In this guide you will discover how much filler is in the popular anime series Naruto. Let’s just say, there’s enough filler to feed the Konoha village…
Naruto follows the story of a young ninja named Naruto Uzumaki who struggles to gain acceptance among his fellow villagers because of the Nine-Tails fox that was sealed inside of him as a newborn by his father to protect the village. Along the way, he works to attain the greatest status possible in the village by becoming a Hokage – the village leader.
While Naruto enjoys massive popularity across the world, it is especially popular in North America thanks to its run on Cartoon Network’s Toonami starting in 2005.
Table of Contents
How Much Filler is in Naruto?
The original Naruto anime series aired from 2002 to 2007 with a total of 220 episodes. With 96 anime-only episodes during the series run, Naruto is 44% filler.
Quick Filler & Canon Lists
Canon Episodes
Filler Episodes
Complete Filler List
Episodes 1-20
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enter: Naruto Uzumaki! | Canon | 10/3/02 |
| 2 | My Name is Konohamaru! | Canon | 10/10/02 |
| 3 | Sasuke and Sakura: Friends or Foes? | Canon | 10/17/02 |
| 4 | Pass or Fail: Survival Test | Canon | 10/24/02 |
| 5 | You Failed! Kakashi's Final Decision | Canon | 10/31/02 |
| 6 | A Dangerous Mission! Journey to the Land of Waves! | Canon | 11/7/02 |
| 7 | The Assassin of the Mist! | Mostly Canon | 11/14/02 |
| 8 | The Oath of Pain | Canon | 11/21/02 |
| 9 | Kakashi: Sharingan Warrior | Mostly Canon | 11/28/02 |
| 10 | The Forest of Chakra | Canon | 12/5/02 |
| 11 | The Land Where a Hero Once Lived | Canon | 12/12/02 |
| 12 | Battle on the Bridge! Zabuza Returns!! | Canon | 12/19/02 |
| 13 | Haku's Secret Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors | Canon | 12/21/02 |
| 14 | The Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja Joins the Fight!! | Mostly Canon | 12/22/02 |
| 15 | Zero Visibility: The Sharingan Shatters | Mostly Canon | 12/23/02 |
| 16 | The Broken Seal | Mostly Canon | 12/24/02 |
| 17 | White Past: Hidden Ambition | Canon | 12/25/02 |
| 18 | The Weapons Known as Shinobi | Mostly Canon | 1/31/03 |
| 19 | The Demon in the Snow | Mostly Canon | 2/13/03 |
| 20 | A New Chapter Begins: The Chunin Exam! | Mostly Canon | 2/20/03 |
Episodes 21-40
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Identify Yourself: Powerful New Rivals | Mostly Canon | 2/27/03 |
| 22 | Chunin Challenge: Rock Lee vs. Sasuke! | Canon | 3/6/03 |
| 23 | Genin Takedown! All Nine Rookies Face Off! | Mostly Canon | 3/13/03 |
| 24 | Start Your Engines: The Chunin Exam Begins! | Mostly Canon | 3/20/03 |
| 25 | The Tenth Question: All or Nothing! | Canon | 3/27/03 |
| 26 | Special Report: Live from the Forest of Death! | Filler | 4/2/03 |
| 27 | The Chunin Exam Stage 2: The Forest of Death | Mostly Canon | 4/2/03 |
| 28 | Eat or be Eaten: Panic in the Forest | Mostly Canon | 4/9/03 |
| 29 | Naruto's Counterattack: Never Give In! | Mostly Canon | 4/16/03 |
| 30 | The Sharingan Revived: Dragon-Flame Jutsu! | Mostly Canon | 4/23/03 |
| 31 | Bushy Brow's Pledge: Undying Love and Protection! | Canon | 7/2/03 |
| 32 | Sakura Blossoms! | Canon | 5/7/03 |
| 33 | Battle Formation: Ino-Shika-Cho! | Canon | 5/14/03 |
| 34 | Akamaru Trembles: Gaara's Cruel Strength! | Canon | 5/21/03 |
| 35 | The Scroll's Secret: No Peeking Allowed | Canon | 5/28/03 |
| 36 | Clone vs. Clone: Mine are Better than Yours! | Canon | 6/4/03 |
| 37 | Surviving the Cut! The Rookie Nine Together Again! | Mostly Canon | 6/11/03 |
| 38 | Narrowing the Field: Sudden Death Elimination! | Mostly Canon | 6/18/03 |
| 39 | Bushy Brow's Jealousy: Lions Barrage Unleashed! | Mostly Canon | 7/2/03 |
| 40 | Kakashi and Orochimaru: Face-to-Face! | Mostly Canon | 7/9/03 |
Episodes 41-60
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Kunoichi Rumble: The Rivals Get Serious! | Mostly Canon | 7/16/03 |
| 42 | The Ultimate Battle: Cha!< | Canon | 7/23/03 |
| 43 | Killer Kunoichi and a Shaky Shikamaru | Mostly Canon | 7/30/03 |
| 44 | Akamaru Unleashed! Who's Top Dog Now? | Mostly Canon | 8/6/03 |
| 45 | Surprise Attack! Naruto's Secret Weapon! | Mostly Canon | 8/13/03 |
| 46 | Byakugan Battle: Hinata Grows Bold! | Mostly Canon | 8/20/03 |
| 47 | A Failure Stands Tall! | Mostly Canon | 8/27/03 |
| 48 | Gaara vs. Rock Lee: The Power of Youth Explodes! | Canon | 9/3/03 |
| 49 | Lee's Hidden Strength: Forbidden Secret Jutsu! | Mostly Canon | 9/10/03 |
| 50 | The Fifth Gate: A Splendid Ninja is Born | Canon | 9/17/03 |
| 51 | A Shadow in Darkness: Danger Approaches Sasuke | Canon | 9/24/03 |
| 52 | Ebisu Returns: Naruto's Toughest Training Yet! | Mostly Canon | 10/1/03 |
| 53 | Long Time No See: Jiraiya Returns! | Mostly Filler | 10/8/03 |
| 54 | The Summoning Jutsu: Wisdom of the Toad Sage! | Mostly Canon | 10/15/03 |
| 55 | A Feeling of Yearning, A Flower Full of Hope | Mostly Canon | 10/22/03 |
| 56 | Live or Die: Risk it All to Win it All! | Mostly Canon | 10/29/03 |
| 57 | He Flies! He Jumps! He Lurks! Chief Toad Appears! | Mostly Filler | 11/5/03 |
| 58 | Hospital Besieged: The Evil Hand Revealed! | Mostly Canon | 11/12/03 |
| 59 | The Final Rounds: Rush to the Battle Arena! | Mostly Canon | 11/19/03 |
| 60 | Byakugan vs. Shadow Clone | Mostly Canon | 11/26/03 |
Episodes 61-80
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | Ultimate Defense: Zero Blind Spot! | Canon | 12/3/03 |
| 62 | A Failure's True Power | Canon | 12/10/03 |
| 63 | Hit it or Quit it: The Final Rounds Get Complicated! | Mostly Canon | 12/17/03 |
| 64 | Zero Motivation: The Guy with Cloud Envy! | Canon | 12/24/03 |
| 65 | Dancing Leaf, Squirming Sand | Canon | 12/31/03 |
| 66 | Bushy Brow's Jutsu: Sasuke Style! | Mostly Canon | 1/14/04 |
| 67 | Late for the Show, But Ready to Go! The Ultimate Secret Technique is Born! | Canon | 1/14/04 |
| 68 | Zero Hour! The Destruction of the Hidden Leaf Village Begins! | Canon | 1/28/04 |
| 69 | Village in Distress: A New A-Ranked Mission! | Mostly Canon | 2/4/04 |
| 70 | A Shirker's Call to Action: A Layabout No More! | Mostly Canon | 2/11/04 |
| 71 | An Unrivaled Match: Hokage Battle Royale! | Mostly Canon | 2/18/04 |
| 72 | A Mistake from the Past: A Face Revealed! | Mostly Canon | 2/25/04 |
| 73 | Forbidden Secret Technique: Reaper Death Seal! | Canon | 3/3/04 |
| 74 | Astonishing Truth! Gaara's Identity Emerges! | Mostly Canon | 3/10/04 |
| 75 | Sasuke's Decision: Pushed to the Edge! | Canon | 3/17/04 |
| 76 | Assassin of the Moonlit Night | Canon | 3/24/04 |
| 77 | Light vs. Dark: The Two Faces of Gaara | Canon | 3/31/04 |
| 78 | Naruto's Ninja Handbook | Canon | 4/7/04 |
| 79 | Beyond the Limit of Darkness and Light | Canon | 4/14/04 |
| 80 | The Third Hokage, Forever... | Canon | 4/21/04 |
Episodes 81-100
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | Return of the Morning Mist | Canon | 4/28/04 |
| 82 | Eye to Eye: Sharingan vs. Sharingan! | Canon | 5/5/04 |
| 83 | Jiraiya: Naruto's Potential Disaster! | Mostly Canon | 5/12/04 |
| 84 | Roar, Chidori! Brother vs. Brother! | Canon | 5/19/04 |
| 85 | Hate Among the Uchihas: The Last of the Clan! | Canon | 5/26/04 |
| 86 | A New Training Begins: I Will Be Strong! | Canon | 6/2/04 |
| 87 | Keep on Training: Pop Goes the Water Balloon! | Canon | 6/9/04 |
| 88 | Focal Point: The Mark of the Leaf | Canon | 6/16/04 |
| 89 | An Impossible Choice: The Pain Within Tsunade's Heart | Canon | 6/23/04 |
| 90 | Unforgivable! A Total Lack of Respect! | Canon | 7/7/04 |
| 91 | Inheritence! The Necklace of Death! | Canon | 7/14/04 |
| 92 | A Dubious Offer! Tsunade's Choice! | Canon | 7/21/04 |
| 93 | Breakdown! The Deal is Off! | Canon | 7/28/04 |
| 94 | Attack! Fury of the Rasengan! | Canon | 8/4/04 |
| 95 | The Fifth Hokage! A Life on the Line! | Canon | 8/11/04 |
| 96 | Deadlock! Sannin Showdown! | Canon | 8/11/04 |
| 97 | Kidnapped! Naruto's Hot Spring Adventure! | Filler | 8/18/04 |
| 98 | Tsunade's Warning: Ninja No More! | Mostly Canon | 8/25/04 |
| 99 | The Will of Fire Still Burns! | Mostly Filler | 9/1/04 |
| 100 | Sensei and Student: The Bond of the Shinobi | Mostly Canon | 9/8/04 |
Episodes 101-120
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi-Sensei's True Face! | Mostly Filler | 9/15/04 |
| 102 | Mission: Help an Old Friend in the Land of Tea | Filler | 9/22/04 |
| 103 | The Race is on! Trouble on the High Seas! | Filler | 9/29/04 |
| 104 | Run Idate Run! Nagi Island Awaits! | Filler | 10/13/04 |
| 105 | A Fierce Battle of Rolling Thunder! | Filler | 10/20/04 |
| 106 | The Last Leg: A Final Act of Desperation | Filler | 10/27/04 |
| 107 | The Battle Begins: Naruto vs. Sasuke | Canon | 11/3/04 |
| 108 | Bitter Rivals and Broken Bonds | Canon | 11/10/04 |
| 109 | An Invitation from the Sound | Canon | 11/17/04 |
| 110 | Formation! The Sasuke Retrieval Squad | Canon | 11/24/04 |
| 111 | Sound vs. Leaf | Canon | 11/24/04 |
| 112 | Squad Mutiny: Everything Falls Apart! | Mostly Canon | 12/1/04 |
| 113 | Full Throttle Power! Choji, Ablaze! | Mostly Canon | 12/8/04 |
| 114 | Good-bye Old Friend...! I'll Always Believe in You! | Mostly Canon | 12/15/04 |
| 115 | Your Opponent Is Me! | Canon | 12/22/04 |
| 116 | 360 Degrees of Vision: The Byakugan's Blind Spot | Canon | 1/5/05 |
| 117 | Losing is Not an Option! | Canon | 1/5/05 |
| 118 | The Vessel Arrives Too Late | Canon | 1/12/05 |
| 119 | Miscalculation: A New Enemy Appears! | Canon | 1/19/05 |
| 120 | Roar and Howl! The Ultimate Tag Team | Canon | 2/2/05 |
Episodes 121-140
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | To Each His Own Battle | Canon | 2/9/05 |
| 122 | Fakeout: Shikamaru's Comeback! | Canon | 2/16/05 |
| 123 | The Leaf's Handsome Devil! | Canon | 2/23/05 |
| 124 | The Beast Within | Canon | 3/2/05 |
| 125 | The Sand Shinobi: Allies of the Leaf | Canon | 3/9/05 |
| 126 | Showdown: Gaara vs. Kimimaro! | Mostly Canon | 3/16/05 |
| 127 | Vengeful Strike! The Bracken Dance | Mostly Canon | 3/30/05 |
| 128 | A Cry on Deaf Ears | Canon | 3/30/05 |
| 129 | Brothers: Distance Among the Uchiha | Canon | 4/6/05 |
| 130 | Father and Son, the Broken Crest | Mostly Canon | 4/13/05 |
| 131 | The Secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan! | Mostly Canon | 4/20/05 |
| 132 | For a Friend | Canon | 4/27/05 |
| 133 | A Plea From a Friend | Canon | 5/4/05 |
| 134 | The End of Tears | Canon | 5/11/05 |
| 135 | The Promise That Could Not Be Kept | Canon | 5/18/05 |
| 136 | Deep Cover!? A Super S-Ranked Mission! | Mostly Filler | 5/25/05 |
| 137 | A Town of Outlaws, the Shadow of the Fuma Clan | Filler | 6/1/05 |
| 138 | Pure Betrayal, and a Fleeting Plea! | Filler | 6/8/05 |
| 139 | Pure Terror! The House of Orochimaru | Filler | 6/15/05 |
| 140 | Two Heartbeats: Kabuto's Trap | Filler | 6/22/05 |
Episodes 141-160
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | Sakura's Determination | Mostly Filler | 6/29/05 |
| 142 | The Three Villains from the Maximum Security Prison | Mostly Filler | 7/6/05 |
| 143 | Tonton! I'm Counting on You! | Filler | 7/13/05 |
| 144 | A New Squad! Two People and a Dog?! | Filler | 7/20/05 |
| 145 | A New Formation: Ino-Shika-Cho! | Filler | 7/27/05 |
| 146 | Orochimaru's Shadow | Filler | 8/10/05 |
| 147 | A Clash of Fate: You Can't Bring Me Down | Filler | 8/17/05 |
| 148 | Search for the Rare Bikochu Beetle | Filler | 8/17/05 |
| 149 | What's the Difference? Don't All Insects Look Alike? | Filler | 8/24/05 |
| 150 | A Battle of Bugs: The Deceivers and the Deceived | Filler | 8/31/05 |
| 151 | Blaze Away Byakugan: This Is My Ninja Way | Filler | 9/14/05 |
| 152 | Funeral March for the Living | Filler | 11/21/05 |
| 153 | A Lesson Learned: The Iron Fist of Love | Filler | 9/28/05 |
| 154 | The Enemy of the Byakugan | Filler | 10/5/05 |
| 155 | The Dark Creeping Clouds | Filler | 10/12/05 |
| 156 | Raiga's Counterattack | Filler | 10/19/05 |
| 157 | Run! The Curry of Life | Filler | 10/26/05 |
| 158 | Follow My Lead! The Great Survival Challenge | Filler | 11/2/05 |
| 159 | Bounty Hunter from the Wilderness | Filler | 11/9/05 |
| 160 | Hunt or Be Hunted?! Showdown at the O.K. Temple! | Filler | 11/16/05 |
Episodes 161-180
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 161 | The Appearance of Strange Visitors | Filler | 11/23/05 |
| 162 | The Cursed Warrior | Filler | 11/30/05 |
| 163 | The Tactician's Intent | Filler | 12/7/05 |
| 164 | Too Late for Help | Filler | 12/14/05 |
| 165 | The Death of Naruto | Filler | 12/21/05 |
| 166 | When Time Stands Still | Filler | 1/4/06 |
| 167 | When Egrets Flap Their Wings | Filler | 1/4/06 |
| 168 | Mix It, Stretch It, Boil It Up! Burn, Copper Pot, Burn! | Filler | 1/18/06 |
| 169 | Remembrance: The Lost Page | Filler | 1/25/06 |
| 170 | The Closed Door | Filler | 2/1/06 |
| 171 | Infiltration: The Set-Up! | Filler | 2/8/06 |
| 172 | Despair: A Fractured Heart | Filler | 2/15/06 |
| 173 | The Battle at Sea: The Power Unleashed! | Filler | 2/22/06 |
| 174 | Impossible! Celebrity Ninja Art - Money Style Jutsu! | Filler | 3/1/06 |
| 175 | The Treasure Hunt is On! | Filler | 3/8/06 |
| 176 | Run, Dodge, Zigzag! Chase or Be Chased! | Filler | 3/15/06 |
| 177 | Please, Mr. Postman! | Filler | 3/22/06 |
| 178 | Encounter! The Boy with a Star's Name | Filler | 3/29/06 |
| 179 | The Remembered Lullaby | Filler | 4/5/06 |
| 180 | Hidden Jutsu: The Price of The Ninja Art: Kujaku | Filler | 4/12/06 |
Episodes 181-200
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 181 | Hoshikage, The Buried Truth | Filler | 4/19/06 |
| 182 | Reunion, The Remaining time | Filler | 4/26/06 |
| 183 | The Star's Radiance | Filler | 5/3/06 |
| 184 | Kiba's Long Day! | Filler | 5/10/06 |
| 185 | A Legend from the Hidden Leaf: The Onbaa! | Filler | 5/17/06 |
| 186 | Laughing Shino | Filler | 5/24/06 |
| 187 | Open for Business! The Leaf Moving Service | Filler | 5/31/06 |
| 188 | Mystery of the Targeted Merchants | Filler | 6/7/06 |
| 189 | A Limitless Supply of Ninja Tools | Filler | 6/14/06 |
| 190 | The Byakugan Sees the Blind Spot | Filler | 6/21/06 |
| 191 | Forecast: Death! Cloudy with Chance of Sun | Filler | 6/28/06 |
| 192 | Ino Screams! Chubby Paradise! | Filler | 7/5/06 |
| 193 | Viva Dojo Challenge! Youth Is All About Passion! | Filler | 7/12/06 |
| 194 | The Mysterious Curse of the Haunted Castle | Filler | 7/19/06 |
| 195 | The Third Super-Beast! | Filler | 7/26/06 |
| 196 | Hot-Blooded Confrontation: Student vs. Sensei | Filler | 8/9/06 |
| 197 | Crisis! The Hidden Leaf 11 Gather! | Filler | 8/16/06 |
| 198 | The ANBU Gives Up? Naruto's Recollection | Filler | 8/23/06 |
| 199 | The Missed Target | Filler | 8/30/06 |
| 200 | The Powerful Helper | Filler | 9/13/06 |
Episodes 201-220
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | Multiple Traps! Countdown to Destruction | Filler | 9/20/06 |
| 202 | The Top 5 Ninja Battles | Filler | 9/27/06 |
| 203 | Kurenai's Decision, Squad 8 Left Behind | Filler | 10/5/06 |
| 204 | Yakumo's Sealed Ability | Filler | 10/5/06 |
| 205 | Kurenai's Top-Secret Mission: The Promise With the Third Hokage | Filler | 10/5/06 |
| 206 | Genjutsu or Reality? | Filler | 10/19/06 |
| 207 | The Supposed Sealed Ability | Filler | 10/26/06 |
| 208 | The Weight of the Prized Artifact! | Filler | 11/2/06 |
| 209 | The Enemy: Ninja Dropouts | Filler | 11/9/06 |
| 210 | The Bewildering Forest | Filler | 11/16/06 |
| 211 | Memory of Flames | Filler | 11/30/06 |
| 212 | To Each His Own Path | Filler | 12/7/06 |
| 213 | Vanished Memories | Filler | 12/14/06 |
| 214 | Bringing Back Reality | Filler | 12/21/06 |
| 215 | A Past to Be Erased | Filler | 12/21/06 |
| 216 | The Targeted Shukaku | Filler | 1/11/07 |
| 217 | Sand Alliance with the Leaf Shinobi | Filler | 1/18/07 |
| 218 | The Counterattack! | Filler | 1/25/07 |
| 219 | The Ultimate Weapon Reborn | Filler | 2/1/07 |
| 220 | Departure | Mostly Filler | 2/8/07 |
Our Guide to Naruto Story Arcs
Being 44% filler, Naruto has an abundance of filler story arcs to consume. The series is almost split in half chronologically between canon arcs and filler arcs, with the majority of the filler episodes and arcs appearing in the last half of the series (after episode 135), though there are a handful of filler episodes sprinkled in before that.
Canon Story Arc List
The anime version of Naruto follows along closely with its manga counterpart for the majority of its early run. It can be broken out into 5 distinct canon story arcs, including:
- Prologue – Land of Waves Escort Mission (Episodes 1 to 19): In the opening arc, Naruto joins Team 7 to complete a mission to the Land of Waves.
- Chūnin Exams (Episodes 20 to 67): Team 7 enter the Chūnin Exams where they meet new characters, including Orochimaru, Team Guy, the Rookie Nine and the Three Sand Siblings
- Konoha Crush (Episodes 68 to 80): In this arc, Konohagakure – the hidden leaf village – is attacked and nearly destroyed by Orochimaru and Otogakure and Sunagakure ninja.
- Search for Tsunade (Episodes 81 to 100): The Akatsuki are introduced as Jiraiya and Orochimaru attempt to recruit Tsunade – one of the world’s best medical-nin.
- Valley of the End (Episodes 107 to 135): Known as the “Sasuke Recovery Mission” in the manga, this story arc follows the attempts to stop Sasuke Uchiha from joining Orochimaru.
Filler Story Arc List
Due to production delays in the Naruto manga series, it required the anime show runners to create a multitude of short story arcs to fill time. These usually contained Naruto teaming up with others for short missions that didn’t really further the overall narrative, but were entertaining in their own right.
- Land of Tea Escort Mission (Episodes 102 to 106): Naruto and Team 7 help Idate Morino win a race in the Land of Tea.
- Land of Rice Fields Investigation Mission (Episodes 136 to 141): Naruto, Sakura, and Jiraiya encounters the Fūma clan while searching for Orochimaru.
- Mizuki Tracking Mission (Episodes 142 to 147): Naruto helps capture an escaped criminal Mizuki.
- Bikōchū Search Mission (Episodes 148 to 151): In hopes of finding the Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto and Team 8 look for the bikōchū beetle.
- Kurosuki Family Removal Mission (Episodes 152 to 157): Naruto and Team Guy encounter and engage with the Kurosuki family.
- Gosunkugi Capture Mission (Episodes 159 to 160): Naruto, Kiba, and Hinata help Sazanami proclaim his innocence and clear his name.
- Cursed Warrior Extermination Mission (Episodes 162 to 167): Naruto, Neji, and Tenten travel to the Land of Birds to investigate and deal with a mysterious ghost.
- Kaima Capture Mission (Episodes 169 to 173): Anko Mitarashi takes Naruto, Ino, and Shino to the Land of the Sea to find information on Orochimaru.
- Buried Gold Excavation Mission (Episodes 175 to 176): Naruto is teams up with Kiba and Hinata to retrieve a hidden treasure in order to improve their low success rate in ninja missions.
- Star Guard Mission (Episodes 178 to 183): Naruto and Team Guy go to Hoshigakure to help the villagers guard their sacred star.
- Peddlers Escort Mission (Episodes 187 to 191): Naruto, Hinata, and Chōji protect some peddlers from the Janin in the Land of Vegetables.
- Third Great Beast Arc (Episodes 195 to 196): Guy deals with a vengeful Yagura.
- Konoha Plans Recapture Mission (Episodes 197 to 201): The Konoha 11 defends Konoha from Gennō the Trap Master.
- Yakumo Kurama Rescue Mission (Episodes 203 to 207): Kurenai temporarily leaves Team 8 to take care of some old business with Yakumo Kurama.
- Gantetsu Escort Mission (Episodes 209 to 212): Naruto, Lee, and Sakura help transfer a Shinobazu member to prison.
- Menma Memory Search Mission (Episodes 213 to 215): Naruto helps Menma reclaim his memory.
- Sunagakure Support Mission (Episodes 216 to 220): The Konoha 11 go to Sunagakure to help rescue Matsuri from the Four Celestial Symbols Men.
Filler Episodes Worth Watching
Just because an episode is filler, that doesn’t mean you should skip it. Several anime-only episodes provide some additional background to flesh out the overall story arc, while others introduce interesting new characters that make the episodes worth-while.
Here are some of the best Naruto filler episodes that we think you’ll enjoy. WARNING: Spoilers to follow!
Episodes 152 through 157
Known as the Kurosuki Family Removal Mission Arc, these fillers introduce a villain that eventually becomes canon thanks to an un-named nod in the manga series. It’s not often that a filler character makes the leap to canon, which is what makes this filler arc worth your time.
Best Characters from Naruto Filler Arcs
Naruto has no shortage of interesting and exotic characters. Filler episodes are no exception for delivering great characters. Below are some of our favorites to come out of anime-only story arcs in Naruto.
Menma Uzumaki
Ever wonder what Naruto would be like if his parents weren’t killed and instead had a stable and loving childhood? Menma gives you a peak into that possibility, but its suprising to discover that the alternate reality version of Naruto is a dark and brooding and has become corrupted by his power.
Raiga Kurosuki
Raiga’s evolution from cruel and tormented killer to supportive and loving guardian might have been shocking, but not as shocking as his lighting-powered swords called Kiba. Raiga’s tragic story arc is a memorable one. Raiga made such an impression that he became the only filler character to ever appear in the manga canon.
Sumaru
Sumaru is a genin that was prominently featured during the Star Guard Mission story arc. Sumaru’s tragic family history leads to some of the most tearjerking moments in the anime series. Plus, who doesn’t like the Mysterious Peacock Method?
How to Watch Naruto Online
If you are looking to gorge on Naruto anime from your computer, you are in luck because there are a several great options to choose from.
First and foremost, Viz Media, the owners of the Naruto anime series, allow users to stream both the subtitled AND dubbed versions of the anime from their site.
Other online options for viewing Naruto online include Crunchyroll and Hulu.
Refer to our Naruto filler list above to craft your own filler-free Naruto viewing experience… or better yet, add in some of the best anime-only story arcs mentioned above to get an enhanced experience without the fluff.
Do you believe there are some filler story arcs worth watching? What are some of your favorite characters and moments to come out of filler episodes in Naruto?
Let us know in the comments below!
