According to Christopher Booker’s The Seven Basic Plots, there are really only seven types of stories that one can tell. While the Karate Kid story may seem deceptively simple, it has a strong concept behind it; in this case, the basic plot of Overcoming the Monster, which places the protagonist into a situation where they must defeat a threatening antagonist.

Overcoming the Monster is a consistent plot in sports and martial arts movies. It often involves an underdog athlete or team threatened by a stronger force and how they use their unique skills to ultimately win. The first Karate Kid had Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) bullied by the karate students of Cobra Kai, and how he beat them in spite of his smaller stature and sensei’s unique approach to martial arts. Cobra Kai consistently used this plot within its many seasons, bringing in any number of previous antagonists to threaten the series’ heroes.

As you can surmise, the basic plot of the movie doesn’t need to be that original, but rather, the execution is what needs originality. Karate Kid: Legends works because it leans on the familiarity of the franchise, leading up to that final duel between good and evil, while also creating a unique journey that fits within the Karate Kid universe.

What’s the Main Story of ‘Karate Kid: Legends’?

Karate Kid: Legends tells the story of Li (Ben Wang) living in China and studying Kung Fu under his uncle, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), something Li’s mother, Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen) is against as “this is what killed your brother.” 

Li’s mom gets a new job in a New York hospital and drags him to the big city, which he seems mostly okay with. It’s here that he meets a nice young woman, Mia (Sadie Stanley), whose father owns a pizza restaurant. Of course, evil ex-boyfriend/karate fiend Conor (Aramis Knight) is not too happy with the arrival of a nice young kid eager to date his ex. This leads to the showdown at the 5 Boroughs Tournament where several karate kids vie for the championship.

As you can see, it’s very much like the original Karate Kid. If you’re looking to create a fresh take on a familiar story, Karate Kid: Legends offers plenty of lessons screenwriters can take away.

Jackie Chan and Ben Wang in 'Karate Kid: Legends'

1. Telling the Karate Kid Story…Again

Karate Kid: Legends accomplishes originality by changing a lot about the journey of the young lad, even though the concept remains the same. In the original film, Daniel LaRusso moves from New Jersey to Los Angeles; this one changes the city location to New York vs. San Fernando Valley. Li also has two sensei’s, already knows Kung Fu instead of having to learn it, and even becomes somewhat of a trainer himself.

If you’re tasked with rebooting or remaking a movie, or you want to take on a popular story that’s in the public domain, start by finding the pieces you can shake up without hurting the story. Granted, though Karate Kid: Legends could take place anywhere, there was something more chaotic about New York and it fit the story – this was a New York story just as much as the original was a Valley one.

2. Establishing the Lead Character

Li is a fairly easy-going kid. While he does have some trauma that haunts him, his demeanor seems pretty relaxed and he’s a nice guy. Think about the typical way Li would be written – probably a bit annoyed that he has to move to New York away from his Kung Fu that he loves. It would make sense for him to act out when he gets to New York, be hostile to his mother and maybe get into trouble.

But that’s not Li at all. He’s established by being a bit of an outsider but also someone who is comfortable in his own skin, enough to flirt with Mia when ordering a pizza, and moves with relative confidence.

Writers can see how Li is established in the beginning of Karate Kid: Legends and its influence on the people around him. He becomes an easy character to support and root for simply because we want him to win. Mickey 17 was a lot like this too, as its title character was a nice, easy-going guy you don’t want to see lose.

3. Go with the Basics

I’ve mentioned it a few times already but Karate Kid: Legends is pretty straight-forward in its approach. The villains fall in line with the Karate Kid tried-and-true display of being “aggressive and mean because that’s how you win.” The words of O’Shea (Tim Rozon), karate sensei/overall bad guy, even says at one point that it’s not the points that matter, but the kill.

It’s obvious early on that Li will have to fight Conor, who is a massive jerk, jealous that his ex-girlfriend now likes Li, and is quick to violence. And the first few times they battle, whether on a subway train or school yard, Li’s getting his butt kicked. It only makes the audience cheer more for Li and hope that he wins the tournament.

The basics are all here, and they work:

• Good vs. Evil
• Small vs. Big
• Weak vs. Tough

Call them tropes or the basics of storytelling, screenwriters can see how these are used throughout the movie to keep the audience on Li’s side.

Jackie Chan and Ben Wang in 'Karate Kid: Legends'

4. Sports Movie Montages

Montages in movies are used to speed up time. In the sports genre, they are ideal to show progression when training, with Rocky being the one to really get this storytelling method popular, and perhaps Rocky IV being the peak of it as almost 30% of the movie is montage (no joke).

Montages are used at least 4 times in Karate Kid: Legends with great effect. Let’s look at the breakdown of the training montage used in sports (especially boxing and martial arts) movies.

1. Start off with the trainer explaining what the athlete needs to do, even show a little example.
2. The athlete then cannot accomplish this difficult task. These tasks are usually strength related like sit-ups, running up a hill or punching something.
3. Add in another training element, usually flexibility.
4. But the athlete has a hard time with this too. They are clumsy, dropping things or tripping over themselves.
5. Suddenly, they start getting it. They are a little faster, stronger and can move with agility.
6. Then, success! The athlete is at their peak. Not only doing push-ups but one-handed push-ups, they move seamlessly and run up the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as the music hits a crescendo.

Montages are about showing progression quickly. For screenwriters, writing these scenes start with a BEGIN MONTAGE line in the script followed by the important scenes for the montage. When it’s over, just type out END MONTAGE.

5. The Legend of Mr. Miyagi

One of the biggest parts of Karate Kid and its legacy is Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) who was the original sensei to a young Daniel LaRusso. Although Morita passed away 20 years ago, his status in the Karate Kid franchise remains, having a big presence in Cobra Kai and Karate Kid: Legends.

What Mr. Miyagi taught LaRusso and Mr. Han has had such an impact that they continue to practice and preach. These lessons have continued throughout the movies and have their place in the latest film. His teachings drive the motivation of the sensei and, therefore, the lead character. For screenwriters who are tackling a remake/reboot or something fresh on some old material, it’s important to have these connections to characters.

Karate Kid: Legends is proof that a well-told story doesn’t have to be new or original, as long as the characters are engaging and the approach is fresh.