Naruto Filler List – Including Naruto Shippuden Filler Guide

Long-running anime series, especially manga adaptations, have a tendency of adding so-called filler episodes or arcs during their initial run, and Naruto & Naruto: Shippuden is no different. Although fillers expand the story in some way (sometimes, though, they’re just recapitulations), they aren’t related to the main narrative and prolong the main story, which is why fans usually don’t like them.

The chief reason, why manga-based anime use fillers, is because there is a delay in the publication of the manga or the anime has finished the until-then-published manga storyline, so the animators use filler episodes until new material is available. The story of Naruto Uzumaki was split into two anime series – Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden – which follow the protagonist during different periods of his life. Since a lot of people want to avoid fillers, we have created a guide for watching Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden without the fillers, so keep reading if you’re interested!

Naruto & Naruto: Shippuden Episode Count

Naruto is a Japanese franchise that started off as a manga written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks to gain recognition from his peers and also dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village.

The story is divided into two parts; the first is set in Naruto’s pre-teen years, and the second is in his teens. The series is based on two one-shot manga by Kishimoto. Naruto was serialized from 1999 to 2014 and was later released in book form. The two series have a total of 720 episodes, with Naruto having 220 episodes (split into 5 seasons) and Naruto: Shippuden having 500 episodes (split into 21 seasons).

The story of Naruto today continues with Naruto’s son, Boruto Uzumaki, in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Boruto wishes to create his own ninja way instead of following his father’s.

How many filler episodes do Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden have?

Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden have 295 filler episodes. The original Naruto series ran from 2002 to 2006 and was spread across five seasons. The first series had a total of 220 episodes. The first series also had a reported total of 90 filler episodes, which accounts for 41% of the content. This is a very high number of filler episodes, as it indicates that almost half of the show was not canon.

As for Naruto: Shippuden, the epic series ran from 2007 to 2016. Through 21 seasons, a total of 500 episodes were aired, making it one of the longest anime series in history. Out of these 500 episodes, a total of 205 are reported fillers, which also equals about 41% of the whole content. Like before, this is a very large amount of filler content.

So, to calculate a total for you. Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden have a total of 720 episodes, 295 of which are filler episodes. The percentage – because it is equal in both cases – remains at 41%. And these are the totals for both of the series that are the topic of this article.

Can you skip Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden filler episodes?

You should definitely at least try to watch Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden fillers episodes. This question is always relevant when filler episodes are concerned, regardless of the anime in question. Some anime, like Bleach, are known for their notoriously underwhelming fillers, while some others have great filler episodes or arcs. The two Naruto series are much closer to the second group than the first, so we can openly state that you should definitely give them a try, at least some of them.

To help you with that, we’ve already made a list of the best fillers that are worth watching, both for Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, so do check it out for more information.

Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden: Filler List

Naruto filler list

Naruto: Shippuden filler episode list

Is it worth watching Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden filler episodes?

Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden fillers are worth watching. Both Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden have just under 50% of filler content in total. This is a huge amount (almost 300 episodes for both series) of filler material and if you’re not a fan of fillers, you’ll certainly want to know whether it’s worth spending so much time on non-canon content.

The fillers in Naruto are mostly stories filled with a lot of kind-natured humor. Humor is predominant in these episodes and there are some that are really great when it comes to filling the gaps between canon content. As for Shippuden, humor is scarce in these fillers, but they contain lots of epic battle scenes and some really great narratives.

So, the final answer is that both Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden fillers are worth the watch, but don’t forget to be selective as not all filler content is good. Don’t forget to consult our above-mentioned list for reference. You can check our guide to find out which Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden fillers are worth the watch.

How long would it take to watch the complete Naruto series?

You’re planning on starting from episode one and then until 720? Well, you might as well want to know what you’re getting yourself into.

Both Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden were long-running anime series. Each episode lasts around 24 minutes, The first series was divided into 5 seasons with a total of 220 episodes, while the second had 500 episodes scattered across an amazing 21 seasons. Now, let us see how long it would take you to watch all of these shows and stories.

To watch the whole original Naruto series, you’d need a total of 5,280 minutes, which adds up to an incredible total of 88 hours. This means that you would need 3 days and 16 hours to watch the complete Naruto series. As far as Shippuden is concerned, you’ll have a total of 12,000 minutes at your disposal. This adds up to a total of 200 hours, which is actually 8 days and 8 hours.

So, you’ll need 17,280 minutes, or exactly 12 days to watch both series from start to finish, so good luck!

Why is Naruto so long?

The primary reason why Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden were so long (although there are longer anime series) is that Naruto was a weekly manga, which means that it was meant to last as long as it was popular and as long as there were people who wanted to watch it.

Is Naruto completely finished?

Both Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden are fully completed series. Naruto aired its last episode in 2006, while Shippuden, the series that wrapped up Naruto’s story arc, aired its last episode back in 2017. Still, this does not mean that the stories involving Naruto Uzumaki are finished, as a sequel story focusing on Naruto’s son, Boruto, is currently airing in Japan and globally.