After a fascinating one Karate Kid: Legends In theory, the franchise may have already answered how Jack Chan’s Mr. Han and Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi are connected. Karate Kid: LegendsThe trailer is finally out and seems like the perfect sequel from Netflix Cobra Kai. While the two installments of the franchise seem to have few loose connecting threads, including Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso, the film sells itself perfectly as a worthy addition to the overarching Karate Kid franchise by placing LaRusso and Mr. Han in the same frame .

With two worlds colliding in the new film, it’s no surprise that it tries to make subtle connections to the original Karate kid Movies. Still, it’s one of the most fascinating moments ever Karate Kid: LegendsIn the trailer, Daniel LaRusso discovers that Mr. Han knew Mr. Miyagi. Although the trailer doesn’t delve too deeply into exploring the connection between the two characters, one theory appears to reveal the hidden connection between Han and Miyagi.

Mr. Miyagi’s backstory for Karate Kid 2 reveals his Chinese ancestry

Karate Kid 2 delves deep into Mr. Miyagi’s family background

Although it is often touted as one of the best installments in the series, and rightly so, the first Karate kid The film presents Mr. Miyagi as an enigmatic sensei who saves Daniel LaRusso and helps him turn his life around. It reveals little about Miyagi’s past and where he comes from. The Karate Kid Part IIhowever, explores more details about Mr. Miyagi’s parentage and explains how Miyagi-do was originally created. The film contains a sequence in which Mr. Miyagi recalls how his ancestor Shimpo Miyagi got drunk on sake during one of his fishing adventures in 1625.

Since Mr. Han’s narrative in the 2010 Karate Kid reboot takes place entirely in China, it is hard to believe that Mr. Miyagi’s ancestors could be somehow connected to Mr. Han’s.

As a result, Shimpo’s boat drifted onto the coast of China, leading to him living in the South Asian country for the next decade. 10 years after landing in China, Shimpo returned home with a Chinese wife and two children. In the first Karate kid In the film, Mr. Miyagi mentions that Chinese tea helped his ancestor develop the Miyagi-do style of karate. This implies that the roots of Miyagi-do karate are heavily influenced by Chinese traditions. Since Mr. Han’s story in 2010 Karate kid Although the reboot takes place entirely in China, it’s hard to believe that Mr. Miyagi’s ancestors could be somehow connected to Mr. Han’s.

Karate Kid: LegendsDirector Jonathan Entwistle also confirmed this (via EW) this connection between Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi by revealing that “The Han family and the Miyagi family have always been connected.“He also indicated that the Karate kid The film canon already mentions this connection between the two families and seemingly points to Mr. Miyagi’s Karate Kid II Backstory.

Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han may share the same martial arts heritage

Even their teaching philosophies have parallels

Since Shimpo Miyagi’s wife was Chinese according to Mr. Miyagi Karate Kid II Backstory, she may have been one of Mr. Han’s ancestors. If this is true, Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han would be distant relatives. Another possibility is that Shimpo Miyagi learned Chinese martial arts from Mr. Han’s ancestors during his stay in China. While the ancestors passed their knowledge to newer generations in China, Shimpo took his lessons to Okinawa to begin Miyagi-do karate. This connection between Han and Miyagi would mean that they share the same martial arts heritage.

Interesting, Karate Kid: LegendsThe trailer also includes a short scene in which Daniel LaRusso shows his student a picture of a bonsai tree and highlights how “two branches“lead to”a tree.“Although the scene could have multiple meanings, it could indicate the connection between Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi’s martial arts background. The “two branches“could refer to their different fighting styles while the bonsai”Tree“could be the new fighting style the student will eventually learn, combining the teachings of Han and Miyagi’s ancestors.

Mr. Hans Mr. Miyagi-Link could subtly connect Karate Kid: Legends to Cobra Kai

Karate Kid: Legends can’t ignore Daniel LaRusso’s discoveries from Cobra Kai Season 6

Since Cobra Kai In the first few episodes of season six, Daniel LaRusso was on a journey to find out the truth about Mr. Miyagi’s past. So far he has discovered that Mr. Miyagi not only had a criminal past, but also killed someone during a professional fight at the Sekai Taikai tournament. As I look through Mr. Miyagi’s box of belongings Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 1, Daniel also discovers a Chinese currency coin, suggesting that the sensei spent some time in China.

While
Cobra Kai
Season 6 Part 3 is scheduled to be released on February 12, 2025.
Karate Kid: Legends
will be released in theaters on May 30, 2025.

Karate Kid: Legends could expand on this storyline and reveal how Mr. Miyagi eventually met Mr. Han when he visited China. While Karate Kid: Legends seems to have its own well-rounded story, it would be much more coherent with the overarching franchise if it didn’t choose to completely ignore Daniel LaRusso’s Cobra Kai Story. While highlighting that new karate kid Li Fong is learning from both Miyagi and Han’s ancestors to grow into his own unique fighting style, Karate Kid: Legends would also acknowledge one of Mr. Miyagi’s best quotes:

“Uh. Only root karate comes from Miyagi. Just as bonsai choose their own way to grow because the root is strong, in karate you choose your own way for the same reason.”

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  Cobra Kai is a continuation of the Karate Kid saga narrative, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It centers on Johnny Lawrence, who seeks redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.

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  Karate Kid: Legends (2025) is a sequel to Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid directed by Jonathan Entwistle. In the film, Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprise their roles, continuing the legacy of martial arts mentorship and rivalry in a new era full of challenges and apprentices.