Cobra Kai, after four full seasons on screen and one on the way to be released much sooner than expected, has earned in its own right to be considered one of the most successful international series on the world of karate. With a popularity born on YouTube and magnified by Netflix, the show has all the characteristics of any production of its level, including behind-the-scenes anecdotes that cause great curiosity among its fans, especially when it comes to the actors that are part of the same family.
There are many curiosities that surround the resurgence of the famous saga that began 37 years ago and that has now regained the admiration of its fans of yesteryear and attracted the attention of new generations of viewers, so it is not surprising that everything related to its cast generates curiosity, even with those who play the hated villains, such as Martin and Jesse Kove.
As Cobra Kai fans will remember in the third season, the villainous John Kreese played by actor Martin Kove, finally achieved what he always wanted since he appeared on the series at the end of the first season, to take control of the Dojo that Johnny was running. Lawrence (William Zabka). It was in that installment that audiences got to see more of Kreese’s troubled past. During some flashbacks, the character appeared with the face of a younger interpreter (Barret Carnahan) who had to share the scene with a villain from Kreese’s past personified by Martin Kove’s real son, Jesse.
John Kreese is one of the most important original antagonists in the Karate Kid universe, he was the first founder of the Cobra Kai Dojo, the mentor of Johnny Lawrence who guided his misdeeds against Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) in the competition and who ultimately failed. in his attempt to defeat Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) in the 1984 film. The legendary villain made his arrival in Cobra Kai at the end of the first season, presenting himself as Johnny’s ally to continue making Daniel LaRusso’s life impossible three decades later.
One of the biggest attractions of the third Cobra Kai installment was undoubtedly discovering the sad story of John Kreese before and during the Vietnam War which, in addition to giving the character a touch of humanity, gave an explanation for the origins of his dark view of the world However, the most interesting part of this part of the story does not stop there, they also refer to the behind-the-scenes of its narrative arc, since it gave the actor Jesse Kove the opportunity to appear in a famous production starring the father of he.
Although the younger version of John Kreese was performed by actor Barrett Carnahan, Jesse’s presence did not go unnoticed by die-hard fans of the show. In the scene in question, we see the young Kreese (Carnahan) as a waiter, while Jesse Kove appears on screen as the bully who annoys the character. Once his identity was discovered, the artist commented during an interview what it meant personally to be part of the resurgence of one of the productions that gave his father Martin Kove the most fame.
“It was an honor to be part of that world that has always been important in my life. I joined the Karate Kid legacy. Being part of this universe was like a dream for me. How could I be in this universe? And these flashbacks were a perfect vehicle for that. I hope I made my father proud.”
