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Karate Kid: Legends Theory Reveals How Mr. Miyagi & Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han Are Connected

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According to an intriguing Karate Kid: Legends theory, the franchise might have already answered how Jack Chan’s Mr. Han and Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi are connected. Karate Kid: Legends‘ trailer is finally out and it seems to be the perfect follow-up to Netflix’s Cobra Kai. While the two installments of the franchise only seem to have a few loose connective threads, with one of them being Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso, the movie perfectly sells itself as a worthy addition to the overarching Karate Kid franchise by featuring LaRusso and Mr. Han in the same frame.

With two worlds colliding in the new movie, it is not surprising that it is trying to draw subtle connections with the original Karate Kid movies. However, despite this, one of the most fascinating moments in Karate Kid: Legends‘ trailer is when Daniel LaRusso discovers that Mr. Han knew Mr. Miyagi. Although the trailer does not delve too deep into exploring the connection between the two characters, a theory seems to reveal the hidden link between Han and Miyagi.

Mr. Miyagi’s Karate Kid 2 Backstory Reveals His Chinese Ancestry

Although often touted as one of the best installments in the franchise, and rightfully so, the first Karate Kid movie presents Mr. Miyagi as an enigmatic sensei who rescues 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 II, however, explores more details about Mr. Miyagi’s ancestry, explaining how Miyagi-do was first created. The movie features 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 unfolds entirely in China, it is hard not to believe that Mr. Miyagi’s ancestors could somehow be connected to Mr. Han’s.

As a result, Shimpo’s boat drifted to China’s coast, leading him to live in the South Asian nation for the next decade. 10 years after he landed in China, Shimpo returned home with a Chinese wife and two kids. In the first Karate Kid film, Mr. Miyagi mentions that Chinese tea helped his ancestor create the Miyagi-do karate style. This implies that Miyagi-do karate’s roots are deeply influenced by Chinese traditions. Since Mr. Han’s narrative in the 2010 Karate Kid reboot unfolds entirely in China, it is hard not to believe that Mr. Miyagi’s ancestors could somehow be connected to Mr. Han’s.

Karate Kid: Legends‘ director, Jonathan Entwistle, also confirmed (via EW) this connection between Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi by revealing that “the Han family and the Miyagi family are connected all the way back to the old times.” He also hinted that the Karate Kid movie canon already mentions this link between the two families, seemingly pointing towards Mr. Miyagi’s Karate Kid II backstory.

Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han Might Share the Same Martial Arts Heritage

Even Their Teaching Philosophies Have Parallels

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Since Shimpo Miyagi’s wife was Chinese according to Mr. Miyagi’s Karate Kid II backstory, she could have been one of Mr. Han’s ancestors. If this holds true, Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han would be distant relatives. Another possibility is that Shimpo Miyagi studied Chinese martial arts under 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 start Miyagi-do karate. This connection between Han and Miyagi would mean they share the same martial arts heritage.

Interestingly, Karate Kid: Legends‘ trailer also features a brief scene in which Daniel LaRusso shows a picture of a bonsai tree to his student and highlights how “two branches” lead to “one tree.” Although the scene could mean multiple things, it might be pointing toward the connection between Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi’s martial arts background. The “two branches” could be referring to their distinct styles of fighting, while the bonsai “tree” could be the new style of fighting the student will eventually learn by combining the teachings from Han and Miyagi’s ancestors.

Mr. Han’s Mr. Miyagi Link Could Subtly Connect Karate Kid: Legends To Cobra Kai

Karate Kid: Legends Cannot Ignore Daniel LaRusso’s Discoveries From Cobra Kai Season 6

 

Since Cobra Kai season 6’s early episodes, Daniel LaRusso has been on a journey to learn 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 bout at the Sekai Taikai tournament. While skimming through Mr. Miyagi’s box of belongings in Cobra Kai season 6’s part 1, Daniel also discovers a Chinese currency coin, hinting 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 hit the big screens on May 30, 2025.

Karate Kid: Legends could expand this plot thread and reveal how Mr. Miyagi eventually crossed paths with Mr. Han when he visited China. While Karate Kid: Legends seems to have its own well-rounded story, it would be a lot more coherent with the overarching franchise if it does not choose to completely ignore Daniel LaRusso’s Cobra Kai story. At the same time, by highlighting that the new Karate Kid, Li Fong, is learning lessons from both Miyagi and Han’s ancestors to grow into his own unique fighting style, Karate Kid: Legends would also honor one of Mr. Miyagi’s best quotes