What Happens to Terry Silver & Kreese on ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 4?

YouTube John Kreese (Martin Kove) and Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) in "Cobra Kai" season 4.

Fans of “Cobra Kai” have been greatly anticipating the return of Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), who first appeared as the merciless Vietnam War veteran-turned Cobra Kai sensei in “The Karate Kid Part III.” Back then, Kreese was a close friend of John Kreese (Martin Kove), in part due to their shared experience in the Vietnam War, which was documented through flashbacks in season 3 of “Cobra Kai.” The last we saw of them together before season 4, their student Mike Barnes was defeated by Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) at the 1985 All Valley Karate Tournament, forcing Silver to leave the tournament in disgust.

Season 3 left off with Kreese making a mysterious phone call to an unknown person after his battle with his old student Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), and Daniel. In season 4, it is revealed that that person was indeed Silver, who is now living in a luxurious mansion on the coast with his British girlfriend, eating vegan food and playing classical piano. However, that change in lifestyle doesn’t stop him and Kreese from getting re-acquainted.

Here’s everything you need to know about Silver and Kreese in season 4:

Season 4 Sees Kreese & Silver Join Forces

YouTubeSilver shows off his skills to Kreese in the Cobra Kai dojo in season 4.

The first episode of season 4 sees Kreese seek out Silver to help him out in battling Daniel and Johnny’s combined Miyagi Do-Eagle Fang dojos before the All Valley Tournament at the end of the season. Silver, living his best new life, at first rejects his old friend’s attempts at reaching out, but Kreese is persistent and visits Silver at his new home to ask him to rejoin him at Cobra Kai.

Later, Silver reveals that he was “hopped up” on cocaine during the events of “The Karate Kid Part III,” and has since turned his life around, wishing he could take back everything he did back then. He then bluntly tells Kreese that “you disappearing was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

By episode 3, however, Silver reconsiders his position, and shows up at Kreese’s dojo, where he questions why it had to be him, out of all the karate sensei in the Valley, who Kreese reached out to. Kreese responded by saying, “There is no one in the world who I trust more than you,” and calls Terry out on his bluff that he doesn’t miss his old karate days. By the next episode, Silver becomes Kreese’s co-sensei at Cobra Kai.

The Relationship Takes a Sharp Turn Near the End

YouTubeKreese and Silver in “The Karate Kid Part III” (1989).

It is in episode 8, when Kreese’s old student Johnny confronts the two Cobra Kai masters, that the latent tensions between the two battle-hardened old men become evident.

When Johnny’s jealousy over Silver’s bond with his son Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan) reaches a boiling point, he confronts Silver, who invites him to fight. Ambushing Johnny, Silver sucker kicks him in front of Kreese in order to “prove his loyalty” to his old friend, and to avenge Johnny’s “betrayal” of him.

Kreese, however, berates Silver for going back on his promise to not engage in any fighting until the Tournament. “I thought you knew better than to question me,” Kreese reprimanded. It was likely this turn of events which convinced Silver to turn on Kreese for good, dramatically altering not only their relationship, but the course of the series’ events as a whole.

After the scene with Johnny, Silver gets drunk at the dojo, where he is approached by Stingray, who begs him to be let into Cobra Kai. Silver beats him mercilessly – but agrees, under the condition that Stingray frame Kreese for the assault. Stingray does as Silver demands, and Kreese is arrested in front of Silver, fulfilling his plan and usurping Kreese as the series’ chief villain. As Silver revealed to Kreese shortly before it occurred, he did this because he realized Kreese was his “weakness” – which is the only reason why he ever agreed to return to Cobra Kai in the first place. And now, Silver is “shedding [his] weakness.”

Whatever comes of this turn of events, fans are guaranteed to see a lot more drama, and much more of Silver and Kreese, in future seasons of “Cobra Kai.”

Be sure to catch more of Silver and Kreese’s antics in “The Karate Kid Part III” and “Cobra Kai” on Netflix. Season 5 of the series will likely be released in late 2022 or 2023.