Karate Kid: Legends, starring Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, will continue a trend that began withCobra Kaiconcerning Mr. Miyagi. Immediately, one of the most exciting things about the upcoming film isKarate Kid: Legends’cast. The film is uniting two sides of theKarate Kiduniverse, taking Chan’s Mr. Han and teaming him up with Macchio’s original Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso. Thissoft reboot ofKarate Kidis made much more exciting as a result, as is the potential continuation of storylines fromCobra Kaiseason 6.
That said, theconnections betweenCobra KaiandKarate Kid: Legendsare not expected to be too extensive. The latter film will undoubtedly address some elements of the former, given Macchio’s involvement in both, but thetrailer forKarate Kid: Legendsmade it clear the story will stand on its own with a distinct tone. Regardless, one clear connection between the two projects has already been laid bare, withKarate Kid: Legendsset to continue a trend that first began inCobra Kai.
Karate Kid: Legends Will Continue To Reveal More About Mr. Miyagi’s Past
Miyagi Remains A Central Piece Of The Karate Kid Puzzle
The trend in question is exploring more about Mr. Miyagi’s past. Theever-wise and inspiring Mr. Miyagihas been an integral character in the franchise since the first movie in 1984, with the sequels starring Macchio and Hilary Swank also focusing on him to an extent. 2010’sThe Karate Kidwas a soft reboot, meaning connections to Miyagi were absent, yetCobra Kaibrought the character back into the spotlight. Wisely, the show kept Miyagi as an important piece of Daniel’s life even in death, withCobra Kaibeginning the trend of revealing unexplored mysteries about Miyagi’s past.
Why Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han Goes To Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso In Karate Kid: Legends
Karate Kid: Legends’ trailer shows Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han meeting Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso, begging the question of how they are connected.
As it turns out,Karate Kid: Legendswill continue to do so. The trailer for the film implies that Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han knew Miyagi, with the former insisting that he did not come to America to find Miyagi, but Daniel LaRusso. This passage of dialogue heavily insinuates that Han is aware of Miyagi, withKarate Kid: Legends’director even confirming that the Han and Miyagi families have been connected since the old days. This is an element of Miyagi’s life that has never been revealed before, proving thatKarate Kid: Legendswill followCobra Kai’s storytelling trick.
Why The Karate Kid Franchise Keeps Retconning Mr. Miyagi’s Story
Miyagi Remains A Narratively Important Character
With this trend continuing inKarate Kid: Legends, the burning question is why the franchise keeps circling back to Mr. Miyagi to reveal more about him. The answer to this is fairly simple: the character is intensely beloved. While Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso, William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence, and Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce are the main characters of their respectiveKarate Kidstories, the heart of each has been Mr. Miyagi.Miyagi was undoubtedly the most popular, most beloved character in the originalKarate Kidquadrilogy, and remained so in the 20+ years betweenThe Next Karate KidandCobra Kai.
Mr. Miyagi is a central emotional hook of theKarate Kidfranchise…
As such, Mr. Miyagi is a central emotional hook of theKarate Kidfranchise.Cobra Kaiunderstood this and began retconning Miyagi’s story to keep that emotional resonance alive despite the character - and treasured actor Pat Morita - being gone. In keeping that sense of familiarity,Cobra Kai- and nowKarate Kid: Legends- will more easily resonate with audiences who know and love Mr. Miyagi. So long as both projects continue to treat Miyagi with respect, the trend will undoubtedly continue, as the character’s fascinating life is delved even further into.
Karate Kid: Legends
Cast
Karate Kid: Legends is a sequel to Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid directed by Jonathan Entwistle. The film sees Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprising their roles, continuing the legacy of martial arts mentorship and rivalry in a new era of challenges and apprentices.
