The Karate Kid's Crane Kick: Every Iconic Moment Ranked

Daniel LaRusso's famous Crane Kick is a must for Karate Kid fans!

The Crane Kick History

The Karate Kid series had one of the greatest moments. That was when we saw Daniel execute the Crane Kick! A powerful kick for all who watched it and the best part? It came after years of challenging training under the watchful eyes of Mr. Miyagi! While this super cool move has become a symbol for this whole franchise. And even is popular among movie goers today, not all the scenes were the same, or had a major impact, when this move appeared. This led to some really unique, interesting, and thrilling moments that every Karate Kid fan can't get enough of!.

Also Read: 10 Real Kung Fu Moves That Are Actually Awesome (And Not Just Movie Magic)

All 6 Crane Kicks Ranked:

A list to put these powerful kicks in order! What makes this series so compelling? Well, each time this iconic move is seen on the screen! It has a powerful impact on everyone that watches. Some stand out as truly iconic moments while others get a less intense view.

There is an extra focus on when this move happens! During a big event, like All-Valley events or even just those super personal fights. This includes events within the Karate Kid movies, but also those featured in the amazing Netflix series Cobra Kai!

Fans are truly invested, and this kick doesn't happen all the time so it feels more impactful and special! It takes years to master, and so many characters even had some failed moments. But those that can execute it well. Have fans thinking about all those epic events that changed The Karate Kid universe forever!

The rankings really go to show you the special moments of each scene.

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Johnny Lawrence's Kind-Of Crane Kick:

A custom image of Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi against a backdrop of other scenes from the Karate Kid franchise Image

The first person to be defeated with a Crane Kick by Daniel in The Karate Kid movie is Johnny Lawrence! As he's the original nemesis, what's special about his move? He starts a crane kick in Cobra Kai season 4, but stops. The character starts going through this entire journey, especially when we see his emotions are full of memories! What makes this even more compelling is when he learns how to do it on his own from videos, since that All-Valley fight, he's always tried to do better!

What really made it exciting, if Johnny continued he would've won!
He probably could've delivered the move with a great deal of passion.

There are many iconic, great moments that could have happened.

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Daniel's Crane Kick Failure:

A fight between two formidable opponents was on the screen during the second Karate Kid movie! Chozen is one of those "Karate Kid" series rivals that no one should ever mess with, especially Daniel! When the two of them have a fight in that movie, you know things are bound to get intense, and Daniel went to use this kick, the move that defined this whole series. It seems as though Chozen was waiting and easily stopped him from doing his iconic move! This moment showed just how far Daniel had to come from the previous events!

This failure of this iconic move was a special and important moment for The Karate Kid series!

If it went another way, we could've had a very predictable conclusion and didn't give Daniel the special chance to make the real, hard choices.

Also Read: Kill Bill's Kung Fu Homages: From Pai Mei to Shaw Brothers

Miguel And His Crane Kick:

There's an iconic "Cobra Kai" episode when Miguel shows off that power move. He uses the move against another fighter. A nameless opponent, but it is so important! The fans got a sense of where all of this series is going with this one! Why was this particular moment important. Well, for those that followed this series since the beginning, this event may have been just before Cobra Kai ended for good!

This kick had a significant impact!

This had an effect on a former "Karate Kid"! As he was watching the entire scene unfold.

Fans get an extra kick when they think about it.

A big part of why it had to happen. There were really great scenes in the Cobra Kai series! A key part of the season one finale where everyone would have thought this would take center stage. And those who make this whole universe are really clever. It also helps to really add intrigue to how a movie like Cobra Kai could keep people entertained for ages!

Dre Parker's Crane Kick In The Kung Fu Tournament

It doesn't just take place in the original "Karate Kid." There was a special version of this film called The Karate Kid ( 2010) where the amazing Jackie Chan joined the set!

We got a look into how "Karate Kid" would go from this original setting to new characters, taking us through some of the new trends and events for this era.

Chan's series! You will see a great version of this move as the star, Jaden Smith!
You can't forget Mr. Han! He had such an interesting twist. A "Kung Fu Master instead of a "Karate" master. This movie takes place in the same universe as "The Karate Kid". The Crane Kick is used in this specific movie as part of its world, meaning this kick is a mainstay throughout this awesome universe.

And everyone who is a "Karate Kid" fan knows what makes this super special.

You got to watch how this amazing movie did what no one else ever did.

Daniel's Victory Over Terry Silver

What would make fans get excited over this one, and that's really seeing a great performance. The Karate Kid franchise made a huge statement with a fantastic show that went way beyond Daniel's, and also featured a comeback character for all the fans, Terry Silver! That makes the whole scene so epic for fans, you get a really classic character! And the star "Thomas Ian Griffith," returning to his role after so many years.

There's a lot of significance in this one fight. It's important, that Silver, who was a major bad guy for many fans! It looks like Silver had a great chance at Cobra Kai. You get to see the special kind of cathartic moment with the kick.

Daniel's Victory in the All-Valley:

The most popular event, a true game-changer in this universe that had the greatest effect was the first ever All-Valley! What else was this scene known for, well, the Crane Kick! This took place during "The Karate Kid." The most memorable and iconic fight where Daniel showed just how far he had come, and also put to the test, those he was competing against!

To top it all off, we had to go through a heart-wrenching moment, a battle that left audiences rooting for this young Martial Arts student!

Daniel was wounded and still, he was able to push forward to win, which is an element that shows his power and grit.

This particular event is one that no one could have forgotten! It's as if, the Franchise was never really the same, and its ability to deliver some powerful moves as well!

For fans of the "Karate Kid" Franchise, these moves make this an unforgettable series!