John "Johnny" Lawrence is a fictional character of The Karate Kid media franchise, portrayed by William Zabka. Introduced in The Karate Kid (1984) as Daniel LaRusso's rival, Johnny briefly returns at the beginning of the sequel, The Karate Kid Part II (1986). 32 years later, Zabka began to reprise the role in the sequel television series Cobra Kai (2018–present), where he serves as one of the protagonists.

William Michael Zabka is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and the TV series Cobra Kai (2018–present). In 2004, he was nominated for an Academy Award for co–writing and producing the short film Most.