Who plays Zara Malik in Cobra Kai season 6? All about the real-life martial artist and actress
Cobra Kai season 6 made an immediate impression on fans and critics, and so did certain characters in the show, like Zara Malik, one of the new faces to join the show as a competitor in the Sekai Taikai tournament. Much like the character's sharp personality, the story involving the character was also quite bold and added a lot of flavor to the sixth season's plotline.
Zara Malik, the female captain of the Iron Dragons, is played by Rayna Vallandingham, who, interestingly enough, is a martial artist herself. A 13-time world champion with an unbelievable fourth-degree black belt, Vallandingham has a long list of personal achievements in the field of martial arts. She is also the youngest world champion to win six championships.
Her achievements have also propelled her to fame elsewhere, with an immense YouTube following. She is also an influencer, brand ambassador, model, and actress, making her debut in Underdog Kids.
Find out more about Zara Malik from Cobra Kai season 6 in the section ahead.
Who is Rayna Vallandingham?
Rayna Vallandingham is a real-life martial artist who holds some of the biggest and most prestigious records in the sport. A fourth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, the 21-year-old martial artist and actress started learning as a two-year-old and made some big leaps even before her teen years.
Rayna reportedly won four championships by the time she was eight and, so far, is the youngest black belt martial artist to attain 12 World Championship Titles. She also has an unbelievable 11 American Taekwondo Association world titles. These achievements already make her one of the most revered figures in the multi-time martial arts community, but there is much more to her.
Apart from her achievements in the field of martial arts, Rayna Vallandingham is also a big social media personality. Since she started her YouTube channel in 2014, she has amassed a large following (650,000 subscribers as of 2024), and some of her videos did circles on social media platforms. In 2018, Rayna appeared in the music video for Shawn Mendes and Khalid's song Youth. She also acted in the 2015 movie Underdog Kids.
Barring YouTube, her social media presence on TikTok and Instagram is also huge, and several of her videos boast millions and millions of views. With her brilliant portrayal in Cobra Kai season 6, Rayna Vallandingham could increase her fanbase even further. So far, Zara Malik does seem like the best female fighter in Cobra Kai's latest season.
All about Zara Malik from Cobra Kai season 6
Zara Malik has appeared as one of the most polarizing characters in season 6 of the show. Not only is she part of the villainous Iron Dragons, led by Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), but she has also quickly become a conversation starter due to her fighting skills and imminent rivalry with Tory (Peyton List).
She seems to have kickstarted a war with Tory using Roby (Tanner Buchanan), which hasn't yet seen its conclusion. Her social media influencer antics have also been a talking point in Cobra Kai season 6 part 2.
So far, Zara Malik is also seemingly the strongest fighter in the contest, which means that should the tournament continue, she will have a good chance of taking the trophy home.
Cobra Kai season 6 is now streaming on Netflix.
