Ranking the ‘Star Wars’ Movies By How Kid-Friendly They Are

When George Lucas created Star Wars all those years ago he wasn’t exactly catering the film to adults. He was making a fantasy epic for children and it just so happened to be one of the greatest movies ever made that resonated with people of all ages. As the years have gone by some of the Star Wars films have continued to cater mostly towards the younger people of the world while some of the franchise’s installments have been a little more adult than others. So which Star Wars films do I think are the most kid-friendly? That’s what I’m here to list for you and I hope you enjoy. 🙂

11. Revenge of the Sith

The prequel trilogy might’ve produced some awful Star Wars movies but Revenge of the Sith definitely feels quite climactic and it doesn’t shrug away from being a dire film. We see the Jedi slaughtered, younglings and all, which could be VERY frightening for a child. We see General Grievous shot to the point of explosion. Padme is killed…by her husband! Palpatine’s face is enough to dissuade any child from wanting to see this movie. And then Anakin getting his limbs cut off and nearly burned alive? All of these points are blaring reasons why this is the least kid-friendly Star Wars movie. I mean, I still wince whenever I watch Anakin getting burnt to a crisp. This is definitely catered to an older audience.

10. Rogue One

While Rogue One is undoubtedly one of the greatest stories ever told in the Star Wars franchise it definitely wasn’t made with young children in mind. In fact, the creators of the film have admitted that they pushed the boundaries far enough where it was borderline rated R but they made sure to keep it within the PG-13 range and it’s blatant. The movie starts with Jyn’s mother getting murdered and the dark tone of the movie doesn’t end there. The film doesn’t hesitate to show violence or try to bring any sort of lightness to the movie that you would expect from other more kid-friendly Star Wars movies like The Force Awakens or A New Hope. And the final major battle is like something out of a war film with soldiers’ bodies littering the battlefield and heroes perishing. And then after all of that you’ve got Darth Vader slicing and dicing rebels left and right. Rogue One is a great film but it could be way too scary for young children under the age of eleven.

9. The Last Jedi

The Last Jedi was supposed to be the Empire Strikes Back of this current trilogy and for the most part it did present some legitimately shocking moments that I enjoyed. When movies are created in the darker vein of storytelling it is inevitable for there to be moments that can scare little children and The Last Jedi definitely doesn’t refrain from doing this. I mean, seeing Chewbacca about to eat a cute porg could be enough to frighten a child. Just imagine when they see what happens to Snoke. Lol.

8. Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo was great, there’s no doubt about that, but it is a story about smugglers and the criminal underworld of Star Wars and that means more adult themes are destined to appear in this type of film. Han and Qi’Ra’s romantic relationship is not catered for young children at all and since the film is largely based on that companionship between the two characters, well, it turns out to be one of the least kid-friendly of the Star Wars movies. But besides the older themes in the film it’d definitely be a blast to watch as a child.

7. The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes Back can easily be argued as the best Star Wars film ever made for so many reasons but unlike its predecessor it brought some thematic elements to the movie that caters it slightly to an older audience. The romance between Han and Leia could be a no-no for some parents, there are some scenes in the film that could be legitimately scary for some children, and it’s just a darker movie. I’d say children eight and older could easily watch this though.

6. Attack of the Clones

Attack of the Clones definitely isn’t a dark film and easily one of the most kid-friendly in the Star Wars franchise. The only thing that could provide caution for younger children are the scenes with Anakin and Padme gallivanting around Naboo and pledging secret love to each other on the planet of Geonosis. Besides that though there isn’t anything scarier in this movie than Anakin talking about sand. Actually, that’s pretty scary. (Lol.)

5. The Rise of Skywalker

The Rise of Skywalker is a very family-friendly film that features a fun adventure that’s fast-paced, visually arresting, and exciting. This film, however, is a bit scary with Zombie Palpatine at the end of the movie. Little children may not to be happy seeing his fingers grow back. I know I wasn’t.

4. The Force Awakens 

One of the reasons why The Force Awakens was such a success was that it catered to Star Wars fans of all ages just like A New Hope did in 1977. There are some moments in the film that could scare children but the overall tone of the film is just plain fun. And the violence isn’t too extreme. The most violent moment in the movie is when Kylo runs his lightsaber through his father, Han Solo, and while that of course is rather frightening it’s nothing too harsh for the eyes of a young child. This is undoubtedly one of the most kid friendly Star Wars movies.

3. Return of the Jedi

If there is any doubt that this movie was catered to children just think about the Ewoks. Will you find any Ewoks in Rogue One? No, because it’s not a film catered for that of a younger audience. I know for a fact Return of the Jedi was catered to children because I used to love it when I was little. I especially loved the Ewoks. Now as an adult I despise the spear toting teddy bears and Return of the Jedi is one of my least favorite Star Wars films. But like I said, it’s great for children.

2. The Phantom Menace

If there is any doubt that The Phantom Menace is one of the kid-friendliest installments in the Star Wars franchise then just look at this poster. It’s got a kid on the front! That’s how kid-friendly it is. I’ve been watching this movie since before I even knew I was watching it and it was especially a blast to watch as a child. With characters like Jar Jar Binks and young Anakin I couldn’t help but highly enjoy this movie as a child. In fact, every once in a while I still watch this film with a bit of nostalgic happiness. The only violent moments in this movie is the death of Qui-Gon and the brutal defeat of Darth Maul. If you’re fine with your young children watching somebody get cut in half then yeah, this is definitely a Star Wars film they should watch.

1. A New Hope

Like I said earlier in this post, George Lucas created Star Wars with children in mind and so it’s no surprise that this movie would be the kid-friendliest of them all. The violence isn’t heavy, the themes are light, and it’s just a blast to watch. The most disturbing moment in the film, which could definitely be a little scary for some children, is when Luke sees his uncle and aunt who have been burned so badly only their skeletons remain. I remember the first time I saw that scene. I was legitimately horrified. But besides that the movie is fun and definitely appropiate for children of all ages.

Star Wars is a wonderful franchise filled with fantastic movies but some of the films can definitely be a little more adult than others and I hope this post might’ve helped you parents out there who need to know whether they can show their child a certain Star Wars movie or not.

I thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Have a beautiful day and May the Force be with you.