Mr. Miyagi's Tragic Military Backstory In The Karate Kid Explained

Mr. Miyagi is an essential character within The Karate Kid universe, and his heartbreaking military backstory helped inform his mentor-like relationship with his protégé, Daniel LaRusso. First introduced in the original The Karate Kid in 1984, Mr. Miyagi was expertly portrayed by Pat Morita in the original series and has continued to appear in archival footage in the sequel television show Cobra Kai. While Mr. Miyagi’s calm demeanor and defense-based martial arts wisdom have always guided Miyagi-Do students toward noble victory, his character’s stoic nature and deep philosophical wisdom were born from a traumatic backstory of loss, pain, and war.

While Mr. Miyagi was introduced in The Karate Kid as a simple, unassuming maintenance man, as the series progressed, his background fighting World War II and the heartbreaking fate of his family were further explored. Mr. Miyagi’s unorthodox “wax on, wax off” teaching practices turned the first movie into one of the best martial arts films of the 1980s, yet behind all of this lay a story of deep sadness. As The Karate Kid series outlined Mr. Miyagi's life from being born in Okinawa to relocating to Reseda, California, he became one of the franchise’s most tragic figures.

Mr. Miyagi Fought In WWII Against The Japanese Empire

He was a member of the 442nd Infantry Regiment

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Mr. Miyagi’s defense-based martial arts style comes from a deep well of knowledge about the true nature of violence and conflict. Mr. Miyagi was born in Tomi Village, Okinawa, and he practiced karate with his best friend Sato, who were both trained by Mr. Miyagi’s father. However, it was revealed in The Karate Kid Part II that Mr. Miyagi and Sato were both in love with a young girl named Yukie, which tore their friendship apart, and rather than fighting it out, Mr. Miyagi secretly fled Okinawa and started a new life as a farm laborer in Hawaii.

In Hawaii, Mr. Miyagi met his wife, and due to the onset of World War II, the couple were interned in the Manzanar Japanese-American camp, which held Japanese-Americans during the war. Mr. Miyagi soon joined the U.S. Army and served with the 442nd Infantry Regiment, where he participated in the European theater of World War II against the Axis powers, which included Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and the Empire of Japan, the place he once called home. While Mr. Miyagi’s involvement in WWII was already traumatic, another kind of pain was about to enter the future sensei’s life.

Miyagi's Wife & Son Died In An Internment Camp While He Was Away

He learned the tragic news via telegraph while still at war

Mr. Miyagi and his wife had planned to start a family, and she even fell pregnant before he left to fight in the war, but this sadly never came true. While Mr. Miyagi was away in battle, his wife went into labor and gave birth to their son. However, both Mr. Miyagi’s wife and child died due to complications from childbirth. After receiving a telegraph on November 2, 1944, Mr. Miyagi learned of their deaths, and he never got to meet his only son or say goodbye to the woman that he loved.

Pat Morita was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid.

Although Mr. Miyagi had a wonderful marriage and life as a father ahead of him, after their deaths, he remained a widowed bachelor for the rest of his days. It was 40 years later, in The Karate Kid, when opening up to his surrogate son Daniel, that Mr. Miyagi lamented the reason they died was because there were no doctors at the internment camp to help. This tragic and avoidable end to a young woman and baby’s life was a powerful representation of the real miscarriages of justice at internment camps in the United States during the war (via National WWII.)

Miyagi Won The Medal Of Honor But His Loss Still Haunted Him

Although he received the highest military honor there is, Mr. Miyagi never forgot those he loved

While Mr. Miyagi was left heartbroken and his personal life was in tatters, he still fought bravely in battle and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his military services. This was the highest military decoration a soldier could be granted, but the memory of his loss was a sorrow that loomed large over the rest of his life. After World War II had ended, Mr. Miyagi relocated to Reseda, California, to work as a maintenance man, restore old cars, and build a traditional Japanese garden in the back of his home.

While it’s tragic that Mr. Miyagi never enjoyed the fruits of family life after his military service, it was fitting that his symbolic son, Daniel LaRusso, carried his fighting philosophy and defense-based principles forward.

In The Next Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate Japanese-Americans who fought in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, showcasing that he never forgot about the legacies of those he fought alongside. While it’s tragic that Mr. Miyagi never enjoyed the fruits of family life after his military service, it was fitting that his symbolic son, Daniel LaRusso, carried his fighting philosophy and defense-based principles forward with Miyagi-Do in the sequel series Cobra Kai.

Source: National WWII