The Jaden Smith reference in Karate Kid: Legends that you must have missed

Karate Kid: Legends introduces a fresh martial arts prodigy to the franchise, blending different worlds within its beloved universe. The film’s major draw is the first-ever team-up between Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han and Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso as they join forces to train a new student. Naturally, expectations ran high, especially from fans eager to see callbacks to previous installments and how the combined experience of these mentors shapes the young fighter.

Daniel LaRusso’s journey is well-documented, spanning from the original trilogy to the entire Cobra Kai series, making it easier to reference his growth. On the other hand, Mr. Han’s story is more limited, primarily rooted in the 2010 film with Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker. Though he lacks a long franchise history comparable to Mr. Miyagi’s, Mr. Han shares a crucial teaching philosophy with him: the importance of focus and discipline through repetitive, seemingly mundane tasks. Karate Kid: Legends cleverly uses this shared lesson to subtly honor Dre’s character.

Karate Kid: Legends highlights Mr. Han’s pupils learning “Jacket Off, Jacket On” discipline

In The Karate Kid (2010), Mr. Han starts out as a humble maintenance worker possessing exceptional martial arts skills, who eventually becomes Dre’s kung fu instructor. Teaching Dre to defend himself against bullies is only the beginning; Mr. Han knows that unlocking Dre’s full potential requires mastering mental discipline as much as physical technique. This is not just about fighting skills but about readiness and patience.

Similarly, Mr. Miyagi’s approach to training Daniel LaRusso emphasized character building beyond combat moves. One of his most iconic lessons involved the “wax on, wax off” technique — having Daniel repeatedly wash and wax a car using circular hand motions. At first, Daniel found this tedious and questioned its relevance, but it instilled patience, muscle memory, and focus necessary for karate mastery.

A still in The Karate Kid (Image via YouTube/Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Karate Kid: Legends reflects on the roots of Mr. Han’s teaching philosophy

Unlike him, Mr. Miyagi understood the value of patience and discipline. He knew that doing the same tasks over and over with the same care and focus is important to ace the martial arts. That’s why he wanted Daniel to repeatedly “wax off and wax on.” Mr. Han’s training method involved repeatedly hanging and removing a jacket—a frustrating but crucial exercise that helped Dre develop focus and discipline.

While Karate Kid: Legends include Jaden Smith as Dre Parker, it pays homage by depicting Mr. Han’s students practicing the “jacket off, jacket on” routine. This subtle nod highlights a pivotal moment in Mr. Han and Dre’s relationship, showing that even as Mr. Han’s role evolved, the lessons from his early teaching days remain central to his methods. Though Dre himself is absent, this gesture acknowledges his lasting impact on the franchise and Mr. Han’s character arc.