Karate Kid Legends manages to connect the original Karate Kid with the 2010 Jackie Chan movie in an ingenious way that delves into the past.
The Karate Kid introduced Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi in 1984, a wise mentor and sensei from the Japanese island of Okinawa.
2010 reboot The Karate Kid told a similar story but in Beijing, and introduced a similarly wise mentor in the shape of Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han.
Netflix hit Cobra Kai looked like it might cross their stories over in some capacity until it didn’t. But now Karate Kid Legends opens with a scene that gets the job done in simple and efficient fashion. Meaning minor SPOILERS ahead.
Karate Kid Part II scene helps fuse legends of Miyagi and Han
The scene in question from The Karate Kid Part II.
Karate Kid Legends kicks off in surprising fashion, with a clip from The Karate Kid Part II. The words “Okinawa Japan, 1986” appear onscreen, and the action is early in Daniel’s visit to the island. He walks into the Miyagi dojo, where his mentor is training.
Daniel asks about some pictures on the wall, and Mr. Miyagi talks about his ancestors, including the fisherman who got drunk on sake, fell asleep, and woke up in China.
Then via voiceover – now presumably recreating the late Pat Morita – we learn that the Han family took this Miyagi in and taught him kung fu, resulting in “two cultures, two martial arts, and two branches” of the same tree.
He returned to Okinawa with that knowledge, which is how Miyagi karate was born, thereby connecting the two sensei in the Karate Kid story, leading to the fusion of karate and kung fu in Karate Kid Legends.
The new movie is in UK cinemas now and hits US screens on May 30, 2025. Meaning you can now read our Karate Kid Legends ending explainer.
For more fast fists check out our list of the best action movies ever, while these are the best shows to watch if you love Cobra Kai, plus our thoughts on the only way that show can continue.
