Karate Kid: Legends honors Mr. Miyagi with a memorable lesson from a previous film

Mr. Miyagi is an important figure in the Karate Kid universe, so it's only natural that Karate Kid: Legends would try to commemorate his legacy. The trailer offers a glimpse into the journey of the latest underdog fighter Li Fong, who tries to master the arts to defend himself.

It also shows Jackie Chan reprising his role as Mr. Han after starring only in the 2010 film. However, unlike back then, he is not offering Kung Fu lessons. Instead, he is working with a Kung Fu prodigy, who lost his mojo after moving from Beijing to New York.

Although not a novice in martial arts, Li Fong will also need to learn some skills from scratch. One of them is to understand the Karate skills to win a local tournament to prove his worth. So, for this task, Mr. Han seeks support from Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and insists he come to the Big Apple to join him in guiding his new pupil.

Judging from the trailer, LaRusso shows up in the city to guide Li in the Miyagi ways of fighting. These two team up for an adventure that might have seemed unlikely to the franchise's fans.

The trailers make it clear that Karate Kid: Legends will acknowledge Mr. Miyagi's valuable input and honor his legacy. However, one quote strikes out specifically in connection to Miyagi's intellectual heritage. It appears during a conversation between Li and LaRusso when the latter offers the former a headband with a bonsai tree print. He mentions:

"This tree represents the history between two families. Two branches, one tree".

With this quote, LaRusso guides Li on the importance of finding a balance between different kinds of martial arts and cultivating his own. In this case, two branches mean two styles: Karate and Kung Fu. That might sound similar to the Karate Kid fans, who are well-versed in Miyagi's teachings.

Karate Kid: Legends honors Mr. Miyagi with a memorable lesson from a previous film

Daniel LaRusso's quote in Karate Kid: Legends is reminiscent of something that Sensei Miyagi said in the 1989 film, Karate Kid: Part III. At the time, LaRusso was trying to start his own Bonsai shop. Around this time, Mr. Miyagi told him,

"Ah. Only root karate comes from Miyagi. Just like bonsai choose own way grow because root strong you choose own way do karate same reason."

That quote is somewhat similar to what LaRusso tells Li Fong in the Karate Kid: Legends trailer. Mr. Miyagi said that during a particularly challenging time in his and LaRusso's life. So, he wanted the kid to stay true to his foundational training and principles. Ultimately, he needs to find his own way to use his lessons.

Similarly, Li will have to strike a balance between Karate and Kung Fu and understand how it benefits him in different circumstances. His journey sounds similar to LaRusso's since they both enter a tournament to win against their bullies. Throughout the trailer, Mr. Miyagi and the bonsai tree appear more than once. That seems like enough of a reason for Miyagi fans to be eager for Karate Kid: Legends.

Here's the latest trailer for Karate Kid: Legends -