Naruto watch order: fillers, movies, and what to skip

In the Naruto franchise, there are over 700 episodes, 11 feature films, and a sequel about the new generation. Almost half of the episodes are fillers that don't advance the plot. We'll break down the order to watch Naruto, which episodes you can safely skip, where to insert the movies, and whether you should even bother with Boruto. At the end — three ready-made viewing plans: from "plot only" to a full marathon.

Short answer: watch in release order: "Naruto" (episodes 1-135 and final 220) -> "Naruto: Shippuden" (according to the filler list below) -> movie "Naruto: The Last". This is the entire story of Uzumaki Naruto, about 430 episodes instead of 720.

What the franchise consists of

The story of Uzumaki Naruto is told in two series and one canonical film. Everything else is optional additions: filler arcs, side films, and a series about the next generation.

Fillers are episodes created by Studio Pierrot without relying on Masashi Kishimoto's manga. The anime was released weekly and regularly caught up to the manga, so the studio inserted its own arcs to let the source material get ahead. They do not affect the main plot: they can be skipped without any loss.

It's worth watching the franchise in release order, not by the internal chronology of the world: the series itself shows flashbacks about Konoha's past, clans, and shinobi wars at the right moment, and that's half the drama.

Correct viewing order

The basic route looks like this:

1. «Naruto» - 220 episodes: the hero's childhood, Team 7 under the leadership of Hatake Kakashi, the Chunin Exam, the invasion of Orochimaru and Sasuke's departure. The canon actually ends at episode 135, then continuous fillers until the finale.

2. "Naruto: Shippuden" — 500 episodes: grown-up heroes, Akatsuki's hunt for jinchuriki, the story of Itachi, Pain, Madara and the Fourth Great Shinobi World War.

3. «Naruto: The Last Movie» (The Last) - canonical epilogue: events between chapters 699 and 700 of the manga, the Naruto and Hinata Hyuga storyline.

4. Optional: «Boruto: Naruto the Movie» and the «Boruto» series, if you want to learn the fate of the new generation.

If the goal is to get acquainted with the story without filler, this route requires a filler list. It is below, for both series.

Filler in «Naruto»: which episodes can be skipped

The first series is famous for the longest filler block in the franchise's history: after episode 135, the canon ends, and for almost two years the anime ran on its own scripts.

Important: the first series has many mixed episodes (canon + filler inserts), for example 14-16, 52-60, or 126-131. You cannot skip them — there are key events inside. Just watch everything from episode 1 to 135 and cut only what's in the table.

Filler lists in different sources slightly differ at range boundaries: somewhere an episode is considered a filler, somewhere mixed. We rely on Anime Filler List, the most cited catalog.

Fillers in «Naruto: Shippuden»

In the second series there are even more fillers: 203 episodes out of 500. But they are grouped into large blocks that are easy to skip.

The remaining episodes are canon or mixed, we watch them. The final stretch 484-500 concludes the story: wedding, epilogue, and transition to the era of the new generation.

Movies: where to insert and which are canon

Of the 11 feature films, only "Naruto: The Last Movie" affects the main plot. The rest are standalone adventures, watched for the beloved characters rather than the story.

Positions in the table are recommendations: each film assumes knowledge of the series up to approximately that episode. Among non-canon ones, the most recommended are «Road to Ninja»: an alternate reality where Naruto learns about life with his parents, and «The Lost Tower» with young Namikaze Minato.

Three ready-made viewing plans

1. "Story Only" (about 430 episodes + 1 movie): "Naruto" 1-135 and 220 -> "Shippuden" without filler according to the table -> "The Last" movie. Pure story from beginning to epilogue.

2. "Optimal" (plus 3-4 evenings): "Story Only" plan + episode 101, "Kakashi: Shadow of the ANBU" arc (347-361), "Childhood" (480-483) and the movies "Road to Ninja" and "The Lost Tower".

3. "Full Marathon" (720 episodes + 11 movies): everything in release order, insert movies according to the table above. An option for those who want to live in the shinobi world a little longer.

Whichever plan you choose, keep the character database handy: as the story progresses, it's convenient to check who is who, which clan they're from, and what techniques they possess.

Is Boruto worth watching

Short answer: not necessary. The story of Naruto is fully completed with "Shippuden" and "The Last Movie". "Boruto: Naruto Next Generations" is a separate story about Naruto's son and other children of familiar characters: 293 episodes aired from 2017 to 2023, then the series went on hiatus. The continuation is currently being released in the manga "Boruto: Two Blue Vortex"; a new anime based on it is being prepared by Studio Pierrot in a seasonal format, but there is no premiere date as of mid-2026.

If you cherish the classic world of "Naruto", you can safely stop at "The Last Movie": then a different era begins with new heroes and a new threat instead of the familiar shinobi wars.