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The Karate Kid first kicked its way into hearts and the fabric of pop culture when it debuted in 1984. The legendary Mr. Miyagi, the iconic crane kick, and a plethora of easily recognizable quotes (“sweep the leg”, anyone?) quickly cemented its place in cinematic history. The film’s underdog protagonist Daniel LaRusso helps elevate the film from just another coming of age film into a beloved classic that has withstood the test of time.
He’s a lovable, if flawed, main character who, from the first film to the latest installment in the franchise, still seeks one thing many can’t manage to find: balance. Daniel LaRusso’s journey to find his balance continues long after he first raised the All-Valley Karate Tournament trophy high, and that journey proves realistic and refreshing.
Daniel’s History
In The Karate Kid, audiences follow Daniel LaRusso as he moves from New Jersey to California. After multiple beatings from bullies nearly break him, local handyman Mr. Miyagi agrees to teach Daniel karate and help train him for an upcoming karate tournament. We all know the rest; Daniel wins the tournament by defeating the ringleader of all the bullies, Johnny Lawrence, ends up with his crush Ali, and now has the best friend he’s ever had, Mr. Miyagi.
In The Karate Kid Part II, Daniel heads to Okinawa with Mr. Miyagi, where he finds himself in a death match against the nephew of Mr. Miyagi’s former best friend. In Part III, Daniel gets blackmailed into competing in the All-Valley Tournament against superstar Mike Barnes, whose strings get pulled by the original movie’s villain John Kreese and the rich, sadistic Terry Silver.
Throughout it all, Daniel loses his way, lets his temper and guilt get the better of him, and even gets knocked down a few times-mentally and physically. He wins the final match every time, thanks to the predictable yet comforting formula of ’80s movie endings. Even though the ending may become obvious a quarter of the way through each installment, seeing the ultimate underdog win every time while a sweeping score thrums throughout the final scene remains satisfying and enjoyable. Cobra Kai, however, shows audiences that Daniel LaRusso’s quest to find his balance didn’t die in the ’80s. Decades later, he’s still searching.
The show first debuted on YouTubeRed in 2017 before migrating to Netflix in August 2020, where it quickly punched its way to the number one spot on the streaming service. Cobra Kai follows Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence in their adult years, along with their teenage children and karate students in the San Fernando Valley, as the sport makes a resurgence that sends shockwaves through LA. The show proves that Daniel’s story-and his ultimate goal of finding balance-didn’t end when the first film’s credits roll.
A Fantastic-And Flawed-Character
Daniel LaRusso possesses a lot of strengths. He’s fiercely loyal to those he loves, he’s resilient, and he gives everything he tries much more than the standard 100%. He admits when he’s scared, protects the people who matter most to him, and fights until the very end, win or lose. The balance between his good and bad traits makes him such a memorable character. He’s an ’80s protagonist with something not many others had at the time: layers and depth.
From his quick temper to nearly hurting his knees from jumping to conclusions too fast, Daniel’s flaws show he’s not, and never will be, perfect. His smart mouth gets him into more than one fight. He often acts before he thinks. He doesn’t always ask for help, even when he needs it the most. For all of his faults, some of which he still works through throughout Cobra Kai, finding balance remains the one Daniel never quite seems to overcome.
Balance Isn’t Linear
Once the freeze-frame ending of the original movie dissolves, it’s to be assumed that Daniel LaRusso now has everything figured out. He finally finds the balance he chases and craves for the entire two-hour runtime of The Karate Kid. But then Cobra Kai shows that, even as an adult, Daniel doesn’t have it. Every season shows Daniel seeking that very balance, but Season 2 showcases this struggle clearest. Between the numerous car dealerships, he co-owns with his wife, opening a karate dojo, trying to train his students the way Mr. Miyagi taught him, and making time for his family, Daniel gets lost all over again.
He may be older and wiser than he was in ‘84 but managing to strike a balance with everything in his life remains as a big a mystery to him in middle-age as it did when he was still a scrawny, confused teen. While he may be grown up, he still possesses traits he had in high school. He internalizes his guilt and bites off much more than he can possibly chew (and that famous temper still flares up now and again). He still thinks he has to do everything on his own. But how can one find balance if they’re carrying such a heavy load with only two arms?
While his inability to find steady footing gets punished by the narrative, the show still allows Daniel room for growth and improvement. Balance, like most things in life, isn’t linear. Some days, he achieves it, and on others, he struggles. But the show makes sure to remind audiences that this doesn’t make him a bad person. It makes Daniel LaRusso human.
Mr. Miyagi’s Lessons Live On
In season 3, he divides his time between his various responsibilities better but still can’t find the perfect way to keep track of everything. While he’s in Japan for business, his daughter Samantha deals with panic attacks from the Season 2 finale’s school karate brawl. Later in the season, once he figures out what to do after fending off the guilt for not initially being there for her, he takes the time to sit with and help her through her anxiety and fear.
When Daniel tells Sam that she isn’t alone and that he’s had plenty of moments in his life where fear nearly consumed him as well, it’s touching and impactful because he finally realizes that while Mr. Miyagi isn’t by his side anymore, his mentor’s teachings live on through him. The help he asks for and takes from others in his life makes Daniel LaRusso and those he loves stronger. He doesn’t want his daughter to feel alone, as any good parent would, but that desire to make her feel supported comes from a very personal place.
It’s a full-circle moment for the character. He once battled those same struggles his daughter now deals with when he was her age, and he still hasn’t fully healed from the fallout of them. Daniel and Sam, father and daughter, both still search for balance throughout the show, and in season 3, they’re finding it together.
A Lesson Everyone Keeps Learning
In The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel that balance is a lesson for one’s whole life. Per usual, he’s correct. Life doesn’t magically fall into place when you become an adult. There’s always going to be items on a to-do list, errands to run, people to split time between. Figuring out how to manage everything remains a part of life at any age. Seeing a beloved childhood hero still working on it himself can be both validating and reassuring. Daniel LaRusso grapples with this life lesson throughout every installment of the Karate Kid universe-and that’s okay.
Fans of the franchise, whether they saw the movie for the first time in theaters back in the ’80s or just recently succumbed to the Cobra Kai hype, can all connect to Daniel LaRusso. He’s a character who transcends decades, a film hero who’s earned his place in cinematic and pop culture history. Teens, senior citizens, and everyone in between always seek to find their own balance just like him. After all, if a two-time All Valley Karate Champion still works every day on finding balance, you can too.
Seasons 1-3 of Cobra Kai are now streaming on Netflix.