How to watch the ‘Karate Kid’ movies in order

The Karate Kid franchise began in 1984 with the eponymous The Karate Kid and has expanded to comprise four more movies (with another on the way), a canon live-action television series, and a non-canon animated show.

Netflix’s Cobra Kai is in the middle of its sixth and final season, with spin-offs expected in the future (but not confirmed). The show’s hype and popularity, coupled with the upcoming new film, have seen the franchise undergo a renaissance in recent years.

But if you’re new to the franchise and want to watch everything from scratch, you might wonder where to begin. We’re here to help with that, as this is how to watch the Karate Kid movies (and TV shows) in order.

1. The Karate Kid (1984)

The brilliant first movie in the franchise, which made Ralph Macchio a star, is the one to watch first. In the film, Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso moves with his mother from Newark, New Jersey, to Reseda, Los Angeles. After encountering trouble with the students from the local Cobra Kai martial arts dojo, he learns karate from the enigmatic Mr. Miyagi, played by an Oscar-nominated Pat Morita. He defeats Johnny Lawrence to win the All-Valley Karate Championship. The rest is history.

2. The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

Six months after the original movie, in The Karate Kid Part II, Daniel LaRusso accompanies Mr. Miyagi to his home village on Okinawa Island, Japan, after Miyagi discovers his father is dying. While there, Miyagi’s past catches up with him, putting LaRusso in the line of fire and facing a ruthless local young fighter named Chozen Toguchi (who becomes an important figure later in the franchise), whom he ultimately defeats. This movie marks a notable decline in quality but maintains the original film’s heart.

3. The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

Around a year after the original film’s events, Daniel LaRusso faces a new threat and a dangerous rival in his bid to retain his All-Valley title: The “Bad Boy of Karate,” Mike Barnes. Of course, LaRusso prevails, augmenting his rivalry with John Kreese and gaining a new enemy in Terry Silver — both of whom reappear in his life later in the franchise. Truthfully, this movie is trash, but in the best way. The cheesy B-movie acting is made up for with explosive, exaggerated action.

4. The Next Karate Kid (1994)

In this one, set in 1994, Mr. Miyagi (the only familiar character to appear) travels to Boston, Massachusetts, to attend a memorial for the Japanese-American soldiers who fought in World War II’s 442nd Infantry Regiment. There, he reacquaints with an old friend whose rebellious teenage granddaughter, Julie Pearce, played well by future Oscar-winner Hilary Swank, he takes under his wing. He assists her against Ned, a bully and the leader of her school’s shady security fraternity. It isn’t great and has no impact on the broader franchise, but Morita and Swank make it worth watching.

5. The Karate Kid (2010)

Many initially believed that 2010’s The Karate Kid was a mere remake of the original film of the same name. However, given that a crossover movie is imminent, it’s confirmed to occur in the same universe as its predecessors. This one, set in the year of its release, follows Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker from Detroit, Michigan, to Beijing, China, where his mother is moving for work. There, he befriends a young girl and gains the ire of a young kung-fu prodigy, Cheng. He meets Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han, a humble handyman, who teaches him kung-fu, enabling him to defeat Cheng in a competition. It’s nowhere near as good as the original but offers a satisfyingly fresh take.

6. Cobra Kai (2018-present)

Beginning 34 years after the 1984 All Valley tournament, Cobra Kai reunites audiences with Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence as they lead opposing lives. LaRusso owns a successful chain of car dealerships, and Lawrence is down on his luck, but the latter’s reforming of the Cobra Kai dojo reunites them — sometimes as friends, other times as rivals. The show reintroduces many old characters and introduces countless great new ones. Beginning on YouTube, it’s now on Netflix, and all six seasons are well worth watching (despite its often implausible plots).

7. Karate Kid (2025)

Releasing on May 30, 2025, Karate Kid will somehow bring Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han together, confirming 2010’s The Karate Kid as a canon part of the more expansive franchise. It’s unknown how that will happen or how plausible the events surrounding the meeting will be, but it’s exciting nonetheless. Other cast members include Ben Wang as the movie’s young prodigy, Joshua Jackson, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight, Wyatt Oleff, and Jennifer-Lyn Christie. Presumably, it will take place after the events of the final season of Cobra Kai.

Not canon: The Karate Kid (1989)

While it’s not canonically part of the more expansive Karate Kid franchise, the 1989 animated series The Karate Kid does feature familiar characters Daniel LaRusso (voiced by Joey Dedio) and Mr. Miyagi (voiced by Robert Ito). It doesn’t specifically fit in anywhere chronologically, so if you wish to watch it, do so whenever you feel like it. There are no tournaments, as it’s more of an adventure series with quests and whatnot. Honestly, it’s not great — in fact, it’s wildly goofy at times — but if you want the whole experience of the franchise, we won’t stop you from finding that out for yourself.