Warning! Contains minor spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6, part 1.
Summary
- Ralph Macchio and William Zabka have aged from their 20s to 60s while portraying their characters in Cobra Kai over several seasons.
- Season 6 of Cobra Kai will end in 2025 after nearly 7 years, showcasing the growth and aging of the main cast members since 2018.
- The younger cast members like Xolo Maridueña and Tanner Buchanan have also aged from their teenage years to mid-20s during the show’s run.
Given how many actors have been associated with Cobra Kai for several seasons, it can be hard not to be curious about how much they have aged over the years. Serving as a spin-off and sequel to the original Karate Kid movies, Cobra Kai succeeded by striking the right balance between portraying a new generation of karate practioners and marking the return of legacy characters from the original films. Owing to this, while the actors playing its new generation of characters are quite young, the ones portraying the legacy characters are well beyond their 60s.
Cobra Kai‘s season 1 premiered on Netflix in 2018. As season 6’s release schedule suggests, the Netflix series will end in 2025, lasting the show’s run for nearly seven years. Since most of its cast members have stuck with the series since its beginning in 2018, audiences have witnessed their growth and probably wondered about how their ages compare to one another.
|
Name |
Date of Birth |
Age (as of July 2024) |
|
Ralph Macchio |
November 4, 1961 |
62 |
|
William Zabka |
October 20, 1965 |
58 |
|
Xolo Maridueña |
Jun 9, 2001 |
23 |
|
Tanner Buchanan |
Dec 8, 1998 |
25 |
|
Peyton List |
April 6, 1998 |
26 |
|
Mary Mouser |
May 9, 1996 |
28 |
|
Martin Kove |
March 6, 1946 |
78 |
|
Thomas Ian Griffith |
March 16, 1962 |
62 |
|
Yuji Okumoto |
April 20, 1955 |
65 |
|
Jacob Bertrand |
March 6, 2000 |
24 |
|
Gianni DeCenzo |
October 27, 2001 |
22 |
|
Dallas Dupree Young |
October 25, 2006 |
17 |
|
Oona O’Brien |
Sep 15, 2006 |
17 |
13 Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso)
Date of Birth: November 4, 1961
Ralph Macchio was about 23 years old when he first starred as Daniel LaRusso in the first Karate Kid film. After portraying the character for two more films, he returned to playing him in 2018, when he was about 54. Since Cobra Kai season 2 premiered one year after season 1, Macchio was close to 55 when it was released. Cobra Kai‘s third and fourth seasons were both released in 2021, suggesting the actor was around 58 when the third season came out in January and 59 when the fourth premiered in December. With Cobra Kai season 6 now on Netflix, the actor stands at 62.
12 William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence)
Date of Birth: October 20, 1965
William Zabka was only 19 years old when he first played Johnny Lawrence on the big screen. He then reprised the role in 2018 in Cobra Kai‘s season 1, when he was around 52. The next year, when Cobra Kai season 2 came out on YouTube Originals, the actor was 53 before turning 55 around Cobra Kai season 3’s filming. Cobra Kai season 4 marked his return as a 56-year-old, and he currently stands at 58.
11 Xolo Maridueña (Miguel Diaz)
Date of Birth: June 9, 2001
Xolo Maridueña started his journey with Cobra Kai season 1 around the age of 16. By season 2, he was a year older, standing at 17. Two years later, he appeared in Cobra Kai season 3 around the age of 19, before reprising his role in the fourth installment at 20. By season 5, he was 21, and his present age is 23 after Cobra Kai season 6 part 1’s release on Netflix.
10 Tanner Buchanan (Robby Keene)
Date of Birth: December 8, 1998
Although Robby Keene and Miguel Diaz are supposed to be around the same age in Cobra Kai, Tanner Buchanan is over 2 years older than Xolo Maridueña in real life. The actor must have been around 19 or 20 when Cobra Kai season 1 was filmed. He was likely in the 20-21 range during season 2’s filming. After two years, he must have been closer to 22 when Cobra Kai seasons 3 and 4’s filming took place. As of 2024, his age is 25, suggesting he was around 24 during the final season’s filming, and will be 26 by the time the show ends.
9 Peyton List (Tory Nichols)
Date of Birth: April 6, 1998
Born in 1998, Peyton was likely close to 19 when the first season of the spin-off series was filmed. She must have turned 20 by the time season 2’s filming ensued. Cobra Kai season 3’s shooting must have happened after her 21st birthday, but she must have turned 22 by the time season 4 was shot. With season 5, the actress was likely a year older and is now 26 around the release of Cobra Kai season 6’s part 1 on Netflix.
8 Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso)
Date of Birth: May 9, 1996
Among the younger cast members in Cobra Kai, Mary Mouser is the oldest. She first appeared as Samantha LaRusso in 2018, when she was close to 22 years old. In season 2, she must have been one year older, making her around 23 at the time of filming. Around Cobra Kai season 3’s premiere, she was 24 and turned 25 before season 4 landed on Netflix. Cobra Kai season 5 came out after her 26th birthday, and she stands at 28 around Cobra Kai season 6 part 1’s release.
7 Martin Kove (John Kreese)
Date of Birth: March 6, 1946
Veteran star Martin Kove is among the oldest cast members in the Netflix series. Born in 1946, Martin Kove was in his late 30s when he portrayed John Kreese in the first Karate Kid movie. He returned to play the role in Cobra Kai season 2 when he was around 73 years old. Cobra Kai season 3 marked his return as the show’s primary antagonist when he had turned 74. By the time Cobra Kai season 4 premiered, Kove had turned 75, and was likely close to 76 during season 5’s filming. Cobra Kai season 6 has landed on Netflix following his 78th birthday, making him the oldest main cast member in the series.
6 Thomas Ian Griffith (Terry Silver)
Date of Birth: March 16, 1962
Thomas Ian Griffith joined the Karate Kid franchise’s roster back in 1989 when he portrayed Terry Silver. Although Cobra Kai‘s seasons 1, 2, and 3 only hinted at his return, season 4 brought him back as a full-fledged antagonist. Since Cobra Kai season 4 was released sometime in December 2021, Thomas Ian Griffith was likely 59 during its filming. He was 60 by the time season 5 came out, and must have been close to 61 or 62 during the final season’s filming.
5 Yuji Okumoto (Chozen Toguchi)
Date of Birth: April 20, 1955
Born in April 1959, Yuji Okumoto was about 27 when he first starred in Karate Kid II as its main villain. During season 3’s filming, in which Chozen meets Daniel after decades when Daniel returns to Okinawa, Okumoto was likely close to 61. He must have touched 62 during season 4’s filming and turned 63 before season 5 premiered on Netflix. In Cobra Kai season 6, the actor is around 65, which makes him relatively older than his character.
4 Jacob Bertrand (Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz)
Date of Birth: March 6, 2000
Jacob Bertrand has been with Cobra Kai since season 1 and is one of the few cast members who have embraced both heroic and villainous roles. When Cobra Kai season 1 first came out in 2018, Bertrand was around 18 years old. He must have turned 19 soon after season 2’s release and entered his 20s before Cobra Kai season 3’s premiere. Before Cobra Kai season 4’s release on Netflix, Berntrand was already 21 and 22 before season 5 came out in September 2022. For Cobra Kai season 6, the actor is close to 24 years old and will likely turn 25 before the final part of the final season premieres on Netflix.
3 Gianni DeCenzo (Demetri)
Date of Birth: October 27, 2001
Playing Demetri in Cobra Kai since season 1, Gianni DeCenzo was close to 17 years old when he started his journey with the series. For season 3’s filming, he must have been around 19 and a year older by the time season 4 premiered. The actor must have celebrated his 20th birthday before Cobra Kai season 5’s release, and was 22 when season 6’s filming took place.
2 Dallas Dupree Young (Kenny)
Date of Birth: October 25, 2006
As Cobra Kai season 6 reveals, the actor, Dallas Dupre, who plays Kenny, has gone through a significant growth spur between Cobra Kai seasons 5 and 6. He was no more than 15 years old when he first joined the show’s roster. During Cobra Kai season 6’s filming, however, Dallas Dupre seemingly hit 17, and will likely be 18 before the final season’s part 3 comes out.
1 Oona O’Brien (Devon Lee)
Date of Birth: September 15, 2006
Like Kenny, Devon Lee was not a part of Cobra Kai‘s roster until season 4. The actress, Oona O’Brien, who plays her, was likely around 14 years old when season 4 was first filmed. She turned 15 around Cobra Kai season 5’s shooting and will be in 17-18 range as Cobra Kai season 6 unfolds its three installments.
Cobra Kai
Set decades after the events of the Karate Kid franchise, Cobra Kai shifts gears and puts viewers into the perspective of a former rival/antagonist, Johnny Lawrence. In his 50s and down on his luck, a chance encounter with a bullied young man leads Johnny back to Karate. Agreeing to help him, Johnny takes the opportunity to revive his former home, the Cobra Kai dojo – becoming a refuge for outcast teens.
- Cast
- Tanner Buchanan , Xolo Mariduena , Mary Mouser , Connor Murdock , Ralph Macchio , Nichole Brown , Jacob Bertrand , Griffin Santopietro , William Zabka
- Seasons
- 6
- Writers
- Josh Heald , Jon Hurwitz , Hayden Schlossberg , Michael Jonathan , Mattea Greene , Bill Posley , Stacey Harman , Joe Piarulli , Bob Dearden
- Directors
- Jon Hurwitz
- Showrunner
- Jon Hurwitz