Who Performs Zara Malik In Cobra Kai Season 6 Half 2?

Whereas most extraordinary TV reveals aren’t too focused on introducing new characters into the combination in any respect once they attain their last season, not to mention characteristic one who turns into a breakout greatest character, “Cobra Kai” isn’t any extraordinary TV present. At present, the present’s sixth and last season simply bowed its second of three elements, and it is grow to be obvious that the villainess Zara Malik is arguably the ultimate season’s greatest new character. A pupil from the Iron Dragons collaborating within the Sekai Taikai event, Zara is a mysterious lady who lets her magnificence, recognition, and particularly her fists do the speaking for her. As “Cobra Kai” wraps up its varied storylines earlier than the ultimate episodes drop on February 13 of subsequent 12 months, Zara might grow to be a fairly harmful and dramatic wild card.

What’s much more thrilling than that’s the accomplishments and potential of the actress behind Zara: Rayna Vallandingham. The 21-year-old Los Angeles native is formally the youngest black belt martial artist ever to win 13 world taekwondo titles, and that achievement is because of her actually dedicating almost her total life to martial arts, having began working towards and competing on the age of two. If that already sounds too prolific for you, then buckle up: she’s additionally a martial arts teacher, combat choreographer, and content material creator (neé on-line influencer) who’s amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.

All of which means Vallandingham is not simply extraordinarily achieved at her younger age, however that she’s poised to be a particularly savvy new presence within the leisure world. The truth is, her position in “Cobra Kai” and the best way she’s breaking out with the character of Zara solely furthers that risk, making her objective to be “the feminine Bruce Lee” look like not simply empty phrases, however an honest promise.

On “Cobra Kai,” Zara is (to borrow a cliche) not right here to make mates. She nearly immediately dubs herself the “Queen of Karate” upon profitable her first occasion, insults Samantha (Mary Mouser) and Devon (Oona O’Brien) concerning the state of Miyagi-Do, after which seduces Robby (Tanner Buchanan) whereas Tory (Peyton Record) watches. She is, at the very least up to now, unapologetic in her actions, and whereas the “Karate Child” franchise has grow to be well-known for giving beforehand villainous characters their pictures at redemption, it is doable that Zara will not be in search of any for herself anytime quickly. 

Being such a media-savvy individual, Vallandingham possible is aware of the worth of portraying such a vivacious character in a well-liked present, notably a brand new one throughout its final season. She’s confirmed herself to be picky in her tasks, having turned down gigs earlier than, like one animated collection that she stated might’ve launched her into stardom quicker. As she instructed Muscle and Health:

“As soon as I used to be as soon as provided to do a voiceover for a personality on a present, that it did not align with my values. To me it appeared like type of a racist tackle a martial arts spin off. I used to be like, I could possibly be into rewriting the story of what it takes to be a feminine martial artist, however the authentic will not be aligned with who I’m and who I need to signify. So despite the fact that it had the potential to be large, I needed to flip it down.”

In fact, that is to not say that Zara’s actions align together with her values per se, simply that “Cobra Kai” itself does. Provided that Vallandingham has said that she desires to look in motion movies, “Cobra Kai” is in fact a fantastic place to begin, and showing as a villain on the present has an identical impact to Jet Li utilizing his villainous flip in “Deadly Weapon 4” as his breakout position in America, letting viewers sit up and take discover of such a dynamic presence.

Given Vallandingham’s accomplishments in martial arts, she’s a pure to be tapped by an 87North manufacturing or maybe a brand new Lionsgate motion thriller, and her position on “Cobra Kai” signifies that she’s not going to be immediately typecast as only a love curiosity or “attractive badass” inventory feminine motion character. Whereas season 6 of “Cobra Kai” could be the final time we see Zara, it appears like we’re solely simply starting to see Rayna Vallandingham on our screens.

“Cobra Kai” is streaming on Netflix.