Does Karate Kid: Legends acknowledge the events of Cobra Kai?

Karate Kid: Legends brings a new entry into the Karate Kid franchise. However, its trailer marks a major concern for the fans of Netflix's Cobra Kai. The Netflix series brought Ralph Macchio and William Zabka to reprise the iconic rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence with a dollop of self-aware humor. The events in this series take place over three decades after Daniel won the Karate Tournament where Daniel emerged as the star under Mr. Miyagi's expert guidance.

The upcoming Karate Kid: Legends shows Daniel returning as a mentor to a new fighting champion, who is under Mr. Han's wings. Judging by the trailer, the up-and-coming Karate Kid will share a special bond with Mr. Han, much like how Daniel once did with Mr. Miyagi. However, the two-minute clip does not show Daniel revealing what happened to him during Cobra Kai. So, the Karate Kid fans might be wondering whether the film will acknowledge the events of Cobra Kai.

The trailer does not explicitly promise that it will. However, it is important to note that it is only two minutes worth of assembled clips and the film might offer some connection between Cobra Kai and Karate Kid: Legends. We'll know if it does only once it is out in theaters.

---

Karate Kid: Legends - The history of the Karate Kid franchise explored

Since its inception, the Karate Kid franchise has offered different iterations of the trainer-disciple dynamic. The 1984 film brought Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi as this dynamic duo, which stayed together for the next two films. Then entered Julie Pierce (Hillary Swank), another young fighter who trained under Mr. Miyagi.

In 2010, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) appeared as the kung fu expert who guided young Dre Parker (Jaden Smith). Eventually, Cobra Kai offered a spin-off with Daniel and Johnny bringing their rivalry back in a new avatar. It showed Daniel going through a major character development and offered key insights into Mr Miyagi's life after he trained Daniel.

---

Will Karate Kid: Legends acknowledge the existence of Cobra Kai?

Karate Kid: Legends is set to arrive shortly after the sixth season of Cobra Kai. Both projects show Daniel LaRusso in a new light and explore either darker or more mature parts of his life. The Karate Kid: Legends trailer also offers a respectful nod to Mr Miyagi. It also shows Mr. Han teaching his new disciple in Mr Miyagi's house.

However, the house does not look worn out - even if it has been many years since Daniel learned there, and three years after the last events from Cobra Kai.

In line with this, Ralph Macchio told Variety:

“It was not a quick decision, because it was about protecting the Daniel LaRusso character, and finding where he would be at that point, and then protecting the whole legacy in the Miyagi-verse."

He further added,

"Once we were able to line that up, for the ‘Cobra Kai’ story to lead into the new film — even though they’re separate ecosystems — it all made sense for me.”

Machhio acknowledged the underlying differences between the Karate Kid and Cobra Kai ecosystems but also offered hope for his Cobra Kai story leading into Karate Kid: Legends. So, even though the trailer doesn't explicitly acknowledge Daniel's arc in the Netflix show, the film might.

After all, a trailer for any film only provides a few insights. It is ideally not supposed to explain the entire plotline. So, the film can address the fans' potential concerns related to the inclusion or exclusion of elements from Cobra Kai.

Since Karate Kid: Legends is a franchise installment, it will potentially include a few surprises. One of them might be Daniel acknowledging the life he lived after the events of the third Karate Kid film until meeting Mr. Han.