Minor spoilers for the Karate Kid movies and Cobra Kai are down below! If you're not caught up, be sure to check them out with a Netflix subscription.
When you think of the best '80s movies out there, I'm pretty sure one of the first that comes to mind has to be The Karate Kid and the subsequent films. And, of course, if you know Karate Kid, you probably know about Cobra Kai. With a franchise that has lasted for more than forty years, what is it about it that star Ralph Macchio enjoys so much? His answer makes me teary-eyed every time I read it.
Cobra Kai is kicking its way back onto the 2025 Netflix schedule for the last part of its final season on February 13, and I had the chance to speak to the longtime Karate Kid actor about what he loves the most about bringing this iconic franchise back to life, especially for a new generation. His answer is simply that – that he gets to keep living this over and over when people of all ages come up to him with the biggest smile on their face:
So one of the most fulfilling things, I mean, there's so many, but when I have an eight-year-old kid run up to me as if he's just met Santa Claus for the first time, and just talks about his favorite scenes, and that he watches this with his dad and his grandmother…and the concept that this spans multi-generations and is entertaining and is positive, and the themes that come from the movie are still thread throughout this series. That's pretty rewarding. That's pretty unique.
A big part of Cobra Kai has always followed the passing of the torch of karate or Miyagi's teachings to the next generation, both in Johnny Lawrence's way as well as Daniel LaRusso's way, which in of itself mirrors a lot of homes that pass the franchise from generation to generation – which, in Macchio's words, is a "unique existence" that he gets to experience:
I lead a unique existence being a part of this legacy, and I enjoy kind of paying that forward to the next generation, and that ten-year-old kids know who Mr. Miyagi is, and they think he's cool. And I think of my friend Pat Morita and the magic that was created back in 1983, the fact that 40 years later it means something to kids and adults of all ages or children of all ages, shall I say, is pretty special. And I don't take it for granted. So that's one of many things I could dive into, but certainly that's up there.
Pat Morita portrayed Mr. Miyagi in four Karate Kid films and inspired millions of people until his death in 2005, but Cobra Kai has only made his name bigger and the character's teachings that much more coveted by those who understand.
I personally think Cobra Kai has become one of the best shows to binge on Netflix because the series is really badass and has a storyline that hooks you instantly, even if you have never seen the Karate Kid movies before. But there's more to the show than that, and a big part of it is the very reason Macchio states – that people of all ages have found a home in this franchise.
That's true whether we're talking about the series or the movies. The audience connection is s something anyone can enjoy no matter what, whether it's seeing Daniel take down his bully for the first time in the original to Johnny redeeming who he is forty years later. That is quite special.
While Cobra Kai is coming to an end (with all of its intense fight scenes), a new Karate Kid film will be released later this year on May 30 as part of the 2025 movie schedule. It will be titled Karate Kid: Legends, and Ralph Macchio is set to co-star alongside action-movie legend Jackie Chan (who happened to star in a Karate Kid movie in 2010).
As someone who is not only a fan of this franchise but who also has a father who loves it (totally generational), we will certainly be in the theater when it comes out.
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