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Best Karate Kid Movies Ranked

Author:Kristen Update:Oct 15,2025

Karate Kid: Legends launches this week, uniting the iconic '80s films with the 2010 reboot – which initially existed in a separate continuity from the original franchise.

Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan now join forces as senseis Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han, blending karate and kung fu traditions in unprecedented ways for Karate Kid: Legends. To celebrate this landmark crossover, we've ranked all five Karate Kid films!

PlayAnd yes, in answer to your most pressing question – Netflix's Cobra Kai remains canon within Legends. While you won't see Cobra Kai characters appearing, the film maintains continuity with the series' events. Set three years after Cobra Kai's finale, Legends follows Chan's Mr. Han recruiting Daniel LaRusso to help mentor a new protégé, Ben Wang's (American Born Chinese) Li Fong.

So which film tops our rankings? The original trilogy features the legendary Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi guiding Daniel (and later Hilary Swank's Julie) through life's challenges, while the reboot paired Chan with Jaden Smith in similar mentor/student roles. Here's our definitive ranking of the Karate Kid films!

Karate Kid Movies Ranked

Karate Kid film stillKarate Kid training montage

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Daniel LaRusso crane kickMr. Miyagi teachingJaden Smith training sceneJackie Chan in Karate Kid