How Karate Kid: Legends Connects To Netflix's Cobra Kai

This post contains spoilers for "Karate Kid: Legends."

When it was first announced that Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan were joining forces for a new "Karate Kid" movie in 2023, the final season of "Cobra Kai" hadn't even finished its closing round. As a result, fans speculated about how the new film that became "Karate Kid: Legends" would integrate into the popular Netflix series, if at all. Would the events of the Sekai Taikai find their way out of Los Angeles and into New York City? Would we see LaRusso hard at work training a new class at Miyagi-Do, and would former students end up making surprise appearances as well to give their former sensei the seal of approval for the new Karate Kid, Li Fong (Ben Wang)?

Now that the film is in theaters, fans of the franchise, and most specifically "Cobra Kai," can finally get some clarity on where in the ongoing karate-fueled adventures of former All-Valley champ and leading car salesman Daniel LaRusso (Macchio), this new installment takes place. More importantly, we can confirm how tight the bonds are between the latest film and Netflix's high-kicking series. The answer, which may disappoint die-hard fans of the franchise, is not very, as "Karate Kid: Legends" only just taps into the territory of "Cobra Kai" with one briefly visited location. What might redeem its limited cohesion, however, is the surprise appearance in the film's final moments that is guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of any fan who has been following this franchise over the last 40 years.

Partial footage of "The Karate Kid Part II" and an impressive bit of animation reveal that Mr. Miyagi's ancestor and fisherman Shimpo Miyagi, washed up on the shores of China in 1625 while asleep at the helm and was taken in by the Han family, where he learned the ways of kung fu. After his eventual return to Okinawa, Japan, Shimpo created Miyagi-Do, with his lessons from across the sea integrating into his way of life, establishing the history between families that Mr. Han revisits. After learning of his nephew's predicament, Han heads to Los Angeles asking for the help of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). Han explains that he once stayed with Daniel's former sensei, who spoke fondly of his legendary pupil and the original Karate Kid.

The first meeting is pretty simple. Han pays his respects to Miyagi (the late Pat Morita) before asking his protege for help, which LaRusso is initially reluctant to provide, even though it appears he has little to keep him occupied. Seemingly tending to banzai trees (he takes garden gloves off when entering the dojo), there are no students, no classes, or any mention of the events of "Cobra Kai" which has now been confirmed (via The Hollywood Reporter) to have taken three years before "Karate Kid: Legends." It stays that way for the rest of Li's story, but it's only when Daniel returns home and receives a gift from his new friends that an old one pays a visit in a perfectly handled cameo.

While the film makes minimal effort to connect with Netflix's six-season show that revisited the "Karate Kid" franchise (or the 2010 film that also starred Jackie Chan for that matter), it's in the final moments of "Karate Kid: Legends" that a cameo totally absolves the movie of its crimes. After Victor (Joshua Jackson) reopens his pizza shop thanks to Li's prize funds from the tournament, Han sends a sealed pie to Daniel, who is accompanied by none other than his longtime foe-turned-friend, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Dressed in his typical flannel shirt and tee combo (and with an open bottle of beer), Daniel's delivery gives Johnny an idea to set up a shop of their own and name it "Miyagi-Dough." Naturally, the idea gets quickly ignored by Daniel, while Johnny continues to think up company slogans ("No mercy, no anchovies" is a particular highlight) before the film cuts to black.

For fans of the show, it's a great little moment that confirms, after Johnny's triumph at the end of "Cobra Kai," Daniel's co-sensei hasn't changed a bit and is still close to the man he originally saw as a rival in their younger years. It also marks the first time in 36 years that Johnny Lawrence has been on the big screen, which, for the legendary winner of the Sekai Taikai, is an appearance that's long overdue.