Sci-fi violence, real magic in small-screen Star Wars show.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Show centers on bounty hunter who tracks down, delivers criminals. Expect plenty of choreographed sci-fi battles with futuristic weapons. Characters are killed or incapacitated suddenly on-screen with lots of noise, light flashes, groans/screams, but no gore or blood. Aliens have menacing makeup and scary beasts, like giant creatures that look like a cross between a walrus and an alligator, and may suddenly attack. In one scene, a creature is being roasted on a spit as another like it sits in a cage calling out plaintively.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Though emphasis is often on violence and battles, characters show compassion for each other and courage in taking on quests that can be dangerous.
Positive Role Models
some
The Mandalorian isn't without kindness -- we see him being gentle to animals and babies, donating money to orphans -- but he uses violence, threats, intimidation to further his aims, which isn't much different from how the "bad" characters do things. A somewhat diverse cast of characters populate the planets visited by Mando.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Mandalorian is a TV series set in the Star Wars universe. The series' main character (Pedro Pascal) is a bounty hunter, so expect lots of conflict and battles, including those in which faceless villains are mowed down by futuristic sci-fi weapons. When characters are killed, they fall down on the ground and lie still; there's no blood or gore. But characters may scream or writhe in pain, and imagery includes things like a small creature roasting on a spit, or giant sandworm-type creatures eating humanoid creatures. Menace and danger are frequent, but the show's overall tone is action/adventure rather than scary. There's no strong or iffy sexual content, although romantic complications may rear their heads at some point. Characters show compassion and courage, but even "good" characters use force, violence, and intimidation to realize their aims -- the same as the "bad" characters. Scenes take place at bars with creatures drinking, but we don't know what, and no one acts drunk. Expect to see Mandalorian tie-ins merchandised in the Star Wars tradition.
Rated TV-14 for sci-fi action and violence
Sex & Nudity
It's mentioned a male alien species is killed during 'mating'
A character makes a brief remark to The Mandalorian about visiting the "Twi'lek healing baths," although the offer is promptly ignored.
In chapter 6, characters make fun of a seemingly separated couples sexual relationship and make mild suggestive references. When they found out baby yoda was found in the mandalorians ship, one character remarked, "Did you two make this?". Other than that there's nothing else remotely inappropriate.
Violence & Gore
We see a man get cut in half. The action happens off screen, but his legs are seen briefly after it occurs
The more graphic violence is completely off screen or cleverly hidden.
Not very violent, but probably still a bit more violent than average Star Wars. There is no blood or gore, but some of the deaths are pretty brutal. These including being burned to death, being cut in half, a hammer being smashed into a stormtroopers face (all you see is helmet fragments flying through the air), lots on standard Star Wars blaster shooting.
The mandalorian has a rifle and shoots another man. The man is instantly disentigrated
Stormtroopers are shown with half-blasted off helmets as they lay dead. In another scene, the Mandalorian burns a Stormtrooper alive. We see the Stormtroopers burnt head afterwards. However, it is mostly covered by his helmet.
The Mandalorian kills a large animal by stabbing it in the neck. Nothing majorly graphic is shown
Carl Weather's character gets two giant gashes down his arm exposing muscle and blood but Yoda heals him and the wounds close. It's dimly lit so all we see is the cuts. Jawas are shown being disintegrated after being shot by The Mandalorian's rifle. Not graphic.
The Mandalorian stabs a Stormtrooper in the back with a knife. However, the view is shown from the front side and no blood is seen
In the beginning of Chapter 8, the scout troopers punch Baby Yoda for either biting their finger, or because he was squirming too much. This scene is either intense or comical depending on how you feel about it.
The Child force chokes a woman. She is saved however.
A man gets head trauma. Blood is seen on a woman's hand after she checks his wound.
Profanity
"Hell" is said 4 times. And the term "wise ass" is used once. "Bastard" used once.
Bastard is used once.
Pretty much no profanity
One use of the word s*** in the 6th episode.
Frightening & Intense Scenes
While trapped in a prison there is an alarm accompanied by strobing lights. This may affect photosensitive viewers. Since this is the story of a bounty hunter, there will be more violence than in the Star Wars movies.
Episode 1 - scenes of a sudden attack by the Mandalorian to the people in a bar. He kills them quickly with minimal violence.
Episode 1 - The Mandalorian and a Bounty Droid have an intense and sudden fight with some enemies near the end of the first episode. This is intense, but with no blood.
A child is aimed at by the sniper of a bounty hunter. While the bounty hunter misses and the child is unharmed this scene is still intense.
Kuill is killed by troopers at the end of episode 7. We see a shot of Baby Yoda laying on the ground, to be later picked up by a trooper on a speeder bike. Then we see a shot of Kuill's dead body lying face-down with his dead Bluurg lying beside him. The episode ends after that
A Scout-Trooper punches Baby Yoda. You hear Yoda scream.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking
Some of the Mandalorian's bounty transactions occur in a bar. Alcohol is mentioned
A character suggests to the protagonist that they should buy some "spice" (an implied drug in the star wars universe) and soon he'll have forgot everything that happened.
my personal opinion on what the show should be rated is TV-14 for sci-fi action and violence brief suggestive content implied drugs and brief language
Really awesome show that is a must watch for all Star Wars fans!
I want to start out by saying I am 19 years old and have experience with taking care of young children.
There is quite a bit of violence, as this show is Star Wars themed. If any parents have seen past Star Wars movies- the violence is about the same.
I think any child would enjoy this show, it’s not scary at all, and the violence is not gory in any way. As long as you have taught your kid that hitting is not okay, and explain the show is just pretend you’ll be in the clear.
Your child will most likely watch the show and be in awe with Grogu (The Child/“Baby Yoda”). I watched the Star Wars movies at a pretty young age, and the violence was no problem for me, however every child is different.
What's the Story?
Set after the fall of the Empire depicted in the original trilogy of stories in the Star Wars universe, THE MANDALORIAN depicts a new hero. The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) is a lone wolf hard at work in the furthest reaches of the universe. He comes from an ancient race of warriors and bounty hunters, a sort of dark mirror to the noble Jedi fighters, and until now, the Mandalorian has been content to uphold his people's traditions. But when a mysterious new job brings him into contact with a life form he'd never imagined he'd face, the Mandalorian is suddenly willing to take desperate chances to protect what he holds dear.
Existing in a recognizable Star Wars universe yet telling a unique story of its own, this small-screen extension of the film franchise is, in a word, cool. Unlike other recent Star Wars narratives that circle rather obsessively around the Han-Luke-Leia story, The Mandalorian branches out with a character who's built on something of an Easter egg from 1977's A New Hope. Boba Fett was the most minor of characters who inspired major mystique; choosing a Boba Fett-like character to center this series around is an inspired choice. The series looks amazing too: Plenty of money was spent making a fantastically immersive world with creatures fans will recognize (Jawas and Kubaz and Kowakians, last seen giggling from Jabba the Hut's throne), and fascinating new characters to meet.
The Mandalorian himself is something of a lone gunslinger, making his way in a world beset with dangers. He's also a tragic figure -- we get some backstory on his terrible past, which will no doubt be brought to bear at some point -- and Pedro Pascal does an excellent job of making him sympathetic despite the handicap of a full-face mask. Like other Star Wars entries, The Mandalorian gets into some fan service: Franchise nerds will flinch happily when Ewok holiday "Life Day" pops up, and it's clear that the Empire is going to play some part in the story. But unlike other entries that felt like they were circling the drain of an increasingly overly fleshed-out story, The Mandalorian feels fresh and newly enchanting, just the thing for fans awaiting the next movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can discuss how this series compares to the original 1970s live-action saga that many parents grew up with, as well as the more recent movies. Why do you think George Lucas and Disney decided to make a Star Wars TV series?
What's the impact of the violence in this show? Does the fact that you don't see blood or gore change the way the violence comes across? Do deaths look scary? Are they supposed to? Characters who die are mostly faceless characters, often in uniform. How does that change your perception of the violence?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
