Karate Kid: Legends brought back some familiar faces, including Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han. But fans noticed something missing—none of the popular Cobra Kai characters made an appearance. Now, director Jonathan Entwistle has explained why that happened.
No Cobra Kai Characters in Karate Kid: Legends – Here’s Why
Even though Karate Kid: Legends is connected to the classic Karate Kid universe, the film avoids using characters that were introduced in Cobra Kai. According to Entwistle, the main reason is legal rights.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the director said he could only use characters and ideas from the original Karate Kid movies. That’s because Cobra Kai—even though it’s part of the same franchise—is not owned by Columbia Pictures, the studio behind Legends.
“We were allowed to use anything from the original movies,” Entwistle said. “That meant Daniel and Mr. Miyagi’s legacy could return. But Cobra Kai-specific elements? Those belong to a different studio.”
Why Cobra Kai Can’t Be Used in Legends
It’s All About Streaming Rights
Cobra Kai began on YouTube Red but later moved to Netflix, which now owns the rights to the series. That shift makes things tricky for crossover projects. Even though Sony owns the Karate Kid brand, Netflix has control over the Cobra Kai characters and storyline.
In a Reddit AMA, Entwistle answered fan questions and confirmed that the characters from Cobra Kai couldn’t appear unless Netflix made a movie with them. He said, “The key limitation here is that Cobra Kai is a Netflix show. I only had access to characters from the films.”
So, while Daniel LaRusso (who was introduced in the original 1984 movie) could return, newer fan favorites like Miguel, Robby, or Tory were off-limits.
But One Cobra Kai Character Did Appear – Here’s How
Surprisingly, one familiar face did show up near the end of Karate Kid: Legends: Johnny Lawrence, played by William Zabka. But here’s the catch—Johnny was part of the original Karate Kid movie, long before Cobra Kai existed. That made it legally okay to include him in Legends, even if it was only a short cameo.
This small moment gave fans a bit of nostalgia, even if the rest of the Cobra Kai crew was missing.
Director Wanted to Keep the Movie Separate From the Series
Before Legends even came out, Entwistle made it clear that he didn’t want the film to feel like a direct follow-up to Cobra Kai. In an interview with Collider, he said the movie is “set within the Karate Kid universe” but is meant to be “another chapter in the story.”
The focus of the movie is on Li Fong, a new student learning martial arts from both Mr. Han and Daniel. The story is about him, not the characters from the Netflix series. That was a creative choice as much as a legal one.
Our Take: Missing Cobra Kai Cast Is a Letdown
Fans Deserve More
Let’s be honest—it’s a bit disappointing. Cobra Kai played a massive role in reviving interest in the Karate Kid world. The series gave us deep character arcs for Johnny, Miguel, Tory, Robby, and others. It felt fresh while honoring the past.
But now, the split between movie and streaming rights could hold back future stories. If the characters introduced in Cobra Kai can’t appear in new Karate Kid movies, that limits what fans can see.
Hope for Future Crossovers?
There’s still hope, though. If Sony and Netflix can work together, future crossovers might be possible. Talks between studios could open the door for a sequel that includes the full Karate Kid family—from both the old films and the Netflix show.
The creators of Cobra Kai have hinted at spinoffs and new stories, so we might not have seen the last of these characters. As fans like to say: Cobra Kai never dies!
