Ralph Macchio And Jackie Chan’s Karate Kid Movie Is Already Bringing Back The Best Thing About Cobra Kai

Not only does it feature Ralph Macchio in a co-starring role, Karate Kid: Legends is set to feature another major element from Cobra Kai. As Cobra Kai was so popular, it is not surprising that its success may have influenced the upcoming movie, and it has been confirmed that Karate Kid: Legends will indeed have a connection to Cobra Kai. While the plot for Karate Kid: Legends has been kept under wraps, it’s no secret that it will focus on a teen from China who moves to the East Coast and learns martial arts.

In The Karate Kid franchise timeline, Karate Kid: Legends is set after Cobra Kai, in which Daniel LaRusso learned to work together as a sensei with his former Karate Kid nemesis, Johnny Lawrence. Macchio will reprise his role as Daniel, and while it has not yet been confirmed if William Zabka will also return as Johnny, their Cobra Kai conflict and character arc may influence Daniel in Karate Kid: Legends. The upcoming movie will also feature two senseis working together, which was a central aspect to Cobra Kai, but new for a Karate Kid movie.

Karate Kid: Legends Is Bringing Together Two Sensei With Different Styles

The Karate Kid remake follows the original Karate Kid movie’s plot, but sensei Mr. Han (played by martial arts legend Jackie Chan) teaches kung fu, not karate. Han’s evasive fighting style forces his opponents to destroy themselves through exertion, rather than landing many strikes and kicks. On the other hand, Daniel teaches Miyagi-Do karate to his students, focusing on defensive movements like strikes as Mr Miyagi taught him. Chan will also reprise his role in Karate Kid: Legends, allowing the two characters to team up as senseis, albeit though very different styles.

Although the Karate Kid movies have featured other sensei aside from Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han, they are generally antagonists, contributing to the movies’ major conflicts. In The Karate Kid, Johnny’s bullying manner is taught by his sensei, John Kreese, who appears as an antagonist throughout the first three Karate Kid movies. This familiar plot ensured audiences supported one sensei over another, but this was challenged in Cobra Kai as it painted a previous antagonist more sympathetically. Cobra Kai’s focus on Johnny and Daniel’s character development through their conflict made the series stand out in the Karate Kid franchise.

Daniel And Johnny’s Different Karate Philosophies Set The Tone For Cobra Kai

In Cobra Kai, Johnny teaches Tang Soo Do – a more aggressive subset of karate – and has a very different philosophy to Daniel, prioritizing “no mercy” over Daniel’s more peaceful approach. When the two sensei combined their dojos, the results were disastrous, but each approach had its merit. Cobra Kai was often about problem-solving rather than just fighting, and Daniel and Johnny’s understanding that they could learn from each other developed their characters throughout the series. This theme of self-improvement defines Cobra Kai and is central to the Karate Kid movies, and karate.

Johnny’s story will affect Karate Kid: Legends even if Zabka does not return.

Before Cobra Kai, the dynamic between the Karate Kid movies’ sensei was a relatively simple “good guy vs bad guy” story. Cobra Kai’s new dynamic gave audiences something different while staying true to The Karate Kid’s original messages of respect and personal development. This evolving relationship between Daniel and Johnny was the best thing about Cobra Kai, and Daniel’s experience learning from Johnny was key to his character development. This means that Johnny’s story will affect Karate Kid: Legends even if Zabka does not return, as Karate Kid: Legends is set after Cobra Kai.

How Daniel LaRusso And Mr. Han’s Dynamic Will Be Different From Cobra Kai

As Mr. Han played a similar role to Mr. Miyagi in 2010’s The Karate Kid, his teaching philosophy will probably remain peaceful, which is a similar approach to Daniel’s. As Daniel has some contempt for more aggressive teaching styles, Daniel and Mr. Han are more likely to get along in Karate Kid: Legends than Daniel and Johnny did in Cobra Kai. However, they are strangers teaching different martial arts, so their relationship could take any form, including conflict. It is not yet confirmed where Daniel and Mr. Han will meet in Karate Kid: Legends, but a tournament seems likely.

With Jackie Chan already a martial arts icon and Macchio as the face of The Karate Kid franchise, a fight between their characters has the potential to be an epic moment for the movie. As the sensei teach different martial arts, the chance of the two fighting each other in a tournament is less likely, but they could spar while demonstrating techniques to their students. The two-sensei dynamic was the best part of Cobra Kai, and as Karate Kid: Legends is bringing it back, this is exciting new ground for the Karate Kid franchise.