No Mercy: The Top 10 Best Fights in Cobra Kai (Part 1)

Cobra Kai takes its final bow on Netflix on February 13, 2025. Six seasons have all led up to one last round on the mat with these incredible legacy characters borne from The Karate Kid‘s philosophies about striking hard and finding balance. That’s not to say it’s the end forever, since Karate Kid: Legends will release in theaters later in the year. But for now, we’re bidding farewell to the episodic karate wars of the Valley — although we’re certainly not saying goodbye without a fight!

In other words, there’s still some massive rivalries to squash and scores to settle during the final five episodes. And while the series finale is sure to have some epic action incoming, we can’t forget all the pulse-pounding battles that got us here. Each season of Cobra Kai has pushed the limits on crazy karate action, giving us dozens upon dozens of memorable moments. Old feuds, new challenges, romance, jealousy, and competitiveness all combine into the absolute sports action romp we can’t look away from.

With consideration for how the choreography, character development, and even the soundtrack all combine into the series’ signature thrilling fight scenes, let’s recap the 10 best battles, brawls, duels, and showdowns in all of Cobra Kai.

(It’s a countdown so big, we had to break it into multiple parts. Kind of like the final season.)

Beware spoilers!

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10. Frat Party Fight — “The Prize”

“B***h, don’t you know I know karate?“

The final season of Cobra Kai starts with an early reminder that the biggest is yet to come as the hit series heads towards its conclusion. But that doesn’t mean they’re pulling any punches. As the boys take a tour of the College of the Valley, they have a surprising reunion with former Cobra Kai cretins Brucks and Kyler. These bullies of yesteryear have seemingly buried the hatchet with Miguel, Eli, and Demetri, and invite the trio to a fraternity party for a taste of the new, enlightening college life. But after a hazing ritual involving Kyler and the frat bros goes awry, we see the teens standing up for, rather than to, their former tormentors.

This fight brings a rare departure from the show’s stellar original score by Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson in favor of hip-hop track “Crank It Up” as the Theta Omega frat house explodes into chaos. It also demonstrates a more fun side of the kids’ karate training with low stakes and a high degree of physical comedy. Plus, Kyler and Brucks are given their farewell moment as the series does its victory lap, checking in with side characters essential to the growth of our main fighters.

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9. Chozen vs. Daniel — “Miyagi-Do”

“If an enemy insists on war, you take away their ability to wage it.”

Cobra Kai has never shied away from a rematch, especially when it means echoing the themes and tensions from the original Karate Kid films. When Daniel LaRusso travels to Okinawa, he’s confronted with his past in the form of Chozen Toguchi. Longtime series fans remember how ruthless young Chozen was in Karate Kid 2, meaning their latest sparring session was bound to be lethal. And when they come to blows over the true secrets of Miyagi-Do karate, these old dogs prove they can be taught new tricks.

Demonstrating all the tenets of Miyagi-Do teaching, Chozen has the upper hand for most of the battle. He does not show Daniel much mercy, and even recounts stories of past Miyagi-Do fighters having to kill their foes and disable their joints with targeted strikes — because defense can take many forms. And while the narrative of the fight builds up to a big and terrifying final strike, there’s also humor to lighten the mood and subvert viewer expectations. Still, it demonstrates that even Daniel has techniques to learn, giving the Miyagi-Do sensei new ways to surprise his students (and his enemies). Honk!

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8. Christmas Party Chaos — “December 19”

“Heard you were throwing a party. Hope you don’t mind if we crash.“

Ho-ho-holy moly! The Christmas party fight in the season 3 finale is almost cartoonish in its villainy, scored by a ripping combination of “Carol of the Bells” and the Cobra Kai dojo theme (with the mashup titled “Carol of the Cobras”). It begins with innocent Bert being thrown through a window as the students of Cobra Kai burst into the house where Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang dojos are meeting to form an alliance. This battle expertly shows the shifting loyalty of the teens as the “karate war” creates more and more collateral damage in the Valley.

The household setting has a beautiful open layout providing plenty of space for karate kids to go flying and for furniture to break. It’s not an easy battle either — Miguel is still recovering from his weakness as Kyler pummels him, and Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz starts the fight on the side of Cobra Kai before seeing his binary brother Demetri nearly get his arm broken a second time. This unpredictable fight also has no real “winners,” with the LaRusso household utterly destroyed just days before Christmas.

A bit of noteworthy costuming: Tory’s stylish skeleton hoodie in this scene is an excellent nod to the classic boney baddies of the original Karate Kid (who received another much more overt homage in season 1).

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7. Silver vs. Chozen — “Head of the Snake”

“I knew you were a warrior at heart, just like me.“

Terry Silver is one of the most dangerous threats the Valley has ever faced, with money, power, and influence to support his schemes. This all comes to a head in season 5, as he seeks to franchise the Cobra Kai dojo and spread his version of its “No Mercy” philosophy worldwide. In the season 5 finale, “Head of the Snake,” three Karate Kid films’ worth of former villains have even teamed up with Daniel to take down the new King Cobra — Johnny, Chozen, and KK3‘s Mike Barnes all join the brawl. But it’s Chozen’s solo showdown with their foe that earns this sequence its accolades.

This fight has a rare distinction in the series, being fought primarily with weapons (given that Chozen was likely to have the edge in proper hand-to-hand combat). Silver is armed with a katana while Chozen grabs a pair of sai swords for a grueling, flashy fight that leaves the former almost ready to accept his own death. The foley work in this one takes precedence over the soundtrack (which is still appropriately sinister with a track titled “The Fifth Battle of Kawanakajima”), as metal weapons clash. This display of technical prowess is regularly considered one of the best choreographed sequences in the series.

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6. Johnny and Daniel vs. Kreese and Robby — “December 19”

“I can’t be my own worst enemy. But you could be!“

While the Christmas fight rages at the LaRusso household, an even more personal battle takes place in the Cobra Kai dojo, where Johnny confronts Kreese and finds him training Robby. Kreese views this as an opportunity for three generations of Cobra Kai fighters to claim their spot at the top, but Johnny refuses to rejoin the dojo. What erupts is a fight laced with pent-up anger and trauma from Kreese’s wartime past, Johnny’s resentment of his mentor, and Robby’s hatred for his deadbeat father. And the battle heats up even more when Daniel, who learned about the house party incident, arrives to challenge Kreese as well.

This fight truly exemplifies generational trauma and training — all of the combatants involved are serious threats, each carrying their own invisible scars from the actions of the past. It’s another great chance for fans to see Daniel and Johnny put their shared past behind them, while Kreese and Robby can only cling to the hurts they’ve endured. Plus, we get to see Daniel directly execute teachings he learned from his fight with Chozen (which we covered above) to prevent Kreese from fighting back. Finally, Miyagi-Do’s path of mercy doesn’t always have to look like taking every abuse their enemies throw at them.

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The Top 5

It’s just like they say — you really have to pick and choose your battles! That’s why this is only half of our top 10 Cobra Kai fights list. You can see our top 5, plus some honorable mentions, right here.

In the meantime, did your favorite fights make the list? What do you think is the best battle from the entire show?

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