Pat Morita played Mr. Miyagi four times in theKarate Kidfranchise, and although the character’s first name has been addressed, there is other information available that makes the matter a little mysterious. Initially introduced to the series as a maintenance man, the revelation ofMr. Miyagi’s military backgroundquickly fleshed out his character. Even though he died betweenthe events of theKarate Kidfranchise andCobra Kai,Mr. Miyagi has continued to haunt the narrative in the Netflix legacy sequel show. Included in his posthumous enigma is what his real first name was.
Mr. Miyagi’s age in hisKarate Kidappearancesmeant he had already led a long and full life by the time of the first movie. Of course, his time was also riddled with heartbreak after the loss of his wife and child, but he found the strength to carry on without them and ended up serving as a father figure to Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso.The full name of Morita’s iconic character wasn’t mentioned until 1986’sThe Karate Kid Part II, but later franchise installments have muddied the waters in this respect.
The Karate Kid Movies & Cobra Kai Give 2 Different First Names For Mr. Miyagi
The franchise has provided “Nariyoshi” & “Keisuke” as possibilities
The firstKarate Kidsequel revealed Mr. Miyagi’s first name was Nariyoshi, and this seemingly remained part of the official canon for a long time. There was no reason to believe the information was false or misleading in any way. However, 1994’sThe Next Karate Kidthrew a spanner in the works eight years later. The movie was the first franchise effort without Ralph Macchio, as Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce replaced Daniel LaRusso. As well as this big change,The Next Karate Kidalso gave Mr. Miyagi an alternate first name.
Mr. Han’s Connection To Mr. Miyagi Means Karate Kid: Legends Can Resolve A Mystery About Both Characters
Jackie Chan’s comeback as Mr. Han was very unexpected, but it could also be of immense benefit to the backstory of the franchise’s iconic late sensei.
Swank’sKarate Kidmovie claimed Mr. Miyagi’s name wasn’t Nariyoshi, but Keisuke. At the time, this was considered either a canonical error or an intentional retcon. The name change isn’t acknowledged inThe Next Karate Kid, which makes matters very confusing. The plot thickened whenCobra Kaidebuted in 2018, and Mr. Miyagi’s first name was once more established as Nariyoshi when the show unveiled the late Mr. Miyagi’s headstone. Then, inCobra Kaiseason 6, Daniel finds his late sensei’s passport, which lists his name as Keisuke Miyagi.The franchise hasn’t yet confirmed Miyagi’s real name.
Mr. Miyagi’s Ambiguous First Name Fits His Mysterious Backstory
Pat Morita’s character has lived a fascinating offscreen life
Althoughcertain parts of Mr. Miyagi’s backstory have been made known toKarate Kidcharactersand the franchise’s viewers, there is still a lot that’s been left to the imagination. For a long while, this just felt like a side effect of how old he was when he entered the story in 1984, and that nearly six decades of character lore would be impossible to cover with any real attention. However,Cobra Kai’s final season finally addressing the shortage of information means the inconsistencies with Mr. Miyagi’s name across theKarate Kidfranchise suddenly seem far more fitting.
