The Age Gap Between Two Cobra Kai Stars: How It Shapes Their Characters' Dynamic

The Generational Martial Arts War in Cobra Kai

Various actors in Cobra Kai are at different stages in their lives, but the age gap between two of its stars could alter how their characters' relationship is viewed. The Karate Kid spinoff show has evolved into a generational martial arts war between several changing factions. While much of the action in Cobra Kai takes place between its teenage characters, the actors with the age disparity in question are actually among the veteran cast members.

Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver and Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso fighting in Cobra Kai

Serving as a sequel to the Karate Kid movies, Cobra Kai season 1 picks up events 29 years after the ending of Karate Kid 3. When the first episode aired in 2018, Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence, and Sensei John Kreese were among the only Cobra Kai characters returning from the Karate Kid universe. As Cobra Kai continues, more familiar faces from the original movies have rejoined their former castmates. One of the actors reprising their role is surprisingly much closer in age to another member of the Karate Kid cast than it appears.

Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver training Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid 3

Ralph Macchio Is Actually 5 Months Older Than Thomas Ian Griffith

Ralph Macchio's character, Daniel LaRusso, is much younger than Thomas Ian Griffith's character in the world of Cobra Kai and Karate Kid. In Karate Kid 3, LaRusso was portrayed as being 18 years old, despite Macchio himself being roughly a decade older than that at the time. Macchio's youthful looks allowed him to play younger than he was. In the same movie, his co-star, Thomas Ian Griffith, was playing Terry Silver, a character much older than his real age at that time of 28. So, although Terry Silver may appear to be many years Daniel LaRusso's senior in the world of Karate Kid and Cobra Kai, in reality, Macchio is older than Griffith.

Luckily, both actors have aged gracefully and in accordance with their roles, which has allowed them to share the screen once more in Cobra Kai. Griffith returned to the franchise in Cobra Kai season 3, causing the trauma experienced by Daniel LaRusso due to Terry Silver's scheme in Karate Kid 3 to resurface. Since Silver has been back, he has risen to the status of the main antagonist in the show, even overthrowing his former military commander, John Kreese.

Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver grinning in Cobra Kai

The Impact of the Age Gap on Character Dynamics

The Karate Kid franchise worked out better due to the adjustment. If both characters were of a similar age, as their actors are, the interactions between LaRusso and Silver would take on a different feel. Part of what makes Terry Silver's torture of Daniel so effective in Karate Kid 3 is the fact that Silver is so much older than his student. As such, Macchio's character doesn't feel capable of speaking back to the movie's villain, even when the grueling training regime is causing him physical and mental distress. Silver's authority over the younger man in their imbalanced power dynamic wouldn't have been so absolute if the age gap didn't exist, and their scenes in Cobra Kai would have been completely different.

Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso raising one eyebrow in Cobra Kai

The dynamic between Daniel LaRusso and Terry Silver in Cobra Kai is deeply influenced by the age gap between the actors portraying them. If both were the same age, the power dynamics and interactions between the characters would have been fundamentally altered, changing the essence of their relationship on screen. This age gap has played a crucial role in shaping the characters' dynamic and the overall narrative of the show.

Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso doing the crane kick in Cobra Kai season 5