What age is Kubo and the Two Strings appropriate for?

Kubo and the Two Strings is rated PG and PopcornCheck recommends it for ages 8+, based on reading the actual screenplay. The film contains multiple genuinely frightening scenes — including the Moon King threatening to take Kubo's remaining eye, an underwater 'garden of eyes' that traps souls, and the sudden violent attack by supernatural aunts at the festival that results in the death of Kubo's mother — that make it too intense for most children under 8.

Does Kubo and the Two Strings have swearing or bad language?

Kubo and the Two Strings has Very Mild language. The word 'hell' is used once in dialogue

Is Kubo and the Two Strings violent?

Kubo and the Two Strings has Mild violence. Kubo's supernatural aunts attack him in the village during the Obon Festival; they are depicted as eerie, mask-wearing figures, but no graphic violence is shown — the threat is more supernatural than gory

Is Kubo and the Two Strings scary for children?

Kubo and the Two Strings has Moderate scary scenes. Kubo's mother's mental deterioration and cryptic warnings about never staying out after dark create an ongoing atmosphere of dread and unease — younger children may find her state distressing

Is Kubo and the Two Strings OK for Kids?

Name: Kubo and the Two Strings
Director: Travis Knight
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
Released: 2016
Duration: 102 min
Cast: Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Brenda Vaccaro, Ralph Fiennes

AnimationAdventureFamily

PG⭐ 7.7 / 102016 · 1h 42m

Travis Knight

Where to Watch

United States

Rent

Rent or Buy on Amazon

Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay

🗡️Violence

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Cartoon / Comedic

Action & Peril

Injuries & Death Shown

Graphic & Disturbing

Kubo's supernatural aunts attack him in the village during the Obon Festival; they are depicted as eerie, mask-wearing figures, but no graphic violence is shown — the threat is more supernatural than gory
The village is burned to the ground during the aunts' assault; destruction is shown clearly but without graphic detail or casualties depicted on screen
Beetle fires arrows during combat sequences, played mostly for comedic effect with misses rather than hits
A skeleton warrior appears with swords embedded in its head — stylized and non-graphic but potentially alarming for younger children
Monkey and an aunt engage in physical combat underwater; it is animated hand-to-hand fighting with no blood shown, though Beetle is injured and later recovers
The final battle between Kubo and the Moon King involves magical combat — no graphic depiction; it is resolved emotionally rather than through physical violence
There are references to Kubo having lost one eye, which is a recurring plot point, though the injury itself is never shown graphically
Overall, violence is stylized and consequence-aware rather than gratuitous — deaths occur and are felt emotionally, but nothing is shown in a graphic or disturbing manner

💬Language

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mild Words

(damn, hell)

Moderate

(ass, b**ch)

Strong

(sh*t)

Extreme

(f**k)

The word 'hell' is used once in dialogue
'Ow' is used three times as an exclamation of pain — not profanity but noted in the extraction
No f-words, c-words, s-words, or slurs of any kind detected
No moderate or strong profanity of any kind — language is suitable for all ages

👻Scary Scenes

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mildly Tense

Startling Moments

Genuinely Scary

Deeply Disturbing

Kubo's mother's mental deterioration and cryptic warnings about never staying out after dark create an ongoing atmosphere of dread and unease — younger children may find her state distressing
The aunts make a startling sudden appearance at the festival to capture Kubo — they are depicted as supernatural, mask-wearing beings and their arrival is jarring
An underwater 'garden of eyes' is described as a place that can trap souls — the imagery and concept are genuinely eerie and likely to frighten children under 9
The Moon King appears as a threatening villain who explicitly states his intention to take Kubo's remaining eye — this threat is directed at a child protagonist and may be very upsetting to young viewers
The threat of being hunted by supernatural beings persists throughout the entire film, creating sustained tension rather than isolated scary moments
The revelation that Monkey is actually Kubo's mother transformed is described as disturbing — it recontextualises earlier scenes in an emotionally heavy way
The Moon King's villainy is resolved when the villagers' collective memories restore his humanity — scary scenes are ultimately given an emotionally meaningful resolution rather than a violent one

💕Romance

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Crushes & Holding Hands

Kissing & Dating

Suggestive

Sexual Content

Monkey (later revealed to be Kubo's mother) reveals she was originally sent to kill Hanzo (Kubo's father) but fell in love with him instead — this is conveyed through story and dialogue, not depicted on screen
No kissing scenes are shown; the romantic connection between Kubo's parents is emotional and narrative rather than physical
No sexual content, nudity, or sexual implication of any kind

🍺Substances

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mentioned in Passing

Shown Casually

Featured Prominently

Glorified or Abused

The only extraction mention is a brief reference to whale soup as food — not a substance in any meaningful sense
No alcohol, drugs, smoking, or substance use of any kind depicted or referenced
Completely clean in this category for all ages

⚡Stimulation

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Gently Engaging

Exciting

Intense

Overwhelming

The underwater sequence features haunting imagery and soul-stealing creatures — it is the most visually and emotionally overwhelming sequence in the film and may be too much for sensory-sensitive children
The final confrontation with the Moon King involves magical combat, high emotional stakes, and rapid visual shifts — intense in both pacing and emotional weight
Chase sequences and battles with the aunts are exciting and fast-paced throughout the film
Paper origami magic sequences — where Kubo animates objects through music — are visually exciting but pleasantly so, offering calmer moments of wonder amid the tension
The film alternates between quieter emotional scenes and intense action; parents of sensory-sensitive children should be aware the underwater and final battle sequences are the most overwhelming

Kubo and the Two Strings — Heads Up for Parents

Despite its PG rating and animated format, the film contains a sustained and explicit threat directed at a child — the Moon King repeatedly states his intention to take Kubo's remaining eye — and the revelation that Monkey is Kubo's transformed mother recontextualises her death as a second loss of his mother, which may hit harder than parents expect for children who have experienced bereavement.

About Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings is a visually stunning stop-motion animated adventure following Kubo, a one-eyed boy in ancient Japan who uses magical origami to tell stories and care for his ailing mother. When he accidentally summons vengeful spirits from his mother's past, he embarks on a quest with a talking monkey and an amnesiac beetle-warrior to find his late father's legendary armor. The film blends Japanese mythology, samurai culture, and deeply emotional themes of family, memory, and mortality into a tone that is both wondrous and genuinely melancholic.

👨‍👧

Best watched together

Children aged 8–10 will benefit from a parent present to process the Moon King's threats against Kubo, the death of his mother, and the film's themes of grief and mortality — the emotional weight is significant and the scary scenes, particularly the aunts' attack and the underwater soul-trapping sequence, are likely to prompt questions best answered in the moment.

Family Takeaways from Kubo and the Two Strings

What it gets right

✓The film handles grief and parental loss with rare emotional honesty for an animated film — Kubo's daily care for his incapacitated mother, and the eventual revelation that Monkey is his mother transformed, allow children to see love expressed through action rather than words
✓The resolution of the final confrontation — where the villagers use shared stories and memories to restore the Moon King's humanity rather than defeating him violently — is a genuinely powerful model of empathy triumphing over power

Kubo and the Two Strings Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Faith & Religion

●Buddhist themes

The film explicitly explores Buddhist concepts of impermanence and letting go, as Kubo learns to accept loss and find peace through memories rather than clinging to the past. The entire narrative arc centers on Buddhist philosophy about the nature of attachment and acceptance.

Values & Themes

●Traditional family values

The entire story is driven by honoring family legacy and the power of familial love that transcends death. Kubo's journey to understand his heritage and the sacrificial love of his parents forms the emotional and thematic core of the film.

Community Notes

Some critics and members of the Japanese-American community raised concerns about cultural appropriation, noting that Laika is a Western studio and no Japanese directors or lead animators were involved in depicting Japanese cultural traditions — parents may wish to use the film as a starting point for deeper exploration of authentic Japanese cultural sources

Cast:Art ParkinsonCharlize TheronMatthew McConaugheyBrenda VaccaroRalph Fiennes