Star Wars Rebels and Kids

Any self-respecting parent knows what a wasteland the world of children's television programming is. If you do not have some sort of Disney Jr. theme song running through your head at any given moment, you are probably not a parent. I can only take a few seconds of Cocomelon on Youtube or Morphle on Netflix before I run out of the room with rumblings of pure disgust threatening to overtake my good health.

Enter Star Wars Rebels. Rebels is not a new show so I am not breaking any new ground. It ran four seasons back in the mid-2010s and is easily accessible on Disney+ now. I watched the show as it aired and enjoyed it a lot. So, why bother talking about it now?

There are a couple reasons I decided to pull up Rebels for a rewatch. First, the Star Wars Podcast I listen to (Jabba the Pod from Syfy Wire) is doing a rewatch and discussing the episodes every week. It does not take a lot of pressure to encourage me to watch anything Star Wars, so this was the only real reason I needed. Second, however, my kids are 6 and 4 years old, and now felt like the right time to watch a whole show together. I tried Clone Wars before, but there are too many episodes and it turns violent pretty quickly, whereas Rebels is a short four seasons and stays pretty kid-friendly throughout.

We have now watched the first season and a couple episodes into the second season, and I am seriously enjoying the (re)ride. My son has seen all of the original movies, plus Episodes 1 and 2, but this show has brought out more excitement in him than most of the movies. He already knows the full names of the main cast of characters and is actively making predictions and asking questions during the show that reflect full engagement in the content. His engagement got me thinking about why this show works regardless of age (him-6, me-37), and here are a few reasons I think it works so well:

• The main characters are simple enough to understand without layering too many complexities onto their personalities. For example, Hera is a fantastic pilot and the mother of the group. This is all that kids need to know to fully enjoy the show.
• On the other hand, as an adult, the characters grow more complex and reveal layers that are powerful for someone with more life experience. Both kids and adults can fully enjoy Star Wars Rebels in completely different ways.
• There are enough similarities to the classic Star Wars world that make it familiar but also without the baggage of 40+ years of storytelling. Kids can easily feel comfortable with the Star Wars setting but not feel like they missed something if they did not see every movie or read every book.
• The storytelling on the show taps into classic mythology tropes in a way that is accessible for kids. Good vs. evil, the Hero's Journey, and family bonds are strong elements in the show, which connect with not only kids but also adults.

Whether you are 6 or 56, Star Wars Rebels is a compelling show with great characters and great storytelling. After we finish the whole show, I will come back with a new post and some of both of my kids' thoughts about the whole story. For right now, I am just enjoying the shared experience of something I love and something new and exciting for them.