Cobra Kai gives Kreese the ultmate badass ending

Cobra Kai is now over, and in the final few episodes, the show manages to give villain John Kreese the ultimate ending.

As played by the marvellous Martin Kove, John Kreese arrived a fully formed villain in the original Karate Kid movie.

As Sensei of the Cobra Kai dojo, he taught his students about pain, instilled a lack of mercy, and turned teenager Johnny Lawrence into a leg-breaking monster.

Kreese also hated everything that Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso stood for, and that anger and hostility was carried over into Cobra Kai, where the character became obsessed with bringing Miyagi-do down. So, here’s how his story plays out, meaning SPOILERS ahead…

John Kreese gets the perfect ending in Cobra Kai

Netflix

John Kreese goes on quite the journey during Cobra Kai, as does the audience as we witness flashbacks to his past, and come to understand this complicated man.

By the time Season 6 rolls around, Kreese is starting to regret his friendship with Terry Silver, his treatment of Johnny Lawrence in the past, and the same for Tory Nichols in the present, so the final few episodes find John trying to make amends.

During Episode 11, he worries that it’s too late to be a good Sensei, or indeed a good person. In Episode 13, he tells Tory that she’s the last of the Cobra Kai, and speaks of his desire to see her win the Sekai Taikai tournament. He then thanks Johnny for doing the right thing in Barcelona, and says sorry for ruining Cobra Kai.

But that’s just the start of his apology tour, as later in the episode, he and Johnny share an even more emotionally charged moment when Lawrence tells him that what happened in the parking lot at the start of Karate Kid 2 was the worst moment of his life. Not due to the choking or the breaking of his runners-up medal, but because of the abandonment.

“You threw me away like trash, when I needed you most,” Johnny tells him through tears. “I trusted no one, least of all myself, all because of you.” In response, Kreese puts his arms around Johnny, hugs him, and says “I’m sorry son.”

The episode ends with Johnny bowing to John on the tournament mat; Lawrence is finally able to forgive his former Sensei and move on with his life.

John Kreese vs Terry Silver

Columbia Pictures

But Kreese isn’t done there, as Terry Silver now poses a threat to Johnny and his family, so he springs into action.

Hiding on Silver’s yacht, he waits until they are on the ocean, takes out Terry’s goons, then squares up to him. The pair argue, then fight, with Terry using a bottle, and John battling back with his lit cigar.

During the conflict, gasoline is spilled, and as Silver gets the upper hand, Kreese throws his cigar towards the gas and shouts “Mercy!” as the boat explodes, killing them both.

Meaning Kreese’s final deed is an act of bravery that kills the man who means to hurt Johnny. Though we don’t actually see Kreese die, so perhaps the Karate Kid villain-turned-hero lives to fight another day…

All six seasons of the show are streaming on Netflix, meaning you can now check out out our Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 3 recap and ending explainer, as well as articles on the amazing Rocky homage, the hilarious Back to the Future joke, and the truth about Mr. Miyagi’s criminal past.