Niko and the Sword of Light

I like that some of the characters are children and animals. There is fighting and action. When somebody dies you don’t see it and their spirits stay alive. Overall it is a fun show if you like action packed series with fighting and animals.

Pros: -Fantastic overarching narrative and character development -Spirit of adventure in full swing -Optimism, self-confidence, and inclusiveness are the key components of Niko's in-world heroism Cons: -Some of the creatures are very visually frightening -Action scenes are quite intense -While there is no "killing", there is still an underlying message of violence = conflict resolution (as is really a part of any action show/movie) Watching through the series with my son, who is now 4, I've made it a point to watch just an episode per viewing, and to spend time afterwards talking about the concepts which may be a little over his head (i.e. what a "traitor" is, how Niko sees the good in even the most evil enemies, how a character struggles with internal conflict, etc..). This means I'm committed to sitting and watching with him - which is actually a ton of fun, because the writing and story development in this show are fantastic! It's really captured the spirit of adventure that I see my son exhibit in his play with friends, and each episode is a clear next "chapter" in an unfolding story. My son compares it to the Lion Guard, which does rely on many similar tropes (especially with the evil primary antagonist), albeit Niko in a fantasy realm and Kion in that of the animals of the African savanna. If your child is easily frightened, or you have a strict no-violence stance, definitely give this one a miss. However, the show goes to great length to state that Niko is different than the "champions" who came before him because he doesn't try to destroy his enemies; he seeks to save them. So most battle scenes end in the transformation of a creature infected by "darkness" back into it's cute, cuddly self. If you're looking to introduce your child to an alternative to the blatant violence of superhero shows/movies, this is a fantastic show to watch!