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"Terry Silver just popped up out of the blue, right? He did the same thing to me. He'll seem decent enough, show you a few moves, and then he'll worm his way in. Chip away at you. And push you past your limits. You'll become stronger than you thought possible, but Silver won't stop there. This man is sick and twisted, and when he's done with you, you won't be you anymore. One day you'll find yourself with some poor kid's blood all over your shirt and you'll just hope it's not too late to change course."
Daniel to Robby about Silver[src]

Terrance Silver, also known as, Terry Silver, is the secondary antagonist of The Karate Kid franchise, serving as the main antagonist of The Karate Kid Part III and the fourth and fifth seasons of Cobra Kai.

Terry was a close friend of John Kreese from their shared time in the military. He is the wealthy former owner of DynaTox Industries, a toxic waste facility. He co-founded the first Cobra Kai Dojo alongside Kreese, serving as the original corporate owner of the dojo. He later helped enact revenge on Daniel LaRusso after Kreese's humiliation in the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. Silver hatched an elaborate, time-consuming, and expensive plot to trick Daniel into training with him. He planned Daniel's loss in the All Valley Karate Tournament, to redeem Cobra Kai. His plan failed, and the dojo closed.

Thirty years later, Silver was enticed back to Cobra Kai by John Kreese, who once again needed his help. This time, they worked together to led a new generation of Cobra Kai students to victory. After leading their students to victory, through cheating and deception, Silver ended his one weakness by having Kreese arrested, effectively usurping the dojo.

As the sole Sensei of Cobra Kai, he works to ensure Cobra Kai is the leading dojo in the world, which involves him hiring several sensei's that trained under his master, one of whom is the latter's granddaughter, cheating and deceiving his way into being picked by Sekai Taikai, and stopping anyone that gets in the way. However, his cheating at the All valley tournament is eventually exposed by the Miyagi Fang students and Tory, and this combined with him being defeated by Daniel leads to his students leaving him and he himself being arrested for his crimes, ultimately ruining his plans yet again.

Biography[]

Early Life[]

Terrence Silver was born in 1949, to a wealthy family in Los Angeles, California. His father was the owner of DynaTox Industries, a nuclear waste disposal company. Despite his rich upbringing, he was still sent to fight in The Vietnam War, either through himself or something his father did to install discipline and masculinity on the boy.

Military Career[]

"I owe you man, you saved my ass. Anything you need, I'm there for you, your whole life. You hear me Johnny? Your whole life. I owe you."
―Terry thanks John Kreese[src]
YoungTerryHugsKreese

During the Vietnam War, Silver, Kreese, and "Ponytail" were under the command of Captain Turner. In 1969, while on a mission in North Vietnam, static from Silver's radio caused their team to be discovered and captured by NVA forces. While in captivity, Ponytail was executed much to Silver's horror, and the rest of their team was imprisoned and forced to fight for the North Vietnamese’s amusement above a pit of venomous snakes. After one of Turner's soldiers threw another into the pit, he warned Silver that the pit wasn't the worst part. When an NVA soldier told Silver to fight Turner, a frightened Silver hesitated out of terror. Kreese volunteered, saving Silver's life, as Captain Turner would have killed the inexperienced and traumatized Silver. During the fight, the NVA camp was attacked by the US Air Force, though Kreese killed Turner despite the impending rescue. He then freed his remaining allies from the cage they were trapped in. Silver embraced Kresse and swore to be there for him for his entire life, no matter what he needed.

Founding Cobra Kai[]

Upon returning to the valley, Silver and Kreese were greeted by hippie's who called them murderers. The protests against the Vietnam war had turned them from heroes to outcasts. They wanted to teach the world respect and discipline through the ways of karate. Silver, coming from a financially wealthy background, agreed to help Kreese open Cobra Kai Dojo. They got matching cobra tattoos to commemorate the moment. However, Silver's father wanted him to go into the family business and threatened to cut him out of the inheritance if he disobeyed. This crushed Kreese, who didn't think he could open the dojo without Silver there to help as a co-sensei. Silver promised to be there for him someday, but that day couldn't be now. He would still be a major financial backer.

By 1979, Cobra Kai had a respectable number of students. In 1980, he and Kreese traveled to South Korea to train under Kim Sun-Yung. Silver bought Cobra Kai for John, who insisted on still paying him rent. He didn't want to compete in the world karate tournament yet, as he wanted to focus on his students. Particularly, a new student who Kreese called his star student.

DynaTox Industries[]

"Johnny, every business has a slump at one time or another. Look at this, ten years ago, nuclear was the preferred waste. You could dump it anywhere. Now, everybody's a detective. I'm lucky if I make one deal a year without being indicted."
―Terry Silver to John Kreese[src]

His inheritance of the family company led him to be the CEO of the nuclear waste disposal company DynaTox Industries. He became heavily addicted to cocaine in the 80s and 90s, which caused some of his erratic behavior.

Film Series[]

"Extreme situations require extreme measures."
―Terry Silver to Daniel LaRusso[src]
TerryBreaksDanielKK3

Terry Silver attempts to break Daniel LaRusso.

In 1985, Terry Silver wore a white martial arts gi and trained heavily. He was happy to see Kreese in his mansion and hugged him. When Kreese revealed he was financially ruined, due to Cobra Kai’s defeat at the hands of Daniel and Mr. Miyagi, Silver made it a personal mission to help Kreese recover and seek revenge on the enemies. He first sent Kreese to Tahiti to recover from the severe hand wounds inflicted by Mr. Miyagi. Next, he bought him twenty new dojos in the Valley and re-enter cobra Kai back in the all valley tournament. After reading about a karate “Bad Boy” Mike Barnes, he hired him to defeat and terrify Daniel. After hiring Mike, he had his thugs and Mike force Daniel to enter the All Valley Karate Tournament. He also pretended to train Daniel for the tournament, after Mr. Miyagi refused to do so, though his motives were later revealed to be part of an elaborate plan to have Daniel perform acts that directly conflicted with every value he learned from Mr. Miyagi's training, as well as physically harm him.

TerrySilverVSMiyagi

Terry Silver fights Miyagi.

He effectively gained Daniel's interest in the Cobra Kai training method. He used such tactics, as driving a convertible blue Ford pickup truck and wearing a shirt with an altered collar to appear “humble.” He had Daniel perform tasks such as “QuickSilver” method, but his deficient technique caused Daniel to injure himself, which amused Silver who laughed at Daniel's injury. He was fulfilling Kreese's wish for Daniel to suffer. He even paid a man to harass Daniel to entice him into violence.

When Daniel later told Silver that he would not compete in the tournament, Silver revealed his betrayal and true motivation to Daniel and ordered Barnes to assault him, while he and Kreese taunted Daniel. Suddenly, Mr. Miyagi arrived and easily beat both Barnes and Kreese. Silver verbally mocked Mr. Miyagi and then attacked. Mr. Miyagi countered his strikes and used minimum and well-trained offense to defeat him. After being defeated, Silver found himself mocked by Mr. Miyagi. Angry and unafraid, Silver warned that Cobra Kai would one day open around the town and he would ensure Mr. Miyagi was forgotten. However, Daniel retaliated by saying that Silver, Barnes, and Kreese would be the forgotten ones, rather than Mr. Miyagi.

TerrySilverKK3Speech

Terry Silver gives a speech at the tournament.

"Now the real pain begins, Danny boy."
―Terry Silver to Daniel LaRusso[src]

Following Barnes victory at the penultimate match of the All Valley Tournament, Silver gave a speech where he claimed that they would open multiple Cobra Kai Dojos to instill the same values that he was taught. Prior to the finals, Terry ordered Barnes to keep the score tied until the sudden death round by committing illegal moves, to cause Daniel the utmost pain possible, before ultimately beating him in the end. At one point during the match, he told Daniel that this was when the real pain began. However, Daniel, via encouragement from Mr. Miyagi, used the kata he was taught to defeat Mike in the sudden death match. He scored the winning point and won the championship. Disgusted and humiliated, Terry walked out of the arena with his plans having failed.

Interim Years[]

"Back in the 80s, I thought I could conquer the world and I almost did. But I was so hopped up on cocaine and revenge...I spent months terrorizing a teenager over a high school karate tournament. It sounds insane just talking about it. After that tournament, I hit rock bottom. But I built myself back up. Got my ass into therapy, found clarity. Turns out you disappearing was the best thing that ever happened to me."
―Silver about his life after the tournament.[src]

After the events of 1985, Silver's life headed in a spiral. He lost his fortune and company, becoming a broke and hitting rock bottom. He invested in some start-up companies to gain the money he lost by buying a lot of Cobra Kai dojos. He decided to better himself and got therapy to work through his psychological issues. He learned to put the past behind him and start over. He rebuilt his empire and put the world of Cobra Kai to rest. He ceased communication with Kreese and eventually got a girlfriend, who he backed financially for an app release. His love for the finer things in life continued as he became vegan, calmer, and more accepting of the world he lived in.

Cobra Kai[]

Season 1[]

Thirty years after the 1985 tournament, Johnny Lawrence reopened Cobra Kai Dojo and sought to compete in the upcoming All Valley Karate Tournament. He learned the dojo held a lifetime ban after the unethical actions of Terry Silver, John Kreese, and Mike Barnes in the 1985 tournament. Johnny was not familiar with either Silver or Barnes at the time.

Season 2[]

Daniel LaRusso explained to his students the enticing side of Cobra Kai, and how he had once fallen into the dojos way of life. He explained the ramifications of the dojo both on his personality and actions. He described a volatile man who tortured him during his time in Cobra Kai.

Season 3[]

KreeseMilitaryFriendsPicture

Terry in 1968, where he was a member of a special military unit in Vietnam alongside John Kreese and Ponytail. The men became friends and looked out for one another, especially during the difficult training process they had to endure. The unit was sent on a mission to investigate a Vietnamese camp. While Ponytail was planting explosives that Kreese would then ignite, Silver's radio malfunctioned and alerted the enemy to their location. Kreese couldn't bring himself to ignite the explosive while Ponytail was in harms way, leading to the entire unite being kidnapped and tortured by Vietnamese extremists. The soldiers were forced to fight one another to the death, solely for the entertainment of their captors. Ponytail was executed, leaving Silver horrified.

Silver blamed himself for Ponytail's death and their capture, while their unit captain, Turner, blamed Kreese. When another soldier was thrown into the pit by his comrade, Turner warned Silver that the pit wasn't the worst part. Silver was selected to fight against Captain Turner, though Silver froze out of fear. His hesitation spurred Kreese to take Silver's place in the fight. Kreese won his fight against Turner and sent him to his death, just as US military forces arrived to rescue the unit. Kreese freed Terry and the other soldiers from their cage. Terry hugged Kreese and told him that he owed him for life, and that he would be there for him forever.

Season 4[]

"I'm making our dream a reality. We're just one tournament victory away."
―Silver to Kreese[src]
CK S4 Terry Silver First Look

Terry, now going by Terrance, lives in a gated community beachfront mansion where he plays piano and drinks expensive beverages. He answers a call from John Kreese, but promptly hangs up the phone. Kreese unexpectedly visits Silver at his house, only to find that he's not the same man from thirty years ago. He's dating a younger woman who is releasing an app, with Terrance hosting the event at his house. His friends are a variety of people, all of whom irritate Kreese. Terrance tries to rush Kreese out of the party, but his former friend has other plans. As he tries to worm his way in, he learns that Terrance hasn't told his friends about the glory days of Cobra Kai. One of Terrance's friends even calls Cobra Kai "adorable". Kreese attempts to recruit Terrance back to the valley to help him teach Cobra Kai. He explains the complex stakes and how Daniel LaRusso has teamed up with Johnny Lawrence. Despite a surprisingly insightful speech from Kreese, Terrance declines Kreese's offer and asks him to leave.

403 Terry Kreese Promo

Despite dismissing his friend, Terrance begins to remember his glory days with Kreese and his martial arts. He attempts to bury his growing nostalgia, but when his chef lights his crème brûlée torch, Terrance's PTSD is triggered. Remembering the pact he made with Kreese in Vietnam, he returns to the valley where he faces off with Kreese, still trying to cling to the man he's become. However, Silver ultimately agrees to return as Kreese's co-sensei, as long as they do things differently this time to ensure their victory.

Before class, Kreese introduces the students to Terry and talks about how they founded Cobra Kai. Terry explains that the training will now be more intense because of the upcoming All-Valley Tournament. Silver and Kreese arrive at Miyagi-Do where they visit Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. Before Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang begin training, Terry falsely apologizes to Daniel for his behavior in 1985. However, Daniel sees through his deception and doesn't forgive Silver and demands he exit his property. Silver and Kreese agree to cease fire until the All-Valley. They pretend they are innocent in the dojo feud and leave, though once out of earshot, Silver coolly states that he will destroy the arrogant Daniel. Terry and Kreese return to Cobra Kai to tell their students of the no-fighting restrictions. Silver instructs a frustrated group to store their anger and use it when necessary. He also instructs them to use discipline and how they need to receive it. SIlver understands how badly they want to defeat Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang, but they need to focus on their training first.

405 Kreese Silver Promo2

Silver meets with Daniel after thirty years.

After class, Kreese and Silver have dinner where Kreese tells him how happy he is that Silver joined him, but his students are confused about Silver's methods. Kreese adds that Cobra Kai never backs down from fighting regardless of having a tournament. Silver counters that Kreese has already delivered a crippling blow with Robby Keene. Robby is the son of Kreese's former student, Johnny Lawrence and adding him solidified everyone's role in his drama. Silver adds that he's wanted his second chance in gaining victory, and Kreese agrees that's what he wants as well.

Silver orders new Cobra Kai merchandise in hopes of finding new recruits. He sends them out to numerous candidates and successfully wins over a few students. Kreese wants the Cobra Kai logo on the backs of both the boy and girl champion, and Silver assures Kreese they will have their victory. During class, Silver and Kreese teach the Cobra Kai's about weakness. He adds that everyone has weaknesses and the Cobra Kai's need to exploit them in a real fight. Before they begin sparring, the sensei's create a wager to split the students and whoever won the match will earn a 6-pack of beer. After Kenny wins his match against Robby, Silver wins the sparring match. After class, Kreese sticks to his promise and buys a 6-pack of 333 beer. However, Kreese recaps their lesson and is upset with how Silver said he has weakness. He talks about their imprisonment in Vietnam and how Kreese saved him. Kreese takes a beer and says Silver needs to get back on track. Terry also allows Robby Keene to borrow his Ferrari for Prom.

Silver brings Kreese to the original Cobra Kai dojo where he plans to relocate to when they win the All-Valley Tournament. He even tells Kreese he's planning to expand Cobra Kai to other places. Later on, Silver lures Johnny Lawrence to the dojo where he beats him up, much to Kreese's shock. Kreese tells him to stick to their rule of holding off fighting until the tournament. When Stingray comes back to Cobra Kai, a drunk Silver beats up Stingray and has him do a favor to earn his spot in the dojo.

410 Robby Silver Kreese Promo

Terry at the 51st All Valley Tournament.

During the All-Valley, Silver clarifies that Kreese's speech is an order and readies them for the tournament. When sudden death begins for the boys, Silver gets mad at Robby for bowing to him. In the girls final, when Tory loses the first round to Sam when she performs a flying tornado kick on her rather than using Miyagi Do techniques, he tells Tory to be more aggressive against Sam. When Tory accidentally hits Sam's right eye which causes the referee to give her a warning, he then tells Tory to hit Sam in the other eye but Kreese, realizing the torment he put Johnny through, has a change of heart tells her to fight how she wants. Tory then wins the girls division, causing her to become the girls champion and Cobra Kai being the grand champion. A victorious Silver then explains that they will expand and franchise Cobra Kai throughout the valley, urging fans to come and learn their way of the fist. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Silver bribed the referee in order to ensure Cobra Kai's victory. Tory watches the exchange and gets upset with how she was cheated to win, realizing that it was a hollow victory all along.

410 Silver Kreese Promo

After the tournament, Silver and Kreese are celebrating their victory back at Silver's home. Unbeknownst to Kreese, Silver had conspired with a beat up Stingray to let him rejoin Cobra Kai if he blamed Kreese for the assault. As the men enjoy drinks, they discuss their weaknesses, with Silver saying Kreese's weakness is Johnny. He then accuses Kreese of deceiving him into believing them teaming up was for the glory days. Kreese denies his accusation, but Silver does not believe him and states he fell for what Kreese fed him because Kreese is his weakness. An angry Kreese states he has been his strength since Vietnam, which annoys Silver, who accuses him of constantly playing the guilt card. The police then arrive, much to the concern of Kreese, who asks Silver what he did. Silver reveals his plan with Stingray's assault, and then informs him that he is shedding his weakness. Kreese is shocked that his now former best friend has betrayed him. When the police arrest Kreese, Silver feigns shock and then promises to enlist an old friend or two while Kreese deals with his problems. Silver also promises to take care of Johnny Lawrence and the Cobra Kai Dojo. While being escorted by the officers, Kreese tells Silver that he'll regret this, claiming himself to be Cobra Kai. The police put Kreese in the back of a car, while Silver smirks, taking a seat as he triumphantly usurps the dojo.

Season 5[]

Fresh off the tournament victory, Terry releases his first commercial encouraging students to join Cobra Kai. Later he explains that Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang closed and how the valley is looking up to Cobra Kai. Knowing that they are going to have a lot of students, he adds that they need to have more senseis and welcomes another person, Chozen, who is under the guise of Joe.

Later, he tells his students that their championship is their path to new heights and introduces them to different senseis. When Tory enters, the students give her an ovation and Chozen tells her he won't go easy on her. When Chozen reveals he knows Tang Soo Do, he talks about his origins. Tory arrives where she confronts Silver to talk about how he cheated the referee back at the tournament. Silver lies and tells her that it was an insurance policy to help Tory win the tournament. After, he gives Tory two decisions: leave or come back. He invites Chozen to his mansion in order to get to know him more. He shows him his weapon room and tells him that he wants to expand Cobra Kai worldwide. However, he learns of Chozen's true identity and orders his sensei's to defeat him for the job, but Chozen defeats them easily. Chozen threatens him to leave Daniel's family alone or he will beg for mercy.

At a country club, Terry confronts Daniel and says if he continues what he's doing, he will face consequences. When Daniel is in the sauna, Terry plays his message to his attorney and confronts him. He tells him that he will be seeing him a lot more and tells him that he should've not played with fire. Learning of his alliance with Mike Barnes, he burns his furniture store.

Terry later meets Daniel and Amanda at an auction. He lies about his friendship with Daniel and how he changed after the events from The Karate Kid Part III. Terry adds that he wants to make the students better. Terry offers to buy Daniel's bonsai trees for $30,000 and Daniel says to take care of him. Later, he tells something to the owner of the charity organization about Amanda, which Daniel overhears. Daniel confronts Silver, who reveals to Daniel he said negative things about her and then pointed at Daniel, who becomes enraged and blocks him, causing him to fall on his bonsai trees. Eva reveals that Silver told her how respected Amanda and their family were, much to Daniel's shock, who then likely realized that Silver intentionally manipulated and deceived him.

Stingray enters the dojo and Silver gives him a new Dodge Challenger (previously owned by Johnny Lawrence) and his gi. Later, Daniel arrives at Stingray's apartment, Silver arrives and the two fight. In the end, Terry overpowers him and tells him about expanding Cobra Kai.

Terry goes to an airfield where he meets new senseis. Kim Da-Eun, the granddaughter of Kim Sun -Yung, appears and tells her he wants to expand her grandfather's legacy and his students are ready. He goes with the senseis to take over Topanga Karate and offers them a chance to join Cobra Kai. When Devon arrives, Silver tells Tory that she asked him to join because she wants to learn under Tory.

During a class session, Terry has two people go up against one of the senseis: one has to be a follower and the other has to be a leader. When Kyler and Kenny have problems listening to each other, he tells Kenny that he has to be a leader. He also tells Kreese in a flashback about expanding Cobra Kai and the best bet is participating in an international tournament known as the Sekai Taikai.

The organizers come over to Cobra Kai and explain that even if he has benefits, there is a guarantee that he won't be accepted and it's up to his students to prove his worth. Sensei Kim meets Terry where she is angry because she thinks the rivalry is getting in the way and ends saying she will keep training the Cobra Kais. Silver has Kenny to show how quickly his dojo sees progress. Silver picks Kenny to represent Cobra Kai in the Sekai Taikai demonstration, and teaches him the "Silver Bullet" technique which takes the breath out of your opponents. Throughout, the Cobra Kais demonstrate other techniques they use in their style and how it helps the students train. In the boys round of the demonstration, Kenny defeats Eli and finishes him off the with Silver Bullet, but unknown to the rest (Sans Tory), Silver paid the referee to help Cobra Kai win. Unfortunately, Sam beats Devon in the girls fight. Impressed with how Cobra Kai operates, they qualify for the tournament but the organizers also announce Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang have also qualified.

Robby Keene goes over and tells the Cobra Kai students about Terry. However, no one believes him and tells him that his students are loyal to him. He then pulls Tory aside to punch solid stone in which she succeeds, but Terry and the other senseis leave her alone to grieve her pain. He meets Johnny in the hospital to congratulate him for qualifying for the Sekai Taikai tournament.

At his mansion, he and Sensei Kim are hanging out when his former henchman Mike Barnes, Johnny and Chozen show up. He tells Johnny, Chozen and Mike about trespassing and sends in one of his senseis. Reflecting on himself, Mike remembers Silver's plan of hiring other people but Silver insists that the sensei is fighting to uphold Kim Sun-Yung's legacy. The rest of the senseis fight the trio after Mike is knocked out. Chozen confronts Terry and the two fight. After a brief hand to hand combat which proves to be even, Silver takes his sword and Chozen takes his sais, and the two have a weapons fight. While Chozen has the upper hand at first, Silver soon takes control and puts him in a position to finish Chozen off. However, Chozen regains the upper hand in the last second, and takes Silver down. Seemingly defeated, Silver tells Chozen he was meant to die on the battlefield and he should finish him off. However, Chozen is momentarily distracted by a scream, which Silver takes advantage off by slicing his back with his sword, which leads to Chozen falling down and bleeding out. He heads back in his house, where his men have beat up Johnny. He mocks Johnny and heads back to the dojo. He arrives at the dojo, just after his cheating at the All Valley tournament is exposed. He tries to defend his actions but his students don't believe him, now realizing the true person he is. He tells Daniel he failed to stop him, and dares him to fight him again. The Miyagi-Do sensei agrees to fight him. Silver says he took care of Chozen and will take care of him now, before declaring that Miyagi-Do ends here, but Daniel says Miyagi-Do existed before any of them and will continue to exist. Silver and Daniel fight, but Daniel gains the upper-hand by utilizing Miyagi-Do, Eagle Fang and Cobra Kai with the "Quick Silver" method, the latter of which Silver taught him 34 years ago. After being hit near the trophy case, Silver grabs the 2019 All valley championship trophy as a possible weapon, but in doing so, loses focus, which allows the two-time All-Valley champion to finish him off with the Crane Kick. After he is defeated, every Cobra Kai student led by Kenny throws their gear at him, quitting the dojo. Raymond, who has since redeemed himself, admits to the police that Silver was the one that assaulted him. Silver is then finally arrested for his crimes.

Personality[]

"They think they're entitled to victory because their way is "right" and our way is "wrong." But that's not how it works. There are no morals to the story, no happy endings. Life isn't a fairytale. It's a competitive sport. Right and wrong, there's no such thing. There are only winners and losers. Cobra Kai builds winners, because we're willing to do whatever it takes to come out on top."
Silver to his former students[src]

After being captured in Vietnam during the war and seeing his fellow soldier Ponytail be killed by the Vietnamese, Terry was frightened and traumatized. This also had a negative effect on his personality. When Kreese rescues him, Terry promises that he owes him for the rest of his life, and the two would then go on to be close friends. He kept his word and in the 1980s, Kreese came to ask him for help and Terry obliged. He had become wealthy through unethical toxic waste dumps, and had the means to help Kreese. He concocted a vicious plan to harm and destroy Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi in every possible way. He pretended to befriend Daniel and won his trust, only to take amusement and glee in the pain Daniel felt as the training continued. He took even more sadistic pleasure when he revealed his true motives to Daniel and had Mike severely assault Daniel. He made it clear that Daniel losing the tournament alone wasn't enough, and that he needed to suffer as much as possible. At the All Valley Tournament, he made Daniel suffer by having Mike commit aggressive and illegal strikes, in order to prolong the fight, and Silver even evilly told him when the real pain would begin at one point.

He has little morality and will do anything to win. He is cunning, manipulative, and excellent at manipulating everyone's view of himself. He is calculating in his actions, choosing to play a mental manipulation as opposed to a physical assault. He knows how to sweet talk his way into earning people's trust. His actions can be seen as far worse than the other villains Daniel has encountered, as they make their actions up front, while Terry hides his true nature until it is time for him to reveal himself. Terry's actions after military service and in his revenge scheme, prove he's a psychopath, and one of the most manipulative and corrupt villain's to cross Daniel's path. However, his desire to repay Kreese for all the time he saved him in Vietnam, is one positive thing about him at the time.

Losing the All Valley Tournament and the subsequent disappearance of Kreese, leads to him hitting rock bottom. However, after going to therapy, he slowly rebuilds his life, and puts his past behind him. However, despite going to therapy, Silver never gave up the one thing that he craved for, which was power and money. Over 3 decades later, when he is approached by Kreese about them working together to win the 2019 All Valley Tournament, Silver initially rejects his offer because of his new life he has been living. However, due to his desire for power and money, as well as remembering his glory days with Kreese, he succumbs to Kreese's words, which leads to him returning to Cobra Kai to help Kreese. His time back at Cobra Kai causes Silver to become worse and more unhinged than he was in the '80s. Unfortunately, his loyalty and friendship to Kreese would begin to waver when Silver grows tired of Kreese constantly bringing up memories from Vietnam, as he then believes that Kreese is questioning his loyalty. To prove his loyalty, he lures Johnny Lawrence to an attack and brutally beats him up. However, when Kreese decides to show mercy to Johnny and orders Silver to stand down, Silver's way of thinking is shaken. He spirals into an emotional pitfall, questioning everything he's ever done and his loyalty to Kreese, and begins to believe he is a pawn of Kreese, who in his mind, didn't really intend for them to team up for the glory days. He takes his emotional rage out on Stingray, and when the man is badly beaten, he strikes a deal - if Raymond lies that John Kreese did the attacking, Silver will let him back into Cobra Kai. When Raymond agrees, Silver delivers a final blow that puts the man in a coma. His utter disregard for a human life to benefit himself and his end goal is who Silver is at his core. The rage and physical violence is a defense to guard the the broken, raw, PTSD-ridden man hidden within. To ensure Cobra Kai's victory at the All Valley, he bribes the referee to help Cobra Kai win, showing how he'll willingly win by cheating. His betrayal to Kreese is defined by Silver as "cutting out his weakness" and entering a new mindset.

As the sole sensei of Cobra Kai, he works to ensure that Cobra Kai is the leading dojo in the world. He continues to be deceptive and play mental manipulation to accomplish his goals. He is one step ahead of nearly everyone, as he catches wind of anyone, particularly Daniel, trying to ruin his plans, which leads to him messing with Daniel's life. He manipulates Daniel into attacking him during the auction, which strains Daniel's marriage with Amanda. He burns down Barnes' furniture store when he learns Daniel was working with him to take Silver down, which is another example of how ruthless he is. Similar to Chozen when was defeated by Daniel over 3 decades earlier, he tells Chozen to finish him off after being seemingly defeated in their fight. However, he is still a dirty fighter, as when Chozen is momentarily distracted after seemingly winning their fight, Silver exploits that weakness to win the fight. When his cheating is eventually exposed, he tries to defend his actions, but it is too late. He still refuses to give up and even fights Daniel, only for him to lose and be arrested, ultimately ruining his plans yet again.

Fighting Style[]

"Class, meet Sensei Terry Silver. Co-founder of Cobra Kai, and one of the most ferocious fighters in the history of the sport. "
John Kreese giving high praise to Silver's abilities.[src]

Terry Silver was originally trained in the art of Tang So Doo by Captain George Turner for the purposes of unarmed combat while serving in Vietnam; a Korean style of martial arts that balances kicking and punching, and relied on using the hips to produce more power behind kicks. Along with fellow soldier and lifelong friend John Kreese, he learned the basics while serving in the army and later studied it more extensively still under the tutelage of their former commanding officer's master Kim Sun-Yung of South Korea sometime thereafter, and became a highly skilled practitioner himself. Like Kreese, Terry strikes first and hard, and emphasizes on speed and an arsenal of kicking techniques to overwhelm his opponents. He easily bests Snake and Dennis, whom he had hired to train Mike Barnes, during his sparring match with them, even though he is prone to telegraph his moves on occasions because he fights to impress or shock those around him as much as he does to beat his adversaries. His defensive capabilities, however, leave much to be desired, as he is so accustomed to overwhelm inferior opponents by fighting aggressively, that he ends up leaving himself open to the more shrewdly calculated counters of Mr. Miyagi, who easily counters his strikes and uses well timed offensive strikes to beat him with ease.

Thirty years later, Silver is still a brutal striker with his kicks. He crippled the well-trained Johnny Lawrence in a matter of minutes, though this occurred during a sneak attack where Johnny wasn't given the opportunity to fight fair. However, fighting dirty has become Silver's method, with his speed and precision adding to the unwavering strength he wields. His strength alone and relentless blows put Raymond, a grown man, into a coma.

He easily beats Daniel in their first fight. When fighting Chozen, their brief hand to hand combat proves to even, which leads to them fighting with weapons, during which, Chozen gains the upper hand at first but Terry soon takes control and injures Chozen. Just as he is about to finish off Chozen, the latter regains the upper hand and knocks him down. However, he wins in the end by slicing Chozen with his sword when he is distracted by a scream, showing how he exploits weakness and fights dirty.

In his second fight with Daniel, he finds himself being beaten easily, as Daniel successfully utilizes Miyagi-Do, Eagle Fang, Cobra Kai and the "Quick Silver" method, while Silver has no response or counter strategy for Daniel. In a last ditch effort, he grabs the 2019 All Valley Championship Trophy as a possible weapon, but loses focus in the process, which leads to Daniel finally defeating him with the Crane Kick, which he mocked Daniel about 34 years ago. Similar to his fight with Miyagi, his overuse of fighting aggressively and his lack of defensive capabilities leaves him open to a more shrewd Daniel, who combines the four different styles he learned to defeat him.

Relationships[]

John Kreese[]

"I owe you man, you saved my ass. Anything you need, I'm there for you, your whole life. You hear me Johnny? Your whole life. I owe you."
―Terry's promise to Kreese in Vietnam[src]
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Kreese and Terry met in Vietnam as they were in the same infantry division of the US Army. They were fast friends and comrades, with both men being recruited into a special task force unit by their Captain. While on a mission, Kreese couldn't detonate the bombs laid by a fellow soldier, due to the soldier not being in the clear, and the unit was kidnapped as a result. The unit underwent horrific torture as they watched their friends either be executed or fight to the death above a snake pit. Silver was selected to fight against their Captain, but the man was terrified of the possibility. Kreese volunteered in his place, saving Silver's life. Kreese beat their Captain just as American forces arrived to rescue the unit. Kreese freed the captured soldiers, with Terry thanking Kreese by making a promise to be there for him for his whole life, no matter what. Following their discharge from the military, they got matching cobra tattoos to celebrate their plan to open a karate dojo using the training they received in Vietnam. Silver was forced to back out of his sensei ship, but remained the primary financial backer of the dojo. In 1985, Kreese needed to defeat the teenaged Daniel LaRusso in the All Valley Karate Tournament to restore his reputation and student-base. Silver concocted a revenge scheme, despite Kreese's insistence his friend didn't owe him anything. He felt he owed his life to Kreese many times over. Despite their elaborate plan, they failed and fell out of contact for over thirty years.

Later, the two reunite at Silver's mansion where he is hosting a party. After the party, Silver tells Kreese about his new life but Kreese explains why they opened Cobra Kai. He tries to recruit him but Silver refuses. After remembering his glory days, Silver has a change of heart and helps Kreese teach Cobra Kai. However, their friendship becomes strained when Kreese decides to show mercy to Johnny Lawrence after the latter disapproves of Silver luring him to the original Cobra Kai dojo after trying to prove his loyalty to him. Silver feels used by Kreese, who in his mind, didn't really intend for them to team up for the glory days. Desiring revenge, he betrays him when he has Stingray frame Kreese for assaulting him.

Daniel LaRusso[]

"Daniel: That's bullshit, you tortured me.
Silver: Please. You were a hothead. All I had to do was wind you up and get out of the way. And...if you're being honest with yourself, you know you liked it. You were powerful, free. You just don't wanna admit there's always been a little Cobra Kai in you.
"
Daniel and Silver
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Terry personally made Daniel one of his biggest enemies in 1985, after John Kreese recruited Terry to ruin Daniel so they could win the All Valley Karate Tournament. After learning how Daniel and his sensei led to the fall of Cobra Kai, Terry took it upon himself to enact revenge on Daniel for Kreese. He hired Mike Barnes to defeat LaRusso at the All Valley and later made Mike force Daniel to sign an application to the tournament when he refused. Terry and Mike both eventually orchestrated a staged fight where Barnes attacked Daniel so Silver could "rescue" Daniel and gain his trust. Terry became Daniel's sensei in Cobra Kai, and turned Daniel against the teachings of Mr. Miyagi. Terry greatly enjoyed seeing Daniel hurt himself with the QuickSilver method, maniacally laughing in secret at the teens pain. He turned Daniel into a violent person and continued to fuel this "killer instinct" when he paid a man to harass Daniel at a nightclub. When Terry finally revealed his true intentions to Daniel, he took great pleasure in seeing him scared and beaten during most of the tournament, as he instructed Mike Barnes to score a point and lose that point over and over so that Daniel would experience more pain until the sudden death round. Daniel ultimately won the tournament and destroyed Terry and Kreese's plan in the process.

CK S4 Terry Daniel

Terry's actions left a big impact on Daniel, as even years later, he held traumatic memories of his encounters with Silver. In 2019, Terry returned to the valley at the behest of Kreese and apologized to Daniel for his actions. Daniel refused to accept his apology and wanted Silver to leave everyone alone. The refusal fueled Silver's hatred for Daniel and motivated him even more to destroy the Miyagi-Do's in the upcoming 51st Annual Karate Championships. Daniel saw Terry with the Cobra Kai's and warned his former student Robby Keene about the twisted methods Silver notoriously uses. Silver confronted Daniel and the pair had an intense conversation. Despite their complicated history, Daniel stayed away from Silver during training for the tournament, but did tell both Johnny and Amanda about Silver's antics in 1985.

Johnny Lawrence[]

Silver knew of Johnny's existence and presence due to the impact the boy had on the life of John Kreese. This knowledge was not reciprocated by Johnny, who only learned of Silver upon his return to the valley. With Silver aligning himself with Kreese against Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do, the pair were immediate enemies but not specifically worried about one another. This changed on the night of the junior prom, when Johnny learned that Silver had paid for Robby Keene, Johnny's son, to attend the prom. He also bribed Robby's mother Shannon and gave her an ominous job offer. Johnny went to confront Silver at Cobra Kai Dojo, but was eventually lured to the original 1980s location. Silver had lured Johnny there to prove his loyalty to Kreese, while Johnny wanted them both to stay away from Robby. Silver beat Johnny aggressively and ruthlessly for his defection from Cobra Kai until Kreese intervened. He told Silver to stand down in order to stick to their rule of no fighting until the tournament. This revelation was important to Silver, as the intervention sent him on a downward spiral. Johnny, however, warned Silver to stay away from his son and Shannon.

Other Relationships[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Terry Silver is Cobra Kai series creator Hayden Schlossberg's favorite Karate Kid character.
  • Terry Silver and Chozen's weapons fight is similar to Leonardo vs. Raphael from TMNT.
  • As can be seen in 1960s flashbacks in season 3, Silver doesn't even have his ponytail yet. Then in flashbacks from season 4, he begins to have the ponytail, seemingly to honor his fallen comrade, Ponytail.
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