After being thrown into prison in Cobra Kai S4, John Kreese wasn’t all that around in Season 5. In his limited on-screen time, he was trying to work schemes out through Tory, but his actions ultimately go through a mental trial when he is reminded of all the people he wronged and manipulated.
What was indeed shocking was that in the season finale, we are teased with the prospect of Kreese dying! Does this really happen?
In the Cobra Kai S5 finale, John Kreese fakes his own death and then escapes prison when he’s being taken to the hospital. Since he’s currently a fugitive, it is unknown if he’ll return for Cobra Kai S6 and in what capacity.
So how exactly did Kreese pull off a prison break? Well, this man is capable of anything, quite literally. Let’s map out what happened in the finale.
Here’s How Kreese Breaks Out of Prison
So, the first time around when Kreese tries to manipulate the therapist, it doesn’t really work on her. This even makes him lose parole and sentence reduction. So, he begins plotting another way out.
The finale begins with Kreese in a session with the prison therapist once again. This time, he appears to be speaking from the heart, so much so that it makes the therapist emotional and she gets on her knees to comfort Kreese.
He is then seen walking to the cafeteria where he tries to break up the fight between two prisoners, one of whom had supposedly become Kreese’s disciple. However, it seemed like Kreese couldn’t maintain his leadership for too long, as the disciple stabs him in the gut, saying, “Sayonara sensei.”
After these opening moments, we don’t see Kreese till the end of the episode. All the Terry Silver commotion almost makes it easy for us to believe that Kreese is indeed dead. After all, it did seem like his guilt was reforming him and it felt poetic that he died because he stopped a fight, not initiated one.
But that’s not the case! At the end, when the doctor examines Kreese’s body, it’s revealed that the blood is nothing but liquid jelly (nice callback!) This is followed by Kreese attacking the guards and intimidating the doctor to swap clothes with him.
He walks free in plain sight thanks to the keycard he swiped from the therapist when she was hugging him, earlier in the episode.
2. Does Kreese’s prison break make sense?
Some of Cobra Kai’s plotlines/scenes can be quite over the top, so the way Kreese breaks out of prison fits the bill very well. But if you really think about it, does it narratively make sense for the show to go down this route?
Right now, Kreese will be a fugitive and cannot really return to being Cobra Kai’s sensei. If he had waited, Terry Silver’s arrest would’ve automatically acquitted him. Although this arrest may still work in his favor, I’m not sure whether or not he’ll be detained for his prison break.
A few fans believe that this decision was made so that Kreese can be written out of Cobra Kai if need be. This won’t be the first time that the character has gone off the grid with no explanation.
Since it is also theorized that Kim Da-eun will return as the villain in Season 6, it’s possible that Kreese will team up with her, playing from the shadows. Only time will tell!
About Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai is an action drama that is a reboot/sequel of The Karate Kid movies. It premiered on YouTube in 2018, and subsequently moved to Netflix. The series stars Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Courtney Henggeler and Mary Mouser.
When Johnny Lawrence opens the Cobra Kai dojo to teach his bullied teenage neighbor, Miguel, how to defend himself, his age-old rivalry with Daniel LaRusso is ignited once more. Will their rivalry continue to affect their present lives and those they love, or will they be able to bury the past?
No Comments on Does John Kreese die in the Cobra Kai S5 Finale?