Even if people have never seen a single entry in The Karate Kid franchise, they know who Mr. Miyagi is. Pat Morita’s iconic performance in the original not only earned him an Academy Award nomination, but it also saw him infiltrate popular culture with his legendary ‘wax on, wax off’ speech.
Miyagi was basically the Yoda of The Karate Kid, appearing in all four of the movies between 1984 and 1994 to act as the wizened old sage and mentor to Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce. Morita died fifteen years ago at the age of 73, but his legacy continues in Cobra Kai, the sequel series that’s exploded in popularity to become one of the biggest TV shows on the planet.
Miyagi’s grave was visited several times across the first two seasons, and the advice he doled out still informs Daniel’s decisions almost four decades on from their first meeting. The upcoming third run hits Netflix in a couple of weeks, and a new clip now sees the shadow of Mr. Miyagi continue to follow the lead wherever he goes.
The Karate Kid Part II‘s Tamlyn Tomita and Yuji Okumoto are returning as Kumiko and Chozen, with the story set to find Daniel heading back to Okinawa, where he encounters his old running buddies as they share memories of Mr. Miyagi. Season 3 will mark the first run of Cobra Kai episodes to be produced exclusively by Netflix as well, and the streaming service look to have a monster hit on their hands.
When the first two seasons were added to the library, Cobra Kai became the most-watched show on the platform in less than a week, and based on the enthusiasm gathering already, the wait is becoming unbearable for some.
