11 Then Vs. Now Photos Of The "Cobra Kai" Cast In Their First Episodes And The Show's Final Season

    It's wild to remember how Hawk didn't always have a giant mohawk.

    Lauren Garafano
    by Lauren Garafano

    BuzzFeed Staff

    It's the beginning of the end now that the first batch of episodes for Cobra Kai's sixth and final season have been released.

    Multiple characters from "Cobra Kai" in white karate gis stand in formation outside, focused and determined
    Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2024

    Part 2 is scheduled to drop in November, with the series finale dropping at some point in 2025. 

    It feels like it was just yesterday that Johnny Lawrence decided to reopen the infamous Cobra Kai dojo and continue a 35-year karate war with Daniel LaRusso.

    Ralph Macchio (left) and William Zabka (right) in karate outfits with headbands standing with a man wearing a "Cobra Kai" hoodie and headphones around his neck
    Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2024

    So, to celebrate, let's take a little trip down memory lane and see just how much the cast has changed since the series began way back in 2018:

    1. Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz

    Close-up of Xolo Maridueña from "Cobra Kai" in two seasons: Season 1, with short hair, and Season 6, with curly, longer hair
    Netflix

    2. Mary Mouser as Sam LaRusso

    Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso in 'Cobra Kai'. Top image shows her in Season 1; bottom image shows her in Season 6, displaying her character's evolution
    Netflix

    3. Peyton List as Tory Nichols

    Top and bottom images show Peyton List in Season 2 and Season 6 of a show
    Netflix

    4. Jacob Bertrand as Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz

    Side-by-side images of Eli Moskowitz from "Cobra Kai," comparing Season 1 (short hair and a serious expression) and Season 6 (blue mohawk and a relaxed expression)
    Netflix

    5. Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene

    Top image: Young man from Season 1 with slicked-back hair in casual clothing. Bottom image: Same man from Season 6 with longer hair speaking
    Netflix

    6. Gianni DeCenzo as Demetri Alexopoulos

    Atticus Shaffer in two scenes from "The Middle": first in Season 1 wearing a plaid shirt, second in Season 6 looking surprised in a patterned shirt
    Netflix

    7. Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso

    Side-by-side photos of Alexandra Breckenridge from Season 1 and Season 6 of the TV show "Virgin River" showing her character's changes over time
    Netflix

    8. Vanessa Rubio as Carmen Diaz

    Image showing Judy Reyes from TV show "Scrubs" in Season 1 and Season 6 with noticeable hairstyle changes
    Netflix

    And as a treat, let's also see how some of the guys have changed since the movie that started it all — The Karate Kid.

    9. Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso

    Ralph Macchio in "The Karate Kid" and as Daniel LaRusso in "Cobra Kai" Seasons 1 and 6
    Columbia / Netflix

    10. William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence

    Three images of William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence: top, from "The Karate Kid"; middle, from "Cobra Kai" Season 1; bottom, from "Cobra Kai" Season 6
    Columbia / Netflix

    11. Martin Kove as John Kreese

    Montage of actor Martin Kove from "The Karate Kid" and "Cobra Kai" Season 1 and Season 6
    Columbia / Netflix
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