What relationship between Karate Kid: Legends and the Cobra Kai series?

Does the new film in the saga make a link with the series that has hit Netflix?

Six months after the end of Cobra Kai, karate fans will be able to go back to the tatami today, thanks to Karate Kid: Legends, new opus of the franchise.

But does the film have a connection with the Netflix series? If it is not a sequel, are there at least references to Cobra Kai?

Attention spoilers!

Karate Kid: Legends weaves a subtle and tenuous link with the series. In fact, this thread is called M. Miyagi. We learn that Han (Jackie Chan) and the former sensi of Daniel Larusso were close friends, and that Karate Miyagi-Do draws his roots from a Kung-Fu style transmitted by Han’s family in China. A central theme returns throughout history: “Two branches, a tree”, a metaphor of harmony between two styles, two cultures and two a priori opposite philosophies. Other than that? Nothing. Zero mention to California students or the Sekai Taikai tournament.

Karate Kid: Legends eyeing much more on the side of Kid Kid of 1984 than Cobra Kai and does not make the slightest reference to the Hit de Netflix.

In an interview with Variety, Ralph Macchio admits “that it is distinct ecosystems”.

The story of Karate Kid: Legends takes place three years after the end of Cobra Kai and the film thus had “no impact” on the scenarios of the last season, according to his showrunner, Josh Heald: “We told our story, as we had decided when we started production of season 1 in 2017. And this is the ultimate achievement of this story.” Neither in one sense, nor in the other since he confirms in the process that “season 6 of Cobra Kai does not serve as a basis for the film”, but the character of Daniel “makes the link” between the two projects. “But there is nothing in the narration or the journey of a character in the final season of Cobra Kai who directly feeds this film”.

In short, almost no relationship between Cobra Kai and Karate Kid: Legends if not the presence – limited – of Daniel and the regular evocation of Mr. Miyagi, which serves as a backdrop for history. For the rest, fans will be satisfied with a very small cameo of William Zabka, who returns to Johnny Lawrence for a minute.