Based in The Karate Kid universe, Cobra Kai has honored the original film series in many ways. Throughout its run, the show has brought back iconic characters and theme songs, such as Joe Esposito’s You’re the Best from the 1984 classic starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita.
However, despite its strong emotional connection, the showrunners opted out when it came to the theme song from The Karate Kid Part II. Co-creator Jon Hurwitz recently explained the reason behind their decision, suggesting that it could have unnecessarily complicated the narrative for Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso.
The Karate Kid Part II’s iconic theme song did not make it to Cobra Kai
Following the redemption story of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) from the original The Karate Kid movie, Cobra Kai enjoyed a successful six-season run before concluding earlier this year.
Throughout its long run, the series paid tribute to the original films with numerous callbacks, including the return of You’re the Best, the iconic theme song from the first movie, which made a memorable appearance in the series finale.
The showrunners also had plans to bring back the Oscar-nominated theme song from its sequel, Peter Cetera’s Glory of Love. And the hit single nearly made it into the series, before the makers decided otherwise.
In a recent Q&A on X (Twitter), co-creator Jon Hurwitz shared that they filmed a scene with Ralph Macchio and Tamlyn Tomita to incorporate the song in Season 3. However, they eventually decided to leave it out of the final cut.
“We actually filmed a goodbye scene between Daniel and Kumiko,” he shared before adding, “It was really sweet and one of my favorite scenes that didn’t make a final cut.”
Hurwitz also shared the reason they eventually chose to keep it out of the series, suggesting that it could have further complicated the narrative and created unintended tensions.
Cobra Kai creator explained the reason to exclude The Karate Kid theme music from the series
Season 3 of the hit Netflix drama, Cobra Kai, follows Daniel LaRusso visiting Mr. Miyagi’s hometown, Okinawa, where he reconnects with his former love interest, Kumiko, played by Tamlyn Tomita.
Tomita reprising her role from The Karate Kid Part II served as a major callback to the 1986 film. However, the showrunners were careful not to imply anything more than a platonic reunion.
Jon Hurwitz shared in the Q&A that the scene that did not make the cut featured Daniel and Kumico “slow dancing to Glory of Love.”
However, Hurwitz shared that they ultimately left the scene out of the final cut as it felt too intimate. “At the end of the day, it felt a little too intimate considering Daniel is a happily married man,” he explained.
Given its significance as a love theme for Daniel and Kumiko in The Karate Kid sequel, it was best to exclude both the scene and the song from the episode.
Hurwitz further shared that the budget and runtime of the episode also influenced their decision. “It also didn’t help that the song was expensive and the episode was running long,” he added while noting that it felt like “an unnecessary beat for the storyline.”
Following a long run, the series wrapped its journey, leaving fans with an emotional ending and plenty to discuss, from their favorite characters to the show’s most memorable fight sequences along with the upcoming film in the franchise, The Karate Kid: Legends.
The Karate Kid Part II and Cobra Kai are available to watch on Netflix.
The Karate Kid: Legends is set to release on May 30, 2025.
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