Mr. Miyagi (June 9, 1925 – November 15, 2011) is a fictional character in the original films (1984-1994) of the Karate Kid franchise. He is a karate master (portrayed by Pat Morita) who mentors Daniel LaRusso and Julie Pierce. Although he died in 2011, Miyagi is frequently referenced in the series Cobra Kai (2018–present), which is itself thematically structured via The Miyagi-Verse (characters who knew Mr. Miyagi). Overview Name Mr. Miyagi's given name is inconsistent in the series. In The Karate Kid, the name Hideo Miyagi, which translates to "hero" Miyagi and is the real given name of Pat Morita's brother, can be seen stamped in reverse on his World War II dog tags, being used as a keychain for the car he gives Daniel as a birthday present. As written in Japanese characters in The Karate Kid Part II, his name is 宮城成義 (Miyagi Nariyoshi), which translates as Nariyoshi Miyagi, which is also seen on his gravestone in Cobra Kai (season 1), Episode 5. He is called Keisuke Miyagi at the start of The Next Karate Kid. 1925-WWII Mr. Miyagi's ancestor was Shimpo Miyagi, who in 1625 accidentally landed in China. He returned to Okinawa many years later with a wife, children, and the art of Karate. Once back in Okinawa, he developed the style of Karate specific to the Miyagi family. Mr. Miyagi was born on June 9, 1925, in Tomi Village Okinawa, Japan. He had a job working for his best friend Sato's father, who was the richest man in the village. In addition, he learned karate and fishing from his father Miyagi Chōjun, a fisherman. Breaking family tradition, his father also taught karate to Sato (as Karate was traditionally only passed down from father to son). Their friendship soured when they were teenagers, however, because Miyagi fell in love with Yukie, a young woman from one of the poorest families in the village. However, her marriage had already been arranged to Sato. Miyagi rebelled against convention and declared his love for Yukie in a public speech. Dishonored by their love, Sato challenged Miyagi to a fight to the death. Rather than fight his friend, Miyagi secretly left Okinawa, and emigrated to Hawaii where he worked as a farm laborer in the Hawaiian cane fields. While working in the cane fields, he met a young woman who would become his wife. World War II period He and