Daniel LaRusso (The Karate Kid)
Daniel LaRusso is the main protagonist of The Karate Kid media franchise, portrayed by Ralph Macchio. He is an Italian-American teenager who moves from New Jersey to California, where he faces bullying from local karate champion Johnny Lawrence. Saved by Mr. Miyagi, the maintenance man at his apartment building, Daniel becomes his karate student and eventually defeats Johnny in a tournament. In the sequel series Cobra Kai, set decades after the original film, Daniel has become the owner of LaRusso Auto, the most profitable car dealership in the Valley, and has two children with his wife Amanda. The character was created by American screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen, who drew inspiration from his own experiences of being bullied and taking up karate.
