Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 3.
From the very beginning of Cobra Kai, one could argue that the show has been trying to set up a long-running redemption of Martin Kove's John Kreese. Sure, when it comes to old Karate Kid characters who deserve a second chance, he's probably not the first on everyone's list, but when the character first returned to tackle Cobra Kai with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), he did so in hopes to restore the bond that once was between them. However, Kreese's own ambition and arrogance soon got the better of him, turning him back into the monster he once was. Sadly, by the time the Netflix original was finally on track to get to Kreese's redemption arc in its sixth and final season, it felt a bit too rushed to make the sort of impact that it should have.
'Cobra Kai' Rushed John Kreese's Redemption (But It's Better than Nothing)
By Season 6 Part 2, it became clear that the inner conflict within Kreese was strong. The death of Kwon Jae-Sung (Brandon H. Lee) was the final blow to the Cobra Kai sensei, as he began to recognize that this was always where his brand of karate led. Between that and Johnny stopping him from making a bigger mistake in killing Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), it didn't come as a surprise that Kreese decided to leave this part of his life behind. But despite that, the series didn't have nearly enough time to fully address Kreese's inner turmoil. Due to the surrounding events — such as the Sekai Teikai, the birth of Johnny's daughter, and all the wrap-up the series needed to do before the final credits rolled — and the show's desire to thrust Kreese and Silver into one final confrontation, the old time Karate Kid villain's ending was not quite as satisfying as it could have been.
For a show that took so much time to expand on and develop John Kreese's intense backstory and military history, it's a shame that it didn't better plan out the way his redemption would play out. Season 6 Part 1 barely foreshadowed anything regarding Kreese's ultimate turn but could have easily set the stage for this final third of Season 6 beforehand. Had it done so, maybe Kreese's switch wouldn't have felt so jarring when compared with earlier events throughout the season. Admittedly, Part 2 began hinting at this as well, not long after many of us noted our hopes for Kreese to finally get a redemption arc of his own. Still, because of everything going on in Season 6 Part 3, jumping from heartfelt moments with Tory (Peyton List) and Johnny to his final battle with Silver felt, well, strange. Not bad by any means, but simply not as meaningful as it could have been. It turns out there may be a clear reason why.
According to the Creators, Kreese Was Never Supposed to Be "Fully Redeemed"
Perhaps a large part of why John Kreese's final arc felt so rushed was that the showrunners of Cobra Kai never intended to really redeem him in the first place. As co-creator Jon Hurwitz recently explained, "We told [Martin Kove] early on that our long-term goal was to have some form of redemption for Sensei Kreese." What sort of redemption? Well, nothing quite like Johnny's. In fact, the producer went on to note that "it was never going to be a full redemption [for John Kreese]." As such, Kreese doesn't get the well-rounded arc that Johnny does throughout the show, nor is he able to really come to terms with becoming a better man.
Naturally, Cobra Kai is all about how Johnny Lawrence has grown, changed and developed over the years. It's his show, and so it makes sense that he should get the most meaningful arc. It's no surprise that Johnny has the best arc on the show, and that's by design. However, Kreese deserved better in the end, not because he was a man worthy of redemption per se, but because that's what Cobra Kai is really all about.
From the beginning, Cobra Kai has prided itself on redeeming villains from Karate Kid's past. That's the entire premise. While Hurwitz and company were certainly interested in delving deeper into Kreese's backstory, that didn't mean that his redemption would be a full character change the same way that Johnny experienced. Yes, in the end, his alliances and motives changed. No longer does he try to kill Terry Silver out of simple misguided revenge, spite, or historical rivalry, but rather due to a deep love towards Johnny, his former students, and a desire to atone for his past sins. It's honorable, fitting, and even makes sense, given the showrunner's desire to not "fully" redeem the character. He doesn't get to walk happily into the sunset, he doesn't get his own victory lap. In fact, Kreese's quick death soon after his final moments with his two best students proves that the show wasn't interested in giving him real redemption. Rather, Kreese went out like a soldier with a death wish, not wishing to face those he'd wronged anymore.
John Kreese Needed To Be Redeemed, We Just Wish 'Cobra Kai' Took Its Time
Frankly, the way Cobra Kai rounds out John Kreese's six-season story feels a bit unresolved. While it's true that Kreese's redemption was necessary — and ultimately essential for the rebirth of the Cobra Kai style of karate by the end — it still feels like there's something missing. Could the answer have been found in Kreese's survival? If he were to have lived, could we have better seen this "new man" in action? It's possible but unlikely. When speaking with Parade, Martin Kove revealed that originally, there was a scene that revealed Kreese survived his final fate. "It might have been a little hokey to have the guy live through an explosion," the actor admitted, and he's right. The problem with Kreese's redemption in Cobra Kai isn't the way he goes out, or even his moments with his former students, it's that everything happens so quickly that we barely have time to process it all.
Had Cobra Kai simply allowed Kreese to be redeemed throughout a few seasons — rather than, say, spending so much time rehashing the same manufactured conflict between Johnny and Daniel (Ralph Macchio) — we may have better understood his thought process going into Season 6 Part 3. Of course, all the necessary components of a solid redemption arc are here. On paper, Kreese's final episodes check every box one could ask for. It simply did so with little time to allow the audience (and certainly the characters) to really process what was going on. We're glad that John Kreese saw the light in the end. We only wish we had the chance to enjoy this more merciful version of the character for a bit longer.
Cobra Kai is available for streaming in its entirety on Netflix.
Cobra Kai
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2024
- Network
- Netflix, YouTube Premium
- Showrunner
- Jon Hurwitz
Cast
-
Daniel LaRusso -
Johnny Lawrence
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, Joel Novoa, Jennifer Celotta, Steven K. Tsuchida, Sherwin Shilati, Marielle Woods, Steve Pink, Lin Oeding, Michael Grossman
- Writers
- Josh Heald, Ashley Darnall, Chris Rafferty, Bill Posley
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