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Movie · Superhero, Action · 2018 · PG-13

Black Panther: parents' guide

12+our pick

Best for ages 12 and up. Rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture.

A rich, ambitious adventure about a young African king that gives tweens and teens plenty to think about along with the action. Ritual fights for the throne are close and bloody, and the villain kills in cold blood, including shooting a woman in the head. A flashback shows a boy finding his father's body, and late in the film a wounded character chooses to die rather than be imprisoned, invoking enslaved Africans who jumped from slave ships. Language includes a handful of s-words and a rude gesture, and romance stays at kissing. The bloody duels and heavy themes point to 12.

What's in it

Violence

Moderate

Up-close ritual duels with spears and blades leave bloody stab wounds, and a fighter is thrown off a cliff. Villains poison a museum worker and gun down bystanders, a woman is shot in the head, a man is shot in the spine, and war rhinos charge.

Language

Moderate

At least five s-words, some in background songs, plus ass, hell, one bitch and a couple of misuses of God's name. One middle-finger gesture. "Colonizer" is tossed at a white character, and Wakandans are insulted as savages.

Sex and nudity

Mild

T'Challa and Nakia share a few kisses and some flirting, and a criminal couple kiss passionately after a heist. Some outfits show cleavage or bare midriffs, and a villain hides stolen goods in the crotch of his pants. No sexual scenes or nudity.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Mild

Adults drink in a casino and one character orders a whiskey. A glowing, heart-shaped herb is drunk in a sacred ritual that grants or removes the Black Panther's powers; it isn't treated as a recreational drug.

Scary or intense scenes

Moderate

Several duels seem to end with a main character dead, and the villain's cruelty can upset younger kids. A child discovers his murdered father in a flashback, a wounded man chooses death over prison, and the story touches on slavery and the 1992 LA riots.

Sensitive topics

  • Death of a parent
  • Racism
  • Suicide

Worth talking about

Killmonger's anger about how Black people have been treated around the world is real, even though his methods are brutal. Can a villain have a point, and what does Wakanda owe the rest of the world?

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, childrenandmedia.org.au, Wikipedia. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.