With Cobra Kai Season 2 now released on YouTube Prime, fans of the Karate Kid series are getting a proper reintroduction to John Kreese (Martin Kove), Johnny’s (William Zabka) former sensei and the founder of the Cobra Kai dojo. Now the big question is what his presence means for the future of the series. Warning: The following contains spoilers for Season 2 of Cobra Kai.
In the final scene of the Season 2 finale, it’s revealed Kreese has taken control of the dojo, essentially stealing it away from Johnny–he even managed to get the property it’s run on signed over in his own name. With his star pupil, Miguel, clinging to life in a hospital and Cobra Kai’s remaining students now being mentored by Kreese, it sets the stage for what could be a very emotional showdown in Season 3.
For Kove, though, it’s easy to justify why Kreese made the move against his former student. “It happens because he sacrifices what the essence is of Cobra Kai [is], what it really means. And it means no mercy,” the actor told GameSpot. “I see that he’s violating the very concept of Cobra Kai. And so, I sort of sway the students.”
For Zabka, this rift between them has similarities to a father-and-son dynamic. “A father has a different point of view than the kid, and maybe Kreese doesn’t agree with what Johnny’s doing,” he said. “But Johnny loves these kids and he loves his dojo, and he’s not just going to go down without a fight.”
And his refusing to give up is what should make for a very interesting Season 3. With Johnny booted from Cobra Kai, perhaps this will finally be the moment he and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) bury the hatchet and work together to overcome the greater evil. After seeing how out of hand things got with them on opposing sides in Season 2, it’s clearly time for this war to come to an end.
Cobra Kai Season 2 is streaming on YouTube Premium now.
