The Karate Kid (franchise)

The Karate Kid
Created byRobert Mark Kamen
Original workThe Karate Kid (1984)
OwnerColumbia Pictures Industries
(Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Years1984–present
Films and television
Film(s)
Television seriesCobra Kai (2018–present)
Animated seriesThe Karate Kid (1989)
Games
Video game(s)
Audio
Soundtrack(s)
Miscellaneous
Character(s)List of characters

The Karate Kid is an American martial arts drama franchise created by Robert Mark Kamen. The series follows the journey of various coming-of-age teenagers who are taught in the ways of martial arts by an experienced mentor in order to stand up for themselves after being bullied, or assert their dominance towards others.

The original film series began as a tetralogy, starting with the release of The Karate Kid (1984), after the success of which three sequels were produced: The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and The Next Karate Kid (1994). In 2010, a remake with a similar storyline but with a different set of characters, was released. Despite maintaining the original title, the remake focused on kung fu, as the film was set in China. A sixth as-yet-untitled film, with Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their respective roles, is scheduled to be released in late 2024.

Cobra Kai (2018–present) offers a continuation of the story that begins in the original films of the 1980s and 1990s created, three decades later. While directly based on Kamen's characters, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg created this series.

An animated series, as well as tie-in video games among other pieces of merchandise, have also been released alongside the films.