When asked to think of an iconic anime, chances are Naruto will be one of the first shows to come to mind.

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The series (and its sequel) follows a small, orphaned boy called Naruto Uzumaki, whose dream is to one day become the Hokage of the Leaf Village.

Along the way, he battles a truly extraordinary number of enemies, but always with a whole heart and genuine love for his friends.

Naruto isn't just one of the best anime series in the world: it's also one of the biggest. Naruto has its fingers in many pots, spanning manga (where it has sold more than an impressive 250 million copies in circulation worldwide across 50 different countries), video games, clothing lines, novels, live-action adaptations, and much more. There's even a musical, if you can believe it. That's not even acknowledging the 700+ anime episodes between Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden.

Naruto has done so well that it even has a sequel following Boruto, which is another anime well worth watching if you're eager to find out what happened to Naruto, his friends and their children after the end of Shippuden.

But like with any anime series that has a combined episode count of 720 between Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, there's plenty of filler you can leave behind. You may feel like you have to watch them all to enjoy Naruto fully, but trust us when we say that isn't the case.

Thankfully, our guide is here to help you in choosing which episodes to skip in both the original series and Naruto: Shippuden.

What are the Naruto filler episodes?

Madara Uchiha in Naruto looking angry
Madara Uchiha in Naruto. Crunchyroll

If you want to dive directly into the world of the Ninja without worrying about what is canon, the following are all the Naruto filler episodes:

  • 26 - Special Report: Live from the Forest of Death!
  • 97 - Kidnapped! Naruto's Hot Spring Adventure!
  • 101-106 - The Land of Tea Escort Mission Arc
  • 136-140 - The Land of Rice Fields Investigation Mission Arc
  • 143-219

While these episodes, including a whopping 77-episode run, are all filler, it doesn't mean they aren't worth watching.

Episodes 102 to 106 take place immediately after the Konoha Five return, having failed to bring Sasuke with them. It wraps up the Sasuke Retrieval arc nicely while paving the way for the narrative to make new leaps into the unknown.

While it's classified as non-canonical, it still makes for good viewing to instil a sense of conclusion to the events leading up to this moment.

Part of the Konoha Crush saga, episodes 169 to 173 touch on the aftermath and death of the ninjas. In order to boost their ranks, Naruto, Ino, and Shino team up with Anko as their mission leader to take on some of the more high-level missions. It's a struggle between characters that builds bonds and lets viewers see them work together in a way we've never seen before.

Read more:

What are the Naruto Shippuden filler episodes?

naruto series
Naruto. Crunchyroll

Naruto Shippuden picks things up two years after the original story with new events to catch up on and twice as much filler to pad them out.

While Naruto already had its fair share of episodes, the sequel adds an impressive 500 episodes to the list. The downside? Nearly 200 of those episodes act as filler.

If you want to sidestep the strenuous training and dive directly into fleshing out the world, these are the Naruto: Shippuden filler episodes:

You can skip the filler in favour of canon material but you'd be missing the Kakashi: Shadow of the ANBU Black Ops arc (347 - 361), which helps fully understand the impact of Kakashi – one of the strongest Naruto characters – and the Hyūuga sisters getting their time to shine.

It's branded as unmissable by fans despite adding nothing to the overall narrative, but that's due to its gritty action and touching moments between characters.

Episodes 464 to 468 delve into the Shinobi history, which remains engaging and essential for understanding the world Naruto originates from. They're more of a school lesson that offers viewers a look at Shinobi lore but interesting nonetheless.

How to watch Naruto in the UK

In the UK, both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden are available to watch on Crunchyroll. You can also watch Naruto via Netflix.

If you're in the US, loads of anime shows, including Naruto, are now streaming for free on YouTube. However, it's only available to fans in the US and only in subtitled versions, so fans who prefer to watch the show dubbed should consider other options.

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Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

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