Daniel LaRusso

Daniel moves from New Jersey to Reseda with his mother. At school, Ali's ex Johnny and the Cobra Kai students go after him. The building's handyman, Mr. Miyagi, saves him and agrees to train him, starting with waxing cars, sanding the floor and painting the fence. Daniel learns it was training. At the All Valley, even hurt, he beats Johnny with a crane kick.

Six months later, Ali breaks up with Daniel, and Miyagi learns his father is dying in Okinawa. Daniel goes along. There he grows close to Kumiko and clashes with Chozen, the nephew of the wealthy Sato. A typhoon forces everyone together, and Daniel saves a child. At the O-bon festival, Chozen kidnaps Kumiko, and Daniel wins with the drum technique.

Back in Los Angeles, Daniel loses his apartment and spends his college fund on a bonsai shop with Miyagi. Terry Silver, Kreese's friend, sets a trap: the brutal Mike Barnes forces him to defend his title at the All Valley. Miyagi refuses to train him, and Daniel accepts Silver's cruel training. When he sees through the ruse, he returns to his teacher and beats Barnes with the kata.

In 2017, Daniel is rich, married to Amanda and father of Sam and Anthony, but struggles to connect with his kids since Miyagi's death. When Johnny reopens Cobra Kai, he responds by opening Miyagi-Do, with Sam and Robby. The rivalry returns. In the end, Robby, Johnny's son, loses the final to Miguel, and Daniel tries to help him.

Daniel opens Miyagi-Do and trains Robby and Sam while Kreese returns to Cobra Kai. He tells them he was once a Cobra Kai student and talks about Terry Silver. He nearly makes peace with Johnny, but a fight splits them. At school, Tory sparks the brawl: Sam beats Tory, but Robby kicks Miguel off a balcony and runs.

With Miyagi-Do shut down, Daniel travels to Okinawa and reconciles with Chozen, who teaches him a pressure point technique. At home, he and Johnny are forced to join forces against Kreese. At Christmas, Daniel uses Chozen's technique on Kreese and spares him. Sam and Miguel forge the alliance between Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang.

Daniel and Johnny train Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang together against Kreese and Terry Silver's Cobra Kai. Silver's return freezes him with fear. At the All Valley, Eli wins among the boys, but Cobra Kai takes the title, and Silver bribed the referee. Daniel and Johnny create Miyagi-Fang, a style that blends the two.

Daniel calls in Chozen to bring down Silver, who is expanding Cobra Kai across the Valley. When the Miyagi-Fangs expose Silver in a video, he challenges Daniel to a fight. Daniel uses the QuickSilver method and finishes Silver off with a crane kick. Silver is arrested, and the students abandon him.

Daniel and Johnny train the students for the Sekai Taikai, in Barcelona and then California. Daniel buys the old Cobra Kai dojo so Johnny can train Miguel and Tory. Before Johnny's fight against Sensei Wolf, Daniel tells his friend he has already won in life, for the family he has. Johnny wins, and the two start teaching together.

Years later, Mr. Han visits Los Angeles to ask for help with Li, a kung fu student in New York. Daniel refuses at first and ends up going. He teaches Li Miyagi-Do karate, and together with Han they build a variation of the dragon kick. Daniel gets a thank-you pizza, and Johnny already has another business idea.

Ralph Macchio was cast on the strength of The Outsiders (1983). The character was called Danny Weber before becoming LaRusso. Macchio returned to the role in Cobra Kai (2018–2025) and in Karate Kid: Legends (2025).