Yes, Sensei! Martin Kove to reprise John Kreese for second season of YouTube Red’s ‘Cobra Kai’
The bad sensei is back.
Actor Martin Kove , who played John Kreese in 1984’s “The Karate Kid,” will be a series regular in the second season of the YouTube Red series, “Cobra Kai,” reports Deadline Hollywood .
“Cobra Kai” follows up on the original film’s hero and villain, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) 30 years later.
Lawrence seeks redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai karate dojo, which Kreese ran in the original film. It reignites his rivalry with LaRusso, who is running a chain of high-end car dealerships.
Kove makes a surprise appearance in the first season’s 10th and final episode. It comes after Lawrence tells the governing body of the All Valley Karate Tournament that Kreese is dead, as he argues his case for the lifting of a ban on Cobra Kai so his new students can participate in the tournament.
Lawrence had last seen Kreese in the opening of “The Karate Kid Part II,” which begins immediately after the end of the first film. In the scene, Kreese is choking and belittling Lawrence after his loss to LaRusso until LaRusso’s sensei, Mr. Miyagi, played by the late Pat Morita, intervenes.
Kove also portrayed Kreese in the third Karate Kid film, as he and his business partner in Cobra Kai, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), seek revenge against LaRusso.
The first season of ” Cobra Kai ” has been critically acclaimed. As of Friday, the first episode has been viewed more than 36 million times since being published on May 2.
The second season is scheduled for release in 2019.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@tribweb.com or on Twitter @BCRittmeyer.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff reporter. You can contact Brian at 724-226-4701 or brittmeyer@tribweb.com.