Karate Kid: Legends’ Shock Connection Between Mr. Miyagi & Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han Resolves A Problem With The New Movie

The connection between Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi helps to remedy one of the major concerns heading into Karate Kid: Legends. Pat Morita played Mr. Miyagi in the first four Karate Kid movies. The relationship between Mr. Miyagi and Ralph Maccio’s Daniel LaRusso was one of the main focuses of the first three movies in the franchise. Therefore, when rebooting the Karate Kid franchise in 2010, there needed to be a Mr. Miyagi-like teacher. This led to Jackie Chan playing Mr. Han in the 2010 Karate Kid movie.

Unlike the original movies in the series, the 2010 Karate Kid reboot did not have any direct sequels. For a long time, it was simply viewed as a standalone movie in the franchise. However, 14 years after last appearing as Mr. Han, Chan will be reprising his role in the upcoming Karate Kid: Legends. The story of Karate Kid: Legends will see Mr. Han team up with Daniel LaRusso to train a new student, Li Fong. Anticipation is even higher for Karate Kid: Legends now that it has been revealed that Mr. Han knew Mr. Miyagi.

Mr. Miyagi & Mr. Han Being Connected In-Universe Can Explain Why They’re Very Similar Characters

Mr. Miyagi & Mr. Han Somehow Knew Each Other

For years, it was believed that the 2010 Karate Kid movie was separate from all the other films in the series. However, the announcement that Jackie Chan would be appearing in Karate Kid: Legends alongside Ralph Maccio confirmed that all the Karate Kid movies take place in the same universe. While it was exciting to learn that Chan and Maccio would be sharing the screen together, the reboot’s connection to the rest of the Karate Kid films created a problem for the long-awaited sixth movie.

Since Chan’s Mr. Han was heavily inspired by Mr. Miyagi, and was in many ways meant to be a new version of Morita’s iconic character, there was concern that the two teachers were too similar now that they existed in the same continuity. Mr. Han is basically a copy of Mr. Miyagi, which could be very distracting for Daniel in Karate Kid: Legends. However, the confirmation that Mr. Han knew Mr. Miyagi presents a solution, since experiences they may have shared together can explain why they have very similar personalities.

Mr. Han’s Connection To Mr. Miyagi Makes The 2010 Karate Kid Reboot Movie More Intriguing

The Reveal Of How Mr. Han Knew Mr. Miyagi Will Be Exciting In Karate Kid: Legends

After no new Karate Kid movies were made for well over a decade, the announcement that both Chan and Maccio would be appearing in Karate Kid: Legends rightfully worried some longtime fans of the franchise. There was concern that Chan and Maccio were only starring together in Karate Kid: Legends because they are two of the biggest names in the series. Since they previously starred in movies from different eras of the franchise, bringing them together for a new Karate Kid movie seemed forced.

It initially seemed like the writers of Karate Kid: Legends were breaking canon just to include both of the stars. However, Mr. Han knowing Mr. Miyagi justifies Chan’s inclusion in the upcoming sequel. It makes the plot of the 2010 reboot more interesting, in addition to making Karate Kid: Legends more exciting, since Mr. Han and Daniel will likely form a close connection through the impact Mr. Miyagi had on them. Bringing Mr. Han and Daniel together through Mr. Miyagi is a smart way to honor the franchise’s past while also paving a way for the future.

How Mr. Han Might Be Connected To Mr. Miyagi

The Han & Miyagi Families Have History

While it is currently unclear exactly how Mr. Han knew Mr. Miyagi, the former can be seen staring at a picture of the legendary karate teacher in the trailer for Karate Kid: Legends. In the trailer, Daniel asks Mr. Han whether he knew Mr. Miyagi, to which he replies, “I did not come looking for Sensei Miyagi. I came looking for you.” The fact that Mr. Han didn’t deny knowing Mr. Miyagi seems to confirm that he knew him. However, it seems like exactly how they knew each other is a plot thread that is being saved for the actual movie.

In addition to Mr. Han and Daniel’s interaction in the trailer, Jonathan Entwistle, the director of Karate Kid: Legends, confirmed that the Han and Miyagi families go back generations. Since Mr. Han is from Beijing, China and Mr. Miyagi is originally from the Japanese island of Okinawa, it will be interesting to discover how their families are connected in Karate Kid: Legends.

Karate Kid: Legends (2025) 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.

Release Date

May 30, 2025

Cast

Ralph Macchio , Jackie Chan , Ben Wang , Ming-Na Wen , Joshua Jackson , Sadie Stanley , Aramis Knight , Wyatt Oleff

Character(s)

Daniel LaRusso , Mr. Han , Li Fong

Director

Jonathan Entwistle

Writers

Robert Mark Kamen , Christopher Murphey , Rob Lieber

Studio(s)

Columbia Pictures , Jerry Weintraub Productions , Overbrook Entertainment , Sony Pictures Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Sony Pictures Entertainment

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