‘Karate Kid’ Villain Martin Kove Named Series Regular For ‘Cobra Kai’ Season Two

Cobra Kai, arguably the first breakthrough hit to emerge from YouTube’s subscription service — which was recently rebranded as YouTube Premium — has announced Martin Kove as a series regular for its second season.

Kove, a Karate Kid alum, appeared in the season one finale of Cobra Kai, and will reprise his role as villain John Kreese in season two, Deadline reports. Kreese was the antagonist in the seminal Karate Kid film trilogy, and was the original founder of the Cobra Kai dojo. Cobra Kai is set thirty years after the events in the films, and sees William Zabka’s character (Johnny Lawrence) reopening the dojo to reignite his rivalry with a down-on-his-luck Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio).

Cobra Kai premiered in to ecstatic reviews, and was promptly renewed for a second season, which is set to bow in 2019. Shortly after its launch, Cobra Kai was even outperforming top competitors on Netflix and Hulu, according to media measurement firm Parrot Analytics. The series’ first episode has generated roughly 37 million views.

Macchio and Zabka are also returning for season two — which is being produced by Sony Pictures Television and Overbrook Entertainment — alongside season one regulars Xolo Mariduena, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, and Courtney Henggeler.