John Kreese

This article is about the fictional character. For the college coach, see John Kresse.

John Kreese
The Karate Kid character
Martin Kove as John Kreese in The Karate Kid Part III (left) and Cobra Kai (right).
First appearanceThe Karate Kid (1984)
Created byRobert Mark Kamen
Portrayed by
Voiced byBrent Mukai
In-universe information
Title
Occupation
  • Karate instructor (sensei) (1975–1985; 2018–)
  • U.S. Army Special Forces Officer(1965-1975) (retired)
  • Busboy (1964-1965) (formerly)
AffiliationCobra Kai Karate
Fighting styleTang Soo Do[2]
Family
  • Unnamed mother (deceased)
Significant otherBetsy (1965–1968, deceased)
NationalityAmerican
TeacherCaptain Turner
Kim Sun-Yung
Students

John Kreese is a fictional character and the main 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). 29 years later, Kove began to reprise the role in the sequel television series Cobra Kai (2018–present).[4] He is a Vietnam veteran and a deranged karate sensei who founded Cobra Kai alongside Terry Silver. He initially served as Johnny Lawrence's karate sensei, before going on to become his archenemy.

  1. ^ "Cobra Kai: Kove Explains Why John Kreese Had To Join the Karate Kid Sequel". CBR. April 29, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  2. ^ "Cobra Kai: The Dojo's True Origin In Karate Kid Explained". ScreenRant. January 6, 2021.
  3. ^ "Behind the scenes of the original Karate Kid movie". SI.com. May 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  4. ^ "Martin Kove Explains How John Kreese's Vietnam Backstory Led to 'Cobra Kai' [Interview]". /Film. April 22, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.