John Kreese, known mononymously as Kreese, was the secondary antagonist of The Karate Kid franchise. Kreese is a cruel, vicious, and unhinged Vietnam War veteran and sensei of the 1970s/1980s karate dojo, Cobra Kai. He instilled a dangerous philosophy of "no mercy" in his students and encouraged generations of bullies.

John Kreese is a fictional character and the secondary antagonist of The Karate Kid media franchise, portrayed by Martin Kove. [3] He is introduced in The Karate Kid (1984) and returns in its sequels The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989).

6 days ago · John Kreese, played by the one and only Martin Kove, has been as central to “Cobra Kai” as he was to the original “Karate Kid” films.

Feb 13, 2025 · Except for the sinister arcs that take place off the mat, the franchise's most iconic villain, John Kreese, finds himself front and center. This is after realizing he did wrong by William Zabka's Johnny Lawrence. Unfortunately, while Kreese aims for a happy ending and redemption, he dies in harrowing fashion.

He is best known for his role as John Kreese, the main antagonist of The Karate Kid (1984). Kove reprised the role in The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and the television series Cobra Kai (2018–2025).

5 days ago · Kreese and Silver had an epic conclusion in the final episodes of Cobra Kai, and here is why the creators decided to take them out that way. ... We teed up as soon as Terry Silver got John Kreese ...

Feb 13, 2025 · John Kreese Receives a Redemption Arc in Cobra Kai Season 6. Over the course of the six seasons of ‘Cobra Kai,’ John Kreese and Terry Silver have been through an arc of their own in which Kreese is established as a grey character while Silver is a complete villain with nothing to redeem him.

6 days ago · Silver comes at Kreese with a broken bottle, but Kreese flicks a lit cigar at the guy’s face, distracting him long enough to kick the bottle out of his hands. Mid-scuffle, a gas can spills all ...

John Kreese is the main antagonist of The Karate Kid franchise. He is Terry Silver's (former) best friend, Kim Da-Eun's elder brother figure, and the arch-nemesis of Mr. Miyagi and Johnny Lawrence, as well as the former father figure of the latter.

Kove probably scored his greatest visibility to the public in the hugely successful The Karate Kid (1984) in which he played John Kreese, the head instructor of the Cobra Kai karate school. He reprised the role in the two sequels, The Karate Kid Part II …