What Is the Age Difference Between ‘Cobra Kai’ Co-Stars Tanner Buchanan and Mary Mouser?

Tanner Buchanan and Mary Mouser star opposite one another in the new web series Cobra Kai, now available for streaming on Netflix. Buchanan portrays teenager Robby Keene: a bit of a bad boy in need of a mentor and a father figure. 

Keene’s dad is Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka): the same guy Daniel LaRusso face-kicked over three decades ago in The Karate Kid. Lawrence and his son, Keene, don’t have the best dynamic, and Keene becomes close to LaRusso after he starts working for LaRusso Auto Group. As for Mary Mouser, she portrays Daniel LaRusso’s daughter, Samatha LaRusso. 

[spoiler warning for seasons 1 and 2 of ‘Cobra Kai’] 

In the Netflix original, Samantha and Robby strike up a high school romance. Yet, in real life, the two haven’t been in high school for quite some time. Though Keene may seem much older than he is — as he has played mature-themed characters in movies like Sinister Seduction — he is the younger of the two. 

Mary Mouser is 24, and Tanner Buchanan is 21 

Mary Mouser was born on May 9 in 1996, making her 24 years old. In Cobra Kai, her parents shelter her a little bit, and she is a well-behaved and responsible teenage girl (most of the time). Mouser’s character boasts a young and innocent disposition, which may explain why some assume she is the younger of the two. 

Tanner Buchanan, on the other hand, was born on December 8 in 1998, making him 21 years old. There’s about a three-year age difference between Buchanan and Mouser. 

Because Buchanan plays the guy who cuts school and steals from others at the start of the show, it’s easy to assume that he’s older — more willing to take risks, unafraid of consequences, and able to live on his own (a bit). Yet, in real life, Buchanan is younger. Yet, in the end, neither actor is young enough to honestly portray high school students, as both could be post-college. 

How old are ‘Cobra Kai’ stars Xolo Maridueña and Jacob Bertrand? 

Xolo Maridueña and Jacob Bertrand play primary characters in Cobra Kai as well; the former plays Miguel, while the latter portrays Eli Moskowitz (AKA Hawk). These two are a bit younger than their co-stars, and Maridueña is a bit more convincing as a high school student, likely because he’s only 19. 

Jacob Bertrand is 20 years old, yet plays a convincing good kid who, due to a too much bullying, learns karate and goes from the harassed to the harasser. Bertrand has previously starred in Kirby Buckets, Ready Player One, Rise of the Guardians, and The Swap.

Overall, the young Cobra Kai cast is filled with actors who are of college-age or older, yet their strong chemistry and characterizations make for an enjoyable and rather convincing viewing experience.