Synopsis:
Karate Kid: Legends isn’t just another sequel—it’s a wild crossover that somehow ties together both Daniel LaRusso’s Miyagi-verse and Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han from the 2010 reboot. Yep, that’s right. The same Mr. Han who trained Jaden Smith in what was originally meant to be a straight remake of the OG 1984 film is now officially part of the Karate Kid/Cobra Kai universe. And honestly? That’s kind of hilarious.
Think about it: Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han are now canonically two wise, widowed handymen who happened to be martial arts masters, living quiet lives—until they took bullied boys under their wings, trained them in secret, and helped them face their tormentors in martial arts tournaments. Oh, and both drunkenly opened up about their dead families at some emotional turning point. The parallels are wild.
But apparently, it’s not just coincidence—it’s destiny. Because Legends throws in a plot twist that these two weren’t just similar… they were actual friends. Like, longtime friends. The movie even drops a photoshopped image of Pat Morita and Jackie Chan chilling in the ’80s to “prove it.”
The film kicks off with a flashback straight from The Karate Kid Part II, when Miyagi tells Daniel about his ancestor Shimpo Miyagi. Back in 1625, Shimpo gets drunk, drifts off to China, and comes back a decade later with a wife, two kids, and a new fighting style that becomes Miyagi-Do karate. Legends then switches to animation (voiced by someone doing a spooky good Pat Morita impression—AI, maybe?) and expands that story: turns out Shimpo learned kung fu from the Han family. Boom. That’s the ancestral link. Two families. One legacy.
Now, if the trailers had you thinking this was a movie about Daniel and Han training a new student together—well, pump the brakes. That doesn’t happen until halfway through the movie. The first half is all about Li Fong, a skilled kung fu student from China, moving to New York with his mom (played by the always amazing Ming-Na Wen). He meets Mia (Sadie Stanley), the sweet girl next door, and clashes with her ex, Connor (Aramis Knight), a cocky karate champ and full-time jerk.
