Legends Is Smartly Avoiding The Oldest Daniel LaRusso & Johnny Lawrence Debate

Although one debate surrounding Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence remains unresolved four decades after the first Karate Kid movie’s release, Karate Kid: Legends is thankfully avoiding it with one story change. Since the Karate Kid franchise has been around for quite some time and includes many diverse installments, viewers have had endless discussions and debates about its character beats and story developments. With Daniel and Johnny being the most well-known leads in the franchise, it is not surprising that many of these debates revolve around them.

One topic of endless discussion has always been about who among the two characters was actually the bully in the first Karate Kid movie. While some side with Daniel LaRusso, believing that Johnny picked on him before he was forced to learn karate for self-defense, others are on Lawrence’s team and suggest that he never initiated the fight with Johnny. Another massive debate surrounding the two characters remains a topic of discussion after all these years. However, fortunately, Karate Kid: Legends will avoid triggering the same arguments among audiences again.

Li Fong And Connor Day Are Both Experienced Fighters In Karate Kid: Legends

Unlike Daniel, Li Fong Is Not Starting From Scratch

Like most installments in the Karate Kid franchise, the upcoming movie also adopts a familiar narrative where a young misfit, Li Fong (Ben Wang), struggles to adapt to his new environment after he moves to New York from China. Similar to almost every other main character in the franchise, Li, too, will prove himself and fight back against his bullies by enrolling in a local martial arts tournament. Just like Daniel’s main enemy in the first Karate Kid movie was Johnny, Li’s primary adversary will be a local champion, Connor Day (Aramis Knight).

However, one key element will make Li Fong significantly different from Daniel LaRusso. While Daniel LaRusso knew little to nothing about karate or fighting before Mr. Miyagi took him under his wing, Li Fong will be portrayed as an experienced fighter with a solid background in kung fu. This will not only significantly change the dynamic between Li Fong and his enemy but also prevent the movie from recreating one Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso debate.

Daniel Beat Johnny After Just A Few Weeks Of Karate Training (& Started A Long Debate)

The Karate Kid Franchise Has Never Been Consistent With Its Power Scales

Before Daniel LaRusso arrived in The Valley and challenged the region’s karate status quo, Johnny Lawrence had won the All-Valley tournament twice in a row. This established that Daniel was not just fighting any amateur karate practitioner — he was going up against a young master with a bright future in the sport. Yet, despite this, Daniel somehow rose in the ranks and became a potential threat to the defending champion. Daniel started his karate journey years after Johnny, but somehow managed to become better than him towards the movie’s end.

Many viewers still struggle to believe that Daniel could have realistically beaten a two-time champion after learning karate for only a few months. Daniel was training under an incredible sensei, and power scales have never been consistent in the Karate Kid franchise. However, it is still understandable why many have questioned the logic in the first Karate Kid‘s ending and even called Daniel lucky for getting away with his arguably illegal crane kick.

By establishing that Li Fong is no stranger to martial arts, Karate Kid: Legends will make his journey seem more realistic than Daniel’s. This, in turn, will prevent viewers from drawing the same Daniel and Johnny comparisons again and questioning Fong’s win against Connor in Karate Kid: Legends.

Li Is Still The Underdog In Karate Kid: Legends

He Is The Less Experienced Fighter

Karate Kid: Legends‘ official plot synopsis says that Li Fong was a kung fu prodigy before he was forced to move to New York City from Beijing. Despite being a good fighter, though, he holds himself back from getting into fights. To his dismay, trouble still finds him, eventually leading him to enroll in a tournament. While it is unknown why Li Fong decides to train under Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han and Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso in the film, despite being well-versed in kung fu, Karate Kid: Legends‘ trailer still makes him look like an underdog.

This makes it hard not to assume that, in the movie, Fong likely lacks the spirit and confidence to win a tournament against a multi-champion like Connor. While Connor has built an incredible winning momentum and possesses the grit and conviction to defeat anybody, Fong has yet to master his mind and hone his spirit. Fong is seemingly not an underdog because of his lack of skills but because of his inability to reach his full potential. This is where Daniel and Han will step in to help in Karate Kid: Legends and train him to become the best version of himself.