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Movie · Sci-fi, Action · 1977 · PG

Star Wars: parents' guide

8+our pick

Best for ages 8 and up. Rated PG for sci-fi violence and brief mild language.

A classic space adventure most families can share once kids are comfortable with blaster battles and a menacing villain. Many characters die, usually without blood: stormtroopers fall, pilots explode, and Darth Vader chokes people with the Force. A few moments stand out for young viewers: Luke finds the burned bodies of the aunt and uncle who raised him, a severed arm lies bloody on a cantina floor, and a whole planet is destroyed. A beloved mentor dies in a duel. Language is limited to a few uses of "damn" and "hell." Good for most kids 8 and up.

What's in it

Violence

Moderate

Frequent blaster fights, lightsaber duels and space dogfights with many deaths, mostly bloodless. Vader strangles officers with the Force, a cantina thug's arm is sliced off and shown bloody on the floor, and a planet is blown up with everyone on it.

Language

Mild

Two uses each of "damn" and "hell" and some playful name-calling between the heroes. No stronger profanity is heard.

Sex and nudity

None

Nothing beyond mild flirting, Han teasing Luke about his crush on Leia, and a quick kiss on the cheek for luck.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Mild

The cantina is packed with aliens drinking unidentified beverages in a smoky room, and one patron uses a hookah-like device. No one is shown drunk.

Scary or intense scenes

Moderate

Luke discovers his guardians' charred skeletons, Leia faces a torture device, and the heroes are nearly crushed in a trash compactor while a tentacled creature drags Luke underwater. Vader and the Tusken Raiders may frighten younger kids.

Sensitive topics

  • Death of a parent

Worth talking about

Han starts out in it only for the money but comes back to help. What makes someone switch from looking out for themselves to taking a risk for others?

Where to stream →

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, movieguide.org, bbfc.co.uk. 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.