Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Karate Kid: Legends’Karate Kid: Legends manages to stand out from other entries in the Karate Kid franchise by weaving together the events of two separate films: the original version of The Karate Kid that debuted in 1984, and the massively underrated reimagining from 2010. That also extends to the dynamic between original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), kung fu master Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and the franchise’s newest protagonist, Li Fong (Ben Wang). Li Fong ends up combining elements of Daniel’s karate and Mr. Han’s kung fu in order to win a martial arts tournament, while fitting into a new life in New York. So, how does the new Karate Kid stack up to his predecessors?
‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Begins With a Unique Twist on the Karate Kid Formula
When Karate Kid: Legends begins, Li Fong winds up moving to America when his mother (Ming-Na Wen) takes up a new position in a New York hospital. He slowly gets used to New York life, even befriending Victor (Joshua Jackson), the owner of a nearby pizzeria. Li also befriends and slowly develops feelings for Victor’s daughter Mia (Sadie Stanley). But trouble rears its head when he encounters Connor Day (Aramis Knight), the star fighter at a local gym and Mia’s ex-boyfriend; Connor winds up viciously beating Li during a fight at school. Later, Li saves Victor from a group of debt collectors and decides to train him to fight in a boxing match, which results in Karate Kid: Legends’s most unique aspect: the kid is the one training an adult, not the other way around. After some unorthodox training, Victor is prepared to enter a boxing match and win the money he needs to pay off his debts…but his opponent knocks him out with a series of illegal blows, nearly killing him. At the urging of Mr. Han, Li enters the 5 Boroughs tournament, a karate tournament that’s renowned throughout New York; he intends to use the money to help Victor and Mia. Mr. Han also asks Daniel to help, revealing that he knew Daniel’s teacher, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), when he was younger. Han and Daniel start blending their respective styles in order to teach Li, relying upon the saying “Two branches, one tree” to reflect their lessons. Daniel even gifts Li his own signature headband with the signature Miyagi-Do symbol of a tree.
Throughout ‘Karate Kid: Legends,’ Li Fong Fights Other Martial Artists & the Ghosts of His Past

When Li moves to America, his mother makes him promise to give up fighting, even confronting Mr. Han about letting Li train at his kung fu school. Her worries stem from the fact that Li’s brother was stabbed to death following a kung fu tournament, as his opponent couldn’t accept a loss. This weighs heavily on Li, as when Victor is injured he freezes up. Mr. Han has him compete in the 5 Boroughs to overcome his fear, which ends up working as Li is able to utilize kung fu and karate movements to become a supremely skilled fighter. Eventually, he takes on Connor in the final round, and pulls off a move his brother had attempted to teach him, called the “dragon kick”. When Connor ends up trying to sneak attack Li, Li simply knocks him down again…then helps him up, and the two bow to each other. Cue the audience’s applause, Li hugging his mother, and sharing a kiss with Mia.
‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Features a Nod to ‘Cobra Kai’

When Karate Kid: Legends was first announced, everyone had one question: “How does it connect to Cobra Kai?” It was a fair question, as Cobra Kai features Daniel in a prominent role while also building upon the events of the previous Karate Kid movies. Director Jonathan Entwistle was fairly clear that he wasn’t making a Cobra Kai movie, though the ending of Karate Kid: Legends does feature a nod to the show. Utilizing his tournament winnings, Li is able to help Victor and Mia open a second pizzeria, even sending a special pie to Daniel as thanks. Daniel takes the pizza into his dojo, where none other than his rival-turned-friend Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) is hanging out! Johnny starts offering ideas for karate-themed pizza, much to Daniel’s discomfort. In this way, Entwistle acknowledges the events of Cobra Kai while also keeping Karate Kid: Legends as its own story. Karate Kid: Legends is now playing in theaters.

Karate Kid: Legends

Release Date

May 30, 2025

Runtime

94 minutes

Director

Jonathan Entwistle

Writers

Rob Lieber