The best episodes of Cobra Kai

Explore the comprehensive ranking of Cobra Kai episodes, meticulously evaluated through thousands of fan votes. Uncover the top-rated moments that define the brilliance of Cobra Kai!

This Karate Kid sequel series picks up 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament and finds Johnny Lawrence on the hunt for redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. This reignites his old rivalry with the successful Daniel LaRusso, who has been working to maintain the balance in his life without mentor Mr. Miyagi.

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9.1

#1 - The Rise

Season 4, Episode 10, 12/31/2021

The tournament comes to a shocking end, with the aftermath leaving its participants reeling – and two champions facing uncertain futures.

9.0

#2 - December 19

Season 3, Episode 10, 1/1/2021

Old wounds begin to heal at a country club holiday party, but a brutal assault by Kreese's students leads to new betrayals and alliances.

9.0

#3 - The Fall

Season 4, Episode 9, 12/31/2021

The annual All Valley Karate Tournament kicks off as several competing dojos vie for the grand championship – and settle some personal scores.

9.0

#4 - Underdogs

Season 6, Episode 4, 7/18/2024

Daniel and Johnny invite a new sensei to evaluate their students. Friends become foes as the competition heats up for a spot in the Sekai Taikai.

9.0

#5 - Best of the Best

Season 6, Episode 5, 7/18/2024

Miyagi-Do's top students square off to be team captains, but a devastating tragedy changes everything. Kreese reveals his final surprise.

8.9

#6 - No Mercy

Season 2, Episode 10, 4/24/2019

It’s the first day of school at West Valley High but tensions between the two dojos have not cooled with the end of summer. And the rivalry between Daniel and Johnny comes to a head.

8.9

#7 - Head of the Snake

Season 5, Episode 10, 9/9/2022

A fight night erupts in the Valley as Johnny, Daniel, Chozen and their students summon all their skills and strength to expose Terry and take him down.

8.8

#8 - Mercy

Season 1, Episode 10, 5/2/2018

The highly-anticipated All Valley Karate Tournament brings Johnny and Daniel on opposite sides again, except this time, the new generation of karate students are the combatants. Who will pay the price for ultimate victory?

8.7

#9 - Match Point

Season 4, Episode 5, 12/31/2021

Johnny and Daniel's dojo — and their fragile alliance — teeter on the brink of collapse when they agree to a winner-takes-all sensei showdown.

8.6

#10 - Counterbalance

Season 1, Episode 5, 5/2/2018

Daniel tries to strike a shady deal to undermine Johnny’s dojo. Meanwhile, Johnny expands his enrollment ranks in the dojo. Miguel puts his karate practice into reality as Samantha faces rejection in school.

8.6

#11 - Let's Begin

Season 4, Episode 1, 12/31/2021

Johnny and Daniel combine dojos but their opposing styles immediately clash. Kreese tries to persuade a former partner to rejoin him at Cobra Kai.

8.6

#12 - Party Time

Season 4, Episode 8, 12/31/2021

Miguel and Sam are excited about attending the junior prom until another couple unexpectedly shows up. Terry lures Johnny to a familiar location.

8.5

#13 - Take a Right

Season 2, Episode 6, 4/24/2019

Daniel’s students are given a lesson in overcoming their grudges. Johnny spends some time away from the dojo, while Kreese exerts his influence.

8.4

#14 - Different But Same

Season 1, Episode 9, 5/2/2018

Despite Johnny’s efforts to move forward, he confronts Daniel about the assault on his property. An attempt to appease Johnny makes them revisit the past together. Miguel senses Samantha is lying to him. The dojo students try to intimidate the popular kids at a party.

8.4

#15 - Miyagi-Do

Season 3, Episode 5, 1/1/2021

In Okinawa, Daniel spends time with an old friend — and an old enemy, who has much to teach him. The dueling dojos' rivalry comes to a nasty head.

8.4

#16 - Then Learn Fly

Season 4, Episode 3, 12/31/2021

Kenny tries to become a student of Cobra Kai with some encouragement from Robby, while Johnny urges Sam to take a leap of faith – in herself.

8.4

#17 - Bicephaly

Season 4, Episode 4, 12/31/2021

Kreese brings Terry back to Cobra Kai, but his former partner isn't interested in repeating history. Johnny grows envious of Daniel mentoring Miguel.

8.4

#18 - Survivors

Season 5, Episode 9, 9/9/2022

Tory pays a price for defiance. Stingray does battle with his conscience. A celebratory night on the town takes a turn for Johnny, Daniel and Chozen.

8.4

#19 - Sleeper

Season 6, Episode 3, 7/18/2024

A shocking discovery turns Daniel's world upside down. Johnny schemes a way to give Sam and Tory their edge back. The tournament reveals its location.

8.3

#20 - Strike First

Season 1, Episode 2, 5/2/2018

Present day Daniel LaRusso lives a charmed life. That is, until he sees that the Cobra Kai dojo, the source of his teenage angst and rivalry, has been reestablished by Johnny Lawrence. Struggling to launch the business, Johnny starts teaching karate to his teenage neighbor Miguel. Daniel faces his former opponent and old offenses are quickly reignited.

8.3

#21 - All Valley

Season 1, Episode 7, 5/2/2018

Daniel takes on teaching his new pupil using the unconventional techniques from Mr. Miyagi. Robby is tempted to return to his delinquent ways. Johnny helps Miguel with his first date.

8.3

#22 - Pulpo

Season 2, Episode 9, 4/24/2019

Johnny cautiously takes a stab at love, while Daniel and Amanda enjoy a romantic date night. An attempt to bring the students of the two dojos together backfires as hostilities between the teens escalate.

8.3

#23 - Aftermath

Season 3, Episode 1, 1/1/2021

Miguel's fighting for his life, Robby's missing, and Daniel and Johnny's reputations are in tatters as the community reacts to the West Valley brawl.

8.3

#24 - Ouroboros

Season 5, Episode 6, 9/9/2022

Terry recruits an expert in the way of the fist. Daniel walks away from a fight, and Johnny and Chozen pick one. In prison, Kreese confronts old demons.

8.2

#25 - Esqueleto

Season 1, Episode 3, 5/2/2018

Johnny tries to recruit more students to join the dojo. Troubled by his daughter’s friends, Daniel chaperones her high school costume dance. Johnny takes Miguel’s training seriously and starts creating a badass.

8.2

#26 - The Right Path

Season 3, Episode 4, 1/1/2021

Following an important meeting in Japan, Daniel revisits Mr. Miyagi's hometown on Okinawa. Johnny attempts to reconnect with Robby.

8.2

#27 - Feel the Night

Season 3, Episode 9, 1/1/2021

It's Christmastime in the Valley, and romance is in the air. Daniel and Miguel find unexpected common ground, and the Cobra Kai recruits go on a mission.

8.2

#28 - First Learn Stand

Season 4, Episode 2, 12/31/2021

Johnny picks up defensive strategies while Daniel learns how to go on the offensive. Amanda confronts Tory. New kid Kenny is bullied at school.

8.2

#29 - Minefields

Season 4, Episode 7, 12/31/2021

Daniel invites Anthony to join Miyagi-Do and discovers he doesn't know his son as well as he thought. Miguel learns the truth about Johnny and Carmen.

8.2

#30 - Long, Long Way From Home

Season 5, Episode 1, 9/9/2022

Daniel’s new ally-turned-housemate tests Amanda’s patience. Miguel searches for his father in Mexico. Terry starts to transform Cobra Kai.

8.1

#31 - Molting

Season 1, Episode 8, 5/2/2018

Johnny prepares his Cobra Kai students for the next All Valley Karate Tournament and in turn, he is inspired to clean up his life. Daniel is still unaware of his new pupil’s background. But as events unfold, it seems nothing has changed between Daniel and Johnny in 30 years.

8.1

#32 - Molé

Season 5, Episode 2, 9/9/2022

Chozen and Daniel hatch a risky plot against Terry. In Mexico, Robby and Johnny look for Miguel, who discovers the truth about his dad.

8.1

#33 - Taikai

Season 5, Episode 8, 9/9/2022

A coveted spot in an elite international tournament ignites a fight between dojos. Tory’s loyalties are tested. Sam struggles to let Miguel go.

8.0

#34 - Back in Black

Season 2, Episode 2, 4/24/2019

When Daniel starts teaching his first karate students, he questions whether he can fill Mr. Miyagi’s shoes. Johnny invents some unorthodox training methods with help from an unlikely source.

8.0

#35 - King Cobra

Season 3, Episode 6, 1/1/2021

Miguel helps Johnny craft the perfect social media message. Kreese scouts new recruits while Daniel and Amanda try to shut down Cobra Kai.

8.0

#36 - The Good, the Bad, and the Badass

Season 3, Episode 8, 1/1/2021

Informed that this year's All Valley Karate Tournament is being canceled, the three competing sensei attend a city council meeting to save it.

7.9

#37 - Ace Degenerate

Season 1, Episode 1, 5/2/2018

Thirty years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, Johnny Lawrence’s life has taken a rocky turn as he tries to forget a past that constantly haunts him. He seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. But the LaRusso-Lawrence rivalry of yesteryear is reignited when their lives become intertwined with the next generation of “karate kids.”

7.9

#38 - Fire and Ice

Season 2, Episode 3, 4/24/2019

Daniel pulls out all the stops in an effort to recruit new students to Miyagi Do. Johnny reflects on some of the major relationships in his life - and responds to Daniel’s promotional efforts with his own.

7.9

#39 - All In

Season 2, Episode 5, 4/24/2019

Daniel struggles to help a new student learn. Miguel makes a new connection, while Johnny tries to repair a relationship. Tensions between the two dojos build to a breaking point.

7.9

#40 - Nature Vs. Nurture

Season 3, Episode 2, 1/1/2021

Daniel and Johnny team up to find Robby. Miguel faces an uncertain future. Kreese tries to bring Tory back to Cobra Kai.

7.9

#41 - Extreme Measures

Season 5, Episode 5, 9/9/2022

Daniel leans on a friend – and frenemy. Tensions come to a head for Miguel and Robby. A familiar face returns.

7.8

#42 - Mercy (2)

Season 2, Episode 1, 4/24/2019

In the aftermath of Cobra Kai’s win at the Under 18 All Valley Karate Championships, Johnny questions his dojo’s philosophy and deals with a figure from his past. Daniel searches for the right way to respond to Cobra Kai’s dominance.

7.8

#43 - The Moment of Truth

Season 2, Episode 4, 4/24/2019

Daniel makes another attempt to promote Miyagi Do, and receives guidance in a familiar form. Johnny grows suspicious about Kreese’s backstory. A new Cobra Kai student challenges Miguel and befriends Aisha, while Robby revisits a past he’d rather forget.

7.8

#44 - Kicks Get Chicks

Season 4, Episode 6, 12/31/2021

A major change to the upcoming tournament sends Johnny scrambling to find a new recruit for Eagle Fang. Tory must ask a favor of the LaRussos.

7.8

#45 - Downward Spiral

Season 5, Episode 4, 9/9/2022

Johnny and Carmen’s romance flies high while Daniel and Amanda are rattled by Terry's schemes. The teens’ feuds spill over at the waterpark.

7.8

#46 - Bad Eggs

Season 5, Episode 7, 9/9/2022

Terry and Kim issue a brutal challenge while Chozen teaches his students a different kind of lesson. Johnny and Daniel demand answers from Kreese.

7.8

#47 - Peacetime in the Valley

Season 6, Episode 1, 7/18/2024

The Miyagi-Do students struggle to put aside past rivalries while training for the Sekai Taikai. Johnny and Chozen clash over rebranding the dojo.

7.7

#48 - Cobra Kai Never Dies

Season 1, Episode 4, 5/2/2018

When Daniel’s car dealership billboard is sprayed with lewd graffiti, it consumes Daniel and escalates tensions against a rival. Robby, Johnny’s delinquent son, is embarrassed about his father and his new dojo. The bullying escalates against Miguel and motivates Johnny in a surprising way.

7.6

#49 - Quiver

Season 1, Episode 6, 5/2/2018

Johnny’s dojo class attracts a group of misfits while his son Robby, who harbors ulterior motives, lands a new job. Samantha makes a new friend in science class. Daniel inspires interest in karate from an unlikely person.

7.6

#50 - Lull

Season 2, Episode 7, 4/24/2019

To prepare his students, Daniel gives some new training methods a shot. Miguel puts a new lesson into practice. Johnny makes a tough but pivotal decision that affects Cobra Kai.

7.6

#51 - Now You're Gonna Pay

Season 3, Episode 3, 1/1/2021

Daniel's tarnished public image takes a toll on his sales, leading to a takeover offer. Johnny tries to raise money for Miguel's surgery.

7.6

#52 - Obstáculos

Season 3, Episode 7, 1/1/2021

Daniel spends some father-daughter time with a traumatized Sam. Johnny plans to form a new karate dojo but struggles to come up with a cool name.

7.4

#53 - Glory of Love

Season 2, Episode 8, 4/24/2019

Daniel works to make amends with Amanda, while Johnny is introduced to the world of dating apps. Complications arise when Miguel, Samantha, Robby and Tory cross paths.