Legends’ a ‘Cobra Kai’ Sequel? How It Fits Into Franchise

It’s “legends only” in Karate Kid: Legends.

The 2025 movie is the latest installment in the story of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), who audiences first met in 1984’s The Karate Kid. He was introduced to a new generation on Cobra Kai, which finished its six-season run in February 2025.

Karate Kid: Legends merges the worlds of The Karate Kid franchise. Macchio is back as Daniel, and in his latest adventure, he meets Mr. Han, played by Jackie Chan, from the 2010 Karate Kid remake starring Jaden Smith.

Mr. Han knew Daniel’s original teacher, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), and Macchio explained to The Hollywood Reporter how that element is “another ecosystem in the grand universe” of The Karate Kid.

“This franchise doesn’t know how to not do it right when we care,” he said. “I try to always take great care and protect my character, and I like to believe I’ve done that again.”

So, with multiple characters from The Karate Kid world appearing together, is Karate Kid: Legends a sequel to Cobra Kai? Here’s everything to know about how the new movie connects to the popular Netflix series.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Karate Kid: Legends!

Is Karate Kid: Legends a sequel to Cobra Kai?

Karate Kid: Legends is not a direct sequel to Cobra Kai, but it takes place in the same world as the series and original movies.

“There are many, many seasons of Cobra Kai. This is not a Cobra Kai movie. It’s within the Karate Kid universe,” director Jonathan Entwistle told Collider. “It’s another chapter in the story. It’s another graphic novel in the sequence.”

Does Karate Kid: Legends take place after Cobra Kai?

Yes, Karate Kid: Legends takes place three years after the Cobra Kai series finale.

“Our film is set after the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai and takes the Karate Kid mythology in a fresh direction with a new set of characters,” director Entwistle explained to PEOPLE in April 2025.

What is Karate Kid: Legends about?

Karate Kid: Legends introduces a new protagonist to the iconic franchise: Li Fong (played by Ben Wang). Li is a Beijing-born martial arts student who trains under Mr. Han and Daniel.

When Li moves to New York City, he continues to practice kung-fu with Mr. Han while also learning karate from Daniel.

How did Cobra Kai end?

In the final episode of Cobra Kai, the Sekai Taikai tournament comes to an exhilarating end when Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) faces off against the intimidating Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan) and ultimately wins. Daniel and Johnny celebrate their victory, as Cobra Kai is declared “the world’s no. 1 dojo.”

“I don’t think we knew from the beginning that Johnny would be a world champion,” co-creator Jon Hurwitz told Tudum. “But we knew we wanted him to exorcise those demons from 1984 and [get] back on those red mats in the All Valley Sports Arena with a giant victory that felt pure, with Daniel and him having worked through their issues.”

For Macchio, Johnny and Daniel’s friendship shows how far the two have come since they first met more than 40 years ago.

“It speaks to the complexities of those characters and the fact that we love to see them working together,” he said. “They’ll still drive each other insane like any good married couple.”

Which Cobra Kai cast members are in Karate Kid: Legends?

Macchio returns for Karate Kid: Legends, but another Cobra Kai cast member makes a surprise cameo: Zabka, reprising his role as Johnny Lawrence.

Zabka’s appearance comes at the end of the movie, and his scene was a “very, very hard” secret to keep, according to Entwistle.

“We built a brand-new Miyagi house just for the movie, which was based on the original version and that was the only place that we shot with Billy,” the director explained to ScreenRant. “So we snuck him in and we hid him away almost in the closet, in Miyagi’s closet.”

Macchio added how it was “great having him” in Karate Kid: Legends. “He graces Cobra Kai with a brilliant performance and he graces us here with a tip of the hat to the legendary Johnny Lawrence. It’s great to have him in there,” he said.

Will there be another season of Cobra Kai?

No, another season of Cobra Kai is not currently planned. The Netflix series ended in February 2025 after six seasons.

In a February 2025 The New York Times interview, Macchio voiced his hopes for a Cobra Kai movie in the future.

“If Karate Kid: Legends does well, I would love to see a Cobra Kai movie in two or three years,” said the actor. “As long as there’s a way to be truthful to the characters, to propel a story in a way that opens it up to generations, it’s something I’d be open to having a conversation about.”

Going back to the small screen, Cobra Kai creators Hayden Schlossberg, Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz have hinted at some spinoff ideas, with one being a prequel series about a young Mr. Miyagi. “We’ll see exactly what path we take in terms of spinoffs, but it is definitely something that we’ve been wanting to do,” Schlossberg told The Hollywood Reporter in July 2024.

Macchio is keeping the door open for returning to the Karate Kid universe, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “We’ll see.”

“As long as it’s honest, genuine and truthful to the base of this character and these characters, I’ll always be open to listen because I like that the next generation can experience the joy of what we’ve been through,” the star continued. “In a world that’s not always joyful, it’s really cool to bring some of that.”