai" has delivered rematches between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, a number of tense All-Valley Tournament duels, street fights, school brawls, scuffles in juvie, home-wrecking free-for-alls and a whole lot more. The frequent fights keep "Cobra Kai" fresh and exciting, and a big part of the show's appeal is in seeing which characters will be pitted against each other next. With alliances constantly shifting, it's hard to tell which allies might suddenly become enemies.

For all the action-packed fights that have already taken place in "Cobra Kai," there are many more potential matchups and long-awaited rematches yet to take place. That leaves a lot of exciting opportunities on the table for future seasons, of which there may be quite a few. Here are some "Cobra Kai" fights fans want to see happen, how they could come about, and who would win.

On top of all of the pre-existing rivalries continued in "Cobra Kai" Season 4, a whole new plotline was introduced revolving around Kenny Payne. The younger brother of Shawn Payne, who Robby meets in juvie in Season 3, Kenny (Dallas Young) gets ruthlessly bullied from the start of 8th grade year. In an interesting twist, his main bully is none other than Anthony LaRusso (Griffin Santopietro), Sam's brother and Daniel's son. In reaction, Kenny joins the Cobra Kai dojo and eventually grows into a formidable fighter.

He confronts Anthony during season 4's All-Valley Tournament, making it clear that he now holds the power, even threatening his former bully and saying that he'll suffer when they both start high school the following year. The reasonable assumption is that Kenny's aggression will prompt Anthony to take his father's karate training seriously, creating yet another set of Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai rivals.

It's likely that Kenny and Anthony's storyline was written at least in part to ensure more longevity for "Cobra Kai." Most of the teenage characters who've carried the story so far are nearing graduation, so it makes sense to introduce a new generation to carry things forward. At this point, it's unclear whether Anthony or Kenny will end up being the hero. Hopefully, both will find balance in the end, but likely not before a proper fight takes place.

The return of Terry Silver in "Cobra Kai" Season 4 may have been the season's most inspired driving force. Thomas Ian Griffith's original performance as the character in "The Karate Kid Part III" was a campy, unhinged spectacle of ludicrous proportions — something "Cobra Kai" none-too-subtly attributes to the character's excessive use of cocaine. 

The Terry Silver who returns in Season 4 of the Netflix series is far more grounded. He's more careful, more calculated, and somehow just as good at karate despite being decades out of practice (we'll let this one go, Netflix). Make no mistake, however: the Terry Silver of "Cobra Kai" is still a villain, and there are flashes of his former self sprinkled throughout Season 4.

One thing we don't get in Season 4, however, is a proper showdown between Terry and Daniel. Because of the torment Silver visited upon Daniel in "The Karate Kid Part III," the younger man is understandably upset to see him again. Silver briefly and brutally fights Johnny Lawrence in Season 4, but he and Daniel only circle each other from a distance. Given how easily he defeats Johnny, it seems that Silver would still be more than a match for Daniel, but that is yet to be proven. Hopefully, "Cobra Kai" will deliver a proper duel between the two men, as Silver seems on a trajectory to possibly become the main series antagonist.

Even before Season 4's All-Valley Tournament, Tory (Peyton List) and Hawk were two of the best fighters in all of "Cobra Kai." But now that they're both reigning champions, a proper fight between them seems due. In Season 3, they led Cobra Kai together, but that partnership ended when Hawk recognized the evil in Kreese's teachings and defected to Miyagi-Do. Tory has expressed some anger at that betrayal, which could be fuel for a fantastic match if the two were to ever meet on the mat.

At this point in the story, however, a fight between Hawk and Tory might not be a fight between enemies. Tory struggles throughout Season 4 with who she is and how she moves through the world, and in her championship match against Sam LaRusso (Mary Mouser), it seems that she feels some remorse for her old violent habits. She also discovers that her victory was rigged, as Terry Silver had paid off the referee before the match to ignore any unsavory moves. Hawk has had a similar arc of doubt and eventual repentance, which means that if the two were to test their mettle against one another, there could actually be more respect present than anger.

That will depend on a number of other narrative factors, of course. For now, any reason would be enough just to see these two spirited characters go at it.

Since Terry Silver was first introduced in "The Karate Kid Part III," he's mostly played second fiddle to John Kreese (Martin Kove). He may have shown greater aggression and wilder behavior overall, but he was never truly the one calling the shots — that is, until the end of "Cobra Kai" Season 4. In a startling twist, Silver beats adult Cobra Kai student Stingray (Paul Walter Hauser) to within an inch of his life, then manipulates him into blaming Kreese for the attack. As a result, Kreese is arrested, and Silver is left as the sole ruler of the Cobra Kai empire.

Suffice it to say, Kreese is unlikely to let that betrayal go unpunished. As soon as he gets free, it's safe to assume he'll be coming straight for Silver with fists clenched. What could follow is the most brutal and ridiculous "Cobra Kai" fight yet, pitting the franchise's two arch villains against one another in a no-holds-barred battle to the finish. It would be so nutty, and so over the top, and fans would absolutely love it.

Now that Kenny Payne has become a relatively central "Cobra Kai" character, it's time for the show to reintroduce his older brother Shawn (Okea Eme-Akwari). Kenny explains in Season 4 that Shawn was always the one who protected him before, but now that he can defend himself, their dynamic may be a bit different. A friendly rivalry between two brothers is always a fun basis for a storyline, but the Payne brothers' story could go a little bit darker.

Even though his reasons for embracing Cobra Kai's aggressive philosophy are entirely understandable, it looks like Kenny might descend to the dark side in Season 5. As his older brother and a friend of Robby, Shawn would likely want to keep his brother from getting mixed up with bad people like Kreese and Silver. It's easy to see how a well-intentioned bit of older brother advice could spark a frustrated response from Kenny, possibly even leading to a fight between the two boys.

Hopefully, Shawn can help save Kenny from Cobra Kai without any violence taking place. Either way, the Payne brothers have quickly become two of the most interesting characters on "Cobra Kai," and it should be interesting to see how the show continues their story.

This wouldn't be so much a climactic battle as a sparring match, but it would still be interesting to see Johnny and Chozen face off. The main appeal would be Johnny witnessing the true strength of Miyagi-Do from someone who isn't Daniel, and Chozen is the perfect person for that. He's a true master who has his own history hating and battling Daniel, so there's bound to be some common ground between the two men. Maybe with that foundation, Johnny can finally open his mind to a defensive style of karate — and grow as a result.

To be honest, he's going to need the extra push. Johnny was eviscerated by Terry Silver in "Cobra Kai" Season 4, and while it's far from a fair fight, he'll need to level up if he wants to stand a chance against the new Cobra Kai going forward. Obviously, Johnny will be spending a good part of Season 5 following Miguel to Mexico, so a duel with Chozen may not be right around the corner. Still, it would be a lot of fun if it ever were to go down.

"Cobra Kai" doesn't do a lot of adult vs. teenager fights. There's a good reason for that — it's very hard to write and choreograph (never mind justify) a 50-year-old man fighting a 17-year-old-boy in a way that doesn't feel either entirely unbelievable or uncomfortably abusive. Remember when Johnny beat up the kids outside the liquor store in Season 1?

If the boy were to become a man, then somehow come to face the sensei who taught him everything he knows, that could provide an Anakin-vs.-Obi-Wan element that would make such a Miguel and Johnny confrontation more meaningful (and plausible). At this point, Miguel is nearly a legal adult in the show, and Maridueña is already 20. That means that in the near future, a fight between Johnny and Miguel — whatever the narrative reasons for it — could avoid the more problematic aspects of the karate age gap.

At this point, it seems unlikely that Miguel could be brought so far to the dark side that he'd fight Johnny in anger, but depending on who his father actually turns out to be, it could happen. That wouldn't be much of a match, however, as Johnny surely wouldn't want to actually fight his fullest against Miguel if he were there to help. A better option could be to contrive a reason for the two to have a master-apprentice match as a simple sign of respect — a symbol of Miguel's coming-of-age, showing that Johnny has nothing left to teach him. That's the kind of heartwarming arc that's defined the best moments of "Cobra Kai," and it would be so rewarding to see Miguel and Johnny push each other to their limits on the mat.