It's not just the characters' devastating pasts that tie all five Karate Kid films together. The movies also repeat several plot points and scenes. In the first two Karate Kid sequels, which center on Daniel's continued training with Miyagi, he has to briefly explain why he's just been dumped by his love interest from the prior film. Meanwhile, all the films feature their masters and students in peaceful training montages near a picturesque beach, and the senseis always use seemingly inane tasks like the "wax on, wax off" cleaning move to train the kids on key techniques.
Also, respect for nature always plays a pivotal role in the stories. For Daniel, caring for the bonsai trees becomes an essential part of the trilogy, and for The Next Karate Kid's Julie, she nurses a hawk back to health and the monks teach her to value even the peskiest insects.
Perhaps the most memorable — or memeable — part of all of the movies is the way they always sneak in a smug smile from the teachers before the credits roll. Miyagi's satisfied grin is an absolute hallmark of his four Karate Kid films, and the reboot makes sure to get a solid Han smirk in the final moments as well.
