Daniel LaRusso — The Karate Kid Part III Character Profile

About Daniel LaRusso

Resilient teenager who masters Miyagi-Do karate to overcome bullies and win championships.

Daniel LaRusso — Character Profile

Alignment

Hero

Species

Human

Abilities

Miyagi-Do karate, Crane kick, Resilience, Leadership

• Strength: 6/10
• Intelligence: 7/10
• Charisma: 8/10
• Morality: 9/10
• Influence: 7/10

Quick Facts about Daniel LaRusso

Nationality

American

Daniel LaRusso appears in 5 titles

• The Karate Kid (1984) — character page
• The Karate Kid Part II (1986) — character page
• The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
• Cobra Kai (2018) — character page
• Karate Kid: Legends (2025) — character page

Character Facts

Played by

Ralph Macchio

Appears in

The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

Role

Protagonist

Relationships (4)

• Daniel LaRusso — Professional Mentor — Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita)

  Wise master and resilient student who rebuild their mentorship after a period of estrangement.

• Daniel LaRusso — Romantic Interest — Jessica Andrews (Robyn Lively)

  Supportive romantic interest who provides emotional grounding during Daniel's turbulent training.

• Daniel LaRusso — Conflict Rival — Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan)

  Vicious national champion and primary physical antagonist who uses illegal tactics to break Daniel.

• Daniel LaRusso — Narrative Trainee — Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith)

  Temporary student and manipulative trainer who uses psychological warfare to corrupt Daniel's discipline.

Explore the full interactive character relationship map of The Karate Kid Part III

More characters from The Karate Kid Part III

• Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita)
• Jessica Andrews (Robyn Lively)
• Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith)
• Announcer (Rick Hurst)
• John Kreese (Martin Kove)
• Mrs. Milo (Frances Bay)
• Uncle Louie (Joseph V. Perry)
• Snake (Jonathan Avildsen)
• Delivery Man (C. Darnell Rose)
• Self (Glenn Medeiros)
• Sparring Partner #1 (Randell Dennis Widner)
• Man #1 (Patrick R. Posada)