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The Karate Kid/Characters

< The Karate Kid
Revision as of 07:36, 30 April 2019 by STFilmmaker (talk | contribs) (→‎Yukie-san)


Original series

Daniel LaRusso

 

Played by: Ralph Macchio (1984-89)

 
  • Asskicking Pose: The Crane Technique
  • Brick Break: The ice-breaking scene in Part II
  • Determinator
  • Dented Iron While this movie makes no mistake that Daniel gets beaten and bruised with each fight. He still doesn't back down no matter how many hits are inflicted upon him.
  • Finishing Move: The Crane Technique, the Drum Technique.
  • Forgot About His Powers: Daniel suffers greatly from this trope in Part III, almost to Too Dumb to Live's levels at moments.
    • Although if you bother to pay attention a lot of it is stupidity that started in Part II, so at least it's consistent.
    • Even in the first movie after having his ass kicked by Johnny Daniel starts openly antagonizing him knowing full well Johnny can whip him.
  • Heroic BSOD: During the tournament final in Part III, when Barnes has him so intimidated that he's ready to forfeit the match.
  • I Have the High Ground: Daniel stands on elevated structures while practicing his Finishing Move in both of the first two movies.
  • Intergenerational Friendship: With Mr. Miyagi, of course.
  • I Surrender, Suckers: Right before giving Chozen a punch in the nuts in Part II.
  • Kung Fu Kid
  • Hachimaki: Given to him by Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid.
  • Put on a Bus: In the fourth movie.
  • Reluctant Warrior
  • Restart At Level One
  • Sword Over Head: At the climax of Part II, when he has Chozen at his mercy and asks him, "Live or die, man."
  • The So-Called Coward: Chozen and his goons repeatedly call Daniel a coward throughout Part II because of his reluctance to fight them. But when a typhoon hits the village, Daniel risks his life to save several villagers, while Chozen cowers in the shelter and refuses to do anything. Sato is so respectively impressed and disgusted with them that he volunteers to help Daniel.
  • Training from Hell: Especially what Terry Silver puts him through in Part III, which is more like torture disguised as training.
  • World of Cardboard Speech: He gives one of these to Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid after having his knee taken out by Bobby.

Mr. Miyagi

 

Played by: Pat Morita

 
  • Badass: Kicks at least a couple of asses per movie.
  • Berserk Button: While Miyagi is a calm, nice and even patient man, there are a few things that would set him off.
    • The first is the obvious. Don't say racial slurs or mock him racially. Two Drunken idiots, lost their beer bottles for that via Karate chop.
    • Don't hurt kids, especially Daniel and Julie. Miyagi fought off the Cobra Kai single-handily for ganging up on Daniel too many times. Kreese on top of pushing his first button, by calling him a Slope got humiliated by Miyagi for hurting Johnny. Chosen and his gang also learn it the hard way not to mess with Daniel in front of him. Kreese (again) and Silver make get beat up and covered in paint for their trouble. Two strangers harassing Julie are used as people puppets by Miyagi. Finally Dugan gets his for hurting Julie's boyfriend, Eric.
  • Cool Old Guy
  • Deadpan Snarker: He doesn't speak often, but when he does it's usually this.
 

Daniel: You think you could break a log like that?
Miyagi: Don't know. Never been attacked by a tree.

 

Johnny

 

Played by: William Zapka (1984-86)

 

John Kreese

 

Played by: Martin Kove (1984-89)

 
  • Arrogant Kung Fu Guy
  • Breakout Villain: Technically the only villain to appear in all three movies, although his scene in the second one was actually footage cut from the first.
  • Drill Sergeant Nasty: He's a Vietnam veteran who demands military precision from his students. Lose your focus for one second, and it's sixty push-ups on your knuckles.
  • Evil Counterpart: To Miyagi.
  • Ordered to Cheat: He instructs Bobby to take out Daniel's knee, even though doing so will result in Bobby's disqualification. Then Johnny also uses "unethical" moves that target the injured knee.
  • Second Place Is for Losers: "Defeat does not exist in this dojo!"

Sato

 

Played by: Danny Kamekona (1986)

 

Chozen

 

Played by: Yuji Okumoto

 

Terry Silver

 

Played by: Thomas Ian Griffith (1989)

 

Ali

 

Played by: Elisabeth Shue (1984)

 

Kumiko

 

Played by: Tamlyn Tomika (1986)

 
  • Asian Gal with White Guy: She's surrounded by Asian men she doesn't show the slightest bit of interest in, but as soon as Daniel shows up at the front door... Then again, the other suitor with a chance was Chozen of all people.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: She is very nice to Daniel and Miyagi and the kids she teaches OBon Dance to. However hurt someone she likes and she won't hesitate to hurt you. When Chozen challenges Daniel to a fight to the death, Kumiko tries to strangle him. He punches her, but she was able to pull him a good distance before.
  • The Chick
  • Disposable Love Interest: Daniel mentions in Part III that she chose to take a job with a dance company in Tokyo instead of coming back to the United States with him. He seems less bitter about it than Ali though, possibly because he knew how much she wanted to be a traditional dancer as opposed to just dumping him for another guy, therefore he knows she's following her dream.
  • Plucky Girl: She gets points for trying to help Daniel against Chozen, despite knowing how dangerous it is.
  • Shallow Love Interest
  • Yamato Nadeshiko: Emphasized by her wearing a kimono and being good performing the Japanese tea ceremony.

Jessica Andrews

 

Played by: Robin Lively (1989)

 

Julie Pierce

 

Played by: Hilary Swank (1994)

 

Yukie-san

 

Played by: Nobu McCarthy (1986)

 
  • Christmas Cake: By her own decision, since she chose to remain a spinster than becoming a prize wife to Sato
  • Mama Bear: A blink if you miss moment, but when Chosen grabs Kumiko as leverage to challenge Daniel to a fight. Yukie is the first to try to run across the bridge and try to grab Kumiko away from him. Had he not threaten to cut Kumiko's throat with a knife, Yukie would have gotten her away.
  • New Old Flame
  • Parental Substitute: To Kumiko, her orphaned niece
  • Shipper on Deck: The morning after She and Miyagi consummate their love during the tea Ceremony, they both watch Daniel and Kumiko drive off. She smiles in approval just seeing them happy together.
  • Yamato Nadeshiko

2010 Revival

See its character page here.

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