Ralph Macchio Reflects On How Cobra Kai Honored Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi & Imagines His Reaction To Today’s Franchise

Ralph Macchio has reflected on how Cobra Kai honored Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi, and how he imagines the actor would react to The Karate Kid franchise today. Morita portrayed Miyagi in the very first movie of the franchise, reprising his role in the four movies that followed. Although the actor died in 2005, his character has continued the be an important part of the franchise through Cobra Kai season 6, with his legacy still defining everything Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) does for his students. The same will also be reflected in the forthcoming Karate Kid: Legends movie.

Speaking with GamesRadar+, Macchio reflected on Cobra Kai honoring Morita’s Mr. Miyagi, believing the actor would be the biggest supporter of how the franchise has evolved in the modern age. The actor explained how he feels responsible to ensure the legacy his co-star left behind isn’t forgotten, hoping to adequately display his importance in the upcoming projects. Check out what Macchio had to say about Morita below:

I think he would’ve been first in line with and bought popcorn for everybody. I really do. His character – it’s always been super important to me that it was woven into the Cobra Kai series. That was day one when this was pitched to me. I said, I need that to not be forgotten because without that, none of this exists, meaning that character of Miyagi and that performance by him. So I enjoy honoring those who are no longer with us that helped, create this franchise.

And I feel, I guess I would say a responsibility, but I take pride in making sure, or at least letting my voice be heard, of the importance of that in honor of them. I’d like to believe he’d be proud of me for that part.

What Macchio’s Statement Says About Morita’s Legacy In The Karate Kid Franchise

Cobra Kai Ensured He’s Still A Major Part Of The Series

Mr. Miyagi has had a continuous presence during the events of the Netflix series, his influence constantly evident across varius facets of the story. While he’s honored by characters in Cobra Kai like Daniel, whose teachings ae modeled after his own, the karate master’s backstory has also received significant expansion. In season 6, new details about his past come to light, including that he was a boxer, and that he ended up killing someone while participating in the Sekai Tekai tournament. These offer new elements to his character while still emphasizing his importance to the series overall.

The story of Karate Kid: Legends is poised to continue expanding Miyagi’s backstory, revealing that he also has past ties to Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). Tethering these various stories in the franchise around the first film’s original master makes Morita’s character a major force in the series, even though he’s since passed away. By centering the franchise around him, every new installment can continue to honor how his character’s teaching built the series, with the theme of legacy constantly permeating each story.

Our Take On Macchio’s Reflections On Mr. Miyagi

He’s Doing A Great Job Honoring Morita’s Role

Given Daniel’s role as a teacher for new karate students, the actor is clearly doing a very good job at honoring Morita’s role with his own. While Karate Kid: Legends will translate these efforts to the big screen, Cobra Kai has already done so, with his training of various students and reconciliation with Johnny (William Zabka) reflecting these qualities. Given the continued success of the franchise in the last few years, Macchio might be able to continue celebrating his co-star’s performance for some time to come.

Source: GamesRadar+

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

Cobra Kai

5/10

Release Date

2018 – 2024

Network

Netflix, YouTube Premium

Showrunner

Jon Hurwitz

Directors

Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, Joel Novoa, Jennifer Celotta, Steven K. Tsuchida, Sherwin Shilati, Marielle Woods, Steve Pink, Lin Oeding, Michael Grossman

Writers

Josh Heald, Ashley Darnall, Chris Rafferty, Bill Posley