© Columbia Pictures Karate Kid: Legendsis the sixth movie in the franchise Cobra Kairan for six seasons, ending in February 2025 Ralph Macchio first played Daniel LaRusso in 1984'sThe Karate Kid It's "legends only" inKarate Kid: Legends. The 2025 movie is the latest installment in the story of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), who audiences first met in 1984'sThe Karate Kid.He was introduced to a new generation onCobra Kai, which finished its six-season run in February 2025. Karate Kid: Legendsmerges the worlds ofThe Karate Kidfranchise. Macchio is back as Daniel, and in his latest adventure, he meets Mr. Han, played byJackie Chan, from the 2010Karate Kidremake starringJaden Smith. Mr. Han knew Daniel's original teacher, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), and Macchio explained toThe Hollywood Reporterhow that element is "another ecosystem in the grand universe" ofThe 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 fromThe Karate Kidworld appearing together, isKarate Kid: Legendsa sequel toCobra Kai? Here's everything to know about how the new movie connects to the popular Netflix series. Warning: Spoilers ahead forKarate Kid: Legends! © Columbia Pictures Karate Kid: Legendsis not a direct sequel toCobra Kai, but it takes place in the same world as the series and original movies. "There are many, many seasons ofCobra Kai.This is not aCobra Kaimovie. It's within theKarate Kiduniverse," director Jonathan Entwistle toldCollider. "It's another chapter in the story. It's another graphic novel in the sequence." © Columbia Pictures Yes,Karate Kid: Legendstakes place three years after theCobra Kaiseries finale. "Our filmis setafter the sixth and final season ofCobra Kaiand takes theKarate Kidmythology in a fresh direction with a new set of characters," director Entwistle explained to PEOPLE in April 2025. Columbia Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection Karate Kid: Legendsintroduces 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. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix In thefinal episodeofCobra 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 toldTudum. "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." Columbia Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection Macchio returns forKarate Kid: Legends, but anotherCobra Kaicast 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 toScreenRant. "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" inKarate Kid: Legends. "He gracesCobra Kaiwith 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. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix© 2024 No, another season ofCobra Kaiis not currently planned. The Netflix series ended in February 2025 after six seasons. In a February 2025The New York Timesinterview, Macchio voiced his hopes for aCobra Kaimovie in the future. "IfKarate Kid: Legendsdoes well, I would love to see aCobra Kaimovie 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 Kaicreators 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 toldThe Hollywood Reporterin July 2024. Macchio is keeping the door open for returning to theKarate Kiduniverse, tellingThe 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." 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