Even thoughKarate Kid: Legendshas been confirmed to be a separate story fromCobra Kai, there’s a character other than Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso who needs to make the jump from theending ofCobra Kai’s final seasonand into the upcoming legacy sequel with Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han. If they don’t make an appearance, it won’t exactly be a plot hole, but it would be very strange given the nature of their connection to Macchio’s character.
Karate Kid: Legends' storywill be set three years after the events ofCobra Kai’s big finale. Although the movie is part of the same timeline as all the otherKarate Kidmovies andCobra Kai, the project marks the start of a new era for the franchise. As such,most of theCobra Kaiensemble will be absent fromLegends. I’m sure the movie’s new characters will blend very well with existing figures like Daniel and Mr. Han, butLegendsmust recall one originalCobra Kaicharacter to appear during the story.
Amanda LaRusso Cannot Possibly Be Left Out Of Karate Kid: Legends
Daniel’s wife being absent from the upcoming Karate Kid sequel would be weirdly distracting
Cobra Kaifleshed out Daniel LaRusso’s family tree quite significantly. As well as establishing that Daniel had fathered two children in the period between the end of 1989’sThe Karate Kid Part IIIand the 2018 pilot ofCobra Kai, the sequel show also revealed he had met and married the mother of his eventual offspring - Courtney Henggeler’s Amanda LaRusso. While Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser) and Anthony LaRusso (Griffin Santopietro) will likely be off at college or otherwise leading their own lives,Amanda would still be around inKarate Kid: Legends.
Having Daniel but no Amanda would feel like a very forced and unnecessary way to try and reinforce the idea thatKarate Kid: Legendsisn’t a direct continuation ofCobra Kai.
Granted, the upcoming movie isn’t all set in California. Most of the story will unfold in China, and New York. As such,Amanda would need to stay behind and run their car dealership while Daniel is out of town. However, theLegendstrailer has already revealed that at least some of the movie takes place in California, so having Daniel but no Amanda would feel like a very forced and unnecessary way to try and reinforce the idea thatKarate Kid: Legendsisn’t a direct continuation ofCobra Kai. Even a brief Amanda cameo would be better than omitting her.
Karate Kid: Legends Doesn’t Need Too Many Cobra Kai Connections
Cobra Kai’s story is over, and that’s fine
Cobra Kaihas now told a complete story, with the original intention of redeeming William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence finally achieved afterhis victory over Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan) in the Sekai Taikai. With the majority of the other characters moving on to other endeavors, such as college,it wouldn’t make sense forKarate Kid: Legendsto serve as a proper sequel toCobra Kai, even though it does take place after the show’s final episode.
Cobra Kai Quietly Reveals Where Johnny Lawrence Is During Karate Kid: Legends
It was often unclear what Johnny would do when Cobra Kai ended, but the show has subtly provided an answer for his Karate Kid: Legends-era role.
That being said, the unexpected resurgence of theKarate Kidfranchise brought about byCobra Kaiproves there is still life in the beloved martial arts series. For it to continue thriving,Legendsneeds to do whatCobra Kaidid and push the saga onwardwhile respecting its past. IfKarate Kid: Legendsis just an endless string of nods toCobra Kai, there would be no point in making it at all.
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.
Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai is a sequel series continuing the narrative of the Karate Kid saga, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It focuses on Johnny Lawrence seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.
