Daniel LaRusso’s family is notably absent from Karate Kid: Legends, but there is a significant reason for it beyond the film’s story. Nearly 30 years after The Karate Kid Part III, Ralph Macchio returned to the franchise in Cobra Kai. The series reignited the rivalry between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do, and brought back characters like Johnny Lawrence and John Kreese.

In Cobra Kai, Daniel was the owner of a successful car dealership and lived in a luxurious house with his wife, Amanda, and kids, Samantha and Anthony. The family found themselves entwined in the central rivalry that brought bullies and brawls back to the Valley, with Sam even emerging as one of the best fighters in the franchise.

Cobra Kai ended in 2025, but that didn’t stop the franchise from continuing shortly after with Legends. Daniel returns to help train a new student, but doesn’t bring his family with him. While it is odd that the movie contains little connection to the hit Netflix series, viewers of the show can make an educated guess about where Daniel’s family is.

Sam, Anthony, & Amanda LaRusso Are All Likely Somewhere In California

Legends is set three years after the events of Cobra Kai. In the film, Daniel is asked by Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han to help him train Li Fong before the upcoming Five Boroughs Tournament in New York City. Han visits him at Mr. Miyagi’s dojo, where Daniel is initially reluctant to help but eventually gives in.

Miyagi’s dojo is the only location from Cobra Kai shown in the movie, and that’s intentional. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, director Jonathan Entwistle confirmed that “any elements that are Cobra Kai-specific are not a Columbia Pictures property.” This suggests that Columbia Pictures may not have the rights to Daniel’s family.

Still, even if Legends could have used Amanda, Samantha, and Anthony, they may not have appeared in the movie. They are all likely still in California, but doing their own things now that Cobra Kai‘s events are over. Amanda was tired of martial arts and the constant drama. Hopefully, she’s relaxing by the pool with a glᴀss of wine.

At the end of the series, Samantha left for a year-long exchange program in Okinawa, Japan. Since Legends is three years later, she’s likely home now, but it’s unclear where she’s going to school. Perhaps she’s closer to home and followed Miguel to Stanford. Meanwhile, Anthony is likely close to graduating or already graduated from high school.

Either way, they’re all living their own lives, and likely wouldn’t be brought in to help Daniel train Li. If there is a sequel to Karate Kid: Legends, perhaps more Cobra Kai characters could join the fight if the rights issues between Sony, Columbia, and Netflix are worked out. However, it’s nice to think about how they’re living life outside the drama of karate.