- "I like a challenge."
- ―Tory, upon meeting Johnny Lawrence.
Tory is the tertiary antagonist in Season 2 of Cobra Kai. She has been described as a troubled teen who is new to the Valley, who speaks her mind and is willing to fight anyone who gets in her way. She is one of the new Cobra Kai students and is even involved romantically with Miguel Diaz.
Biography
Early Life
Tory explained that she grew up very poor with her family, and her mother was a waitress that struggled to make ends meet. After work, her mother would often bring leftover food home from the restaurant so she could always feed her children. Despite the fact that the food would otherwise be thrown away, Tory's mother was fired anyway. This incident shaped her worldview and philosophy on life; that the world is a cruel and harsh place and one should react by looking out for one's self.
Cobra Kai
Season 2
Tory already has some martial arts training, surprising Miguel (and impressing Johnny Lawrence and John Kreese) with a skillful takedown in a sparring match. She soon becomes friends with Aisha but develops a rivalry with Samantha LaRusso when the latter accuses her of stealing her mom's wallet. She and Miguel become a couple. However, after witnessing Miguel and Sam kiss she decides to punish Sam.
On the first day of school she threatens Sam over the intercom. When the two meet in the hallway she viciously attacks Sam. Sam's boyfriend Robby Keene tries to intervene and diffuse the fight but Miguel believing he is attacking Tory attacks Robby and then a huge school brawl between the Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do Karate Dojos occur. During the fight she kicks Miguel in the face because she was angry at him for kissing Sam. She has the upper hand over Sam for most of the fight, but when Sam starts to get the upper hand, Tory fights more viciously, using her spiked bracelet as a knuckle duster. She injures Sam's wrist with the bracelet, but is ultimately beaten by her. When Robby kicks Miguel off the railing Tory screams "Miguel" out of horror. After Miguel falls on the ground and is lying unconscious Tory and Hawk go to Miguel. Later she is seen with Hawk, Raymond and other students training at the dojo with Kreese as Johnny confronts Kreese telling him that she, Hawk, Raymond and others are now his students and that he owns the dojo now. It is evident that Tory along with the others blame Johnny for Miguel's injury and have betrayed him as a result.
Fighting Style
When Tory joins Cobra Kai she immediately demonstrates considerable aggression and some decent grappling techniques, performing a few takedowns and a joint lock during her match with Miguel. Her striking technique is a bit sloppy but she makes up for it with her natural strength, speed, aggression, and fearlessness, allowing her to hold her own against the more technically proficient Samantha. When asked by Aisha about why she's joining Cobra Kai, Tory mentions that she's had a few kickboxing lessons in the past. Tory is an underhanded fighter who is more than willing to use her spiked bracelet as a knuckleduster against an unarmed opponent if she feels the need.
Personality
There are two sides to Tory. In relaxed settings she is playful, fun-loving, and has a bit of a wild streak. She is assertive and has a sarcastic sense of humor. She enjoys being out with her friends as much as any teenager. She is openly flirtatious to Miguel, taking an interest in whatever he's doing and later, trying her best to help him get over Samantha.
Underneath that exterior, however, Tory believes that life is about fighting for what you see as yours, as she explains to Miguel in the episode "Take a Right". She can be a bully, particularly to Sam, whom she views as uptight, privileged, and worst of all, her competition for Miguel. After witnessing Sam and Miguel kissing she attempts to get revenge the next day by threatening Sam over the school intercom, viciously attacking her, and resorting to dirty tactics such as cutting her with a spiked bracelet.
Trivia
- When angered Tory has a similar demeanor to both Dutch and Mike Barnes.
- Tory is arguably the most popular character in Season 2 of Cobra Kai.
- Peyton List's performance as Tory has been widely praised, having been called a departure from her previous family-oriented roles on shows like the Disney Channel's Jessie and Bunk'd.
- Her introduction to Miguel ("Tory, with a "Y") is similar to Ali Mills' introduction to Daniel LaRusso ("Ali, with an "I").