Who does Rayna Vallandingham play in Cobra Kai? The actress' nationality and career explored

Rayna Jade Vallandingham in Cobra Kai (Image via Netflix)
Rayna Jade Vallandingham in Cobra Kai (Image via Netflix)

Rayna Vallandingham is a 21-year-old actress known for her work on Netflix’s Cobra Kai. She is also a martial artist and social media influencer from the United States. At the age of 12, she won 13 taekwondo world championships and was a brand ambassador for the American Taekwondo Association. She also starred in the film "Underdog Kids" and has a 4th-degree black belt in taekwondo.

Rayna has always loved acting, so she decided to pursue it alongside her taekwondo career. She moved to LA at the age of 18 to pursue acting. Rayna debuted in Phillip Rhee’s film Underdogs. Rayna Vallandingham appears as Zara Mailk in the series Cobra Kai Season 6.

The actress of Cobra Kai, Rayna Vallandingham, is Indian-American, but not much is known about her Indian background. She does confirm that her grandfather is originally from the Punjab region of India.

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Cobra Kai star Rayna Jade’s nationality

Rayna Vallandingham was born on the 18th of January 2003. She was born to Jeff and Joty Vallandingham. Rayna's mother, Joty, is of Indian descent.

Born and raised in the US, but with South Asian roots, Rayna carries an important part of her heritage. Rayna grew up in a melting pot society, and this diversity has shaped her development as a sports and performing artist.

She has practiced extensively, and the results have paid off. Rayna is famous in the public eye, although she keeps most of her private life, such as her relationship and net worth, relatively quiet.

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Rayna Vallandingham’s character in Cobra Kai Season 6

One of the most notable antagonists of Cobra Kai season 6 is a student at the Iron Dragons Dojo in Hong Kong named Zara Malik, played by martial artist Rayna Vallandingham, who has a 4th-degree black belt and 13 world championship titles; the fight scenes feel very realistic.

She's one of Axel Kovačević's partners in the Sekai Taikai tournament. She is fast, smart, and flashy in her fighting style, which makes her the "Queen of Karate." Outside the dojo, she is known for her sponsorship with the big names she promotes on her social media influencer, hence her bold personality, confident demeanor, and flair for drama.

She sets the tone early on in Cobra Kai season 6, knocking out the likes of Tory Nichols and Sam LaRusso to show that Iron Dragons are no joke. Things get complicated, however, when she gets involved with Robby Keene while the two are staying in the same hotel. Tory discovers this, and the news spreads, causing considerable dramatic chaos for Zara as she loses two sponsors.

In an all-dojo fight resulting from Tiger Strike, Zara fights Tory and Robby and is eventually beaten to a pulp by Robby. When Kwon Jae-Sung dies in an accident, she shows some depth for the first time, showing genuine compassion on her face.


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Edited by Sangeeta Mathew