How to watch The Karate Kid films in order ahead of Karate Kid: Legends? Chronological timeline, explained

In 1983, The Karate Kid was released as a standalone project about an American teenager learning the martial arts to beat a gang of bullies. It followed Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso taking lessons from Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi to prove his mettle. The audiences loved it so much that it spawned a multi-decade franchise.

Nearly four decades later, Karate Kid: Legends is about to revitalize it with a new young prodigy. The film is set for a May 2025 theatrical release. Since it's a franchise project, the audience might not understand some easter eggs if they haven't seen the previous chapters. So, they might want to brush up on their memories before buying the tickets.

Unlike other franchises like Star Wars or the MCU, The Karate Kid series was released according to its chronological order. However, there are a few projects that people deem unimportant since they pale in comparison with others. Still, the new viewers should ideally watch some of these projects to understand the canon and spot the references.

---

How to watch The Karate Kid projects in chronological order

For viewers who wish to enjoy the stories in chronological order in all The Karate Kid projects, here's the list.

---

The Karate Kid (1984)

The 1984 film laid the foundation for the entire franchise. It introduced the audience to Mr. Miyagi, who became a sacred figure in this cinematic universe. Even all these decades later, people often associate this franchise with Mr. Miyagi's iconic quotes and his unique ways of teaching life lessons. It also turned Ralph Macchio into an overnight sensation for his role as Daniel LaRusso.

It is important to watch this film before Karate Kid: Legends to understand the roots of their characters, since they, directly or indirectly, appear in the 2025 film. Apart from them, the film introduces a few more characters that appear later in the franchise, be it Daniel's key opponent Johnny Lawrence, his mother Lucille, his love interest Ali Mills, or Johnny's ruthless master John Kreese.

---

The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

Unlike the first film, the sequel followed Daniel and Mr. Miyagi outside of California, on the other side of the world. It took them to the Okinawa region in Japan, where Mr. Miyagi grew old. Along with Daniel, Mr. Miyagi was also confronted by his rivals. The film offered a detailed perspective into his character, which is crucial in the context of his lore. On another note, the sequel introduced many important characters reintroduced in the later Karate Kid-adjacent projects.

---

The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

The third film is often considered the worst in the franchise since neither the critics nor the audiences enjoyed its outlandish narrative style. So, some fans might argue that it does not warrant someone's time and attention. However, it establishes the Cobra Kai dojo more substantially than the first film, with characters like Teddy Silver, among others. So, it should be on your watchlist to understand some references in future projects, especially the Netflix series.

---

The Next Karate Kid (1994)

Five years after the disastrous reception of the threequel, the franchise made a pivot. It brought Mr. Miyagi back, but without Daniel LaRusso. Instead, the 1994 film starred Hilary Swank as Julie, the new Karate Kid, learning from the sensei. Unfortunately, it did not help the franchise since the film received a similarly negative reception. Despite that, it's an important chapter to be aware of some key aspects of Mr. Miyagi's identity and his character development.

---

The Karate Kid (2010)

The 2010 film did not bring any original franchise characters to the mix. Instead, it showed Jackie Chan's Mr. Han teaching Jaden Smith's Dre Parker martial arts. While considered a reboot, it works mainly like a remake of the foundational Karate Kid film. The dynamic between Dre and Mr. Han relies on near-identical dramatic moments like the one between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi in the 1984 film, even though Mr. Han teaches Kung Fu, not Karate. Still, it is important to watch to understand Mr. Han's character and his origins since he returns in Karate Kid: Legends.

---

Cobra Kai (2018-2025)

Cobra Kai is not a film, but an essential project in the canon, to understand the future of Daniel, Johnny, and other characters introduced in the original trilogy. It offers a self-referential look into this universe and does not mind poking fun at itself. It's an ultimate fan-service-laden project that offers plenty of laughs along with the usual thrills.

Karate Kid: Legends is set a few months after the events in Cobra Kai. So, it is enough reason to catch up on this Netflix series to be well aware of the lore.

---

Now, what's left?

There is also an animated series, released a few months after the threequel, which traces The Karate Kid in a magical universe. While it brings Daniel and Mr. Miyagi's characters back to the mix, it is not considered canon. So, if you're a Karate Kid completist, it should be on your watchlist after the threequel. Otherwise, you may skip it altogether.

---

Also read: Does Karate Kid: Legends acknowledge the events of Cobra Kai?