Kenny Payne

"You hear that? Get ready for high school next year because you're going to be in a world of pain."

―Kenny to Anthony^[src]

Kenny Payne is a supporting character in Season 4 and one of the secondary antagonists of Season 5 in the Netflix series Cobra Kai. He is portrayed by Dallas Dupree Young.

Kenny is the younger brother of juvenile delinquent Shawn Payne. After being the subject of intense bullying, Kenny seeks help from Shawn's friend Robby Keene, who becomes a mentor to Kenny. He turns to karate as a way to defend himself. However, he is corrupted by Cobra Kai's teachings, going from being bullied to becoming a bully. After learning the truth about Cobra Kai, Kenny quits the dojo.

Biography[]

Kenny was born 2007 or 2008 is the second-born son of a US Army soldier and an unnamed mother, and the younger sibling of Shawn. One night, Kenny witnessed one of Shawn's friends stealing money from the Payne family. He tried to stop the boy but wasn't strong enough, so he ran away. Shawn intervened to protect Kenny and ultimately beat his former friend. Shawn was taken to Sylmar Juvenile Corrections to serve out his sentence.

Cobra Kai[]

Season 4[]

Kenny plays an online video game called Dungeon Lord as he gets ready for school. He is dancing while waiting for the bus, oblivious to the fact it pulls up. When he turns, he sees the students laughing at him for his dance moves. Anthony LaRusso then verbally bullies him on the bus. In gym class, Anthony guards Kenny but scores a layup against him, showing that he is skilled in basketball. Things worsen when Kenny accidentally checks a basketball into Anthony's face, albeit after Anthony had mocked him. Lia, a fellow classmate, diffuses the situation and is friendly towards Kenny. After school, Kenny talks to his dad, who is in deployment at a military base in Qatar. He admits it's difficult moving in the middle of the school year and making new friends. His father encourages him to give it time, be patient with his hard-working mother, and reminds him that while unfair, Kenny has to be the man of the house now.

Later, Kenny is playing Dungeon Lord when he is messaged by what he believes to be Lia. He is surprised, but willingly accepts her friend request. During their chat sessions, Kenny opens up to Lia about the things he is into, including music, and cosplaying his Dungeon Lord character. Lia offers Kenny the opportunity to meet in character at Balboa Park the next evening, an event that Kenny eagerly accepts. But unknown to Kenny, it is not Lia on the other side of the computer screen, but Anthony LaRusso and a some of his friends catfishing him. They set an ambush for him at the park and video him in his Dungeon Lord costume and proceed to pummel him. Kenny is barely able to escape and only survives by hiding in a giant dumpster while Anthony and his friends hunt for him.

Kenny visits his brother in juvenile to talk about his recent experiences, including the cyber bullying going around since his adventure in the park, and explains that Anthony knows karate. Shawn laughs off the statement and guides him to Robby Keene, a former juvenile inmate, in order to learn karate to defend himself.

He goes to the Cobra Kai dojo to find Robby. When he does, he reveals to him that he is Shawn's brother much to Robby's surprise and asks if he's out. Kreese tells him he needs to prove his worth and has him fight Kyler Park but ends up backing down after constantly getting laughed at and ends up leaving in the process. Robby goes to his house to return his backpack. Kenny reveals that his brother got an extra month in juvenile for spitting in a guard's face. When he sees a video of Kenny opening his locker with milk, he teaches him a couple moves and advises him to use his speed to come at his enemies. Robby also tells him that he doesn't believe he's Shawn's brother but Kenny adds that he is big and strong and he's fast. He comes back to the dojo but he backs down again. Kyler then makes fun of him which causes Kenny to go up and punch him without Kyler noticing. Kreese then tells him that the punch wasn't enough and had his chance to join the dojo. He then leaves but after receiving approval from Robby, Kenny earns his spot, with Kreese allowing him to join the dojo.

While on a field trip at West Valley High School, he is insulted by Nathaniel and Bert due to his affiliation with Cobra Kai. He attempts to punch Bert but is stopped by Hawk, who warns him to leave Cobra Kai while he still can. During his time in the dojo, he goes with his classmates to a drive-in to watch Bloodsport. Kyler asks him to get multiple snacks with Robby asking for one as well. After getting his food, he again encounters Nathaniel and Bert, who were also at the drive-in. He walks away but backs into Hawk and knocks over his food. Robby notices this, and a confrontation ensues between Miyagi-Do, Eagle Fang, and Cobra Kai. Miguel tells them to meet in the baseball diamond but Miyagi-Do and Eagle don't show up. When Kenny and his classmates arrive, they end up getting drenched by the sprinklers.

While changing from P.E., Kenny leaves his clothes behind but Anthony steals them. He chases Anthony and his friends but ends up running out in his underwear, causing everyone to laugh at him. During a lesson in Cobra Kai, Kenny is then ordered to spar with Robby. After Robby apologizes for kicking him, Kenny takes advantage of this weakness per Silvers' advice, and then wins the fight by leg sweeping him. Back at school, Anthony tries to reconcile with him and put the bullying behind them, but Kenny doesn't forgive him and calls him "LaPusso". He calls him the name again and Anthony and his group chase him. They end up in the library where Kenny hides and the group hopes to trap the boy. However, Kenny turns off the lights and the group splits to find him. While looking for him, Kenny attacks the group one by one. He intimidates Anthony by calling him "LaPusso", scaring Anthony, who falls down. Kenny runs up and grabs Anthony but are caught in the process. While in the office, Anthony is suspended but Kenny is off the hook. Kenny tells Anthony he got him with a smug smile on his face.

On the day of the All-Valley tournament, he fights Nathaniel and defeats him using the Miyagi-Do drum technique. He then advances to fight his own classmate Robby in the quarterfinals. He wins the first point when Robby goes easy on him, but proceeds to lose when Robby decides to win so his dojo can have a chance of winning. Kenny runs off the mat after losing with a bloody nose. As he tends to his wound in the locker room, Anthony arrives and tries to apologize again for his bullying. However, still angry over the bullying since at this point he has become a fully-fledged Cobra Kai member, Kenny doesn’t forgive him and instead lashes out at Anthony and proceeds to brutally beat him up, but he is stopped and pulled off of him by Robby. Kenny threatens Anthony to wait for high school where he will experience more pain, smiling evilly at the warning. Robby reprimands Kenny as this isn't how he taught the boy. Kenny snaps back with Cobra Kai's "no mercy" mentality. At this point, Robby realizes that his mentorship with Kenny has now turned him into a corrupt individual. During Robby's fight, Kenny tells Robby to finish Eli but gets distracted and Eli recovers himself. In the end, Robby loses, causing Eli to become the boys champion. Nevertheless, Cobra Kai becomes the grand champion for the second time in a row when Tory beats Sam in the girls' finals. Kenny and the rest of his teammates celebrate and get on the mat as Tory wins. He was not present when they were outside celebrating when Kyler decides to schedule a party at his house to celebrate, though it is possible that he most likely attended the party as well.

Season 5[]

In revenge for his bullying, Kenny attacks Anthony at the water park and kicks him into the pool, but not before Anthony reprimands him for continuously being angry with him. Eli intervenes and challenges Tory to a race on a ride, with the losing dojo having to leave the park. Kenny cheats by poking in a hole in Hawk's raft, earning the disappointed boos of the Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang students. The boys square up, with Eli asking if he really wants to fight the champion. Kenny throws the first punch, though Hawk dodges all his attacks. Kenny lands a punch before Eli injures his leg. Before Hawk can continue fighting, Robby pushes him into the pool. Kenny continues to bully Anthony, including giving him a swirlie in an un-flushed toilet as retaliation for Anthony throwing a Cobra Kai shirt on the ground.

Kenny, a follower by nature, follows Kyler's poor leadership during a training exercise and loses as a result. Terry takes him aside and plays to his ego by telling him that he needs to lead from now on. Kenny proceeds to attack Kyler in the next exercise and ultimately win as a result. Kenny is then taught an illegal move called the "Silver Bullet" to cut off an opponent's airway and win the match as quickly as possible. Terry picks Kenny to represent Cobra Kai's males in the tryouts for the Sekai Taikai, the largest karate tournament in the world.

Terry had paid off the referee to ensure that they won no matter what, and Kenny uses the Silver Bullet on Hawk, which results in him winning. Kenny is ecstatic at this. Robby tries to appeal to Kenny's good nature by continuously telling him that he needs to leave Cobra Kai, but he refuses to listen. Kenny later arrives at the Cobra Kai dojo to attack Miyagi-Do students when they break in to try and get surveillance footage of Terry beating up Stingray to expose Cobra Kai for good. The video had been deleted by Silver as a means to cover his tracks, but they are able to find a video of Terry confessing that he rigged the All-Valley.

Kenny participates in the Cobra Kai dojo, attacking Miguel first, but is next shown kicking a presumed Miyagi Do student, before then attacking Robby. Robby tries reasoning with Kenny, but he continues to attack Robby. Robby briefly pushes Kenny away. However, after Robby is punched by a Cobra Kai, Kenny severely injures him with the Silver Bullet. Kenny proceeds to beat him up along with some of his Cobra Kai's. However, Miguel saves Robby by kicking Kenny. Kenny then attacks Miguel, who beats him again by kicking him to the ground. As the Miyagi-Do's are surrounded by the Cobra Kai students while Anthony is in the middle near seconds for the video to upload, Kenny orders the Cobra Kai students to not let the Miyagi-Do's get out since they're surrounded. Shortly after this, Terry's cheating is exposed on video; Kenny sees the video evidence and is shocked and heartbroken just as Silver arrives too late and challenges Daniel to a fight, which is witnessed by Kenny and the rest of the ex-Cobra Kai students. Daniel defeats Terry by using his famous crane kick, knocking him into the wall and destroying the Cobra Kai logo, tarnishing him.

Realizing that Robby was right about Cobra Kai, Kenny quits when he throws his shirt at Terry and is the first one to leave the dojo, disillusioned with Cobra Kai's ruthless teachings and remorseful for his abusive behavior. Everyone else follows suit and throws their gear at their now former sensei. As the authorities arrive at the scene to arrest Silver for his crimes, Robby tries to talk to Kenny, but Kenny is too ashamed of his behavior to speak, saying he needs "some time" and then leaves.

Personality[]

Kenny is a bright-eyed and happy-go-lucky kid who enjoys the niche of video games, anime, music, and dancing. He's a generally happy kid, despite the unfortunate circumstances around his past and his brother's incarceration. His first day at his new middle school introduces him to bullying that only increases with time. He finds friendship in Lia, a girl from school. Kenny's bullies use this connection to catfish him online, lure him to the park in cosplay, and attack him. This crushes Kenny emotionally and he barely escapes the bullies, hiding in a recycling bin to avoid their onslaught of attacks.

As his confidence wanes, he confides in Shawn, who suggests he find Robby Keene to help. Under the guidance of Robby, Kenny learns to not run away from his bullies, flinch from danger, or be afraid of others. He gradually gains confidence in himself and his martial arts. He joins Cobra Kai Dojo and finds allies in the older students, and a mentor in Robby. The longer Kenny is exposed to the vicious mentality of Cobra Kai, the darker his personality becomes. He learns how to manipulate his enemies and strike first, but also to take control of his life. While this makes him a stronger fighter, he loses sight of the guidance Robby gave him. He rejects Robby's condemnation of his antics by citing that he's Cobra Kai. This allows him to turn the tables on his bully, going from being the bullied to the bully. After being persuaded by Silver to not hold back and gain more confidence in his fighting skills, he becomes even more aggressive and starts acting as the leader of the Cobra Kai students when Silver isn’t around. This is shown during the final brawl at the flagship dojo where Kenny gave the other students orders and they listened to him.

Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of Robby, Tory and the other Miyagi-Dos and Eagle Fangs, Kenny came to view Terry Silver as the manipulative and ruthless individual that he is and became the first of the Cobra Kais to leave his side and the dojo for good, becoming ashamed of his behavior while training there. When Robby tries to comfort him, Kenny insists that he just needs some space and time.

Fighting Style[]

Kenny is the smallest student in Cobra Kai and in his school. This makes it easier for his bullies to restrain him and attack. His first instinct is to run away from the attackers due to his speed. With Robby's guidance, Kenny learns to use his speed to attack, not run away. He combines strong punches with a fast speed to attack larger foes. Kenny works hard to overcome his flinching and instinct to run away. When he does, he becomes a capable fighter who reaches the quarter-finals of the All Valley Karate Tournament. He loses his match to a much stronger and more experienced Robby, but easily beats Anthony LaRusso in the locker room. Despite only being in Cobra Kai for a short time, he quickly picks up skills, which could mean that he is gifted or a quick learner.

Following the All-Valley, Kenny came to become one of the best fighters within the dojo, leading to him being Silver's choice to represent the male fighters of the dojo during the test matches to the Sekai Taikai tournament. Kenny is a very powerful fighter, but he doesn’t think of himself as a leader, which holds him back. Upon seeing him lacking confidence in regards to facing older and stronger opponents, Silver taught him one of his best techniques, the "Silver Bullet," a strike towards the opponent's sternum that would cut off the air to their lungs. This technique made Kenny an even more dangerous opponent, and allowed him to gain the advantage in his test match against Hawk, though his victory could be due to the fact that Silver had bribed the referee, just like he had done in the All-Valley, and because Hawk, knowing that Kenny was Terry's victim as well, was holding back, during their fight at first. The same technique was eventually used against Robby during the final showdown in the dojo. He however, is easily defeated by Miguel during the brawl at the dojo. Days or weeks prior, at the waterpark, he kicked Anthony into the pool and fought Hawk, the latter fighting defensively until being punched by Kenny, which then resulted in Hawk injuring Kenny's foot but Kenny was saved by Robby pushing Hawk into the pool.

Relationships[]

Robby Keene[]

Kenny meets Robby at Shawn's behest, as Kenny needs Robby's help against the bullies targeting him. Robby sees an opportunity to take the boy under his wing, becoming the mentor that he never had growing up. He teaches Kenny to use his speed as a weapon, defend himself from attackers, and ultimately, help him earn a spot in Cobra Kai. Robby continues to look out for the boy, assuring him that the other student will come around after the hazing. He becomes protective over Kenny, with Kenny seeing Robby as a protector and someone to be trusted. Robby retaliates against Hawk for picking on Kenny at school by shaving Hawk's signature hairstyle. During a training exercise to find and target weaknesses, Silver specifically chooses Kenny to fight Robby. He knows Robby cares for the boy and won't be capable of hurting him. Silver's assumption is correct, ultimately leading Kenny to manipulate the kindness by faking an injury and winning the exercise. As Robby becomes distracted in his personal life, Kenny slips deeper into the mentality of Cobra Kai and the teachings of John Kreese.

During the All Valley Karate Tournament, Robby sees Kenny cheering for him to hurt Demetri. While Robby ultimately does defeat Kenny in the All Valley, he does it knowing it's the only way to advance to the next stage. He later has to pull Kenny off Anthony LaRusso, chastising him as this wasn't how he taught Kenny. Kenny rejects his teachings, citing the Cobra Kai mantra, before threatening Anthony. Kenny also tells Robby to finish Eli but he gets distracted, allowing the latter to break free. Later, Robby emotionally admits to Johnny how he wanted to be there for Kenny, but watching the boy at the tournament and in the locker room was like looking into a mirror. After seeing him become corrupt, he feels he's messed everything up.

Robby tries to convince Kenny to leave Cobra Kai, though Kenny views Robby's defection as a cowardly betrayal, and vows to ruin his former friend by lashing out whenever possible. Robby continues to protect Kenny from Hawk and Miguel, explaining that the rhetoric coming from Kenny isn't him speaking, but Cobra Kai. After Silver is exposed for being a cheater, Robby approaches Kenny, who is distant. Kenny is too ashamed of his behavior to speak, saying he needs "some time" before walking away.

Anthony LaRusso[]

Kenny has been the victim of Anthony's bullying. They first meet when Anthony makes fun of his dancing while waiting for the bus. While in gym class, Anthony guards Kenny but he ends up letting him score a layup. In the next possession, Kenny accidentally checks a basketball into Anthony's face, albeit after Anthony had mocked him. At one point, Anthony steals Kenny's clothes in the locker room, resulting in Kenny being embarrassed in front of his own classmates. Because of this, Anthony tries to apologize for bullying him, but Kenny doesn't forgive him and calls him "LaPusso". He calls him the name again and Anthony and his group chase him. They end up in the library, but Kenny attacks them one by one. He says LaPusso and then beats up Anthony; however, Kenny and Anthony find themselves caught by the librarian when she turns the lights on.

While in the office, Anthony is suspended, but Kenny is off the hook, resulting in Anthony being grounded by his parents, losing video game privileges and sent to his own room as a result. Anthony then watches the tournament and is shocked to see Kenny lose his match to his classmate Robby Keene. When he goes to the locker room, he admits his mistakes and tries to apologize to him again but is then brutally beat by Kenny, threatening him that he will be in a world of pain once they go to high school, even after realizing what Cobra Kai turned him into, while also realizing he became what never wanted to become.

Other Relationships[]

Shawn Payne (Brother)
John Kreese and Terry Silver (Former Senseis)
Kyler Park (Frenemy)
Tory Nichols (Friend)
Lia Cabrera (Friend/Crush)
Zack Thompson (Bully/Enemy)
Marcus and Slade Wang (Bullies/Enemies)

Appearances[]

Season 4[]

Season 5[]

Trivia[]

His Dungeon Lord Legacies screen name is Kennythejet99.
In his free time, Kenny draws anime, listens to music, and does Dungeon Lord cosplay on occasion.^[1]
His favorite Dungeon Lord character is Dr. Scribblebottoms.^[1]
Kenny's address is 1623 Otsego Street, Encino California, 91436.^[2]
Anthony bullying Kenny about Lia is similar to how Johnny bullied Daniel about Ali.
He voice is deeper in season 5 most likely due to his portrayer, Dallas, going through puberty.
He nearly had a redemption arc when he questioned Silver about the Silver Bullet, but kept his corruptness when he allowed Silver to give him a second demonstration.
So far, he and Eli are the only male characters to have a rigged match.
He performed the Silver Bullet on two people: Eli and his former mentor.
Like Eli Moskowitz, he went from being bullied to becoming the bully, and both redeemed themselves in the end.