Cobra Kai: 5 Characters Fans Love (& 5 They Hate) | ScreenRant
One of the reasons Cobra Kai has been a surprise hit is because of its great writing that delivers to its audience unexpectedly deep and relatable characters. Like any good show should strive for, no character is perfect in Cobra Kai and they all have their positives and negatives that can make them sympathetic one moment and infuriating the next.
Whether a certain character is disliked because fans find them annoying or a character is loved because fans connect with them as a down to earth person, this list will breakdown the top characters that fans can't get enough of and the ones that deserve the hate they get.
10 Love: Johnny Lawrence
He's certainly not perfect and has made many mistakes in his life but at the core of who he is, Johnny is a good man who cares deeply about his students and wants to see them succeed in life. While he can be close-minded at times, Johnny has shown the ability to change and admit when he's wrong, like opening up his dojo to both men and women.
Although his rocky-at-best relationship with his son is largely Johnny's own fault, he wants to fix that, which is admirable and shows what is important to him.
9 Hate: Yasmine
This is one of the few characters on this list who doesn't seemingly have any sort of positive qualities to mention. Yasmine is a cruel and vicious bully who fans enjoy seeing Aisha getting revenge against.
She has no loyalty to anyone other than herself and even her closest friend Moon abandons her after realizing what a toxic person Yasmine is. Although it will probably never happen, getting an origin story on why Yasmine is the way that she is could be an interesting turn in season three.
8 Love: Aisha Robinson
Like Johnny puts it, "girl's a natural Cobra." As someone who is bullied and doesn't have many friends to speak of, fans immediately connect with Aisha and love seeing her grow into a strong and proud young woman.
As Johnny's second student after Miguel, Aisha holds a high status in Cobra Kai dojo and in fans' hearts. Rumors suggest Aisha may not be appearing in season three, and fans can't help but think that this is a major loss if true.
7 Hate: John Kreese
No fan of Cobra Kai will be surprised to see Kreese under the "Hate" category for this list. Kreese is a manipulative, selfish, and wicked old man whose only joy in life is inflicting pain on others.
Cobra Kai attempts to build some sympathy for Kreese by suggesting there's trauma he carries from the Vietnam War and how he has been living in homeless shelters for years, but these fail to make up for the fact that Kreese is a disturbed individual who fills his students with rage and hate.
6 Love: Daniel LaRusso
Admittedly, Daniel begins the series as a vindictive and spiteful guy who is annoyed by Johnny's success with Cobra Kai. Once Daniel starts focusing less on what Johnny is doing and more on his own dojo, fans remember why they fell in love with Daniel in The Karate Kid all those years ago.
Say what you want about Daniel, at the end of the day he's a good father and a good sensei who teaches his students valuable life skills that shape them as people.
5 Hate: Kyler
Like Yasmine, Kyler is another character who lacks redeeming qualities that would make fans want to understand him. Kyler seems to be nothing more than a bully who makes himself feel good by tearing down others.
Watching Miguel beat the crap out of him in the school cafeteria is incredibly satisfying and creates a hilarious new dynamic between the two of them where Kyler becomes scared of Miguel and actively avoids him.
4 Love: Hawk/Eli Moskowitz
A controversial character to be sure. That said though, no one can debate the fascinating and impactful arc Hawk goes through. Fans have loved watching him gain some much-needed confidence and respect for himself.
The problem is that Hawk goes too far in his arc, turning into the complete opposite of the character he starts as and twisting into a bully. Fans hate to see this but are hopeful that there's still some good left in Hawk that stops Kreese from sending him further down this dark path.
3 Hate: Demetri
While Demetri is all-in-all a good kid, he's still an annoying and frustrating person. Even Daniel, a sensei who prides himself on his patience with his students, gets irritated by Demetri's frequent whining and desire to always take shortcuts.
While fans connect with Demetri over how his former best friend, Hawk, is now his tormentor, overall Demetri and his constant Game of Thrones references are just a bit too much to deal with on an episode-by-episode basis.
2 Love: Miguel Diaz
Miguel is one of the most relatable and well-liked characters in all of Cobra Kai. While he can be quick to anger on occasion, this doesn't take away from the fact that Miguel is a good person who cares deeply about others and always tries to stand up for what's right. His growth throughout the series is compelling and satisfying to watch.
Fans fear for the fate of Miguel after the tragic season two finale and hope what happened to him doesn't fill him with hate and anger.
1 Hate: Robby Keene
This is a character fans don't want to see in the "Hate" column but know that he deserves to be here. Robby had a lot of good favor on his side as he began to turn over a new leaf while training with Daniel, leaving behind his former criminal life. Unfortunately, he throws this all away when he takes advantage of Miguel's mercy and kicks him off a second-story railing.
Although it appears this was an accident, Robby's actions still have dire consequences for both Miguel and his status with fans. Everyone loves a good redemption story, but Robby has a lot of work to do to fix what he has done.