Naruto has 720 episodes across two series. Roughly 40 percent of those are filler — anime-original content that is not from the manga, does not advance the story, and ranges from mediocre to actively bad. Watching everything will take you approximately 240 hours. Skipping the filler reduces that to around 145 hours and dramatically improves the experience.
This guide tells you exactly what to watch and what to skip.
The Two Series
Naruto (2002–2007): 220 episodes. Covers Naruto's childhood through the end of his time in Konoha before the time skip. The Chunin Exams arc, the Sasuke Retrieval arc, and everything in between.
Naruto: Shippuden (2007–2017): 500 episodes. Covers Naruto as a teenager after a 2.5-year training period through the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War and the series conclusion.
Both series have significant filler. Shippuden's filler is worse and more extensive.
Naruto (2002) — What to Watch
The original Naruto series is more manageable. The filler is concentrated at the end, which makes it easy to handle.
Watch episodes 1–135 — This covers the Land of Waves arc, the Chunin Exams arc, and the Invasion of Konoha arc. These are the foundational arcs of the series and contain some of its best content. Do not skip any of this.
Episodes 136–220 — Heavy Filler After episode 135, the original series enters an extended filler period while waiting for Shippuden to begin. You can safely skip episodes 136–219 entirely. Watch episode 220 to bridge into Shippuden.
Original Series Filler List (skip these): 26, 97, 101–106, 137–219
Naruto: Shippuden — What to Watch
Shippuden is more complex because filler is interspersed throughout the series rather than concentrated at the end. You cannot simply watch the first half and skip the rest.
- ›Essential Arcs (must watch):
- ›Kazekage Rescue (eps 1–32)
- ›Sasuke and Sai (eps 33–53)
- ›Hidan and Kakuzu (eps 72–88)
- ›Pain's Assault (eps 152–169, 172–175)
- ›Five Kage Summit (eps 197–214)
- ›Fourth Great Ninja War (eps 215–222, 243–256, 261–270, 272–278, 282–283, 296–302, 321–346, 362–375, 378–388, 391–393, 414–421, 424–426, 459–468, 470–479)
- ›Naruto vs Sasuke (eps 476–479)
- ›The Last arc (eps 480–483)
- ›Major Filler Blocks to Skip:
- ›57–70 (Twelve Guardian Ninja arc — filler arc)
- ›91–112 (Three-Tails arc — filler)
- ›144–151 (Six-Tails arc — partial filler)
- ›170–171 (filler)
- ›176–196 (filler)
- ›223–242 (filler)
- ›257–260 (filler)
- ›271 (filler)
- ›279–281 (filler)
- ›284–295 (filler)
- ›303–320 (filler)
- ›347–361 (filler)
- ›376–377 (filler)
- ›389–390 (filler)
- ›394–413 (filler)
- ›422–423 (filler)
- ›427–458 (filler)
- ›469 (filler)
The Films
The Naruto films are mostly standalone stories that do not affect the main continuity. Two are exceptions:
The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014) — This is canon. It covers Naruto and Hinata's relationship and takes place after the main series. Watch it before the epilogue episodes (484–500).
Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015) — Also canon. Sets up the Boruto series. Watch if you plan to continue into Boruto.
The other films (Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, Legend of the Stone of Gelel, Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, etc.) are all non-canon. Watch them if you want more Naruto content, but they are not required.
Simplified Version
If you want the simplest possible guide:
1. Watch Naruto episodes 1–135, then skip to 220 2. Use a filler guide app (Aniskip or similar) while watching Shippuden to automatically skip filler episodes 3. Watch The Last: Naruto the Movie after episode 479
Where to Watch
Naruto and Naruto Shippuden are available on: - Crunchyroll — Full library with both sub and dub - Netflix — Available in most regions - Hulu — Available with sub and dub
The English dub of Naruto is excellent. Maile Flanagan's performance as Naruto is one of the great dub performances in anime history.
Key Characters to Know Going In
Naruto Uzumaki — The protagonist. Loud, determined, and powered by the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside him since birth. His dream is to become Hokage.
Sasuke Uchiha — Naruto's rival and team member. His entire family was murdered when he was young, leaving him obsessed with revenge.
Sakura Haruno — The third member of Team 7. Medical ninja who becomes one of the strongest characters by Shippuden.
Kakashi Hatake — Team 7's jōnin instructor. The Copy Ninja, known for his Sharingan eye and relaxed attitude hiding extraordinary skill.
FAQ
How long does Naruto take to watch without filler? Original Naruto: approximately 45 hours without filler. Shippuden: approximately 100 hours without filler. Total: roughly 145 hours, spread over weeks or months of casual watching.
Is the Naruto dub good? Yes. The English dub is well-regarded. Maile Flanagan (Naruto), Yuri Lowenthal (Sasuke), and Kate Higgins (Sakura) all give strong performances across hundreds of episodes.
Should I watch Boruto after Naruto? Boruto is optional. It follows Naruto's son and has a rocky reputation — the first several hundred episodes are considered slow with too much filler. The manga is more highly regarded. Watch it if you love the Naruto world and want more; skip it if you feel complete after Shippuden.
What is the best Naruto arc? Pain's Assault (Shippuden episodes 152–169, 172–175) is widely considered the peak of the series. Naruto vs Pain is one of the greatest fights in shonen anime.
Understanding Naruto's Power System
Naruto's world runs on chakra — a form of life energy that ninja combine with physical and spiritual energy to perform jutsu (techniques). Understanding the basics makes the fights more engaging.
Chakra natures are the five fundamental types: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning. Most ninja have one or two natural affinities. Some techniques require combining two natures — the Rasengan, Naruto's signature move, becomes the Wind Release Rasenshuriken when he combines it with his Wind nature.
Kekkei Genkai are bloodline traits that allow specific clans to use unusual techniques. The Uchiha clan's Sharingan — a powerful eye that can copy jutsu and predict movements — is the most important of these in the story. The Hyuga clan's Byakugan and the wood-style abilities of the First Hokage are also significant.
Tailed Beasts are massive chakra entities sealed inside human hosts called jinchuriki. Naruto hosts the Nine-Tails (Kurama), the most powerful tailed beast. His relationship with Kurama evolves across the series and becomes one of its emotional cores.
Sage Mode is an advanced technique that allows ninja to absorb natural energy from the environment to massively enhance their power. Naruto learns it during the time skip between original Naruto and Shippuden. It is visually distinct — orange markings appear around the eyes — and represents a significant power level jump.
Tips for Getting Through Shippuden's Slower Sections
Shippuden's pacing issues are real. Here are practical strategies for getting through them without burning out.
Watch the Chunin Exams filler (episodes 394–413) only if you want more content — it is not terrible but adds nothing to the main story. Skip the Three-Tails and Six-Tails arcs entirely — they are the lowest-quality filler in the series. The Itachi Shinden and Shikamaru Hiden arcs (episodes 451–480 range) are better-than-average filler that develop side characters — worth watching if you like those characters.
Set a pace that works for you. Shippuden is 500 episodes. Watching five per week takes two years. Watching two per day takes three months. Neither pace is wrong — the show rewards investment over time more than it rewards rushing.
