Naruto Watch Order: The Only Filler Guide You Need in 2026

Naruto across both series runs 720 episodes. Watch every single one and you will spend roughly 300 hours — 12 and a half days — staring at recap-heavy filler arcs about characters you will never see again. This guide tells you exactly what to watch, what to skip, and in what order to watch the films. No filler, no wasted time.

The Short Answer: Canon Episodes Only

Naruto (2002–2007) — watch episodes 1–135, then skip to Shippuden

Episodes 136–220 are almost entirely filler. The main story concludes at episode 135 with the Sasuke Recovery Mission. Watch episode 220 as a brief bridge if you want closure on Naruto's departure, then start Shippuden immediately.

Naruto Shippuden (2007–2017) — watch approximately 295 of 500 episodes

The filler clusters below are clearly marked. Skip them entirely.

Naruto Original (2002–2007): What to Watch

Episodes 1–19 — Introduction, Wave Country arc. All canon. The best introduction to a shonen protagonist since Dragon Ball Z's Frieza arc.

Episodes 20–67 — Chunin Exam arc. Entirely canon. Episodes 23–67 contain the best tournament arc in anime history — the Neji vs Rock Lee fight at episode 42 is still one of the most celebrated battles in shonen.

Episodes 68–80 — Konoha Crush arc. Canon. The Third Hokage's death at episode 80 remains one of the most emotionally effective moments in the series.

Episodes 81–100 — Tsunade Search arc. Canon. Jiraiya and the first major villain expansion.

Episodes 101–106 — SKIP. Land of Tea filler arc. Zero story relevance.

Episodes 107–135 — Sasuke Recovery Mission. All canon. The series peaks here for the original run — Naruto vs Sasuke at the Valley of the End in episodes 128–134 is the emotional climax everything before it was building toward.

Episodes 136–219 — SKIP ENTIRELY. Pure filler. There is no content here that the main story requires. You lose nothing.

Episode 220 — Optional bridge episode. Shows Naruto leaving to train with Jiraiya. Watch it for closure, then start Shippuden.

Naruto Shippuden (2007–2017): Full Filler List

Gaara Rescue Arc — Episodes 1–32 — All canon. Opens with the best fight of the early Shippuden period: Sakura and Chiyo vs Sasori (episodes 20–32, directed with exceptional craft by Hayato Date). Watch every episode.

Sai and Sasuke Arc — Episodes 33–53 — Canon. Introduces Sai and deepens the Orochimaru storyline.

Episodes 54–71 — SKIP. Twelve Guardian Ninja filler arc.

Three-Tails Arc — Episodes 72–90 — Canon.

Episodes 91–112 — SKIP. Three-Tails Appearance filler arc.

Episodes 113–143 — Canon. Pain's Assault begins building here.

Episodes 144–151 — SKIP. Six-Tails filler arc.

Episodes 152–175 — Canon. The Pain arc. This is the best Naruto has ever been. Masashi Kishimoto's most ambitious arc — Nagato's backstory, the destruction of Konoha, and Naruto's confrontation with Pain across episodes 163–169 are the peak of the entire franchise. Do not skip a single episode.

Episodes 170–171 — These fall within the Pain arc sequence but are technically filler recaps. Watch them for pacing; they are short.

Episodes 176–196 — SKIP. Konoha History filler arc. 21 episodes of padding.

Five Kage Summit Arc — Episodes 197–222 — Canon. Sasuke's rampage at the summit and the declaration of the Fourth Shinobi War.

Episodes 223–242 — SKIP. Paradise Life on a Boat filler arc (the most infamous in the series).

Kage Summit Fallout — Episodes 243–256 — Canon.

Episodes 257–260 — SKIP. Filler start of Jinchuriki arc.

Fourth Shinobi War Arc — Episodes 261–270 — Canon.

Episodes 271–273 — SKIP. Filler.

Episodes 274–295 — Canon. The war escalates.

Episodes 296–302 — Canon.

Episodes 303–320 — SKIP. Power filler arc.

Episodes 321–346 — Canon. Madara Uchiha's full debut. The war reaches its most intense phase.

Episodes 347–361 — SKIP. Filler.

Episodes 362–375 — Canon.

Episodes 376–377 — SKIP. Filler.

Episodes 378–387 — Canon.

Episodes 388–390 — SKIP. Filler.

Episodes 391–393 — Canon.

Episodes 394–413 — SKIP. In Naruto's Footsteps filler arc. 20 episodes of pure filler during the war's final buildup. One of the most frustrating pacing decisions Studio Pierrot ever made.

Episodes 414–415 — Canon. Return to the war.

Episodes 416–417 — SKIP. Filler.

Episodes 418–421 — Canon.

Episodes 422–423 — SKIP. Filler.

Episodes 424–425 — Canon.

Episodes 426–450 — SKIP. Long filler block.

Episodes 451–479 — Canon. The final arc. Kaguya, the Ten-Tails, and the resolution of every major thread Kishimoto set up across 700 chapters of manga. Episode 479 is the final canon episode of the war.

The Last: Naruto the Movie — Watch here. Set two years after episode 479, this 2014 film is fully canon and covers the Naruto and Hinata romance arc that the series never had time for. It is the emotional conclusion to Naruto's character journey.

Episodes 480–483 — SKIP. Filler Sasuke story.

Episodes 484–488 — Semi-canon. Shikamaru Hiden. Worth watching if you want more on Shikamaru and the post-war world.

Episodes 489–493 — Semi-canon. Konoha Hiden. Choji and Ino's wedding. Watch before the finale if you enjoy the side characters.

Episodes 494–500 — Canon. Naruto's wedding arc. The true ending of the series.

The Films: What's Canon, What's Not

| Film | Year | Canon? | Watch After | |---|---|---|---| | Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow | 2004 | No | Optional | | Legend of the Stone of Gelel | 2005 | No | Skip | | Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom | 2006 | No | Skip | | Naruto: Shippuden the Movie | 2007 | No | Skip | | Bonds | 2008 | No | Skip | | The Will of Fire | 2009 | No | Skip | | The Lost Tower | 2010 | No | Skip | | Blood Prison | 2011 | No | Optional | | Road to Ninja | 2012 | No | After ep 311 if curious | | The Last: Naruto the Movie | 2014 | YES | After ep 479 | | Boruto: Naruto the Movie | 2015 | YES | After Shippuden finale |

Only two films matter for the story. Everything else is self-contained entertainment that adds nothing to the main narrative.

What to Do After Shippuden

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ran 293 episodes from 2017 to March 2023 at Studio Pierrot. The consensus among the fanbase is that the anime is a significant step down from Shippuden — slower pacing, inconsistent animation, and years of filler before the manga's actual story begins at episode 197 (Kawaki arc).

The honest recommendation: read Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, the manga sequel that launched in 2023. It picks up years after the anime's ending and is universally considered the stronger version of the story. If you want to watch anime, start Boruto at episode 65 (skipping the early arcs) or go directly to the manga.

Complete Watch Order Summary

| What | Episodes | Time | |---|---|---| | Naruto episodes 1–135 | 135 episodes | ~54 hours | | Naruto episode 220 | 1 episode | 23 min | | Shippuden canon (~295 eps) | ~295 episodes | ~118 hours | | The Last film | 1 film | 1h 52min | | Total | ~432 episodes + 1 film | ~174 hours |

174 hours saves you roughly 115 hours compared to watching everything. That is almost 5 full days of your life reclaimed from recap episodes about side characters who disappear after three episodes.

For what to watch after finishing Naruto, our best anime of all time ranking has ten series that match Shippuden's peak quality — including several that exceed it. If you want something currently airing, our Spring 2026 anime schedule covers everything worth watching right now.