“The real story’s only just begun.” Those were the chilling final words spoken during the Cobra Kai Season 1 finale, as the disgraced former sensei of the Cobra Kai dojo, John Kreese (Martin Kove), made his first appearance on the series. It had been nearly three decades since Kreese had appeared on-screen in The Karate Kid Part III, but it was instantly clear that the vicious former mentor of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) is as devious as ever.
The actor behind the character, though, is a completely different story. That’s what I learned during a visit to the set of Cobra Kai’s second season. When we sat down to talk just outside of the dojo set, Kove–who introduced himself as Marty–proved to have very little in common with Kreese. Even on this cold day in Atlanta in the final days of production on the season, he was happy and excited about the opportunity to revisit this character.
“Working here, and the things that [Cobra Kai explores] of why and what has happened to [Kreese] in the last 30 years, it’s incredible,” he said. “And it’s so much fun to act.”
It’s not just Kove having fun, though. Bringing Kreese back to life on the series–you may remember Johnny’s Season 1 claim that his mentor was dead–allowed producers, who are longtime Karate Kid fans, the opportunity to explore the character in ways the movies never had the luxury.
“It’s like you get the Emperor from Star Wars back. This guy embodies the dark side of karate,” executive producer Josh Heald told GameSpot. “There’s not a single moment in any of the first three movies where he’s not this foreboding, scary bad guy. And so he brings all of that to the table as a character and here, in the series, we get to peel back the layers and understand in a real world, how could somebody be like this?”
That question is one Kove has thought about quite a bit over the years. “He doesn’t believe that karate is a defensive art. Karate is an offensive sport,” the actor explained. “And he believes that your opponent, if he’s not on the ground, pretty much unconscious, then you haven’t won yet. That came out of Vietnam, that came out of where our soldiers and our boys weren’t really allowed to win, because John Kreese, which I’ve talked about many times in panels and all, was always a champion, until he went to Vietnam, where our boys were not allowed to win. He vowed when he came back he’d never lose again and neither would his students.”
That, Kove believes, is where Cobra Kai’s no mercy declaration was born. “Mercy is for the weak and here on the streets [when] someone confronts you, he is your enemy and enemy deserves no mercy,” he said.
Cobra Kai is a different place in 2019 than it was when we last saw Kreese in 1989, though. When Johnny relaunched the dojo in Season 1, it was easy to see his vision differed from his mentor’s. “The only way that I could, as an actor, justify Johnny [relaunching the dojo is] that he’s trying to approach it differently and [hoping] for a different result,” William Zabka, the actor who plays Johnny, explained. “So he’s definitely not Kreese. He’s Johnny Lawrence with all of his history and all of his tics and challenges and dreams and all that, trying to help these kids genuinely, and he believes it.”
And with Johnny at the helm, Kreese is going to play nice–for now, at least. “He’s willing to obey the rules, he’s willing to try and gain the confidence of Johnny by being a human being,” Kove said. “And he doesn’t have a problem coming in, be an assistant sensei–even though he created Cobra Kai–as long as the values of Cobra Kai stay as he created them, which you would think, Johnny being his best student, would maintain.”
Of course, while Johnny may be trying to run a very different Cobra Kai, you can still expect to see Kreese up to some of his old tricks. “He brings a whole other flavor to the show which we really enjoy and you get to see him interacting with students of today, his former student in Johnny, and you get to [witness] Daniel LaRusso’s seeing Sensei Kreese again for the first time in a long time,” executive producer John Hurwitz teased.
At least as far as Kreese is concerned, he wasn’t kidding when he said, “The real story’s only just begun.” What that means for the future of Johnny Lawrence and the Cobra Kai dojo is something you’ll find out when Cobra Kai premieres Wednesday, April 24, on YouTube Premium.
Games have always existed in a numbers-obsessed industry. Sega vs. Nintendo defined a generation in the ’90s, while today’s more mild console wars and monthly NPD reports keep sales figures at the forefront of games-related discussion. With such a persistent emphasis on performance, one of the industry’s biggest questions has always been, What are the best-selling video games of all time?
To answer this question, we set out to compile the most accurate list possible, digging through financial reports, news stories, interviews, and more. The result is the following list of the ten best-selling video games of all time, as of March 2019.
(Notes: We’ve counted pack-in games toward sales totals, considering all ten games on this list were, at one point, bundled with a console. Free downloads are not counted as sales, therefore excluding games like Fortnite and League of Legends.)
Niantic is hosting Pokemon Go‘s first Safari Zone event in Singapore this week, giving players in the region a chance to catch some rare and exotic Pokemon like Lapras, Dratini, and Alolan Exeggutor. But even if you don’t live in the area, you’ll be able to join in on the festivities, as a new Shiny Pokemon is debuting around the world this weekend.
Beginning 6 AM local time tomorrow, April 20, the Mold Pokemon Shuckle will appear in the wild across the globe. On top of that, you’ll have your first chance to encounter a Shiny Shuckle, which has a blue shell rather than a red one. However, you’ll need to act quickly if you’re hoping to add one to your collection, as the Pokemon will only spawn until 10 PM local time on April 21.
The Safari Zone event isn’t the only one happening in Pokemon Go right now; we’re also in the midst of the annual Eggstravaganza. Until April 23, you’ll be able to hatch baby Pokemon like Pichu, Smoochum, and Magby from 2 km Eggs, and you’ll earn twice the normal amount of Candy for each Egg you hatch. On top of that, Buneary will appear in the wild more frequently, and you’ll even have a chance to find its Shiny form.
In addition to the Eggstravaganza, Latios has returned to Pokemon Go as part of a special Raid event. The Legendary Eon Pokemon will appear in Raid Battles until April 22, and its Shiny form will likewise be available. Meanwhile, game’s current Legendary, Origin Forme Giratina, is scheduled to leave Raids on April 29.
Niantic has also announced the first details for May’s Community Day. That event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 19, and it’ll feature the Gen 3 starter Pokemon Torchic.
Final Fantasy XIV has begun its crossover event with the latest numbered entry in the franchise, Final Fantasy XV. The event will last through May 27, and brings a few familiar characters and equipment from the game into the MMO.
The event is called “A Nocturne for Heroes” and introduces Noctis and his iconic car the Regalia. The Warriors of Light will be facing off against threats that have come from Noctis’ world of Eos, like magitek infantry and armor, and the Messenger, Garuda. The trailer shows how it all comes together.
You can cut your hair like Noctis, use a new Triple Triad card, ride in the Regalia mount, and listen to music from FFXV. To participate you’ll need to have reached level 50 and complete “The Ultimate Weapon” scenario. Begin the quest chain by finding Kipih Jakkya in Ul’dah on the Steps of Nald.
Final Fantasy XIV has been regularly updating with new events, including crossovers like one with Monster Hunter. The game is also currently hosting an Easter-themed event called Hatching-tide.
Final Fantasy XV has had a long slate of post-launch content as well. It launched its final episode, Ardyn, on March 26. That episode puts you in the buckled boots of the game’s villain, set 35 years before FFXV. This also gives you access to some new moves, like the speedy Shadow Move or the ability to Daemonify enemies.
Keanu Reeves already had a few classic action movies under his belt when he took on the role of reluctant hitman John Wick in 2014, and the success of that first movie has led to another hit franchise for the star. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is the latest movie, and it releases next month. The first clip has now been released.
While the clip doesn’t contain any of the insane action that the trailers have promised, it’s tense and emotional. As fans know, the second movie ended with Wick expelled from the assassin underworld, and there are now dozens of killers on his trail. In the clip he gets into a taxi with his faithful canine pal, but it seems that going anywhere fast is going to be tricky, and a hard decision must be made. Check it out below.
This clip follows this recent behind-the-scenes video, that showed Reeves undergoing firearms training for the role. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is directed by Chad Stahelski, who helmed John Wick: Chapter 2 and co-directed the first movie. It also stars Ian McShane, Lawrence Fishburne, Halle Berry, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, Jason Mantzoukas, and Mark Dacascos. It releases on May 17.
In a recent interview with Collider, Reeves spoke about what sets the John Wick series apart from other action movies. “I would say it’s the blend of elements that it has,” he said. “I think the way the action is and the world that’s created. I think the cinema of the series is really strong–you know, the framing, the the camera movement. I think the set design is really great. So, I think the film is really easy to watch. It’s beautiful.
“There’s a character that we root for, hopefully. He’s fighting for his life. They’re not insulting. The films are fun, but they’re smart. There’s humor, and action. Comedy. It has a unique tone, I think. So, you can tell I’m a fan.”
