Karate Kid: Legends Easter Eggs
The adventures of Daniel Larusso continues after the conclusion of Netflix’s Cobra Kai. The hit show became a treasure trove of easter eggs from the original John G. Avildsen Karate Kid trilogy. Cobra Kai would not only bring back major supporting characters like Chozen Toguchi, Terry Silver and “Karate’s Bad Boy” Mike Barnes, but the writers cut even deeper, with a character like the little Okinawan girl that Daniel saved in the Typhoon in Part II, and more impressively, took a throwaway line from Part III about an off-screen character — Elizabeth Anne Rooney — and actually gave her a scene in an episode. Sony Pictures recently released Karate Kid: Legends, which marries the continuity from the original series to the 2010 Jaden Smith film that was initially made as a reboot. While we’re introduced to a new martial arts teen, named Li, in this latest addition to the franchise, Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han and Ralph Macchio’s Daniel Larusso join forces in a dual mentorship. The movie stands on its own for the most part, but today we take a look at some of the easter eggs that we found in Karate Kid: Legends. Be aware, there will be some light spoilers, but nothing too major.
Number 1 – Miyagi Family Drum
So, this one can actually be seen in the first trailer. In all the movies in the original trilogy, there’s a special technique that Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel, which becomes his key to victory. In the first film, it’s the famous Crane Kick. If done right, it’s hard to defend. In the third film, it’s Kata, which confuses Mike Barnes before Daniel’s takedown. And in Karate Kid Part II, Miyagi teaches Daniel the “Drum Technique.” It’s both a counter and offensive move which Daniel used to defeat Chozen by parrying his punches and returning a punch in one swinging movement. This is inspired by the little double-sided drum instrument that was a Miyagi family heirloom.
When Mr. Han goes to visit Daniel at Miyagi’s home in Karate Kid: Legends, there’s a little shrine dedicated to the Sensei. And right there under his picture, you can see the Miyagi drum in full display.
Number 2 – Jacket on, Jacket off
The 2010 Karate Kid movie was adapted from Robert Mark Kamen’s original screenplay and the film follows most of the dramatic beats pretty closely. This includes Mr. Han using Mr. Miyagi’s method of teaching his student by instilling blocking forms into their muscle memory using repetition of a mundane action. In the 1985 original, Miyagi had the famous “Wax on, wax off.” In the 2010 film, Mr. Han’s student, Dre, had a bad habit of leaving his jacket on the floor, which his mom is repeatedly on him about.
Mr. Han devises a training method using this bad habit, where he has Dre put his jacket on, then take the jacket off and hang it up. The movements from these actions transfer to Kung Fu blocking techniques. In Karate Kid: Legends, Mr. Han has a Kung Fu school and his training method carries over from that movie, as he orders his students, “Jacket on! Jacket off!” The students, then use the same movement from the previous film. He would also have Li use this movement during the training montages later in the movie.
Number 3 – Tekken 8 ads
So, this one isn’t an easter egg to the previous films, but Sony does have a habit of peppering in some of their own product placements in their movies. Usually, you can see characters use their laptops or phones, but Karate Kid: Legends has a special collaboration deal with Bandai Namco on the Tekken 8 fighting game, which is available on the Sony Playstation 5, as well as other platforms.
In the Tekken Shop, you can download a DLC of a special Karate Kid: Legends hoodie that characters can be made to wear. In the movie, two of our main characters, Li and Mia, played by Ben Wang and Sadie Stanley, strike up a friendship and go on a tour around New York City. In the background, just out of focus in one of the scenes, is a big Tekken 8 banner on a building. Then, a little later, Li and Mia ride the subway and another big advertisement can be seen just out of focus behind our characters.
Number 4 – Bruce Lee’s One-Inch Punch
A famous signature move of martial arts icon Bruce Lee was his incredibly close quarters strike — the one-inch punch. It was perfected by Lee and illustrated how he was able to generate enough power to knock back his opponent without having to wind up to throw the punch. This move has been referenced in countless homages to Lee, including Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 11 and Donnie Yen in Ip Man 3.
In Karate Kid: Legends there’s a lengthy sub-plot that involves our main character, Li Fong, training Mia’s dad, Victor, who happens to be a boxer. You can say there are more easter eggs during the training sequence as Li teaches Victor to build a strong foundation with a Horse Stance, which Jackie Chan trains with in the original Drunken Master. However, one notable move that Li has Victor practice over and over is the one-inch punch. Then, the move is used by both Victor and Li later in the movie.
Number 5 – “Everything is Kung Fu”
In the 2010 Karate Kid, when Mr. Han finally shows Dre what the “Jacket on, Jacket off” training does. He gives the method much more depth as he includes a little philosophy with it. He tells Dre that “Kung Fu lives in everything we do. It lives in how we pick up the jacket. How we put on the jacket.” Then, he punctuates it with the line, “Everything is Kung Fu.”
In Karate Kid: Legends, Mr. Han makes this point again. Only this time, it’s in a humorous fashion when he’s trying to win an argument with Daniel. Both masters clash when trying to prove which way is better; Kung Fu or Karate, and the two get entangled in a little exchange. When they come to a stalemate, Mr. Han jokingly exclaims, “Everything is Kung Fu” since Miyagi’s Karate is derived from the Han family style.
Number 6 – “Life knocks you down. You can pick yourself up.”
For the most part, Mr. Han was a closed book on his life in the 2010 movie. There’s a heartbreaking scene where he reveals that his wife and child were killed in a car crash. Mr. Han’s arc is impacted by Dre entering his life and giving him the strength to find fulfillment with a new adopted family. When Mr. Han opens up to Dre, he tells him, “Life will knock us down. But we can choose to get back up.”
Mr. Han says that was a very important lesson he learned, and in Karate Kid: Legends, Mr. Han passes on the wisdom. Mia’s father is badly beaten in a boxing match, she freezes out Li and when he’s feeling depressed about the situation, Mr. Han tells him, “You can’t control when life knocks you down. But you can control when you get back up.”
And those are the easter eggs we found in Karate Kid: Legends. There are other details we observed that may or may not be easter eggs, but for the most part, all the references are pretty clear cut. However, in case we did miss some, let us know in the comments below!
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