- "You think I'm the only one willing to go to these lengths? Their senseis… broke into my home tonight. MY HOME! Attacked me, UNPROVOKED! But here I am, the only one left standing. 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 students[src]
Terrance "Terry" Silver, also known as simply Silver, is the main antagonist of The Karate Kid franchise.
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 disposal facility and 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-four 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, deception and assaulting a student, Silver ended his one weakness by having Kreese arrested for a crime he orchestrated and committed, thereby betraying his now former best friend and 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 the Sekai Taikai committee to compete in the world tournament, 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.
However, Silver returns six months later as the secret owner of the Iron Dragons dojo. Although his reputation was destroyed, Silver's lawyer got the charges thrown out and he returns seeking revenge upon everyone for his humiliation (especially Daniel, Johnny, Chozen, Kreese and their students). However, as things begin to fall apart, the dying and desperate Silver decides to kidnap Johnny's family as insurance. A remorseful Kreese, having reconciled with Johnny, sacrifices himself to stop Silver once and for all, blowing up Silver's yacht with both men and Dennis de Guzman dying.
Roles[]
Terry is never mentioned in either The Karate Kid or The Karate Kid Part II, but is considered the unseen overarching antagonist of the trilogy, before he is officially introduced as the main antagonist of The Karate Kid Part III.
He then returns as the main antagonist of Cobra Kai, where he served one of the two overarching antagonists (alongside John Kreese) of Season 1, the overarching antagonist of Season 2 and Season 3, the deuteragonist of Kreese's flashback arc in Season 3, and the main antagonist of Seasons 4, 5, and Season 6, until his death. Additionally, his younger self serves as a supporting character via flashbacks from seasons 4 to part 1 of season 6.
While Kreese originally started out as the main force of conflict towards Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawerence, Terry proved himself the much larger threat as he had much bigger ambitions than Kreese to expand Cobra Kai beyond the Valley, and was willing to resort to criminal activities to ensure his success.
Biography[]
Pre-Series[]
Early Life[]
Terrence Silver was born in 1949 into a wealthy family in Los Angeles, California. His father was a rich and successful businessman. 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. It was also possible that Silver was attending University before joining the military and put a hold on his studies to fight in the war and eventually returned back to complete it after retiring from the military.
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]
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 Kreese and swore to be there for him for his entire life, no matter what he needed. Kreese and Silver continued to serve together from 1969 and 1975 where during these missions Silver got into trouble and Kreese had to save him.
Founding Cobra Kai[]
Upon returning to the valley, Silver possibly returned back to finish his studies and began working as an employee at his father's company. One day 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 take over the family business and threatened to cut him out of the inheritance if he disobeyed. He also wanted him to put behind the war and karate. This crushed Kreese, who didn't think he could run the dojo without Silver there to help as a co-sensei. Silver promised to be there for him someday and would pay half of the rent, 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 Korea to train under Kim Sun-Yung. Silver bought Cobra Kai for John, who insisted on still paying him rent. One day Kreese and Silver were not training and were taking a walk. Silver told Kreese about the Sekai Taikai and how they could enter Cobra Kai in and he had the connections to get them in. However Kreese 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 and also had the same name as him.
When they were getting ready to leave Korea, Kreese wanted to say goodbye to Kim Da-Eun, Master Kim's granddaughter, and Silver reluctantly followed him. Kim Sun-Yung noticed that his granddaughter was there and scolded her for interrupting his lesson. He watched Kreese as he stepped in and stops Master Kim. He looked disappointed as he watched his friend get brutally kicked by Master Kim and Da-Eun getting choked by her grandfather. After that incident, Silver and Kreese returned to America.
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]
Silvers inheritance of the family company and fortune led him to found the nuclear waste disposal company DynaTox Industries and became the CEO. He became heavily addicted to cocaine in the '80s, which caused some of his erratic behavior, and wanted to conquer the world.
Film Series[]
The Karate Kid III[]
- "Extreme situations require extreme measures."
- ―Terry Silver to Daniel LaRusso[src]
- "Over the years, I've developed a system of intensive short-term training for situations just like this, It comes in two parts and has three rules. I call it "Quick Silver". Rule number one. "A man can't stand, he can't fight.", Rule number two of the Quick Silver method. "A man can't breathe, he can't fight." Rule number three. "A man can't see, he can't fight."."
- ―Terry Silver to Daniel LaRusso about the "Quick Silver" method[src]
Terry Silver attempts to break Daniel LaRusso.
In 1985, Terry Silver wore a white martial arts gi and trained heavily. One morning he was training and then Kreese arrived and commented on his fighting, 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 terrorize 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.
Terry Silver fights Mr. 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 valley 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.
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 and Kreese 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 came pretty damn close. 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, Cobra Kai was issued a lifetime ban from competing in the All Valley due to Mike’s illegal and unethical tactics, causing Cobra Kai to lose it’s credibility and any hope of acquiring new students. Silver's life headed in a spiral, as he had lost his company, along with half his fortune, due to his failed investment into Cobra Kai dojos as well as his unethical business practices. Kreese as well had gone off the grid, seemingly abandoning Terry after they were disgraced and humiliated.
Ultimately hitting rock bottom. Silver saw his circumstances as an epiphany. He decided to better himself and got therapy to work through his psychological issues, and learned to put the past behind him and start over. He used his remaining money to invest in some start-up companies to regain his fortune, rebuilding his empire and most importantly, put the world of Cobra Kai to rest. He never sought to reach out to Kreese and find him after he disappeared after the tournament because he realized Kreese was a bad influence. He 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, drank expensive champagne, became more calm, and more accepting of the world he lived in. However, his desire for money and power were still there even though they were buried deep inside his mind.
Cobra Kai[]
Season 1[]
Thirty-two 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 dojo's 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. Terry is shown training Daniel in a flashback when Daniel explains his time in Cobra Kai.
Season 3[]
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 harm's 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]
Terry Silver's first appearance.
Terry, now going by Terrance, lives in a gated community beachfront mansion where he plays piano and drinks expensive beverages. One morning while he is playing the piano, he received a call from an unknown number. Terrance answered the call to hear the voice of John Kreese, but promptly hung up the phone as he continued to play the piano. Kreese unexpectedly visits Silver at his house while Terrance is throwing a party for his girlfriend Cheyenne. Terrance sees a waiter having trouble trying to pick up something and goes to help her and then stands up and is shocked to see Kreese again after so many years, he angrily asks Kreese what he wants, making it clear that he was not welcomed at his house. Silver’s girlfriend Cheyenne notices the gentlemen and invites Kreese to join their soiree, much to Silver’s dismay. Kreese is disappointed to see that Terrance has changed as his new 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".
After the party, Terrance confronted Kreese over his sudden appearance, to which Kreese responded that he wanted to achieve what they set out to accomplish over 3 decades ago, revealing he had reopened Cobra Kai and explained the complex stakes he is facing as well as how Daniel LaRusso has teamed up with Johnny Lawrence, and the only person who can help him is Terrance. Despite a surprisingly insightful speech from Kreese, Terrance declines Kreese's offer, stating that their dreams and his mindset from the 80s were nothing more than delusional grandeur, which were made evident by Terry losing everything because of Cobra Kai. After he was able to better himself, Terrance was able to realize that losing Kreese was the best thing to ever happen to him. Kreese then gives one last speech about how he still has some fight still left in him, he then tells him to thank his girlfriend for the meal and then leaves. Later that night, Terrance went to retrieve a bottle of wine in his cellar. Terrance noticed another bottle off to the side. On impulse, Terrance spin kicked the bottle, screaming “asah” as he once did before, smashing the bottle against a painting. Cheyenne called for Terrance, asking if he was okay, to which Terry said he was fine, and was coming.
Terry showing he still knows karate.
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 decides to go take drive to clear his head, however he remembers what Kreese told him the other day and starts to remember more of his past. He returns to the valley where he confronts Kreese for bringing up the glory days, still trying to cling to the man he's become. However, Silver ultimately agrees to return as Kreese's co-sensei.
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. He also reminds Kreese about why they founded Cobra Kai and how they can be better and not let history repeat itself. Silver and Kreese arrive at Miyagi-Do where they visit Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. Before Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang begin training, Terry 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.
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, much to the anger of Silver, who now feels that he is just a pawn of Kreese. When Stingray later comes back to Cobra Kai, a drunk and angry Silver beats up Stingray and has him do a favor to earn his spot in the dojo.
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. During the girls final, when Tory loses the first round to Sam when the latter 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.
Silver and Kreese celebrate.
After the tournament, Silver and Kreese are celebrating their victory back at Silver's home. Silver thanks Kreese for helping him bring his true self back. 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, Silver questioned why he backed down on Tory, they discuss their weaknesses, with Silver saying Kreese's weakness is Johnny. He then accuses Kreese of deceiving him into believing that 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 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 issues. 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 sip of drink as he triumphantly usurps the dojo.
Season 5[]
Terry encounters Daniel and Chozen.
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 new 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 at the auction.
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. He 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, however, 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 as well 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.
SIlver and Kim Da-Eun.
The organizers come over to Cobra Kai and explain that even if he has benefits, there is no guarantee that he will 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. Sensei Kim then pulls Tory aside to punch solid stone in which she succeeds as she provoked her about Robby and Tory tells how she was forced to break up with him because of the dojo, Terry then assures her that she did the right think in breaking up with him. After that everyone leaves her alone to grieve her pain. Silver later goes to the hospital for some health issues, he meets Johnny in the hospital to congratulate him for qualifying for the Sekai Taikai tournament, he also learned that Johnny is going to have another child.
Terry Silver fights Chozen Toguchi.
At his mansion, he and Sensei Kim are hanging out when his former henchman, Mike Barnes, Johnny and Chozen show up. He tells the three 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. Unfortunately, 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 35 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 that he used on Johnny.
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. One cop tells Daniel and Johnny that Silver will be facing a litany of criminal charges for his actions and his lawyers are going to be busy.
Season 6[]
Part 1[]
Young Silver and Kreese appear in a flashback to 1980 when they are getting ready to leave Korea. Kreese, however, wants to say goodbye to a young Kim Da-Eun, which causes them to briefly delay leaving.
In the present time, he is mentioned a few times. Silver's mugshot is seen on a newspaper alongside Kreese's, regarding a "major karate scandal at a local dojo." He is even ostracized by Kim Sun-Yung because of his actions. Amanda wonders if he’ll beat his criminal charges, but Daniel is sure that with his reputation ruined, no one will ever fight for him again. When Kreese reunites with Kim Da-Eun, he tries to tell her he wasn't there for her in the valley because of what Silver did to him, but Kim Da cuts him off by saying that Silver is gone.
While in a cave in South Korea, Kreese is bitten by a cobra. He has a hallucination of a young Silver (and Johnny in a Cobra Kai gi). Kreese remembers that Silver declared him to be his weakness, and pushed the hallucination of his friend out of his way.
While preparing for the Sekai Taikai, Robby reminds Tory that she won the All Valley Tournament, but she argues that it didn't count because Silver paid off the referee.
Part 2[]
Courtesy of his lawyer, Silver managed to escape punishment from the law, but his reputation was already in shambles. He later travels to Bangkok, Thailand to escape the drama. With the money he still had left, he made a deal with Feng Xiao, offering to help restore his old Iron Dragons dojo after he was shut down and fighting in steel cages at a local tavern. In Barcelona, he sets up LaRusso to be kidnapped by some local thugs and a Cobra Kai alumni, Dennis de Guzman. Daniel, Chozen, Kim Da and Kreese are shocked to learn that Silver set him up, and both Daniel and Chozen are more shocked that Silver avoided going to prison.
At the tournament, when Silver and Wolf were having a conversation, Kreese confronts and punches Silver for supposedly stealing his eunjangdo knife while demanding answers. He replies that he had nothing to do with it until Gunther and Kim break up the confrontation. It turns out that Daniel, Johnny, and Chozen stole the weapon and replaced with a spa ticket to mess with Kreese and Silver's minds. He offers Kenny Payne to return to him but the boy refuses, now aware of the true kind of man he is. He then presents LaRusso with information about Miyagi, stating that he killed his opponent in the 1940s.
When an all out brawl sparks during the semi-finals, he faces off with Kreese and has the upper hand until Johnny Lawrence jumps in. He and Johnny then fight, with Johnny gaining the upper-hand over Silver this time, but the fight stops when they hear Kwon screaming. Upon seeing Kwon dead after landing onto Kreese's eunjangdo, horror crosses his face like everyone else.
Part 3[]
One month after the brawl at the Sekai Taikai, Silver convinces Gunther to resume the tournament, but Gunther says that all dojos have to agree. When it is revealed that Daniel is reluctant, Silver confronts Daniel and Johnny to convince them, saying that he will pay for the venue and referees of Daniel's choosing. It is revealed that Silver has a terminal illness which explains his determination to continue and have one last chance at a championship. Silver reveals that the championship is all that he has left as Silver has lost all of his mansions, has no real home as well as no wife or children. Daniel agrees to continue the Sekai Taikai at the All-Valley Arena. As the tournament resumes, Silver's health is shown to be worsening while he recalls a doctor telling Silver that with the return of his illness, he only has six months to live.
Following Axel Kovacevic taking Robby out of commission and Samantha LaRusso forfeiting her own match, combined with Cobra Kai lacking a male champion to replace Kwon, Silver proclaims the Iron Dragons the champions until Gunther reveals that Miguel has taken Kwon's place as Cobra Kai's male champion and Johnny as its new sensei, much to Silver and Wolf's dismay. During Axel and Miguel's fight, Silver and Wolf sense that Axel is distracted by Sam, making them berate him.
After Axel and Zara Malik lose their respective fights, but the point total ends in a tie between Cobra Kai and Iron Dragons, a tie-breaking fight is called between Wolf and Johnny. Silver sulks in his yacht and is unhappy that everyone has a happy ending and a family except for him. Not wanting to leave the fight to chance, Silver orders Dennis to kidnap Johnny's wife, Carmen Diaz, and their newborn daughter, Laura. However, Kreese attacks Dennis to stop them from going after Johnny. Silver gets alarmed and breaks a wine bottle as a weapon to find Kreese on the deck. Kreese berates Silver for seeing his dojo lose to Cobra Kai, while Terry berates him for still having a weak spot for Johnny. The two then fight to prevent the other from reaching the shore. Silver gains the upper hand and is in a position to finish off Kreese. However, before he can finish Kreese off, the latter throws his lit cigar at some spilled gasoline. Knowing the cigar is going to hit it and what is about to happen, a horrified Silver screams "no" while a triumphant Kreese screams "mercy". The cigar lands on the spilled gasoline, causing the yacht to blow up, killing them both, and finally ending Silver's threat for good.
Wolf later asks about Silver's whereabouts before his fight with Johnny without an answer, suggesting that no one knows that Silver is dead yet.
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 upfront, 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 reveals he is afflicted with Antisocial Personality Disorder, and one of the most manipulative and corrupt villains to cross Daniel's path. However, his desire to repay Kreese for all the times 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 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 he 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. However, in spite of how ruthless and cold-blooded Silver is, he surprisingly has a few morals and standards. This is best shown when even Silver is horrified after witnessing Kwon Jae-Sung accidentally stab himself to death.
However, unlike Kreese who shows remorse for Kwon's death, takes responsibility for it, and realizes how truly brutal his teachings are, Silver sees Kwon's death as an excuse to continue the Sekai Taikai and strengthen his grudge against Daniel, Johnny, and his enemies. He becomes more dangerous and vile while being desperate to leave a legacy for himself and defeat his enemies.
Silver later reveals to Daniel and Johnny that he's so determined to win because it's all that Silver has left: he's terminally ill, has lost everything and has no children, wife, real home, or any other kind of legacy. Silver convinces Daniel and Johnny to continue the tournament, but the two recognize that while Silver seems to be at peace with the situation, he will be as dangerous as ever as soon as something doesn't go his way. This proves to be true as Silver, when faced with possibly losing, decides to send Dennis de Guzman to kidnap Johnny's family as insurance. However, the remorseful Kreese sacrifices himself to stop Silver, killing himself, Silver, and Dennis. Silver screams no in horror just before he is killed since he wanted to stay alive, but he couldn't avoid the explosion caused by Kreese.
Ultimately, it was this mindset of winning at all costs regardless of the consequences and Silver's own insanity that led Kreese to killing them both, leaving Silver with no legacy. At the same time, Kreese was able to sacrifice himself to ensure the safety of Johnny and his family and Kreese still able to leave a legacy via Tory ( a Sekai Taikai female champion now competing in tournaments all across the world) and Johnny ( finally won a tournament and redeemed his 1984 loss). In contrast, Silver had a much worse ending than the 1985 tournament loss.
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 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 overwhelming 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 also 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 weaknesses 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, the latter of which Daniel learned from Silver himself, 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.
Six months later, Silver proved to be more than a match for Kreese, initially fighting him on equal terms, before using the curtains to ambush Kreese and gain the upper-hand. However, Johnny intervened and fought Silver. Unlike their previous fight, Johnny had higher training experience in the Miyagi-Do style this time, leading to him blocking and dodging Silver's strikes, and landing several hard hits on Silver, overwhelming Silver as a result. Johnny used well-timed defense and strong offense to defeat Silver, in stark contrast to Mr. Miyagi, who used strong defense with well-timed offense since Johnny's main specialty is offense whereas Mr. Miyagi's main specialty is defense. Both Mr. Miyagi and Johnny took a little less than a minute to defeat Silver and get him down on his knees. It looked like Silver would have lost the fight to Johnny had it not been for Kwon's deadly scream which stopped the fight.
During his last fight with Kreese, despite his terminal illness, he gained the upper hand and was in a position to finish Kreese off. However, before he could finish Kreese off, Kreese threw his cigar at the gasoline, which blew up, ultimately killing Silver and Kreese and stopping Silver for good.
Terry Silver is one of the best and strongest fighters ever in the whole current modern-day Karate Kid (Cobra Kai) universe. And he is even above the likes of John Kreese, Mike Barnes, Dennis de Guzman, George Turner, the Cobra Kai instructors, Master Li, Paul Dugan, O'Shea, Sensei Ivanov, Oksana, Victor Lipani, Axel Kovačević, Zara Malik, Kenny Payne, Tory Nichols, Miguel Diaz, Robby Keene, Eli Moskowitz, Samantha LaRusso, Kwon Jae-Sung, Yoon Do-Jin, Vlad, Draga, Dre Parker, Cheng, Liang, Wu Ping, Connor Day, Li Fong, and Ned Randall.
However, the only people that are concerned to be stronger than him are Mr. Miyagi, Master Kim Sun-Yung (in his prime), Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence, Chozen Toguchi, Feng Xiao, Kim Da-Eun, and Mr. Han.
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]
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.
Silver was eventually transported to prison for a litany of charges, including Stingray's attempted murder, whereas Kreese fled from jail and joined Kim Da-Eun in her own faction of Cobra Kai to compete in the Sekai Taikai. After his lawyer managed to throw his case out of the window, Silver took interest in Sensei Wolf's skills in his cage match in Thailand, became his business partner and helped him restore his former dojo, the Iron Dragons. With this powerful dojo under his thumb, Silver was hell-bent on making Daniel, Johnny and their students fall into disgrace during the Sekai Taikai in retribution for tainting his reputation. During the battle between all dojos, Kreese went after Silver with his eunjangdo dagger to murder him but upon realizing he had accidentally dropped the blade during the fray, the two men engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Silver managed to gain the upperhand on his former best friend and told him it was a shame their relationship had reached that point before insisting none of this would be happening if Kreese had remained in prison where he belonged. Before SIlver could launch his next attack, he was interrupted by Johnny until the battle came to an end with the death of Cobra Kai top student Kwon, much to the horror of everyone, particularly Kreese, Kim Da-Eun and their remaining students.
Later, Kreese decides to pay a visit to Silver's yacht when Silver decides to send Dennis to kidnap Johnny's wife and his newborn daughter. He and Kreese battle it out one last time. He tells him that what he has planned won't happen and tells him that Johnny was a student worthy of his dedication who has surpassed his teacher. He then fights Silver personally, the battle ending when he uses his cigar to light fire to spilled gasoline, igniting the yacht and killing both of them and rendering Silver's plan to complete failures.
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
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.
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 falsely 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.
After Cobra Kai managed to beat Miyagi-Do in the All-Valley, Daniel became determined to not allow Silver to establish more Cobra Kai dojos, which would corrupt dozens to hundreds of youths due to its dark philosophy and Silver's twisted view on karate. He recruited his fellow Miyagi-Do sensei from Okinawa and former rival, Chozen Toguchi, who deduced the fighting style used by Silver and his associates from Korea to be a modified version of Tang Soo Do developed by their master, Kim Sun-Yung. Unfortunately, Silver's impressive skills in psychological warfare enabled him to push Daniel's buttons and made the latter attack him during an auction, tainting his and his wife Amanda's image in front of other people and causing a strain in the couple's marriage. Daniel also tried to persuade Stingray, who helped Silver put Kreese behind bars, to turn against the silver-haired sensei but the latter was informed of Daniel's strategy and defeated Daniel in combat in Stingray's apartment. With his foot over his former student's throat, Silver assured Daniel the real pain was just starting and announced his plan for Cobra Kai's lessons to reach every corner of the world.
Through Kreese, Daniel, Johnny and Chozen learned Silver intended in getting Cobra Kai qualified into the international Sekai Taikai tournament, whose winner would have their dojo's brand and teachings spread across the globe. Though Silver managed to get Cobra Kai selected by the judges of the tournament, Miyagi-Do also succeeded in earning the judges' approval. Through the assistance of former Cobra Kai Tory Nichols, the Miyagi-Dos exposed Silver as the unscrupulous con-man that he is by showing a video of Silver admitting to Tory without hesitation that he had ensured Cobra Kai's victory in the All-Valley by bribing the referee, shattering the hearts of the Cobra Kai's, particularly Kenny. After failing to convince his students that he was not the fraud he was just proven as, he challenged Daniel to a final fight, which he accepted after receiving everyone's support, including Amanda. By remembering Silver's Quick Silver three-rule system from Karate Kid III and adding it to his own Miyagi-Do style, Daniel managed to overpower Silver and landed the final blow in the form of a crane kick. After his students disown him by throwing their Cobra Kai merchandise at his barely-conscious and beaten body and Stingray admits his near-fatal assault at Silver's hands, Silver was put behind bars for a litany of charges, which was witnessed by Daniel, Johnny and their loved ones much to their satisfaction.
However, Terry would eventually re-enter Daniel's life during the Sekai Taikai tournament. After his lawyer had all charges against him dropped, Silver became business partners with Sensei Wolf and became the manager of his newly-restored dojo, the Iron Dragons, which became one of the sixteen dojos selected for the international tournament. Working together with Sensei Wolf and Dennis de Guzman, one of his lackeys from the Karate Kid III, Silver took advantage of Daniel's obsession with uncovering Mr. Miyagi's past ties to the Sekai Taikai and arranged for him to be kidnapped and imprisoned alongside multiple dogs by Dennis and one of his friends, only for Daniel to eventually escape through his own resourcefulness. Despite Daniel escaping this trap, Miyagi-Do proved to have a difficult time in facing the captains of the Iron Dragons, Axel Kovacevic and Zara Malik, whose training and experience surpassed that of the Miyagi-Dos. With the Iron Dragons in his arsenal, Silver left clear his intentions to humiliate Daniel, Johnny, Chozen and their students in front of the entire world as payback for tarnishing his reputation in the eyes of the population of California. He also attempted to stoke doubts about Mr. Miyagi in Daniel by providing him with a record proving that Mr. Miyagi killed his opponent in a Sekai Taikai match.
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. Johnny was first asked about Silver when he tried to lift Cobra Kai's ban, with Johnny responding that he has no idea who that is. Later, Daniel tells Johnny about his experiences with Silver. 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. In order to break the spirit of his students, particularly his champion Miguel Diaz, Silver lured Johnny to the original, empty Cobra Kai dojo and brutalized him in front of Kreese, who had no idea of Silver's plans to Johnny.
After Silver won the All-Valley and incriminated Kreese for the attempted murder of Stingray, Johnny joined forces with Daniel and Chozen to prevent Silver from creating more Cobra Kai dojos and save many youths from being exposed to its dark influence. Johnny was visibly hurt when Silver made his speech of opening bunch of Cobra Kai dojos across the valley. Even during the tournament, they both shared angry glances at each other. After several weeks of being unable to hand Silver to justice, Johnny joined Chozen and another former rival of Daniel's, Mike Barnes, and the three broke into Silver's home. While Chozen pursued Silver, Johnny fought against Silver's five fellow senseis but he was beaten to submission. After Silver announced Chozen was "off the board," a bloody Johnny weakly vowed to kill him and Silver insulted the latter's intelligence for attacking him in his own turf before leaving his fellow senseis to finish him off. Johnny would ultimately survive and defeat the senseis with help of a recovered Mike and arrived just in time to watch alongside Daniel as Silver was put in a police car to face the legal repercussions of his actions, with Johnny even hoping that Kreese and Silver becoming cellmates.
Months later, upon returning to Barcelona for the rest of the Sekai Taikai, Johnny was informed by Daniel and Chozen that Silver had managed to escape jail time and became partners with Sensei Wolf and his Iron Dragons dojo to compete in the Sekai Taikai, much to Johnny's frustration and disbelief in the court system. The Iron Dragons proved to be more formidable than Cobra Kai against Miyagi-Do, as demonstrated by Robby's match against their male captain, Axel Kovacevic, before the match was interrupted and turned into a brawl between all senseis, during which Daniel and Johnny fought against Sensei Wolf, whose skills surpassed Daniel and Johnny's combined at the time. Johnny escaped and pursued Kreese before saving him from Silver and beating up the latter in retribution for doing the same to him right before the All-Valley tournament. However, things did not end there.
He later appears in LaRusso Auto's showroom and waits in one of their cars, pretending to be a person buying the car. Later, he drives the car recklessly until Johnny agrees to talk to Daniel about resuming the tournament.
During the tournament, Silver's student Axel breaks the knee of Johnny's student and son, Robby Keene, greatly upsetting Johnny but secretly amuses the ponytailed manager of the Iron Dragons and things seem to be going in Silver's favor when the referee is about to declare Axel as the champion of the male division of the Sekai Taikai. However, things go south for Silver when Gunther announces that Miguel is the replacement for Kwon as the male captain of Cobra Kai Male Sekai Taikai Captain with Johnny Lawrence as the sensei of Cobra Kai in the Sekai Taikai Tournament, something that makes Silver extremely furious. However, he admits that Johnny and Miguel are former Cobra Kai.
Daniel tells Johnny that he believes he can transform Cobra Kai into a well-respected dojo after all the damage that Kreese and Silver did, something that amuses Johnny.
After Miguel and Tory win their respective matches, the dying and desperate Silver decided to send his henchman Dennis to kidnap Carmen and her new-born daughter in order to throw Johnny off-balance and cannot see him win (since Silver wanted Wolf to win the match), only for Kreese to sacrifice himself and blow up the entire yacht, with Kreese, Silver, Dennis, and the other members in it.
After the Sekai Taikai Tournament, Johnny becomes the sensei of Cobra Kai Dojo and changes his mindset from strike first (something that Kreese and Silver believed in) to a balance of offense and defense, all while committing himself to be a better sensei and not make the same mistakes that Kreese and Silver made by fully making amends with Daniel LaRusso, something that Kreese and Silver were never able to with Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso.
Appearances[]
Movies[]
- The Karate Kid Part III (first appearance)
Cobra Kai[]
Season 1[]
- ''All Valley'' (mentioned)
Season 2[]
- ''Take a Right'' (flashback)
Season 3[]
- ''King Cobra'' (flashback)
- ''Feel The Night'' (flashback)
- ''December 19'' (flashback)
Season 4[]
- ''Let's Begin''
- ''First Learn Stand'' (picture and indirectly mentioned)
- ''Then Learn Fly''
- ''Bicephaly''
- ''Match Point''
- ''Kicks Get Chicks''
- ''Minefields''
- ''Party Time''
- ''The Fall''
- ''The Rise''
Season 5[]
- ''Long, Long Way From Home''
- ''Molé''
- ''Playing With Fire''
- ''Downward Spiral''
- ''Extreme Measures''
- ''Ouroboros''
- ''Bad Eggs''
- ''Taikai''
- ''Survivors''
- ''Head of the Snake''
Season 6[]
- ''Peacetime in the Valley'' (photo)
- ''The Prize'' (flashback)
- ''Sleeper'' (mentioned)
- ''Underdogs'' (mentioned)
- ''Best of the Best'' (mentioned)
- ''Benvinguts a Barcelona'' (mentioned)
- ''Snakes on a Plane''
- ''Blood In Blood Out''
- ''Eunjangdo''
- ''Into the Fire''
- ''Skeletons''
- ''Strike Last'' (death)
- ''Ex-Degenerate'' (mentioned)
Gallery[]
.png "Terry Silver (Cobra Kai).png (368 KB)")
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.
- The only time he goes a full season is in the fifth one.
- Season 4 doesn't count as he only appeared in a photo and an indirect mention of First Learn Stand.
- In the episode Match Point, a publicity photo of Thomas Ian Griffith is used as a picture of Silver in an article Demetri and Eli are researching. Oddly enough, this photo shows Silver with shorter hair, hinting he may have cut his hair sometime after 1985 and grew it back.
- He would do anything it takes to stay on top, even if it involves bribing.
- In addition to his other crimes, Silver is implied to be an art thief or to traffick in stolen art as the Rembrandt painting that Mike Barnes stole from his mansion to cover the costs of rebuilding his furniture store is The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, one of the world's most famously stolen paintings. It has a USD 10 million bounty for its recovery.
- Despite how well thought out his plan was to take Kreese down and secure his own victory, Silver was somewhat sloppy with his coverup of his crimes which led to his downfall. While Silver was smart enough to erase the security footage of his attack on Stingray, he never bothered to erase the evidence of his confession to Tory about bribing the referee which was what proved to be his downfall.
- Silver's terminal illness is foreshadowed by his appearance at the hospital in season 5 and his constant remarks about leaving behind a legacy. In Into the Fire, Johnny recalls running into Silver in the hospital, causing him to realize that Silver is sick.
- Silver's exact illness is not revealed, he just states that him being sick is an understatement. However, in a flashback in Skeletons, a doctor mentions that they thought that it was gone, but it came back, possibly implying some form of cancer.
References[]
 Villains
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Main The Karate Kid Part II Part III The Next Karate Kid | ||
