Kid fights in movies. We all love them but don’t get enough of them. There’s a lot of debate about what makes a good kid fight, so it’s about time someone sorted it all out. With that, here’s the definitive list of the best kid fights in movies. This list maintains a strict age limit. All fighting kids are around twelve or under. We’re not talking teen fights here. And we’re definitely not talking kid vs. adult fights like This Boy’s Life or Fences. We’re talking good, clean, old fashioned kid fights. And if you’ve ever been a summer camp counselor, you already know that the best thing in the world is… kid fights! So without further ado…
Lord of the Flies (1990) – 5th Grader Melees
No kid fight list would be complete without Lord of the Flies. You leave 5th grade boys on an island without girls to make fun of and they’re going to brawl. And man, they fucking brawl. Desperation is key in all fights, but kid fights especially. It comes in handy when your friend group splits up into two separate island tribes and you’ve got to prove you’re the cool group, even if it means having your fat friend gets smashed to death by a boulder in the process. Maybe next time don’t bring a dumb conch to a kid fight. Although underdeveloped, their little fists pack quite the punch, making this movie number five on the lists of greatest movie kid fights.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) – Shorty v. Brainwashed Indian Prince
Here, Indiana Jones’ 11 year old sidekick fights a brainwashed Indian prince who’s torturing Indiana Jones with a voodoo doll. It’s got everything you’re looking for when you’re talking about two kids fighting each other – scrap, resourcefulness, and Indian death cults. When it comes to two kids beating the shit out of each other, Spielberg’s one of the best in the game. It just doesn’t get more innovative than this. Extra points for this kid fight’s diversity in casting .
https://youtu.be/RR51CavZxbc?t=3m30s
My Bodyguard (1980) – Loner v. School Bullies
The 80’s was full of kid fights, from Karate Kid to a movie literally titled Bullies. Whatever it was that made kids want to fight each other so much in the 80’s is up for debate. But My Bodyguard, where a new kid in school recruits his very own kid bodyguard to beat up his bullies, stands beyond debate as having the best kid fights of the era. It surely boasts some of the most kid fighting per overall run time. It’s like Tyler Durden set up a fight club at a Chicago area high school but bailed because things got too violent.
Harry Potter series (2001-2011) – Wizard on Wizard Violence
Harry and that little Aryan boy fight everywhere. They fight in classrooms. They fight in haunted bathrooms. They fight on flying brooms. If Hogwarts was a military school, maybe they’d learn some fucking discipline. Instead we’re left with these epic kid fights (or mutant fights if you’re feeling like a bigot). This one gets the nod over other young adult movie franchises, like the Hunger Games, because these kids literally say words and lightning bolts come out of sticks. That’s some next level kid fighting.
Battle Royale (2000) – Japanese School Children v.s…. Japanese School Children
This movie is just one giant kid fight. You’ve got Japanese school children running around an island, killing each other with machetes. If they don’t fight, there’s an explosive collar that’ll blow their heads off. Come on! What more can you ask for out of a kid fight?! You know it’s a good kid fight when you’re forced to fight your classmates to the death until only one of you remains. A classic coming of age tale that’s as relatable as it is entertaining.
Fight on kids, fight on.
