Whereas most extraordinary TV reveals aren’t too inquisitive about introducing new characters into the combination in any respect after they attain their remaining season, not to mention function one who turns into a breakout finest character, “Cobra Kai” isn’t any extraordinary TV present. At the moment, the present’s sixth and remaining season simply bowed its second of three components, and it is grow to be obvious that the villainess Zara Malik is arguably the ultimate season’s finest new character. A scholar from the Iron Dragons collaborating within the Sekai Taikai event, Zara is a mysterious woman who lets her magnificence, recognition, and particularly her fists do the speaking for her. As “Cobra Kai” wraps up its numerous storylines earlier than the ultimate episodes drop on February 13 of subsequent yr, Zara may become a reasonably 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 practically her whole life to martial arts, having began practising 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, battle choreographer, and content material creator (neé on-line influencer) who’s amassed thousands and thousands of followers on social media.
All of which means that Vallandingham is not simply extraordinarily completed at her younger age, however that she’s poised to be a particularly savvy new presence within the leisure world. In reality, her position in “Cobra Kai” and the way in which she’s breaking out with the character of Zara solely furthers that risk, making her purpose to be “the feminine Bruce Lee” seem to be not simply empty phrases, however a good promise.
Vallandingham is aware of the worth of a robust display screen persona
On “Cobra Kai,” Zara is (to borrow a cliche) not right here to make pals. 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 Listing) watches. She is, no less than 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 photographs at redemption, it is attainable that Zara will not be searching for any for herself anytime quickly.
Being such a media-savvy particular person, Vallandingham doubtless is aware of the worth of portraying such a vivacious character in a preferred present, significantly 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 mentioned may’ve launched her into stardom sooner. 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 sort of a racist tackle a martial arts spin off. I used to be like, I may very well be into rewriting the story of what it takes to be a feminine martial artist, however the unique shouldn’t be aligned with who I’m and who I wish to characterize. So although it had the potential to be enormous, 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. On condition that Vallandingham has said that she desires to look in motion movies, “Cobra Kai” is after all an excellent 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” implies 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” often is the final time we see Zara, it seems like we’re solely simply starting to see Rayna Vallandingham on our screens.
“Cobra Kai” is streaming on Netflix.