The fate of John Kreese (Martin Kove) in Cobra Kai‘s final season remains a hot topic, with even the creators offering differing opinions on whether the character truly meets his end. In a tense scene in the second-to-last episode, Kreese and his former friend-turned-enemy, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), face off on Silver’s yacht. After a fiery battle, Kreese sets off an explosion by igniting spilled gasoline with his cigar, causing a massive inferno. The explosion leaves little room for hope, yet the lack of visible bodies has fueled speculation about Kreese’s fate.
Hayden Schlossberg, one of the co-creators, is leaving the door open for Kreese’s survival, pointing out that no bodies were shown and that Kreese has previously been thought dead before making a return. “We didn’t see the bodies! It’s a very wide shot,” Schlossberg said, suggesting that Kreese’s survival is still a possibility.
However, co-creators Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz are more definitive, seeing the explosion as a clear end for the character. Heald pointed out the massive destruction, including the death of dozens of yacht staff, making survival highly improbable. Hurwitz also confirmed that an alternate ending was filmed, leaving Kreese’s fate ambiguous with a shot of an unseen hand—presumably Kreese’s—grasping a magazine cover speculating about Silver’s disappearance. While they initially considered keeping this ending, they ultimately decided it was too far-fetched and cut it.
Despite the seeming finality of Kreese’s demise, Cobra Kai has a history of shocking twists, and the ambiguity surrounding Kreese’s fate only fuels further speculation. For now, the explosion appears to be the last chapter for Kreese, but given the show’s track record, anything is possible.
Cobra Kai Season 6 is currently available for streaming on Netflix.