Why Peyton List Was Never The Same After Becoming Tory On Cobra Kai

On Cobra Kai, Peyton List doesn't just play some karate bro's girlfriend, as she's arguably one of the toughest fighters on the whole show. List's character, Tory Nichols, is a kid struggling to keep her family afloat while her father's MIA and her mother is dealing with a chronic illness. And while Cobra Kai exists in shades of grey with few characters being all good or all bad, Tory spends a lot of time being a truly terrifying villain.

Not only does Tory scar LaRusso's daughter Sam (Mary Mouser) during an all out brawl in the school at the end of Cobra Kai season 2, but she actually goes on to become Sensei John Kreese's (Martin Kove) most prized student. Tory gives Sam literal nightmares before showing up to the LaRusso household at the close of season 3 to bring those nightmares into reality.

In an interview with Yahoo Sports, List revealed that learning martial arts to become Tory has actually had a positive impact on her life. "It has impacted my life and my confidence more than I ever thought it would," says List. "I usually have to learn different sports or whatever the character is into, whether it's an instrument or dance, but this show has played such a huge role in my life."

List revealed why learning martial arts has been helpful in her real life. "Just from playing the character Tory, I found my confidence as a woman," she revealed. "Walking alone at night can be such a scary thing, or not feeling like you can defend yourself, which I felt throughout my whole life, and just learning some self-defense does give a lot of confidence. I've heard of a lot of young girls that are starting karate because of the show because of Sam and Tory, and seeing that just makes me happier than anything because I think everyone should take it up."