Karate Kid: Legends has a new tournament, and it comes at the perfect time after the franchise moved away from the All-Valley to introduce the Sekai Taikai. Though the upcoming sequel seems to follow the basic premise of the 1984 and 2010 films, there are some details in the new trailer for Karate Kid: Legends that promise a twist on established traditions in The Karate Kid canon. Notably, Ben Wang’s Li is already an experienced martial arts fighter at the beginning of his journey and will be trained to master both kung fu and karate.

This change alone in Karate Kid: Legends complicates Cobra Kai‘s power scale, as Li could perhaps win against all young fighters in the franchise from what we’ve seen so far. Additionally, his reasons for entering the NYC tournament appear to go beyond being bullied, as he seems driven by a larger and more complex motivation that ties into multiple characters in Karate Kid: Legends. While the new karate compeтιтion’s exact connections to the larger Karate Kid franchise remain unclear, it is already foreshadowing a promising and organic evolution, one that raises the stakes and explores fresh martial arts territory.

Karate Kid: Legends’ All-Valley Replacement Is Called 5 Boroughs

A New Bully & Underdog Fight To Be Champion

Given how te All-Valley has gone on to become a staple of The Karate Kid franchise, any replacement would have to have new rules and even higher stakes. Notably, Cobra Kai‘s Sekai Taikai did just this, expanding the formula by introducing group fights in addition to one-on-one matches, weapon challenges, and various events that invented new ways to gain points. Now, Karate Kid: Legends has introduced the 5 Boroughs — New York City’s biggest karate tournament — which already looks entirely different from the under-18 compeтιтion in the San Fernando Valley.

Following the franchise’s formula, Li’s bully, Connor (Aramis Knight), isn’t just any opponent — he’s the reigning city champion. He “wins the 5 Boroughs every year” while representing his dojo, Demolition, the new Cobra Kai stand-in. As the name suggests, the compeтιтion likely welcomes fighters from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island — reuniting a diverse mix of styles and formidable challengers. This level of compeтιтion could explain why Mr. Han pushes Li to merge kung fu and Miyagi-style karate in Karate Kid: Legends, even though he’s already a prodigy.

How Karate Kid: Legends’ 5 Boroughs Will Be Different From Previous Tournaments

The 5 Boroughs Brings An Older & More Intense Atmosphere

Karate Kid: Legends teases the tournament may be open to an older age group, as some fighters don’t look like they’re in high school. Additionally, it’s confirmed that two-to-one matches are allowed since one clip shows Li fighting against two opponents. Though it may not be a global tournament like the Sekai Taikai, the movie clearly aims to elevate the compeтιтion. Since Li is already a skilled martial artist at the start of the film, Karate Kid: Legends sets the stage for a tournament that goes beyond beginner-level challenges and pushes him into tougher battles.

This isn’t the first time the franchise has ventured beyond the All-Valley. Aside from the Sekai Taikai, Hilary Swank’s character never even participated in a compeтιтion, and Dre Parker fought at Beijing’s Open Kung Fu Tournament. However, the 5 Boroughs introduces a fresh and uncharted battleground, one that could mark the beginning of a new legacy. Unlike the structured, family-friendly atmosphere of the All-Valley, the Karate Kid: Legends tournament has a grittier, street-level intensity, setting the stage for a new and unpredictable martial arts showdown.