The Ultimate Showdowns in Karate Kid & Cobra Kai: Unveiling the Victors in All 12 Tournaments

The Karate Kid movies and the Cobra Kai series have showcased numerous professional karate fights throughout their duration. Here is a summary of all the tournaments in the franchise and the victorious fighters. While the Karate Kid franchise utilizes martial arts as a storytelling tool to explore themes of honor, discipline, and camaraderie in sports, its main attraction lies in its thrilling action sequences. From powerful roundhouse kicks to Daniel LaRusso's iconic crane kick, the franchise delivers an engaging experience that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, fully immersed in the intense rivalries and animosities that fuel the narrative.

As evident in both the Karate Kid movies and the Cobra Kai series, the characters in the franchise don't necessarily require a professional platform to display their skills. The fights can erupt anywhere, from public swimming pools to school hallways. However, nothing heightens the stakes of their karate battles more than an official tournament, where the fighters and their dojos risk losing a lot. Throughout its five movies and five seasons, the Karate Kid franchise has featured various tournaments and subtly highlighted their impact on the participants and their journeys.

12 All Valley Karate Tournament 1981 (Winner: Darryl Vidal)

11 All Valley Karate Tournament 1982 (Winner: Johnny Lawrence)

Darryl Vidal, representing the Locust Valley Karate Club, made history as the inaugural champion of the All Valley Karate Tournament. Prior to the events depicted in the first Karate Kid film, Johnny Lawrence, a member of Cobra Kai, entered the tournament for the first time and was defeated by Vidal in the quarterfinals. With his victory over Lawrence, Vidal emerged as the triumphant contender and claimed the prestigious title of the 1981 All Valley Karate Tournament champion.

Despite losing his first tournament to Vidal, Johnny Lawrence displayed remarkable determination against the reigning champion, showcasing his immense potential to emerge victorious. Consequently, John Kreese shifted his focus towards Johnny, intensifying his training regimen to ensure his greater strength for the following year's tournament. The relentless efforts of both Johnny Lawrence and John Kreese paid off tremendously when Lawrence ultimately triumphed in the All Valley Karate Tournament in 1982, one year preceding the events depicted in the initial Karate Kid film.

10 All Valley Karate Tournament 1983 (Winner: Johnny Lawrence)

In the 1983 All Valley Karate Tournament, Johnny Lawrence successfully defended his title by triumphing over Cobra Kai's Tommy in the finals. Despite Tommy's strong resistance, Lawrence emerged victorious, securing his second consecutive All-Valley champion accolade. With this monumental feat, Johnny Lawrence etched his name in history as a remarkable karate prodigy.

9 All Valley Karate Tournament 1984 (Winner: Daniel LaRusso)

In the events depicted in the original Karate Kid movie, Daniel LaRusso bravely represented Mr. Miyagi's Miyagi Do dojo as the sole participant in the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. Utilizing Mr. Miyagi's unorthodox defensive karate techniques, Daniel steadily advanced through the competition, despite the relentless efforts of the rival Cobra Kai dojo to undermine his progress. Even in the tense championship match, Johnny Lawrence maliciously attempted to injure Daniel under the orders of their sensei, John Kreese, in a desperate bid to claim victory. However, displaying his iconic crane kick, Daniel LaRusso triumphed over Johnny, shattering the Cobra Kai champion's unbeaten streak.

8 All Valley Karate Tournament 1985 (Winner: Daniel LaRusso)

7 All Valley Karate Tournament 2017 (Winner: Xander Stone)

In the 1985 All Valley Karate Tournament, the previous year's champion, Daniel, received special treatment and was exempt from the qualifying rounds, allowing him to directly enter the finals. This new rule led to a showdown between Daniel LaRusso and Cobra Kai's Mike Barnes. Assisted by co-Sensei Terry Silver, Mike initially dominated the fight by consistently earning points. However, fueled by a desire to avenge their previous defeat in 1984, Silver instructed Barnes to execute an illegal move with the intention of injuring Daniel. Although this resulted in Mike losing a point, Daniel suffered a severe injury. Nevertheless, reminiscent of his previous encounter with Johnny in 1984, Daniel managed to turn the tables by executing a surprising kata technique, ultimately securing his second victory in the All-Valley Tournament.

In the 2018 All Valley Karate Tournament, Cobra Kai season 1 introduces Xander Stone as the reigning champion from the previous year. Representing the Topanga Karate dojo, Xander reaches the semi-finals of the tournament. Prior to his fight against Miguel, he seizes the opportunity to advocate for the eradication of racism and violence. Despite his efforts, Xander fails to retain his title as Miguel triumphs over him and advances to the finals of the 2018 All Valley Karate Tournament.

6 All Valley Karate Tournament 2018 (Winner: Miguel Diaz)

5 All Valley Karate Tournament 2019 Skills Competition (Winner: Cobra Kai)

To reach the final of the 2018 All Valley Karate Tournament, Miguel emerged victorious against Xander Stone, while Robby overcame Hawk. When they faced off in the ultimate showdown, Miguel and Robby engaged in a fierce battle. However, Robby struggled to keep up due to a shoulder injury sustained in his previous fight with Hawk. As the bout neared its conclusion, Miguel adopted Johnny Lawrence's uncompromising approach and showed no mercy towards Robby, ultimately securing victory in the 2018 All Valley Karate Tournament.

After facing initial cancellation, the All Valley Tournament makes a long-awaited comeback in 2019 thanks to the persuasive appeal made by Miguel and Samantha to the tournament's board. This time around, the tournament introduces a new division exclusively for boys and girls, along with an exciting skill demonstration competition for the dojos. While Miyagi Do and Eagle Fang manage to showcase their impressive skills in their respective displays, they do make a few unfortunate mistakes. In contrast, Cobra Kai dominates the competition with their flawless exhibition of skills and strength, ultimately securing victory for the Dojo in the 2019 All Valley Karate Tournament's Skills Competition.

4 All Valley Karate Tournament 2019 Girls Division (Winner: Tory Nichols)

Tory and Sam face off in the girls' division of the 2019 All Valley Karate Tournament. After Sam emerges victorious in the first two rounds, Tory gains the upper hand by winning both rounds 2 and 3. Acting upon Daniel's guidance, Sam employs the techniques of Miyagi Do and Eagle Fang to level the playing field in round 5. However, Tory once again seizes the lead in round 6 by delivering an illegal eye kick to Sam. Terry, after bribing the referee, encourages Tory to target Sam once more. Despite this, Tory opts to achieve a fair victory by defeating Sam in round 7.

3 All Valley Karate Tournament 2019 Boys Division (Winner: Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz)

Robby emerges victorious in the semi-final against Demetri, earning a spot in the highly anticipated All Valley Karate Tournament final of 2019. On the other hand, Eli secures a spot in the finals by default as his opponent, Miguel, withdraws due to an unfortunate injury. The final match between Robby and Eli is a captivating display of their combined expertise from both the Miyagi Do and Cobra Kai dojos, as they push each other to their limits. Just as Robby appears to be on the verge of victory, his attention wavers when he becomes distracted by Kenny, allowing Eli to regain his composure. Ultimately, in the climactic moments of Cobra Kai season 4, Hawk delivers a flawless kick that clinches the final round, crowning him the new champion of the All Valley Karate Tournament.

2 All Valley Karate Tournament 2019 Grand Champion Trophy (Winner: Cobra Kai)

Miyagi Do emerges victorious in the boys' division at the highly anticipated 2019 All Valley Karate Tournament. Regrettably, the title for the girls' division and the skills competition is claimed by Cobra Kai, ultimately propelling them to become the illustrious Grand Champions of the tournament. Following this event, Terry Silver skillfully utilizes Cobra Kai's triumph in the All Valley competition to fortify the dojo's dominance in the Valley during the fifth season of Cobra Kai.

1 Kung Fu Tournament In 2010's The Karate Kid (Winner: Dre Parker)

Despite not being considered canon in Cobra Kai, The Karate Kid (2010) still holds its place within the Karate Kid franchise. The film revolves around Dre Parker (portrayed by Jaden Smith), an equivalent to Daniel LaRusso, who undergoes training with Mr. Han (played by Jackie Chan) to confront Master Li's students at Fighting Dragons Studio in a Kung Fu Tournament. Similar to the characters of Daniel LaRusso, Robby, and Miguel, Parker learns his Sensei's unorthodox methods of kung fu training and ultimately applies them in the tournament, emerging as a young kung fu champion.