How 'Karate Kid: Legends' is Connected to 'Cobra Kai'—Which to Watch First

Newsweek

03-06-2025

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The sixth movie in the Karate Kid franchise, "Karate Kid: Legends," has officially hit theaters. And even though critics don't seem to be too fond of the film, fans of the series and general audiences seem to be loving it.
"Karate Kid: Legends" brings back to beloved characters to the cinema: Jackie Chan as Mr. Han and Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso. Additionally, the film stars Ben Wang as Li Fong, their new student.
While Chan hasn't been seen in the series since the last film was in theaters back in 2010, Macchio has been a regular fixture of the wildly popular "Cobra Kai" series on Netflix, which just released its sixth and final season.
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Naturally, this has fans of the television show wondering if anything from "Cobra Kai" will make it into the film. That being said, these same fans may be disappointed.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for both "Karate Kid: Legends" and "Cobra Kai" Season 6.
Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio in 'Karate Kid: Legends.'
Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio in 'Karate Kid: Legends.'
Sony Pictures
How is 'Cobra Kai' Connected to 'Karate Kid: Legends'?
"Karate Kid: Legends" is focused on continuing the story and legacy from the previous Karate Kid films. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to fully include "Cobra Kai."
"There are many, many seasons of 'Cobra Kai.' This is not a 'Cobra Kai' movie. It's within the Karate Kid universe," director Jonathan Entwistle said, per Jake Hodges and Perri Nemiroff of Collider. "It's another chapter in the story. It's another graphic novel in the sequence."
This doesn't mean that "Cobra Kai" fans have been cut out completely. In a post-credits sequence, William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence shows up to hang out with Daniel after he receives a heartwarming letter from Li. However, that's all fans of the Netflix series will be getting.
Do You Need to Watch 'Cobra Kai' Before 'Karate Kid: Legends'?
Based on this information, it doesn't feel like watching "Cobra Kai" is at all necessary to enjoy "Karate Kid: Legends." Instead, fans of the franchise should turn their heads to the original movies starring Macchio and Pat Morita, as well as "The Karate Kid" from 2010 starring Chan and Jaden Smith.
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Still, it is absolutely worth watching all six seasons of "Cobra Kai" just because it is wildly entertaining television with exciting martial arts action and plenty of drama.
Additionally, if you want to see everything in the Karate Kid universe, "The Next Karate Kid" is also a fun watch with Morita reprising his role as Mr. Miyagi and a young Hilary Swank playing Julie Pierce, his new student.
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