The Complete Saga of Karate Kid and Cobra Kai: Every Game in the Franchise

Since 1984, Karate Kid has captivated fans with its unique blend of drama, martial arts and life lessons. The franchise has expanded to include cartoons, games, series and even independent projects such as Fan Games, creating a universe rich in characters and stories.

With the end of the Cobra Kai series, martial arts fans are left without the iconic fights between the dojos. But don't worry, in this article, I'll tell you about you all the movies, the Cobra Kai series that has taken over minds in recent years, I'll explore the history of each official game, and I'll show you a lost gem with a fan game that will impress you. Get ready to fight.

The Karate Kid (1984)

The first movie in the series tells the story of Daniel LaRusso, a teenager from New Jersey who faces bullying in Silicon Valley and is saved by Mr. Miyagi, who trains him in his Miyagi-Do karate style. The climax of the film is Daniel's victory in the All Valley tournament against his arch rival Johnny Lawrence. The movie popularized Mr. Miyagi's phrases and established him as a pop-cultural icon.

The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

After winning the tournament, Daniel travels to Okinawa with Miyagi to confront his master's past, including a duel against Chozen, the nephew of Sato, Miyagi's rival.

The most memorable scene in the film is Daniel's fight against Chozen using the Miyagi-Do defense.

The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

The third film shows John Kreese, sensei of Cobra Kai and his best friend Terry Silver conspiring to destroy Daniel, who faces the new rival Mike Barnes.

Daniel joins Cobra Kai, but after realizing that he was becoming a bad person, he resumes his teachings with Mr. Miyagi.

Karate Kid - The TV Series (1989)

The Karate Kid is an animated television series. The cartoon keeps Daniel LaRusso as the apprentice of his mentor, Mr. Miyagi, but abandons the karate tournament to make room for an adventure scenario.

A miniature shrine with magical powers is removed from its resting place in Okinawa, and it’s up to Miyagi and Daniel to recover it. Together with Kumiko, they search for the artifact and encounter several fights to get out of trouble.

The Next Karate Kid (1994)

The weakest film in the series doesn't feature Daniel.

During the commemoration of the Japanese soldiers who fought in World War II, Mr. Miyagi meets the widow of his commander. She introduces him to her granddaughter Julie, a troubled teenager who is grieving the loss of her parents. Mr. Miyagi decides to teach the young girl Karate so that she can find the right path in life.

The Karate Kid (2010)

It’s a remake of the first movie, with some adaptation changes. Starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, the film is set in China, focusing on kung fu, but with the same approach as the first one in the series.

12-year-old Dre Parker moves to China with his mother and finds himself in a strange land. He knows a little karate, but his skills aren't enough to face the school bully, Cheng.

Dre befriends Mr. Han, a martial arts master, who teaches him the secrets of kung fu in the hope that the boy can defeat Cheng.

Karate Kid: Legends (2026)

Daniel travels to China where he meets Mr. Han who seeks him out with his new pupil, Li Fong. Despite their different approaches, the two mentors come together to instruct their newest apprentice.

The Cobra Kai Series

The series revives the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso 30 years after Karate Kid. Johnny reopens the Cobra Kai dojo with an aggressive philosophy. Daniel, following the teachings of Mr. Miyagi, trains his daughter Samantha and Robby (Johnny's son). The rivalry between the dojos remains, but both manage to find harmony to combat the return of the villains John Kreese and Terry Silver.

Cobra Kai shows the two characters facing past traumas and present frustrations, while teaching karate to a new generation of students.

The Karate Kid (1984)

Arcade (Canceled)

Starting the list with an urban legend, The Karate Kid Arcade Game was going to be a beat 'em up that would recreate scenes from the film, such as the training with Miyagi and the All Valley tournament. It was canceled due to financial reasons.

The Karate Kid Part II: The Computer Game (1986)

Atari St and Amiga

Based on the movie The Karate Kid Part II. It was initially released for the Atari ST in 1986 and was ported to the Amiga in 1987.

For much of the game, the player controls Daniel LaRusso, who faces off against various opponents in karate matches. The player can use a variety of attacking moves, including spinning kicks and flying kicks. The game includes two bonus levels that are played occasionally after fights.

In one bonus level, the player controls Mr. Miyagi as he tries to catch a fly using chopsticks. In the other bonus level, Daniel must break through blocks of ice. The game includes a two-player option. Interestingly, this game has a "karma" system where good or violent actions affect the ending, making it one of the first games with alternate endings in the genre of Martial Arts.

The Karate Kid (1987)

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Developed by Atlus and published by LJN for the NES. The beat 'em up takes place over the scenarios from the first and second films, including minigames such as "catch the fly" and the final fight against Chozen.

The game suffered greatly from being considered one of the most difficult games on the NES due to its difficult to learn and clunky controls.

Super Karate Kid (2018)

OpenBor Engine – Fan Game

Super Karate Kid is a remake of the NES game The Karate Kid made by fans of Merso X on the open-source OpenBor Engine.

The game is non-profit and can be easily found on the internet to play on PC!

In this new version, we have differences that include:

- Updated graphics and sound.

- The background and foreground are easier to distinguish from each other.

- Updated controls: buttons for jumps and special attacks.

- Short period of invincibility after being hit.

- New intro and outro sequences.

- Features the participation of arch-nemesis Johnny Lawrence

Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga (2020)

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows

Developed by Flux Games, the game is a beat'em-up based on the Cobra Kai series.

Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Jacob Bertrand and Gianni Decenzo reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence, Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz and Demetri, while the remaining characters are voiced by different actors. The campaign alternates between Daniel and Johnny, showing side events from the series, including bosses such as Kreese and Terry Silver.

Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising (2022)

Nintendo Switch, Xbox One & Series, PlaySta0tion 4 & 5, Microsoft Windows

Developed by Flux Games, the game is the sequel to the first in a beat 'em up and side-scrolling based on the sequel of the Cobra Kai series. In Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising your journey is to recruit the most powerful team while mastering your fighting style and battle to solidify your dojo's legacy as the Karate Grand Champion of All Valley!

Cobra Kai: Card Fighter (2020)

Mobile

Cobra Kai: Card Fighter is a free-to-play turn-based card game developed by Boss Team Games for mobile devices. Inspired by the Cobra Kai series, this action-fighting game allows players to unlock fighters to train as they collect decks of cards to strengthen their combat skills.

The game features fast-paced gameplay, with sequences to keep players engaged. It also features theme-based sound effects and offers different dojo environments.

The Karate Kid: Street Rumble (2024)

Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S & PC via Steam

Taking place in iconic locations from the first three classic movies, the game takes you to the streets of West Valley and Okinawa as you battle waves of enemies in this side-scrolling pixel art beat 'em up.

Daniel LaRusso, Mr. Miyagi, Ali Mills and Kumiko are playable characters as you do everything possible to defeat Johnny Lawrence, John Kreese, Terry Silver and others who want to establish dominance over Miyagi-Do karate.

The game features intense combat and fast-paced action, combined with the retro spirit of the original movies.

Developed by Brazilian team Flux Game Studio and published by GameMill Entertainment in North America and by Maximum Games in Europe.

From forgotten arcade urban legends to indie games, The Karate Kid proves that stories about redemption and growth never go out of style. With Cobra Kai wrapping up its run in 2025 and Karate Kid: Legends on the horizon, the future of the franchise is as promising as its past, both in movies and series, as well as in games. And for fans, the question will always remain: "Are you Miyagi-Do or Cobra Kai?"