72
About
New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
Theatrical
Jun 22, 1984
Box Office
$91.1M
Budget
$8.0M
Return
11.4x
DVD / Blu-ray
Dec 31, 1985
Theaters
5
Director
Producers
Music
Studio
Columbia Pictures, Delphi II Productions, Jerry Weintraub Productions
Keywords
martial arts
fight
karate
painting
friendship
high school
bullying
sensei
bully
teen movie
los angeles, california
martial arts master
single mother
sabotage
beaten
high school student
martial arts tournament
martial arts training
crane
sport competition
school dance
semi autobiographical
mentor protégé relationship
teenage gang
teenage romance
philosophical
high school romance
Where to Watch
Region
Apple TV Store
Rent from
4K
$3.99
Apple TV Store
Buy from
4K
$14.99
Amazon Video
Rent from
4K
$3.99
Amazon Video
Buy from
4K
$7.99
Netflix
Stream included
HD
Included
See all 13 options →
Prices last updated September 28, 2026. Pricing and availability may vary by region.
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Cast
Full credits →R
Ralph Macchio
Daniel
P
Pat Morita
Miyagi
E
Elisabeth Shue
Ali
W
William Zabka
Johnny
M
Martin Kove
Kreese
R
Randee Heller
Lucille
R
Ron Thomas
Bobby
R
Rob Garrison
Tommy
C
Chad McQueen
Dutch
T
Tony O'Dell
Jimmy
I
Israel Juarbe
Freddy
W
William Bassett
Mr. Mills
L
Larry B. Scott
Jerry
D
Dana Andersen
Barbara
K
Ken Daly
Chris
T
Tom Fridley
Alan
P
Pat E. Johnson
Referee
B
Bruce Malmuth
Ring Announcer
D
Darryl Vidal
Karate Semi-Finalist
F
Frances Bay
Lady with Dog
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Quotes
See all →The Wisdom of the Old One
Taglines
Only the "Old One" could teach him the secrets of masters.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The True Essence of Karate Explained
Taglines
He taught him the secret to karate lies in the mind and heart. Not in the hands.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
