Ajith KumarNaruto is undoubtedly a magnum opus anime series that everyone should watch at least once in their life. It’s an epic tale of a young boy named Naruto, as he battles his way through life’s challenges in an effort to become the next Hokage (village leader). This anime series is considered to be the epitome of inspiration, motivation, and much more. Moreover, it has helped many people during their darkest times, and as a result, the anime is recommended to everyone by anime fans. Naruto is an extremely popular anime and includes a large number of episodes, specials, and even movies. So, if you are planning to binge-watch the Naruto series and want to know how to watch the anime in the right order, we have you covered. Continue reading to start your ninja journey and learn about all of Naruto’s story arcs.
To help you watch Naruto in the best possible order, we have put together a comprehensive guide. We have arranged all the major canon arcs in chronological order, including Naruto’s filler arcs, movie releases, and even TV specials. So, let’s get right to it:
Note: Anything apart from the canon story, including all the extras such as fillers, movies, and more, are marked as Fillers/ Filler Arcs, Movie, and such in the lists below for your reference.
Naruto (2002-2007) Watching Order
Important Note: We have marked the fillers and movies respectively in the table below. However, if you want to watch any entertaining filler episodes or movies, we suggest going through our dedicated guides, including the Naruto filler list, Naruto Shippuden filler list, and all the Naruto Movies in order. You can use them wisely to elevate your fun time.
First, you have to start with the classic Naruto anime series, which began streaming in 2002 and continued until 2007. Here is the watch order of the original Naruto anime:
| Episodes or Arcs Title | Episode Numbers | Manga Chapters | Canon/ Filler/ Movie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land of Waves Arc | 1-19 | 1-33 | Canon |
| Chūnin Exams Arc | 20-67 | 34-115 | Canon |
| Recap of first 25 episodes | 26 | – | Filler |
| Konoha Crush Arc | 68-80 | 116-138 | Canon |
| Search for Tsunade Arc | 81-100 | 139-171 | Canon |
| Kidnapped! Naruto’s Hot Spring Adventure! | 97 | – | Filler |
| Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi-Sensei’s True Face! | 101 | – | Filler |
| Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow | – | – | Movie |
| Land of Tea Escort Mission | 102-106 | – | Filler |
| Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc | 107-135 | 172-238 | Canon |
| Land of Rice Fields Investigation Mission | 136-141 | – | Filler |
| Mizuki Tracking Mission | 142-147 | – | Filler |
| Bikōchū Search Mission | 148-151 | – | Filler |
| Kurosuki Family Removal Mission | 152-157 | – | Filler |
| Follow My Lead! The Great Survival Challenge | 158 | – | Filler |
| Gosunkugi Capture Mission | 159,160 | – | Filler |
| Naruto the Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel | – | – | Movie |
| The Appearance of Strange Visitors | 161 | – | Filler |
| Cursed Warrior Extermination Mission | 162-167 | – | Filler |
| Mix it, Stretch it, and Boil it Up! Burn Copper Pot, Burn! | 168 | – | Filler |
| Kaima Capture Mission | 169-173 | – | Filler |
| Impossible! Celebrity Ninja Art: Money Style Jutsu! | 174 | – | Filler |
| Buried Gold Excavation Mission | 175,176 | – | Filler |
| Please, Mr. Postman! | 177 | – | Filler |
| Star Guard Mission | 178-183 | – | Filler |
| Kiba, Naruto, and Shino One-Off | 184-186 | – | Filler |
| Peddlers Escort Mission | 187-191 | – | Filler |
| Ino, Rock Lee, and Daimyo’s Wife Search Mission One-Off Episodes | 192-194 | – | Filler |
| Third Great Beast Arc | 195-196 | – | Filler |
| Naruto the Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom | – | – | Movie |
| Konoha Plans Recapture Mission | 197-201 | – | Filler |
| Recap of the Top 5 Ninja Battles | 202 | Filler | |
| Yakumo Kurama Rescue Mission | 203-207 | – | Filler |
| The Weight of the Prized Artefact! | 208 | – | Filler |
| Gantetsu Escort Mission | 209-212 | – | Filler |
| Menma Memory Search Mission | 213-215 | Filler | |
| Sunagakure Support Mission | 216-220 | Filler | |
| Total Episodes | 220 |
Naruto Shippuden (2007-2017) Watching Order
As we did for the classic Naruto anime above, we have summarized all of the information about Naruto Shippuden (2007-2017) in a table below. Here is the watch order for Naruto Shippuden:
Episodes or Arcs Title Episode Numbers Manga Chapter Numbers Canon/Filler/Movie Kazekage Rescue Mission Arc 1-32 245-281 Canon Naruto Shippûden: The Movie – – Movie Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission Arc 33-56 282-310 Canon Twelve Guardian Ninja Arc 57-71 – Filler Naruto Shippuden: The Movie – Bonds – – Movie Akatsuki Suppression Mission 72-89 311-342 Canon Three-Tails Appearance 90-112 – Filler Itachi Pursuit Mission Arc Part-1 113-118 343-367 Canon Kakashi Gaiden Arc 119,120 239-244 Canon Itachi Pursuit Mission Arc Part-2 121-126 343-367 Canon Naruto Shippûden: The Movie 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire – – Movie Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant Arc 127-133 368-383 Canon Fated Battle Between Brothers Arc 134-143 384-412 Canon Naruto Shippûden: The Lost Tower – – Movie Pain’s Assault Arc Part-1 152-169 413-453 Canon The Quest for the Fourth Hokage’s Legacy 170,171 – Filler Pain’s Assault Arc Part-2 172-175 413-453 Canon Past Arc: Locus of Konoha 176-196 – Filler Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Blood Prison – – Movie Five Kage Summit Arc 197-214 454-483 Canon Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown Arc Part-1 215-222 484-515 Canon Paradise Life on a Boat 223-242 – Filler Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown Arc Part-2 243-256 484-515 Canon Road to Ninja – Naruto the Movie – – Movie Sasuke and Naruto’s Flashbacks 257-260 – Filler Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation Part-1 261-270 516-559 Canon Road to Sakura 271 – Filler Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation Part-2 272-278 516-559 Canon One-off episodes featuring Team Kurenai – Deidara and Konohomaru 279-281 – Filler Killer Bee Episodes 282,283 516-559 Canon Various One-Off Filler Episodes 284-295 – Filler Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation Part-3 296-302 516-559 Canon Various Filler Episodes 303-320 – Filler Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax Arc Part-1 321-346 560-639 Canon Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato Flashback 347-348 – Filler Kakashi’s Anbu Arc: The Shinobi That Lives in the Darkness 349-361 – Filler Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax Arc Part-2 362-375 560-639 Canon Naruto vs Mecha Naruto 376-377 – Filler Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki Part-1 378-388 640-677 Canon Hinata and Hanabi Childhood 389, 390 – Filler Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki Part-2 391-393 640-677 Canon The New Chunin Exams 394-413 – Filler Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki Part-3 414-421 640-677 Canon The Formation of Team Minato 416,417 – Filler Naruto and Konohomaru 422,423 – Filler Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki Part-4 424-431 640-677 Canon The Infinite Tsukuyomi 432-450 – Filler Itachi Shinden Book: Light and Darkness Arc 451-458 Based on Novel Canon Kaguya Otsutsuki Strikes Arc 451, 455, 458-468, 470-479 678-699 Canon A Special Mission 469 – Filler Various One-Off Filler Episodes 480-483 – Filler Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise Arc 484-488 Based on Novel Canon Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness Arc 489-493 Based on Novel Canon The Last: Naruto the Movie – – Canon Movie Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding Arc 494-500 Based on Novel Canon Boruto: Naruto The Movie – – Canon Movie Boruto Episodes 24,106 700 Canon Total Episodes 502
That wraps up our guide on how to watch Naruto and that too in the right order. We hope this guide proves to be a north star, guiding you to make the most out of your Naruto binge-watching experience. Now, you can start streaming Naruto right away and learn about some of the most powerful ninjas in history. You will also discover the strongest Uzumaki clan members and Uchiha clan members in Naruto, post which we would for you to check our rankings. With that said, do let us know your favorite Naruto character in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can easily skip all the episodes marked as fillers in our Naruto watching order guide. But if you want to watch some entertaining fillers, we have marked them in the dedicated filler list that we have curated carefully.
You should first start by watching Naruto (2002-2007), which focuses on the early childhood of the protagonist, and then watch the Naruto Shippuden (2007-2017) anime series, which focuses on his teen years. Naruto Shippuden is the sequel to Naruto.
No! If you skip the classic Naruto anime, you won’t be able to understand the characters, their goals, and their backstories, among a host of other things. So, you must watch Naruto and Naruto Shippuden in order to witness the journey of a young ninja boy, as he is met with various struggles, how he gains the respect of the villagers, and becomes the Hokage (leader) in the best possible way.
