Naruto Watch Order: How to Watch the Whole Series (2026)

The Naruto watch order is simple in structure: watch the original Naruto (220 episodes), then Naruto Shippuden (500 episodes), then the sequel Boruto if you want more. The catch is filler. Roughly 40 percent of the franchise is anime-only filler, so a good skip strategy turns a punishing marathon into a tight, canon-focused story you will actually finish.

What is the correct Naruto watch order?

Naruto is one continuous story split across two main series and a sequel. Unlike some franchises there are no timeline tricks: you watch it in release order, and each series flows directly into the next. Here is the top-level path:

1. Naruto (220 episodes, 2002 to 2007) – the childhood era, from the Academy through the Chunin Exams to the hunt for Sasuke.
2. Naruto Shippuden (500 episodes, 2007 to 2017) – the timeskip, the Akatsuki, and the Fourth Great Ninja War.
3. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – the sequel following Naruto’s son, optional and aimed at fans who want to keep going.

That is the whole franchise. The only real decision you need to make is how much filler to watch, because both main series are padded with anime-original episodes that do not advance the plot.

How much of Naruto is filler?

A lot, and this is the single most important thing to know before you start. Naruto Shippuden alone contains 203 filler episodes out of 500, which is about 40 percent, and the original series is similarly padded, especially in its back half. If you watch every single episode you will spend enormous stretches on side stories that have no bearing on the ending.

That does not mean all filler is bad. A handful of Shippuden filler arcs are genuinely good, and one exploring the life of a jinchuriki right before the Pain arc quietly deepens the emotional weight of what follows. But on a first watch, most fans are better served by a canon-focused route. You can always circle back to the best filler later.

Which Naruto episodes should you skip?

Here is a practical, canon-first breakdown. Episode ranges are approximate because some episodes are “mixed” (part canon, part filler), but this table gets you the tight version of the story.

The essentials you must never skip are the Chunin Exams, the Sasuke retrieval, the Itachi reveal, the Pain invasion and the Fourth Great Ninja War. Those arcs carry the twists and emotional payoffs the whole series is built on. If in doubt, keep an up-to-date filler list open and lean toward watching mixed episodes, since they contain canon material.

Where do the Naruto movies fit?

There are numerous Naruto and Naruto Shippuden films, and here is the honest truth: nearly all of them are non-canon side adventures. They are set in a vague “sometime during the series” window and do not affect the main plot, so you can safely ignore them on a first watch.

The two big exceptions are the final Shippuden-era films, which are treated as canon and bridge into the sequel series. Watch those after you finish Shippuden and before starting Boruto, because they cover events the sequel assumes you already know. Every other film is optional popcorn: fun for fans, unnecessary for the story.

Do you need to watch Boruto?

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is a true sequel, following Naruto’s son Boruto in a new generation of ninja. It is entirely optional. If you loved the world and want to keep living in it, Boruto delivers more of it, though many longtime fans find its early episodes uneven and heavy on filler of their own. Newcomers should finish the two main series first and decide afterward whether they want more.

If you do continue, treat Boruto as a fresh commitment rather than a required chapter. The core Naruto story is complete by the end of Shippuden, and it stands perfectly well on its own.

How long does it take to watch Naruto?

If you watch everything, all 720 episodes of the two main series run well over 280 hours, a commitment on the scale of a small marathon. A canon-focused skip route cuts that dramatically, often by 200-plus episodes, bringing it down to a much friendlier length that a dedicated fan can finish in a few months.

Our advice: do not let the runtime scare you off. Naruto is a foundational shonen for good reason, and the payoff moments, from the Chunin Exams to the war, are some of the most iconic in anime. Just go in with a skip plan so the filler never burns you out. For more curated routes, our anime watch order guides keep every big franchise organised, and the full anime section lives here on WorldGeek.

Why is Naruto still worth watching in 2026?

Naruto is over twenty years old, so is it still worth starting today? For most fans, yes. It is one of the pillars of modern shonen, and the story beats it popularised, the underdog ninja, the rival friendship, the tournament arc, the tragic villain with a sympathetic backstory, have influenced nearly every action anime that followed. Watching Naruto is a bit like reading a foundational novel in a genre you love: you see where so many later ideas came from.

Its real strength is emotional. The rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke anchors the entire series, and the show is at its best when it slows down to explore why its villains became who they are. The Pain arc, in particular, is widely regarded as one of the finest stretches in all of shonen, blending spectacular action with a genuine philosophical argument about the cycle of hatred and revenge. Those highs are why the series endures despite its pacing flaws.

The honest caveat is the filler and the dated early animation. If you go in expecting the tight, modern polish of a series like Jujutsu Kaisen, the older episodes may feel slow. Approach it as a classic worth its rough edges, use a skip plan for the worst filler, and the payoffs more than justify the journey.

Which arcs are the absolute must-watch?

If you want a mental map of the peaks before you start, these are the arcs that define the series and that you should never skip. Treat everything between them as connective tissue you can trim with a filler guide.

• Chunin Exams – the tournament that introduces the wider ninja world and cements the Naruto and Sasuke rivalry.
• Sasuke Retrieval – the emotional climax of the original series.
• Rescue Gaara and the Akatsuki hunt – the opening momentum of Shippuden.
• Itachi and the truth about the Uchiha – one of the franchise’s biggest twists.
• Pain’s assault on the Hidden Leaf – the series’ most celebrated arc.
• The Fourth Great Ninja War – the sprawling final act that ties everything together.

Hit those and you have experienced the heart of Naruto, even if you skipped a couple of hundred filler episodes along the way.

What should you watch after Naruto?

If the long-running shonen format is your thing, the One Piece watch order is the ultimate next marathon, with far less filler than Naruto. For something you can finish faster, the Attack on Titan watch order and the Jujutsu Kaisen watch order both deliver tight, filler-free stories with modern animation.