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Karate Kid: Legends is a 2025 martial arts drama directed by Jonathan Entwistle, marking the sixth installment in the Karate Kid franchise. Starring Ben Wang alongside Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, the story follows Li Fong (Wang), who moves to New York City after a family tragedy.
Struggling to fit in, he enters a local karate tournament to defend his friend Mia. Under the guidance of Mr. Han and Daniel, Li merges kung fu and karate techniques to prepare for the Five Boroughs Tournament. In the final match, he uses a unique technique called the "Tiger Trap" to defeat his rival, Conor.
After the tournament, Daniel returns to California, while Mr. Han heads back to Beijing hinting at possible future collaborations. Karate Kid: Legends concludes with a cameo by Johnny Lawrence, suggesting ongoing connections within the Karate Kid universe.
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Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers about the film. Viewers discretion advised.
Karate Kid: Legends ending breakdown: How Li Fong wins the tournament
Karate Kid: Legends provides a compelling continuation of the long-standing martial arts franchise, centering its core plot on the journey of Li Fong (Ben Wang), a kung fu prodigy from Beijing. Uprooted and moved to New York City with his mother, Li is struggling to cope with the trauma of witnessing his older brother's death, which was a consequence of a vengeful opponent after a tournament.
His mother forces him to promise to give up martial arts, fearing a repeat of the tragedy. However, Li's path inevitably leads him back to conflict when he befriends and begins a romantic relationship with Mia Lipani (Sadie Stanley), whose ex-boyfriend, the local karate champion Conor Day (Aramis Knight), begins to bully Li relentlessly.
Li's commitment to non-violence is further tested when he is forced to use his skills to defend Mia's father, Victor Lipani (Joshua Jackson), a former boxer and pizzeria owner, against loan shark thugs working for O'Shea, the owner of Conor’s aggressive karate dojo. Li becomes Victor's coach as the latter, in a desperate attempt to pay off his debts, makes a comeback in boxing.
When illegal blows in the ring severely injure Victor, Li freezes with the flashbacks of his brother's fatal stabbing, deepening his guilt and trauma. Meanwhile, Li's original kung fu instructor, Mr Han (Jackie Chan), comes from China to support his friends and face his past.
He urges Li to compete in the citywide Five Boroughs Tournament and brings in Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) from Los Angeles to combine Li's kung fu foundation with Miyagi-Do karate.The core narrative of Karate Kid: Legends thus builds toward the final tournament as Li's ultimate test of skill, character, and emotional recovery.
Li's journey concludes in the final match against Conor Day. He uses the "dragon kick," a move that his late brother taught him and that Daniel and Mr Han modified, to win the championship and the last point. When the defeated and enraged Conor strikes Li from behind, Li quickly disables him but then chooses to show restraint and mercy.
He shows that he has completely processed his brother's trauma by choosing to intentionally avoid using violence in this situation, even though he might have easily hurt his opponent. This implies that he has mastered the emotional foundation of martial arts, which is that fighting is for self-defense and personal development rather than retaliation or violence.
Li’s ability to use his strength with honor proves his mastery of the "two branches, one tree" philosophy of blended kung fu and karate. During the final scenes of Karate Kid: Legends, Li fulfills his promise to his new friends by using the tournament's prize money to help Victor and Mia save their family pizzeria.
Following the tournament, Daniel returns to Los Angeles and his responsibilities at the Miyagi-Do dojo. Mr. Han, having ensured Li's emotional and physical recovery, departs for Beijing, though the film hints at a possible future return by suggesting his interest in helping Victor expand the pizza business to China.
The shared mentorship is cemented by Li sending Daniel a 'thank you' pizza from New York. This gift leads to a surprise cameo by Johnny Lawrence, connecting Karate Kid: Legends directly to the Cobra Kai continuity in a humorous final scene where Johnny pitches the idea of a Miyagi-themed pizzeria.
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