How Old Was Ralph Macchio in Each ‘Karate Kid’ Movie and ‘Cobra Kai’ Season?

More than 40 years later, Ralph Macchio is still crane-kicking it as Daniel LaRusso, his character from The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai.

In Karate Kid: Legends, Macchio’s latest martial-arts movie, the actor reprises his role from the original Karate Kid trilogy and Cobra Kai, the Netflix series, which concluded its six-season run in February 2025.

It has been decades since Macchio first played Daniel in 1984’s The Karate Kid. Although his character was supposed to be 17, the actor was actually 22 while filming.

When asked if he had any favorite memories from filming the first Karate Kid movie, Macchio said he had “tons.”

“From the original every day working with [Mr. Miyagi actor] Pat Morita, it was a blessed partnership and it still resonates,” he told PEOPLE at the Karate Kid: Legends premiere in May 2025. “And the reason I’m in this movie is to pay that legacy forward. Shedding a little piece of Miyagi forward. It’s never the wrong thing to do in Daniel LaRusso’s eyes and in Ralph Macchio’s eyes.”

Since he has been playing the character for over four decades, does Macchio’s age match up with Daniel’s? Here’s how old the actor was while making each of The Karate Kid movies and the six seasons of Cobra Kai.

The Karate Kid (1984): Ralph Macchio was 22

In the 1984 original that kicked off a karate craze, Macchio starred as Daniel LaRusso, who was 17 for most of the movie. In reality, the actor was not a kid but an adult since he was actually 22 during filming.

“Daniel LaRusso has become such a fixture of pop culture and The Karate Kid film has continued to inspire on a human level ever since its debut in 1984,” Macchio told PEOPLE in 2022, when he announced his memoir, Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me.

“I sought to celebrate all that it has given to me,” he added.

The Karate Kid Part II (1986): Ralph Macchio was 24

The sequel took the action to Japan, and even though The Karate Kid Part II is set during the following summer after the events of the first film, the movie was released two years later. Filming took place in the fall of 1985, and Macchio would turn 24 while making the movie.

While reflecting on the making of The Karate Kid Part II, Macchio looked back on the memorable tea ceremony scene he shared with costar Tamlyn Tomita.

“I remember the tea ceremony scene was a special scene,” he told Comic Book Resources in 2020. “So much detail and eloquence in that and I just I love that scene even to this day because it’s pure, pure innocence.”

The Karate Kid Part III (1989): Ralph Macchio was 27

The events of The Karate Kid Part III happen in the months following Part II, so Daniel should be 19 by the end of the movie, but in reality, Macchio was 27 while making the third part in the trilogy.

In the years since its release, Macchio has been critical of the third film, telling The Hollywood Reporter how he “was not a fan of how the Karate Kid III came out.”

“I felt the story was only repeating itself and was not character forwarding for the end of LaRusso. And production-wise, it was being written one way and then changed another way,” he continued. “It was not a smooth ride. In the end, there were parts of the character that I didn’t embrace as well as I did with the original and the first sequel.”

“I don’t put it on the top of my résumé,” the actor added.

Cobra Kai season 1 (2018): Ralph Macchio was 56

Macchio was 56 when he returned to the dojo to play Daniel in the legacy series, which originally premiered on YouTube Red before moving to Netflix.

Cobra Kai follows Macchio’s Karate Kid character, as he once again becomes martial-arts rivals with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), whom he originally fought at the All Valley Karate Tournament in the first film.

Cobra Kai season 2 (2019): Ralph Macchio was 57

Macchio was 57 while filming season 2 of Cobra Kai.

In a 2019 interview with Deadline, Macchio remarked how “it’s crazy” being part of The Karate Kid legacy, and how the characters still live on decades later.

“It’s fascinating what has happened with that film from its inception to today,” he continued. “With the Cobra Kai series having re-birthed interest in that universe, it’s constantly open world and a part of my life.”

Cobra Kai season 3 (2021): Ralph Macchio was 58

While making the third season of Cobra Kai, Macchio was 58. In season 3 of the series, Daniel returned to Japan, and unlike Karate Kid Part II, which was set in Okinawa but filmed in Hawaii, Macchio actually jetted off to Japan this time.

“It was a whirlwind. I’m really thankful and proud of the production and Sony for letting us go there for what was only about two days of shooting,” he told Collider in 2020. “It was like a long weekend. Most of the time was in the air. It was blessed, you know? It just felt like I was in the land of Miyagi.”

Cobra Kai season 4 (2021): Ralph Macchio was 59

Macchio was 59 while filming season 4 of Cobra Kai, making him the same age as the character of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) in the original Karate Kid.

In 2021, Macchio told PEOPLE how his age can be confusing for fans who refuse to believe that he is pushing 60.

“Listen — I blame my parents,” he joked. “They both look very young for their age. I have a youthful energy about me for some reason. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t hurt. But I think I’ve just gotten lucky in the gene department.”

Cobra Kai season 5 (2022): Ralph Macchio was 60

During production for the fifth season of Cobra Kai, Macchio was 60.

The actor appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2022 to discuss turning 60 and the continuing impact of The Karate Kid movies with Cobra Kai.

“I knew it was beloved. I knew the characters were beloved,” he told Jimmy Kimmel. “But to see it explode like this, and multi-generation, we have like 10, 12-year-old kids and people in their 60s and 70s, they’re all watching the same show. It’s equal parts nostalgia and now contemporary relevance.”

Cobra Kai season 6 (2024 and 2025): Ralph Macchio was 62

The fifteen episodes of Cobra Kai season 6 were released in three installments in 2024 and 2025. Macchio was 62 while filming the final season.

“It’s less goodbye for me and more ‘See you next time,’ ” Macchio told The New York Times in February 2025, when asked what the last day of filming Cobra Kai was like.

“As all over the place and as big as Cobra Kai got with these brawls and the accidental deaths and all these zillions of characters, it still was born out of Daniel and Johnny’s rivalry and now, in turn, friendship,” he explained.

Karate Kid: Legends (2025): Ralph Macchio was 62

The latest chapter of The Karate Kid story is the movie Karate Kid: Legends, which takes place after the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai. Karate Kid: Legends was filmed in spring 2024, making Macchio 62 during production.

When asked if he would return to the Karate Kid universe in the future, Macchio told The Hollywood Reporter in May 2025, “We’ll see.”

“As long as it’s honest, genuine and truthful to the base of this character and these characters, I’ll always be open to listen,” he continued. “Because I like that the next generation can experience the joy of what we’ve been through.”

“In a world that’s not always joyful, it’s really cool to bring some of that,” Macchio added.