Naruto was the first anime I ever got genuinely obsessed with. I was twelve years old. My cousin showed me the first episode and I watched until 11pm on a school night, which was strictly not allowed. I remember thinking I had found something no one else knew about. Obviously hundreds of millions of people knew about it.
Naruto holds a specific place in my memory and my heart that I do not think any other anime will ever occupy. It was the first. And despite all its flaws — and there are many, particularly around pacing — it contains some of the most emotionally powerful moments I have encountered in storytelling.
Here is everything you need to know about watching the complete Naruto franchise.
The Three Series
Naruto (2002-2007) — 220 episodes. Follows young Naruto Uzumaki from childhood through his early ninja career.
Naruto: Shippuden (2007-2017) — 500 episodes. Follows teenage and young-adult Naruto as the stakes escalate dramatically.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017-2023) — 293 episodes. Follows Naruto's son Boruto.
The filler situation across all three series is significant. I will tell you exactly what to skip.
Series 1: Naruto (2002-2007)
Naruto Uzumaki has the Nine-Tailed Fox demon sealed inside him, which makes the village fear and resent him. He is loud, clumsy, and desperate to prove himself. He wants to become Hokage — the village leader — not for power, but because he wants to be acknowledged by the people who ignored him his whole life.
That motivation — a lonely kid wanting to be recognized — is what makes Naruto work emotionally. Underneath all the ninja fights, it is a story about loneliness and belonging.
What to watch: - **Episodes 1-19:** Introduction. Slower start but essential character establishment. - **Episodes 20-67:** Chunin Exam arc. This is where Naruto becomes special. The exam tests creative thinking as much as strength. Rock Lee's fight in the Forest of Death is one of the most emotionally powerful moments in early Naruto. - **Episodes 68-80:** Invasion of Konoha arc. The consequences of the Chunin Exam. - **Episodes 81-100:** Tsunade Search arc. Important character development. - **Episodes 107-135:** Worth watching. - **Episodes 136 onward:** Skip. Almost entirely filler. Jump directly to Shippuden.
Series 2: Naruto Shippuden (2007-2017)
Two and a half years have passed. Naruto has been training with the legendary Jiraiya. He returns to Hidden Leaf to find a village that has changed, friends who have grown, and enemies far more dangerous than anything he faced before.
Shippuden is where Naruto earns its reputation as one of the greatest shonen anime. The Pain's Assault arc. The Fourth Shinobi War. Naruto vs. Sasuke. These are among the most emotionally impactful stories in anime.
Essential arcs: - **Episodes 1-32:** Kazekage Rescue. Naruto comes back. The tone immediately feels different — heavier, more serious. - **Episodes 72-88:** Itachi Pursuit. Sasuke hunts his brother. Major revelations coming. - **Episodes 113-143:** Pain's Assault. This is it. The Pain's Assault arc is the peak of Shippuden for me. Nagato's motivations, Naruto's response, the destruction of the village — I watched this at 3am and could not sleep afterward. When Naruto walks into the village after defeating Pain and everyone comes out to greet him — I was genuinely in tears. - **Episodes 152-169:** The aftermath of Pain. - **Episodes 243-256:** The Fourth Shinobi War begins. The scale of the conflict is staggering. - **Episodes 362-375:** Madara arrives. Understand that "villain arrives" means something completely different here than in most anime. - **Episodes 414-421:** The war's climax. - **Episodes 476-479:** Naruto vs. Sasuke. Their final fight. Years of rivalry, friendship, betrayal, and pain come to a head. When I watched the scene where they talk after fighting, I had to pause it. I needed a moment. - **Episodes 480-500:** Ending and epilogue. Satisfying conclusion.
Major filler to skip: Episodes 57-70, 91-112, 144-151, 176-196, 223-242, 257-260, 271-274, 279-281, 376-377, 388-394, 416-417, 422-423, 427-450, 464-469.
Series 3: Boruto (2017-2023)
Boruto is Naruto's son. He resents his father for being too busy as Hokage to spend time with him. The irony — Naruto spent his whole childhood wanting a father who was present — is intentional and well-handled.
Boruto gets better as it goes. The early episodes are uneven and the filler is extensive. But the Kawaki arc — which begins around Episode 187 — is genuinely excellent. Dark, tense, and emotionally complex in ways that surprised me.
Should you watch it? If you love the Naruto world and want more, yes. If you are primarily interested in Naruto and Sasuke's story, that is complete by the end of Shippuden.
The Films
The only essential film is The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014), which you should watch after Shippuden Episode 493. It is canon, beautiful, and provides the romantic conclusion that the main series could not quite deliver. I love this film unreservedly.
Final Thoughts
Naruto is not a perfect anime. The pacing is poor in places. The filler is extensive. Some of the villains' plans rely on coincidences that strain credibility.
But it has something that technical perfection cannot manufacture: genuine heart. The themes of perseverance, loneliness, and finding your people resonate because they are universal and because Kishimoto wrote them honestly. Naruto Uzumaki is not a great ninja because he is talented. He is a great ninja because he refuses to give up when everyone tells him he should.
I grew up with that message. I think it mattered.
