With such a magnificent story spanning decades and several sequels, it can be difficult to know where to jump into Naruto.

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The anime boasts over 1,000 episodes and continues to build on the ninja's legacy through spin-off series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.

The world of Naruto is in no way slowing down, with tormented villains and loveable characters - including the aforementioned Boruto, Naruto's son - added with every new release.

Before you dive into the deep end of seeing what the iconic character's offspring is up to, though, it's probably best you start from the very beginning.

Combining the stories and the films, here is what we think is the best way for you to go about watching the Naruto series in order, from its very beginning all the way up to the most recent iteration.

How to watch Naruto in order

naruto
Naruto. Crunchyroll

Naruto original series

With the original Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden series, you are going to find yourself jumping around between the show and the various movies that have come along to accompany them.

Start at the beginning and keep working your way through the first 101 episodes. Once there, the movies get mixed into the arcs, and below is where to slot them all in.

  • Naruto (1-101)
  • Naruto The Movies: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
  • Naruto (102-160)
  • Naruto The Movie: The Legend Stone of Gelel
  • Naruto (161-196)
  • Naruto The Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom
  • Naruto (197-220)

Buy Naruto on Blu-Ray for £22.73 at Amazon (at the time of writing). Several of the movies are currently streaming on Netflix.

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Naruto Shippuden

Much like the original series, start Naruto Shippuden from the beginning. But this time, you won't have as many episodes to get through before you run into your first movie break - 32 episodes to be precise.

  • Naruto: Shippuden (1-32)
  • Naruto Shippuden: The Movie
  • Naruto: Shippuden (33-71)
  • Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Bonds
  • Naruto: Shippuden (72-126)
  • Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Will of Fire
  • Naruto: Shippuden (127-143)
  • Naruto Shippuden: The Lost Tower
  • Naruto: Shippuden (144-196)
  • Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Blood Prison
  • Naruto: Shippuden (197-251)
  • Naruto The Movie: Road to Ninja
  • Naruto: Shippuden (252-493)
  • The Last: Naruto The Movie
  • Naruto: Shippuden (494-500)

There is a lot to get through with this show, but you can start by buying the first season of Naruto Shippuden on DVD for £39.99 at Amazon. Several of the movies are currently streaming on Netflix.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

While Boruto: Naruto The Movie was released during the Naruto Shippuden era, the watch order for Boruto is slightly more complex than just watching in chronological order.

The events of Boruto: Naruto The Movie are covered within the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations series during episodes 53-66. This means if you want to get up to speed with Boruto before the movie, we'd suggest only starting after episode 52, and then continuing onwards with the rest of the episodes, up to the very present.

This is the most recent entry in the franchise, so far, and puts the focus on Naruto's son, Boruto.

The first season of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is on DVD for £13.50 at Amazon.

How to watch the English dub of Naruto

Sasuke Uchiha Naruto
Sasuke Uchiha Naruto Crunchyroll

For UK Naruto fans, the show’s English dub is currently only available on Funimation.

Viewers in North America will also find that the English dub of Naruto is available on Netflix and Hulu. UK viewers with HBO Max may also be able to access this on Apple TV+.

Can I skip the Naruto movies?

Naruto in Naruto
Naruto.

While the Naruto movies are fun to watch, most fans generally agree that you don't need to watch them as they're typically filler movies and don't add much to the show itself, and instead exist in isolation. You should definitely check them out if you're feeling like a completionist, but the only two you should definitely watch are The Last: Naruto the Movie and Boruto: Naruto the Movie, as both are actually part of the show's timeline and they bookend Naruto's life and begin Boruto's.

That's not to say that each movie won't expand your appreciation of the characters though - Naurto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds explores the relationship between Sasuke and Naruto as they team up to take on the newest threat against the Hidden Leaf Village. It's an extended peek into both the trials and tribulations of their friendship that proves why it's been so endearing across the decades and sequels Naruto has been on.

How to watch Naruto in the UK

In the UK, Naruto is available to watch on American streaming service Crunchyroll.

As detailed above, each series is also available to buy on Amazon.

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

Find something to watch tonight with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our Fantasy hub for more news and features.

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