Wax on, wax off …
On June 22, 1984, audiences have been first launched to Los Angeles’ new child, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), who discovered each karate expertise and lasting life classes from the insightful Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita). The movie grew to become a smash hit, incomes over $100 million worldwide and kicking off a multi-film franchise often called the “Miyagi verse.”
Whereas the 2010 reboot starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith supplied a standalone story centered on kung fu, The Karate Child, Half II (1986), Half III (1989), The Subsequent Karate Child (1994) and the Netflix collection Cobra Kai all exist inside the similar shared universe. Now, each worlds are set to collide with the most recent installment, Karate Child: Legends, which hits theaters on Might 30, 2025.
Legends reunites Macchio’s Daniel and Chan’s Mr. Han as they prepare their new prodigy, Li Fong (Ben Wang).
“Seeing how essential Li Fong is to Mr. Han and Daniel’s relationship to Miyagi — there is a parallel there,” Macchio stated in a first-look teaser. “And now, combining these worlds in an genuine means, the kung fu and karate, it is one thing recent.”
Forward of the discharge of Legends, this is a glance again at the place all the pieces began (in any case, “stability is vital”) and see the place the unique stars are right this moment — and which of them reprised their roles alongside the way in which.
Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
Macchio was greatest recognized for his function as Johnny Cade in 1983’s The Outsiders earlier than enjoying Daniel LaRusso, the brand new child at his L.A. highschool. After Daniel is bullied by his classmates, he’s inspired to take karate classes to defend himself.
Aside from scoring one other starring function within the 1992 hit comedy My Cousin Vinny, Macchio has appeared on collection and actuality TV exhibits, together with Ugly Betty, How I Met Your Mom, The Deuce and Dancing with the Stars.
Embracing the influence of his work in The Karate Child, Macchio went on to reprise the identical character in Half II, Half III and Legends, in addition to on Cobra Kai from 2018 to 2025.
“I knew of the influence of The Karate Child movie for many years and a long time and the way it’s a bit of popular culture and a bit of your childhood. So I knew it was beloved. I knew the characters have been beloved … It is equal components nostalgia and, kinda now, modern relevance,” he stated throughout a 2022 look on Jimmy Kimmel Reside! “After I get 8- and 10-year-old children which can be impressed by these characters and the themes of that film, there’s just one factor to do: Embrace it.”
Off-screen, Macchio has been married to nurse practitioner Phyllis Fierro since 1987. Collectively, they share two kids: son Daniel (named after his Karate Child character) and daughter Julia (who had a job on season 4 of Cobra Kai, enjoying Daniel LaRusso’s cousin).
In 2022, Macchio instructed ipromiseyoumedia how proud he was watching Julia on the set of Cobra Kai.
“She knocked it out of the park,” he stated. “I used to be the proud father on set that day. As quickly as she ran our first take, everyone was like, ‘Holy crap, she’s acquired this character.’ ”
Macchio acquired a star subsequent to the late Morita on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame in 2024. He was joined by household and pals, and former Karate Child and Cobra Kai costars William Zabka and Tamlyn Tomita spoke on the celebration.
“I’ve simply discovered to be so grateful and appreciative at this age in my life, absorbing and studying and sharing the knowledge that I’ve gained from others, paying that legacy ahead, whether or not that be with the younger solid of Cobra Kai or pals of my children,” Macchio stated on the ceremony.
Noriyuki “Pat” Morita as Mr. Miyagi
Morita performed the long-lasting function of Mr. Miyagi, a upkeep employee within the LaRussos’ new residence constructing. Nonetheless, Mr. Miyagi additionally has a secret: He is a karate professional.
Earlier than The Karate Child, Morita was already recognizable for his portrayal of Matsuo “Arnold” Takahashi on Blissful Days from 1975 to 1983.
Nonetheless, The Karate Child was the actor’s career-defining function. Morita was nominated for an Oscar for Greatest Supporting Actor in 1985 for his efficiency as Miyagi. He reprised his function as Mr. Miyagi in each Karate Child sequels, in addition to the fourth movie, The Subsequent Karate Child, reverse Hilary Swank in her first main function.
After his time within the martial arts franchise, Morita starred on the Nickelodeon collection The Thriller Information of Shelby Woo as Mike Woo, Shelby’s (Irene Ng) grandfather. The present was groundbreaking for being the community’s first present with an Asian lead.
Morita was married to actress Evelyn Guerrero from 1994 till he died of kidney failure in 2005 on the age of 73. His influence and reminiscence have lived on, even on Cobra Kai. In 2022, Macchio wrote a visitor essay for ipromiseyoumedia honoring Morita’s mark as Mr. Miyagi.
“The legacy of your work and contribution to the world in your portrayal of Mr. Miyagi shines brighter than ever,” Macchio wrote to his late costar. “He lives and breathes in a brand new chapter of the Karate Child universe.”
William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence
Zabka performed Johnny Lawrence, a bully who beats up Daniel and later turns into his adversary within the All Valley karate match.
After starring in The Karate Child, Zabka landed roles in 1985’s Nationwide Lampoon’s European Trip and 1986’s Again to Faculty. He additionally returned for The Karate Child Half II. All through the early 2000s, Zabka grew to become an everyday on Syfy (then named the Sci-Fi Channel) and starred in a lot of their made-for-TV films, together with Python (2000), Python 2 (2002) and Antibody (2002).
In 2018, Zabka reprised his function as Johnny on Cobra Kai, the place his character and Daniel ultimately put their rivalry to relaxation — a growth he stated he was grateful for.
“For years, I had dads dragging their children over to fulfill me simply to level out the largest bully on the planet,” he instructed ipromiseyoumedia in 2021. “To have individuals rooting for my character, for me to really feel that, is one thing I’ve by no means skilled. It is exceptional.”
Since 2008, Zabka has been married to his spouse, businesswoman Stacie Zabka, with whom he raised three kids.
Elisabeth Shue as Ali Mills
Elisabeth Shue performed Ali Mills, Daniel’s crush and Johnny’s ex-girlfriend.
A number of years after The Karate Child, Shue starred within the 1987 cult hit Adventures in Babysitting, which spawned a Disney Channel remake in 2016.
Shue continued to land huge roles, starring in Cocktail (1988), Again to the Future Half II (1989) and Half III (1990). She earned an Oscar nomination for Greatest Actress in 1996 for her function in Leaving Las Vegas. Her final main function earlier than taking a break was in 2000’s Hole Man reverse Kevin Bacon.
After that movie, Shue went again to Harvard to finish her diploma in political science — she had withdrawn in 1989 to give attention to appearing full-time, per the Harvard Crimson.
Shue returned to appearing within the 2010s and has had main roles on a number of exhibits — together with Tremendous Pumped, On the Verge, The Boys and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — in addition to in movies equivalent to Battle of the Sexes (2019), Greyhound (2020) and The Good Half (2023). Shue additionally reprised her function as Ali Mills on two episodes of season 3 of Cobra Kai in 2021.
“I used to be slightly nervous about occurring the present at first as a result of I did not like the way in which my character had been written out of Karate Child 2,” she stated throughout a 2025 panel dialogue at MegaCon Orlando. “It is all in regards to the vindication of Ali. We would have liked that. With out Ali, there is no such thing as a Karate Child. There isn’t a Cobra.”
In 1994, Shue married Davis Guggenheim, a filmmaker recognized for the 2006 Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Fact and the 2023 Emmy Award-winning Nonetheless: A Michael J. Fox Film. Collectively, the couple has three kids.
Martin Kove as John Kreese
Martin Kove performed John Kreese, Johnny’s karate mentor, who encourages his college students to play soiled and harass Daniel.
Kove reprised his function in Half II and Half III, and after showing on the season 1 finale of Cobra Kai, he joined the primary solid within the following season. By way of the place Kreese ended up, Kove instructed ipromiseyoumedia in 2025 that he was pleased with the character’s arc all through the collection.
“I have been pushing vulnerability for this character for a very long time, and typically he will get it, typically he would not,” he stated. “However the way in which it ended … it simply was wealthy. It is what I love to do greater than kicking ass and all that.”
Kove continued, “I like the truth that they took the character all the way in which from the darkest place in Karate Child. I signed on to do the deal provided that they’d write susceptible scenes and present how he acquired to be the way in which he was, they usually did, slowly, in 5 seasons, precisely what I needed to do.”
Exterior of the Karate Child franchise, Kove had a starring function on the hit collection Cagney & Lacey and appeared in Wyatt Earp (1994), As soon as Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019) and Struggle One other Day (2024). In 2021, he competed on season 30 of Dancing with the Stars; nevertheless, he was eradicated within the first spherical.
In keeping with the Tampa Bay Instances, Kove has been relationship Mary Scavo Squire since 2016. He is additionally a father to twins Rachael and Jesse — the latter performed the bully who torments the youthful model of Kreese in flashbacks throughout seasons 3 and 4 of Cobra Kai.
Randee Heller as Lucille LaRusso
Randee Heller performed Lucille LaRusso, Daniel’s hardworking single mother who relocates along with her son from New Jersey to California.
Earlier than becoming a member of the solid of The Karate Child, Heller had already made leisure historical past when she held a recurring function as Alice on Cleaning soap, changing into one in every of TV’s first brazenly lesbian characters.
After skipping The Karate Child Half II, Heller returned for Half III in 1989. Since then, she’s had a busy profession, with common appearances on collection like Who’s the Boss, Mad Males, Wilfred and Cobra Kai.
Heller’s function on Mad Males earned her an Emmy nomination for excellent visitor actress in a drama collection because of her scene-stealing efficiency as secretary Ida Blankenship. She additionally starred within the 2024 heist comedy Homicide at Hole Creek with Mickey Rourke, Jason Patric and Penelope Ann Miller.
She shares two kids along with her longtime companion, TV producer Robert Griffard.
Chad McQueen as Dutch
Chad McQueen performed Dutch, an aggressive Cobra Kai pupil who ran with Johnny’s crew.
The Karate Child is Chad’s best-known venture. Apart from that, he starred in low-budget and straight-to-video movies equivalent to Demise Ring (1992), Firepower (1993) and The Fall (2001), which was his last appearing credit score. He left leisure to pursue sports activities automotive racing within the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s.
In 2006, he skilled a near-fatal crash whereas coaching for the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race. Chad recovered from his accidents and later based his personal firm, McQueen Racing, which builds customized high-performance automobiles.
Chad is the son of racing and appearing legend Steve McQueen and actress Neile Adams. From 1987 to 1990, he was married to Stacia Toten. Collectively, that they had one youngster, Vampire Diaries actor Steven R. McQueen. In 1993, Chad married Jeanie Galbraith, they usually had two kids, Chase and Madison.
On Sept. 11, 2024, the actor and race automotive driver died at age 63. His former castmate, Zabka, paid tribute to him two days after, writing on Instagram: “Sadly, we misplaced the legendary Chad McQueen yesterday. I’ve so many nice reminiscences of him once we have been filming The Karate Child. He was really one in every of [a] sort. He marched to the beat of his personal drum and at all times made me snigger.”
Tony O’Dell as Jimmy
Tony O’Dell performed Jimmy, one other Cobra Kai pupil and buddy of Johnny.
The Karate Child was O’Dell’s first main function. In 1986, he returned for Half II, and that very same 12 months he started starring as Alan Pinkard on the hit collection Head of the Class.
In 2019, he reprised his function as Jimmy on Cobra Kai.
“I do not assume they might’ve dealt with [the show] any higher,” O’Dell stated throughout a 2021 look on the Cobra Kai Kompanion podcast. “How the characters have developed and altered, how they’re dealing with the collection, the way in which it seems to be on digital camera, the music, simply all of it.”
Along with appearing, O’Dell has had an extended profession behind the digital camera working as an appearing and dialogue coach on The George Lopez Present, Lady Meets World and Evening Courtroom. He additionally labored with Zendaya on her Disney Channel exhibits Shake It Up and Okay.C. Undercover.
Rob Garrison as Tommy
Rob Garrison performed Tommy, a buddy of Johnny and a Cobra Kai pupil.
After The Karate Child, Garrison starred within the 1986 movies Iron Eagle and The Karate Child Half II. Within the late ’80s and early ’90s, he continued making appearances on exhibits like MacGyver and Coach earlier than retiring from appearing.
Later in his life, Garrison had well being points however was capable of visitor star on an episode of Cobra Kai in 2019. Later that 12 months, he died at age 59 from liver and kidney failure.
In an announcement obtained by ipromiseyoumedia, Macchio honored his late costar.
“Rob Garrison was a sort gentleman from the primary day I met him to the final day we spoke. I’m so glad he had the chance to indicate his vary and real coronary heart together with his efficiency final season on Cobra Kai.”
On the finish of season 3’s premiere episode in 2021, there was a tribute to Garrison: “Rob Garrison 1960–2019” and “Cobra Kai by no means dies.”
Ron Thomas as Bobby Brown
Ron Thomas performed Bobby Brown, a Cobra Kai pupil who’s instructed to injure Daniel with an unlawful transfer that in the end will get him kicked out of the competitors.
Thomas returned for The Karate Child Half II and had a minor function in 1987’s The Large Guess earlier than retiring from appearing. He reprised his function as Bobby Brown on seasons 2, 3 and 5 of Cobra Kai.
In keeping with his web site, Thomas is a martial artist and affords motivational speeches and on-line courses about mindfulness as Sensei Ron Thomas.
