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Mike Barnes is the tertiary antagonist of The Karate Kid Part 3. He is a karate fighter who was hired by Terry Silver to defeat Daniel at the tournament in exchange for 25%(later 50%) ownership of his new Cobra Kai dojos. Barnes harasses and torments Daniel throughout the film, but is defeated by Daniel later at the tournament.

Origin

Not much is known about Mike Barnes's early life. But it is known that he is a highly skilled and vicious karate fighter who has won numerous karate tournaments in the past. Because of that, he got the nickname of "Karate's Bad Boy" in a magazine.

The Karate Kid 3

Terry Silver spotted Mike in a magazine and tells him on the phone that he wants him to fight Daniel and defeat him at the next All Valley Karate Tournament and will give him 25% ownership of his new Cobra Kai dojos he is going to open. When Barnes arrives at Silver's house, he is introduced to two teenagers from Terry's neighborhood named Snake and Dennis, who will take care of him and his training. Barnes tells Silver that he wants 50% ownership. Silver finds this to ambitious and requests 35%. Barnes thanks Silver and starts to leave. Impressed at the young man's moxie, Silver gives him 50%

When Silver finds out that Daniel is not defending his title this year, he orders Barnes and Snake to force Daniel to enter the tournament. When Barnes confronts Daniel at Mr. Miyagi's bonsai shop, he asks him to sign an application so that he will fight at the tournament. Daniel tells Barnes that he has no reason to fight, but Barnes tells him that his financial future will be ruined if Daniel does not fight him at the tournament. Daniel still refuses and Barnes angrily prepares to fight him, but Snake pulls him back and he and Barnes start to leave.

The next night, Barnes and his friends arrive at the shop and interrupts the dinner date of Daniel and his friend Jessica. Barnes asks Daniel if he signed the application, but Daniel didn't and still doesn't want to fight him. Barnes and his friends begin to trash the shop and Dennis fights Daniel, but gets defeated. Jessica knocks out Snake with a pot but gets kicked in the stomach by Barnes, who then fights Daniel. Barnes easily defeats Daniel, but Miyagi arrives and defeats the three men. The gang escape and Barnes threatens that he will come back for Daniel. When Daniel and Miyagi drive Jessica home, Barnes and his gang steal their bonsai trees and leave a tournament application.

Daniel and Jessica decide to retrieve a valuable bonsai tree at a cliff and plan to sell it in order to buy a new stock of trees to sell. They did not realize that the "Bad Boy" and his gang are following them. When Daniel and Jessica retrieve the tree, Barnes and his friends retract their climbing ropes and force Daniel to sign the application. After Daniel signs it, Barnes and his friends pull Daniel and Jessica. Snake gets the application from Daniel and tells Barnes that it is already signed. They threaten to drop Jessica unless Daniel gives Barnes the tree. Daniel reluctantly does so, but Barnes breaks it.

Barnes appears at Miyagi's house and beats up Daniel, telling him why he called the cops on him. Silver, on the next phase of his plan, shows up and "rescues" Daniel. Silver offers to "train" Daniel for the tournament. But Daniel realizes that Silver's teachings has made him a different man and tells Silver that he will not train with him and will not compete at the tournament. Silver reveals that his true agenda was avenging John Kreese, and Barnes and Kreese enter the room. Barnes viciously assaults Daniel until Miyagi arrives and rescues Daniel, who decides to compete at the tournament. Barnes trains for the tournament.

At the tournament, Barnes defeats his last opponent in order to face Daniel. Silver and Kreese instruct Barnes to score points and lose them so that Daniel will experience pain for the full three minutes. Then, in sudden death, Barnes will defeat Daniel once and for all. During the match, Barnes did what he was told to do and when the initial round concludes, Daniel determines that he is afraid of Barnes and cannot continue, but Miyagi tells him that his best karate is still inside him and that it is time to let it out. Barnes appears and says awful and meanful things about Daniel and Miyagi. This makes Daniel very angry, prompting him to get up and fight. In the sudden death round, Daniel does the kata. Barnes is confused and doesn't know what to do. After Daniel finishes the kata, Barnes lunges toward him, but Daniel flips him to the ground and punches him, winning the tournament. Barnes, realizing that he has lost, starts pounding the ground in frustration as his deal with Terry Silver is off and Cobra Kai was shut down for good.

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