‘Star Wars’ Hit by Censors, No Longer Suitable for Modern Children

According to censors, one Star Wars film is no longer rated as appropriate for young viewers.

The Star Wars fandom spans all ages, but Lightsabers, Skywalkers, and Wookies have always particularly appealed to children. However, film censors have recently decided that one installment of the franchise isn’t suitable for the young viewers of today – recommending that parents reconsider before letting them watch the film.

According to the Daily Mail, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has changed its classification of Star Wars Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) from U (which stands for a “universal” audience) to PG (parental guidance).

The decision was reportedly made due to concerns around the “brief emphasis on pain and injury” shown in the film. Violent scenes – such as that in which Darth Vader’s hand is cut off by Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) – are apparently too graphic to be suitable to an audience of all ages, meaning parents will need to advise whether their child can or cannot watch it.

Other films subjected to higher age ratings include The Addams Family (1991), School of Rock (2003), and Santa Claus: The Movie (1985). The majority of these changes were made due to violence and swearing.

However, some films had their ratings lowered by the BBFC, including Raging Bull (1980), Friday the 13th (1980), and Gangs of New York (2002).

The BBFC defines PG films as those with scenes that “may be unsuitable for young children,” specifically those under the age of eight. While younger children are allowed to watch unaccompanied, parents need to “consider whether the content may upset younger, or more sensitive, children.”

For a film to be rated as U, it needs to be suitable for viewers over the age of four and contain only “very mild” violence, as long as it is “justified by context, for example, comedic, animated, wholly unrealistic.”

As of 2023, two Star Wars films are rated U by the BBFC: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1998) and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977).

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2004), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), and all three installments in the sequel trilogy – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII : The Last Jedi (2017), and the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – are advised for audiences over the age of 12. The rest (now including Return of the Jedi) are rated PG.

Do you think the Star Wars films are suitable for children? Let us know in the comments!