The original film series consisted of four films, all starring Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita), released from 1984 to 1994. Then, a remake was released in 2010, with a similar storyline but different characters, set in China and focusing on Kung Fu rather than Karate. As a result, most fans believe that this film wasn’t part of the Karate Kid universe, unlike the previous four films.

It wasn’t until 2025, with the release of this new addition to the series, that its story retconned the films and established them as being part of the same universe, with the return of not just Karate Kid I-III and Cobra Kai’s protagonist Daniel LaRusso but also the return of Mr Han from the 2010 Karate Kid film. Both of these characters’ martial arts and philosophies stem from the same tree of origins. Now, they must come together as masters and share their knowledge with the film’s new protagonist, Li Fong, if he is ever to overcome his trauma and defeat his bully, the reigning champion of the annual karate tournament held in New York City.

Karate Kid: Legends

In this article, I will discuss the film’s plot and share my thoughts on each individual section of the overall story, which I have separated for the purpose of this article. My shared thoughts and the sections of the story will enter spoiler territory for readers who wish to be aware and avoid them before continuing.

Image Credit: IMDb

Mr. Miyagi and His Protégé

The opening scene transports us back to the summer of 1985, where a conversation between Mr Miyagi and an adolescent, Daniel LaRusso, reveals the connection between his brand of Karate and a style of kung fu practised in China. Told through beautiful Japanese paintings, Mr. Miyagi’s ancestor, Shimpo, fell asleep fishing off the coast of Japan only to find himself on the shores of China, where the Han family took him in and taught him Kung fu, which was branded as Miyagi-Do Karate upon his return to Japan.” Two branches of the same tree,” Mr Miyagi would say to describe the connection between the two forms of martial arts.

My Thoughts

The opening scene used archival footage from The Karate Kid Part II to retcon the Karate Kid universe, as Jackie Chan’s 2010 Karate Kid film was designed to be a remake of the original and separate from the others in the franchise. I loved the creative approach of using old scenes and incorporating Japanese paintings to provide new exposition and storytelling, thereby connecting all the films together.

Mr. Han and His Protégé

In present-day Beijing, we see the return of Mr Han (The legendary Jackie Chan) now a master of a kung fu school with his great-nephew, Li Fong (Ben Wang, upcoming Hunger Game’s: Sunrise on the Reaping), among his students. The arrival of Li’s mother (The iconic Ming-Na Wen and the voice of Mulan) creates tension with her uncle, Mr Han, as she disagrees with her son’s training, especially after the death of her eldest son, who was another student of Mr Han.

To make matters worse, she reveals that she and Li are moving to America after she accepts a job there and asks Li to promise to give up martial arts once they move to New York City.

My Thoughts

An interesting setup, similar to the 2010 film, where the protagonist and his mother move from America to China for a job opportunity, but in reverse. I was intrigued to see more of the relationship dynamics between these three characters, especially with the actors portraying them, and the circumstances surrounding the brother’s death added that sense of mystery and curiosity.

Li Fong in New York City

In New York, Li struggles to adjust socially at school but finds a friend and potential love interest in Mia (Sadie Stanley), the daughter of Victor (Joshua Jackson), the owner of a pizzeria and a former local boxing champion. Connecting instantly, their friendship begins to grow when Li promises to teach her Mandarin, allowing her to communicate more effectively with the local Chinese shop owners and receive ingredient discounts for the pizzeria. In exchange, Mia will show Li the local hotspots and how to adjust to the New York way of life. A date it is, Li states; no, insists Mia, it’s more of an educational experience.

An outing around the city leads to Li and Mia encountering her ex-boyfriend, Connor (Aramis Knight), a karate prodigy and 5 times champion of the five borough tournament, alongside his mentor O’Shea (Tim Rozon), local loan shark and owner of the karate dojo that Conor trains at.

Sadie Stanley portrays Li Fong’s love interest, Mia, and has great chemistry with Ben Wang on-screen.
Image credit: IMDb

My Thoughts

I really liked the chemistry between Li and Mia; it felt very natural, and the banter between them created that instant sense of connection. It was obvious that it would blossom into something more in time, but I appreciated the time the film took to develop their friendship.

As for the film’s antagonist, similar to the original film’s premise, the ex-boyfriend and karate prodigy dislike seeing his ex with a new guy; there’s nothing new there. The stereotypical film bully with aggressive issues, but Connor seemed like a decent rival for Li. As for the loan shark, O’Shea, he serves as another antagonist, albeit on a smaller scale, with less screen time and more of a foe to Joshua Jackson’s character, Victor. The film could have spent more time developing these characters beyond the typical bad guys, as well as fleshing out the conflict between O’Shea and Victor.

Kung Fu Lessons and the SATs

Li’s mother hires a tutor, Alan (Wyatt Oleff), to help Li with his upcoming S.A.T., while Connor takes any opportunity to harass and attack Li in public or at school. We get to see a flashback of Li and his brother, Bo, and how Li looked up to his older brother as he taught Li a move called ‘the Dragon kick’ to use against opponents. Li tries this move on Connor but is defeated when Connor counter-blocks it.

That night, Li arrives at the wrong place at the wrong time as a group of thugs hired by O’Shea arrive to beat up Victor, who is behind on the money he owes to O’Shea. Li helps defend Victor against the thugs and, impressed with his moves, asks Li to teach him Kung Fu so he can participate in a boxing match to earn enough money to pay off O’Shea, as well as some leftover money for the pizzeria and Mia’s future.

Aramis Knight portrays Li Fong’s rival, Conor. The karate prodigy is the stereotypical villain we have seen in previous films in the franchise.
Image credit: IMDb

My Thoughts

I thought the addition of Alan would have provided Li with a new friendship, free from any romantic ties outside of Mia; however, the friendship between the two guys is very surface-level. There isn’t much screen time between the two guys, and instead, Alan is the nerdy and eccentric friend that you are embarrassed to be around. It would have been interesting to have a strong male friend, such as he had with his brother, and someone to lean on for support and share struggles with, like discussing girls and being bullied. I mean, we do get to see some aspect of this in their friendship, but they are somewhat lacklustre overall.

The fighting choreography in the scenes with the thugs was quite impressive. The actor Ben Wang is proficient in martial arts in real life, and this skill is evident in the film. It was a great way of showcasing his fighting style in comparison to his fight against Connor, where he was defeated. It just shows how good a fighter Li is, how insane his rival Connor’s skills are, and why he is the reigning champion of the Five Boroughs tournament.

A Tragic Past and Growing Feelings

Initially resisting due to his promise to his mother, Li changes his mind about teaching Victor after receiving words of encouragement from Mr Han over the phone. From their engaging lessons in the pizzeria and in the subway, Li reveals to Victor why he promised never to use martial arts again. One night, after his brother Bo won a fighting tournament, the losing opponent and his friends jumped the brothers, which led to Bo being fatally stabbed. Li blames himself as he froze up and couldn’t save his brother in time.

Joshua Jackson and Ben Wang have great chemistry and offer a refreshing and humorous take on the teacher-student dynamics.
Image credit: IMDb

My Thoughts

I did enjoy the scenes with Li teaching Victor kung fu moves and what Mr Han taught him. It was interesting to see a teenager teach new moves and share his philosophy about fighting techniques with an adult man. It provides some comic moments and serves as an excellent way for Li and Mia to spend more time together and develop their friendship.

It was also sweet to see Li being vulnerable around Victor and telling him why he stopped practising martial arts, revealing how his brother had died. It was a tragic scene, and you can completely understand where Li’s mother is coming from and why Li blames himself. It provides more depth to Li’s character and the demons he is struggling with, as well as more context to the conflict between Li’s mother and Mr Han.

An Illegal Move and A Promise Made

At Victor’s comeback match, his opponent, following orders from O’Shea, pulls an illegal elbow hit to Victor’s head, sending him to the hospital. Paralyzed from memories of his brother’s death, Li freezes up and fails to step in and help support Mia with her father, causing a rift between them. Since Li’s mother works at the hospital, she raises her concern and disappointment about Li’s broken promise to her.

Returning home defeated, Li discovers that his great-uncle, Mr Han, has travelled from China to New York due to his concern over Li’s avoidance of his phone calls. Bringing his uncle up to date with events, Mr Han promises Li that he will help him overcome his trauma and learn to cope with his brother’s death and leaves intending to return.

My Thoughts

It is evident that Li’s failure to help continues to stem from his trauma around his brother’s death and now has caused a rift not only with Mia but with his mother too. Poor Li can’t seem to get a break, and then gets a surpise atttack when he arrives home. Another great fighting scene and the return of Jackie Chan. I was wondering when he would come back into the story and once he made his promise to help Li and that he would return soon i knew exactly where he was heading to.

Two Masters and The Dragon Kick Move

Heading to L.A, Mr Han tracks down Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), a sensei of Miyagi-Do karate. Mr Han bonds with Daniel as he shares the decade-long relationship he had with Mr Miyagi before his passing in 2011. Mr Han asks Daniel for his help in teaching his great-nephew, Li Fong, for the upcoming Five Boroughs Tournament. Refusing his request, Mr Han reminds him that as Mr Miyagi’s protégé it would be the honourable thing to do by helping Mr Han with his protégé. Mr. Han leaves with confidence that he will see Daniel in New York soon.

Back in New York, Alan offers Li access to his rooftop, where he can change it into a training gym in preparation for the tournament against Karate champion Connor. Li’s mother remains concerned about Mr. Han’s return and his training with her son. Not long after, Daniel turns up and begins to teach Li his version of martial arts.

The return of Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio to the franchise was one of the highlights of the film.
Image credit: IMDb

My Thoughts

I loved their scenes; who would have thought we would get Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio together? I loved their conversation about Mr Myagi and strengthing the connection between the films. It was a great way to introduce Daniel LaRusso into the film’s plot and how his teachings could greatly help Li. Their different approaches to teaching Li provided some genuinely comic moments, and their dynamic with each other was engaging to watch. I loved the blending of fighting techniques to create a new version of the dragon kick move to bypass Connor’s counter-block move.

The Five Boroughs Tournament

The big day arrives, and everyone turns out to support Li, including his mother, his friend Mia, and her father Victor, who put their issues aside for Li’s fight. At first, Connor gets the upper hand, attacking Li relentlessly and leading the way to a clear victory. However, Li starts to counterattack Connor’s moves, shifting the tide in his favour and bringing the score to an even 7-7 with only 1 point left to win.

Li takes this moment as an opportunity to use the new Dragon kick move to end the fight in his victory as a cocky Connor prepares to counterattack his move. With a new variety of the dragon kick move, Li catches Connor off guard and takes him down, defeating him. However, a humiliated Connor tries to make an unprovoked attack. Li counterattacks his move, and just as he is about to attack Connor, Mr Han and Daniel remind him not to let his opponent get the better of him. Li stops himself from retaliating, showing mercy to his opponent.

The 5 Boroughs Tournament delivered an engaging and intense fight, marked by heartfelt growth for the character of Li Fong.
Image credit: IMDb

My Thoughts

It was nice to see everyone put aside their issues and support Li during the tournament. The fight itself was engaging and intense. Both opponents were putting up a fight, but I loved the moment Li resumed the fight after almost being knocked out. At that moment, when the scenes of him freezing up at his brother’s death and Victor’s injury flash in his mind, while his family and friends cheer for him to get back up, that was quite heartfelt and one of the highlights of the film for sure.

You can’t help but cheer for the underdog, especially when he defeats the arrogant bully with his impressive dragon-kick move. What makes it even better is that he shows mercy to his opponent when Connor attempts to retaliate after his loss. Li has grown and is now in a place in his life where he can learn to accept his brother’s death and continue to find purpose and provide help through his martial arts.

A New Beginning and a Mayadi Dough Pizzeria?

Winning the tournament, Li’s caring mother accepts her son’s love of martial arts and how it allowed him to overcome the trauma of his brother’s death. His proud masters cheer his victory, and his love interest, Mia, kisses him, hinting at their future romance. Jumping ahead, a fully recovered Victor opens a new pizzeria with newly hired employee Li working alongside his girlfriend, Mia. He sends a frozen pizza to Daniel LaRusso in L.A.

In L.A., Daniel receives the frozen pizza with a note and picture inside as a thank-you gift, chuckling at Li’s sense of humour. Sensei Johnny Lawrence, an old rival turned friend of Daniel’s, pitches a business idea for a dojo-themed pizzeria called Miyagi-Dough, much to Daniel’s chagrin.

My Thoughts

Everything seems to have worked out in the end; Mia and Li are dating, Victor has opened up a new shop, and Li’s relationship with his mother and great-uncle is on good terms. It’s a nice way to wrap up the story; however, the relationship conflict between the family was somewhat rushed. Ming-Na Wen was underutilised in the film, and there wasn’t any emotional resonance or scene between mother and son that I was hoping for. It felt like Li’s mother had a sudden change of heart and just accepted Li’s situation so the film could wrap up everything before the big fight at the end.

That may sound like I’m nitpicking at the film; however, with a running time of 94 minutes compared to the previous films in the franchise, which have a running time of 2 hours, it is the shortest film to date. You can see the effect it had on the film’s plot, as well as the lack of development or growth in certain characters. For the most part, the film worked, but it could have benefited from an additional 30 minutes or so to develop the relationships further, as well as to create a more natural flow to the storyline rather than rushing to meet the checkpoints before the credits roll.

I appreciated the humorous ending scene between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence; it was a nice nod to the original film and the Cobra Kai TV show. I hope this is a foreshadowing of more Li Fong sequels to come and, hopefully, the return of more characters from the previous movies and TV series; here’s looking at you, Hilary Swank. I would love to see Julie Pierce make an appearance, even a cameo, somewhere in future instalments of the franchise.

My Verdict

Despite its stereotypical and familiar antagonist, a short running time that affects the story in parts and lack of growth for certain characters, Karate Kid: Legends, with its likeable new lead, the return of iconic characters, strong performances, genuinely funny and heartfelt moments, and fantastic fighting choreography and visuals, this fast-paced film is a welcome new chapter to the franchise and a charming throwback to the previous films and TV show.

7.5/10 film score!

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