The opening theme is on for only 5 seconds, and then my young daughter pauses it. She pauses it only to grab her lightsaber and imitate the actions on screen. The new series, Young Jedi Adventures, has been her most significant exposure to the franchise thus far.
The series made its debut last May and has been well received by not just families but critics alike, winning two Emmy Awards. The story takes place during the High Republic era and follows three younglings (Jedi in training) on many adventures as they navigate their new lives.
The story is easy to follow and has some fun action sequences that I can enjoy while I watch it with my child. For my daughter, though, it, like other shows in the same vein, such as Daniel Tiger or Sesame Street, teaches her valuable life lessons as she begins to learn how we should best treat each other.
The best part of the Star Wars franchise is the relatable life lessons it can teach all of us
For Young Jedi Adventures, the lessons the three young Jedi and their friends encounter are about teamwork, compassion, and self-discipline, to name a few. These are important things that many young children can learn, but in a fun way that involves lightsabers, spaceships, and fighting pirates.
As many Star Wars fans continue to argue over the presence of original trilogy characters in new works that Disney produced, the inclusion of Yoda in the series is a welcome surprise and a wonderful representation of the Jedi Master.
Yoda, who is present throughout the series, connects to the overall story for adults watching and, as only Yoda can, bring life lessons to the young Jedi on screen and the children watching the episode. Every time he is on screen for me, it also brings back the enjoyment of the lessons I gathered as a child from watching The Empire Strikes Back.
My daughter loves Ahsoka Tano and "Baby Yoda." She knows who Rey and Chewbacca are. But the stories they are featured in sometimes can't keep her attention due to the adult nature of many of them. Young Jedi Adventures has kept her interest. More importantly, while she's twirling her lightsaber, she's also learning how to be a better person in the process.