Naruto is one of the most successful anime series of all time, inspiring millions of people across the world. The pre-time skip Naruto series comprises 220 episodes and focuses on Naruto’s childhood and his early ninja days. There are 91 filler episodes (41 percent of fillers in a total of 220 episodes) in the original Naruto series. So, if you want to start the Naruto series but simply focus on the core manga canon plot, we have you covered with this Naruto filler list. This filler guide was created to help you get the most out of your Naruto viewing experience.
Filler episodes can be enjoyable and serve as a stress reliever from the main plotline. At the same time, most fans seem to think that these filler episodes are annoying, and they appear in the middle of an important arc, ruining the continuity and experience. So it’s entirely up to you whether you want to watch or skip the fillers in Naruto (2002-2007).
What Is the Story of Naruto?
True to its name, this anime series chronicles the journey of Naruto, a young ninja from the Hidden Leaf village. He is a problematic and unruly child who is despised by the villagers, owing to a strange power that resides within him. As a result, Naruto aspires to become a great ninja and, ultimately, the next Hokage (leader of the village).
Naruto has a plethora of filler episodes and arcs that can be skipped if you’d like to quickly wrap up the protagonist’s childhood story. We have summarized and created a Naruto filler list for you right below.
Naruto Filler Episodes: Skip or Worth Watching?
Naruto (2002) includes the following filler arcs and episodes, as listed down below. Additionally, we have mentioned if you should skip a filler episode or not. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to watch all the fillers we have marked as worth a watch. The filler episodes that are marked as “Watch” below are considered entertaining by the fans, so they might be worth checking out if you’re not short on time. You can see the fun and quirky side of our loved characters in these episodes. The list is as follows:
| Filler Episodes or Arcs | Episode Numbers | Should You Watch or Skip it? |
|---|---|---|
| Recap of the First 25 Episodes | 26 | Skip |
| Attempting to Recover Tsunade’s Debt | 97 | Skip |
| Trying to Discover Kakashi’s Face | 101 | Watch |
| Land Of Tea Escort Mission | 102-106 | Skip |
| Land Of Rice Fields Investigation Mission | 136-141 | Watch |
| Mizuki Tracking Mission | 142-147 | Skip |
| Bikochu Search Mission | 148-151 | Watch |
| Kurosuki Family Removal Mission | 152-157 | Watch |
| Gosunkugi Capture Mission | 159, 160 | Skip |
| Cursed Warrior Extermination Mission | 162-167 | Watch |
| Kaima Capture Mission | 169-173 | Watch |
| Daimyo Heir Escort Mission | 174 | Skip |
| Buried Gold Excavation Mission | 175, 176 | Skip |
| Stopping The Courier Ninja | 177 | Skip |
| Star Guard Mission | 178-183 | Skip |
| Kiba, Naruto, and Shino One-Off Episodes | 184-186 | Skip |
| Peddlers Escort Mission | 187-191 | Watch |
| Ino’s Princess Disguise Mission | 192 | Skip |
| Rock Lee’s Dojo Challenge | 193 | Skip |
| Daimyo’s Wife Search Mission | 194 | Skip |
| Third Great Beast Arc | 195, 196 | Watch |
| Konoha Plans Recapture Mission | 197-201 | Watch |
| Recap of Top Five Battles | 202 | Skip |
| Yakumo Kurama Rescue Mission | 203-207 | Skip |
| Prized Artifact Escort Mission | 208 | Skip |
| Gantetsu Escort Mission | 209-212 | Watch |
| Menma Memory Search Mission | 213-215 | Watch |
| Sunagakure Support Mission | 216-220 | Watch |
| Total Naruto Filler Episodes | 91 |
That concludes our complete list of filler episodes in Naruto. Although it is widely regarded as one of the greatest anime series of all time, we suggest you first watch the canon episodes, which focus on the manga story, before delving into the filler episodes or arcs. The decision to watch the filler episodes ultimately comes down to personal preference. We hope our filler guide has helped you determine which filler arcs to watch or skip, much like our One Piece filler arcs guide. So, let us know about your favorite Naruto episode in the comments below.
In one way, all the filler episodes in the Naruto anime series are easily skippable. But if you are down to kill some time, you can watch them for sure. We have marked the fillers worth watching in our Naruto filler list, which you can check out in this guide.
Among the 220 episodes, nearly 41 percent (91 episodes) are fillers in the Naruto anime series. While the initial half of the anime is manga canon, the fillers start around the 100th episode and continue to stack in the following arcs. So yeah, it is easier to follow the filler list and dodge the non-canon episodes with ease.
To preserve the gap between the anime and the current manga, the animation studio produced these filler episodes, much like all the other anime series out there. That is the chief reason for Naruto’s numerous filler episodes.
