Karate Kid into the Hero's Journey.

The Karate Kid (2010)

• Hero: In this movie, the hero would be the kid, Dre Parker, because he is the principal character and he "sacrificed" himself separating from his ordinary world because he moved with his mother from Detroit to Beijing, (crossing first threshold). At first he refused to move to that new country but it was something inevitable, everything depended on his mom's job. According to Joseph Campbell, we can classify this part as the refusal of call. 

 

• Mentor: Han is the one that trained Dre for his combat against the rude boy. He taught him new strategies and movements, he also taught him kung fu. This is when Dre is located in the Belly of the whale, because he enter walked into a new world and we will have a transformation after his training. 

 

• Threshold guardian: Han would also be the threshold guardian, because at first he acts like a serious man and he didn't tell anything about himself to Dre. Because of his mysteriousness, Dre continues to be with him and to accept his training because he wants to win the combat.

• Herald: Sherry, the mom, is the Herald, because she made an important announcement in the beginning and even though she doesn't appear constantly, she plays an important role (because of his work, they moved to Beijing, and in this place is where the call to adventure started). 

 

• Shapeshifter: Mei Ying, because at the beginning you don't know what her posture is, she behaved as a serious but as soon as Dre started to talk to her, she accepted to escape with him and they made a tour because Dre wanted to know Beijing.

 

• Trickster: Cheng, is the mean guy that got jealous since Dre talked to Mei. Since then he started to see Dre as his enemy and he thought he had to destroy him. But because they cannot have a "dirty fight", their mentors organized a combat, in which they were able to have a fair fight. (Road of trials). After having a fracture during the combat, Han used his magical remedies and healed him (Rescue from without). At the end, Dre won. (The ultimate boon)

 

 

• Shadow: The snake that appeared when Dre and Han arrived to the mystic temple and Dre was afraid of it but Han taught him how to destroy that fear and finally Dre knew how to balance his chakra. (Master of two worlds). 

 

 

After winning the combat, Dre became a confident person and he felt free for being with Mei without someone interfering. (Freedom to live). He transmitted hope to people and faith that they can achieve everything they wish for, and Cheng, realized that Dre is a human and has the liberty to live in Beijing. (Crossing the return threshold).