With talk of multiple spinoffs of the Cobra Kai /The Karate Kid series being mentioned by the showrunners, the most obvious and perfect story is a spinoff show that focuses on the origins of Mr. Miyagi. Cobra Kai has already dug into the origins of the Cobra Kai dojo, as well as the backstory of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), and John Kreese (Martin Kove). Mr. Miyagi, however, is the most elusive of all the characters, his past admired and teased, but never given the full breadth of understanding needed to drive home The Karate Kid history and mythology.
Played by Noriyuki Pat Morita in 1984's The Karate Kid, 1986's The Karate Kid: Part II, 1989's The Karate Kid: Part III, and finally in 1994's The Next Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi quickly became a beloved cultural figure, frequently quoted and respected for his calm, decisive, wise, and masterful ways. Morita passed away in 2005 at the age of 74, leaving behind a legacy that was synonymous with the character he brought to life. The Oscar-, Emmy-, and Golden Globe-nominated actor appeared in a long list of projects throughout his career, but Mr. Miyagi was his most defining, much like his The Karate Kid co-stars Macchio, Zabka, and Kove heading into Cobra Kai season 4. His death left the origin story of Miyagi waiting in the wings for exploration, especially with the prominence of Cobra Kai.
The Karate Kid: Part II gave the most background to Mr. Miyagi's origin, from his complex familial relations to a bitter rivalry that pushed him out of Okinawa. However, none of the events that led to the original film have ever been portrayed, only spoken of vaguely from time to time, be it in sequels or throughout Cobra Kai, particularly when Daniel returns to Okinawa in Cobra Kai season 3. What's really missing is a journey through Mr. Miyagi's life experience, which would provide far more depth, understanding, and prominence to The Karate Kid/Cobra Kai mythos, expanding on who Mr. Miyagi was and how he eventually became a legendary karate instructor. From learning karate as a child from his father to meeting and marrying his late wife in California to serving in the Army during WWII and then the mysterious gap between his wartime service and run-in with Daniel, there’s much more to learn about the origins of Mr. Miyagi, who is the true figurehead of The Karate Kid/Cobra Kai franchise.
Mr. Miyagi Is The Most Important Character In The Karate Kid Franchise
Mr. Miyagi is the most essential Karate Kid series character, as all the events leading up to and including Cobra Kai season 4 stem from Miyagi and his training of Daniel LaRusso. During the events of The Karate Kid, with Daniel meeting Mr. Miyagi at a critical time of need, specifically, to learn karate and self-defense, a chain of events was set off that led to everything that is now unfolding in Cobra Kai. Had Daniel not met Mr. Miyagi, there simply wouldn't be a Karate Kid or Cobra Kai. Yet, strangely, Mr. Miyagi is the character that has the least amount of backstory of any of the main players to date.
The Origin Of Miyagi Would Provide The Best Insight Into His Teachings
Finding out more about Mr. Miyagi and his life before training Daniel would add a whole other level of depth to his teachings, as it would define how he got to that point and his own lessons in arriving there. Throughout The Karate Kid series, Mr. Miyagi unveils a whole system of learning karate, as well as a number of special techniques for Daniel to use when the time is right, lessons Daniel still uses in Cobra Kai. Seeing Mr. Miyagi's origin in learning these as a boy from his father and how he utilized them throughout his own life would be a tremendous revelation into not only how Mr. Miyagi learned to teach karate, but how he applied it in his own life. The lessons learned not only from his father, but those he encountered throughout his life, be it at war, the Japanese internment camp, or his mysterious missing years after WWII, would provide a whole new level of understanding of the origins of Mr. Miyagi.
Learning More About The Origins Of Karate From Miyagi’s Father Deepens The Lessons Learned In Cobra Kai
While everyone is clear on Mr. Miyagi's teachings as they apply to Daniel (and later Julie Pierce, played by Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid), how his father taught him is a key aspect of his origin. It's unlikely that Mr. Miyagi's father had a lot of cars for him to wax or even a massive backyard with decks to be sanded, so unfolding the lessons that were given to Mr. Miyagi as a boy in Okinawa would show not only how he learned them, but how he adapted them to suit Daniel decades later. It deepens the lessons learned and now carried forth by Daniel in Cobra Kai as he leads Miyagi-Do, the newest karate dojo. It also opens up the doors to expand on how Daniel will adapt Mr. Miyagi's teachings to suit his own students, a topic that continues to be explored in the show.
Miyagi’s Loss & Struggles Reveal More About How He Passes Down His Teachings To Daniel (& Beyond)
Understanding Mr. Miyagi's pre-Karate Kid origins and who he was, from childhood to war hero to handyman working at an apartment complex in California, would be a powerful and revealing journey, unraveling the deepest aspects of his teachings, which have now carried on to a whole new generation of students. Mr. Miyagi is an imperfect character, even if wise and masterful in his craft. He suffered the loss of his wife and unborn child, struggled with his family after leaving Okinawa when he fell in love with a woman betrothed to another, and seemingly lived a quiet, lonely life until Daniel arrived. He also won the Medal of Honor in WWII, which is another rich story well to draw from for his origin. The lessons learned, both in life and in karate, had a strong impact on how he trains Daniel and would be well worth exploring to show Mr. Miyagia as more than simply an old karate master.
Miyagi’s Story Opens The Door To The Future Of Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do Karate
Exploring Mr. Miyagi's origins could point to where Cobra Kai might be going. Some of this was explored in Cobra Kai season 3, when Daniel returned to Okinawa and faced Chozen, his old nemesis from The Karate Kid: Part II. During that time, more tidbits of Mr. Miyagi's past were revealed, but not enough to tell the full story of his origin. A major component of the story revolves around Chozen, who was trained by his Uncle Sato, also trained by Mr. Miyagi's father when they were kids. When Sato passed, he left all of Miyago-Do's artifacts with Chozen, making him a key person that could help tell Mr. Miyagi's origin, as well as any teachings that may yet be revealed, even to Daniel. Mr. Miyagi's story, his past, his origin, and his life are the glue to the mythology of The Karate Kid, as well as Cobra Kai, and exploring his past opens the doors to the future of the franchise.