AfterCobra Kaicontinued a tiresome franchise trend,Karate Kid: Legendswill be looking to break new ground.TheKarate Kidrebootis incredibly exciting for several reasons, most notably the film’s main characters.Karate Kid: Legends’castwill unite Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan as two pillars of the live-action franchise come together to tell a new story in the universe after the ending ofCobra Kaiin February 2025.
If thetrailer forKarate Kid: Legendswas anything to go by, it seems as though the upcoming movie will be very different from what has come before it. Gone is the self-aware, referential humor of theCobra KaiTV show, instead replaced by a grounded, admittedly mature tone. Thetimeline ofKarate Kid: Legendswill remove it fromCobra Kai’s overall story for the most part, but as a part of the same franchise, both will likely share several trends. However,Karate Kid: Legendsshould buck one trend specifically if it is to truly provide something new to the franchise after 41 years.
Karate Kid: Legends Should Not End With A Tournament
Tournaments Have Become Too Common In The Franchise
The trend in question is ending the story with a tournament. Since the earliest days of the franchise, tournaments have been used as conclusions to various stories. Be it 1984’sThe Karate Kid,2010’sThe Karate Kid, or several seasons ofCobra Kai, tournaments have proven a quick and effective way to showcase the martial arts journey of various main characters, all while providing a natural narrative climax.
All 13 Tournaments In Karate Kid & Cobra Kai (& Who Won)
Here is a timeline of all the karate tournaments from the Karate Kid franchise that have been the source & drivers of many overarching conflicts.
Despite this,Karate Kid: Legendsshould not end with a tournament. The tone conveyed by the film’s first trailer implied that it was going to be something different in comparison to the other projects in the franchise, and removing a tournament subplot would capitalize on this. Although some shots fromKarate Kid: Legends' trailer seem to show a tournament-like setting, this could be used as an introduction to Ben Wang’s character early in the movie, marking a big difference from how other stories have used such a format.
Only Two Karate Kid Movies Didn’t Have A Third-Act Tournament
As alluded to,Karate Kid: Legendsforegoing a tournament would be a great way to further differentiate it from other installments in the series. As of 2025, only twoKarate Kidmovies - and three seasons ofCobra Kai’s six - have not featured a tournament. These movies wereThe Karate Kid Part IIandThe Next Karate Kid. The former featured Daniel fighting Chozen for the honor of his new friend, Kumiko, on the island of Okinawa whileThe Next Karate Kid’s climax takes place at the docks in Boston.
WhereCobra Kaiis concerned, season 2 ended with a brawl in a high school, with season 3 culminating with a fight in Daniel LaRusso’s house and the titular dojo.Cobra Kaiseason 5 ended with a similar brawl in the dojo, with only seasons 1, 4, and 6 utilizing a tournament. Evidently,Karate Kid: Legendswould break the mold by ending without a tournament, providing a different, less tiring conclusion to an installment of the long-running franchise.
Karate Kid: Legends
Cast
Karate Kid: Legends is a sequel to Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid directed by Jonathan Entwistle. The film sees Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprising their roles, continuing the legacy of martial arts mentorship and rivalry in a new era of challenges and apprentices.
