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. 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). Besides the two anime series, there are 11 movies and 12 original video animations (OVAs).
Since this is a fairly large amount of material for someone to go through without any prior knowledge, we have sorted it all for you and made the ultimate Naruto watch order!
Naruto chronological watch order (at a glance)
Here is a chronological overview of the complete Naruto franchise, including the anime series, the anime feature films, and the OVA films. In this section, we are going to start from episode one of the Naruto anime and then tell you how you should watch all the material. This section is going to include all of the episodes and additional materials, fillers included. Now, let us begin with the Naruto chronological watch order:
- Watch Naruto episodes 1 – 5
- Watch Find the Four-Leaf Red Clover! (OVA episode)
- Watch Naruto episodes 6 – 19.
- Watch Naruto: The Cross Roads (OVA episode)
- Watch Naruto episodes 20 – 101
- Watch Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village! (OVA episode)
- Watch Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
- Watch Naruto episodes 102 – 160
- Watch Naruto the Movie: The Legend of the Stone of Gelel
- Watch Naruto episodes 161 – 196
- Watch Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom
- Watch Naruto episodes 197 – 220
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 1 – 32
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden the Movie
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 32 – 71
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden the Movie: Bonds
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 72 – 126
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 127 – 143
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 144 – 196
- Watch Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 197 – 219
- Watch Chunin Exam on Fire! Naruto vs. Konohamaru! (OVA episode)
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 220 – 251
- Watch Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 252 – 483
- (Read Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky; technically not an anime arc, but it’s worth a read)
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 489 – 493
- Watch The Last: Naruto the Movie
- (Read Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze; technically not an anime arc, but it’s worth a read)
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 494 – 500
- (Read Gaara Hiden: A Sandstorm Mirage; technically not an anime arc, but it’s worth a read)
- (Read Akatsuki Hiden: Evil Flowers in Full Bloom; technically not an anime arc, but it’s worth a read)
- Watch Naruto: Shippuden episodes 484 – 488
- Watch The Day Naruto Became Hokage (OVA episode)
- Watch Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (just follow the regular release order for now)
As you can see, not every OVA episode is listed here, and we didn’t put the Boruto movie as well, which means that you can watch them at any time since we couldn’t really determine their exact place in the chronology. Sometimes, though, they don’t even have one. Now, let’s take a deeper look at the detailly explained Naruto watch order.
How to watch the Naruto franchise? (detailly explained)
Naruto series watch order by release date
The whole Naruto anime franchise consists of three large segments – Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. The first two segments follow Naruto Uzumaki’s path, while the latter one follows his son, Boruto.
Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden have since been completed with a total of 720 episodes (220 for Naruto, and 500 for Naruto: Shippuden), while Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is currently ongoing with 242 episodes aired as of April 6, 2022. In this section, we are going to list the narrative arcs for each of the three segments so that you can find your way around the franchise:
Naruto (2002-2007)
| Arc # | Arc Title | Episodes | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Prologue — Land of Waves Arc” | 1-19 | 1 |
| 2 | “Chūnin Exams” | 20-67 | 1 / 2 |
| 3 | “Konoha Crush” | 68-80 | 2 |
| 4 | “Search for Tsunade” | 81-100 | 2 |
| N/A | “Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi-Sensei’s True Face!” | 101 | 3 |
| 6 | “Land of Tea Escort Mission” | 102-106 | 3 |
| 7 | “Sasuke Recovery Mission” | 107-135 | 3 |
| 8 | “Land of Rice Fields Investigation Mission” | 136-141 | 3 |
| 9 | “Mizuki Tracking Mission” | 142-147 | 4 |
| 10 | “Bikōchū Search Mission” | 148-151 | 4 |
| 11 | “Kurosuki Family Removal Mission” | 152-157 | 4 |
| N/A | “Follow My Lead! The Great Survival Challenge” | 158 | 4 |
| 12 | “Gosunkugi Capture Mission” | 159-160 | 4 |
| N/A | “The Appearance of Strange Visitors” | 161 | 4 |
| 13 | “Cursed Warrior Extermination Mission” | 162-167 | 4 |
| N/A | “Mix It, Stretch It, Boil It Up! Burn, Copper Pot, Burn!” | 168 | 4 |
| 14 | “Kaima Capture Mission” | 169-173 | 4 |
| N/A | “Impossible! Celebrity Ninja Art – Money Style Jutsu!” | 174 | 4 |
| 15 | “Buried Gold Excavation Mission” | 175-176 | 4 |
| N/A | “Please, Mr. Postman!” | 177 | 4 |
| 16 | “Star Guard Mission” | 178-183 | 4 |
| N/A | “Kiba’s Long Day!” | 184 | 5 |
| N/A | “A Legend from the Hidden Leaf: The Onbaa!” | 185 | 5 |
| N/A | “Laughing Shino” | 186 | 5 |
| 17 | “Peddlers Escort Mission” | 187-191 | 5 |
| N/A | “Ino Screams! Chubby Paradise!” | 192 | 5 |
| N/A | “Viva Dojo Challenge! Youth Is All About Passion!” | 193 | 5 |
| N/A | “The Mysterious Curse of the Haunted Castle” | 194 | 5 |
| 18 | “Third Great Beast” | 195-196 | 5 |
| 19 | “Konoha Plans Recapture Mission” | 197-201 | 5 |
| N/A | “The Top 5 Ninja Battles” | 202 | 5 |
| 20 | “Yakumo Kurama Rescue Mission” | 203-207 | 5 |
| N/A | “The Weight of the Prized Artifact!” | 208 | 5 |
| 21 | “Gantetsu Escort Mission” | 209-212 | 5 |
| 22 | “Menma Memory Search Mission” | 213-215 | 5 |
| 23 | “Sunagakure Support Mission” | 216-220 | 5 |
Naruto: Shippuden (2007-2017)
| Arc # | Arc Title | Episodes | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Kazekage Rescue Mission” | 1-32 | 1 |
| 2 | “Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission” | 33-53 | 2 |
| 3 | “Twelve Guardian Ninja” | 54-71 | 3 |
| 4 | “Akatsuki Suppression Mission” | 72-88 | 4 |
| 5 | “Three-Tails’ Appearance” | 89-112 | 5 |
| 6 | “Itachi Pursuit Mission” | 113- 118, 121-126 | 6 |
| N/A | “Kakashi Chronicles ~ Boys’ Life on the Battlefield ~ Part 1 and Part 2” | 119-120 | 6 |
| 7 | “Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant” | 127-133 | 6 |
| 8 | “Fated Battle Between Brothers” | 134-143 | 6 |
| 9 | “Six-Tails Unleashed” | 144-151 | 7 |
| 10 | “Pain’s Assault” | 152-169, 172-175 | 8 |
| N/A | “Big Adventure! The Quest for the Fourth Hokage’s Legacy – Part 1 and Part 2” | 170-171 | 8 |
| 11 | “Past Arc: The Locus of Konoha” | 176-196 | 9 |
| 12 | “Five Kage Summit” | 197-214 | 10 |
| 13 | “Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown” | 215-222, 243-256 | 10 / 11 / 12 |
| 14 | “Paradise Life on a Boat” | 223-242 | 11 |
| N/A | “Meeting” | 257 | 12 |
| N/A | “Rivals” | 258 | 12 |
| N/A | “Rift” | 259 | 12 |
| N/A | “Parting” | 260 | 12 |
| 15 | “Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation” | 261-270, 272-289, 296-310, 312-321 | 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 |
| N/A | “Road to Sakura” | 271 | 12 |
| 16 | “Power” | 290-295 | 13 |
| N/A | “Prologue of Road to Ninja” | 311 | 14 |
| 17 | “Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax” | 322-348, 362-375 | 15 / 17 |
| 18 | “Kakashi’s Anbu Arc: The Shinobi That Lives in the Darkness” | 349-361 | 16 |
| N/A | “The Directive to Take the Nine-Tails!” | 376 | 17 |
| N/A | “Naruto vs. Mecha Naruto” | 377 | 17 |
| 19 | “Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki” | 378-388, 391-393, 414-421, 424-431 | 18 / 20 |
| N/A | “The Adored Elder Sister” | 389 | 18 |
| N/A | “Hanabi’s Decision” | 390 | 18 |
| 20 | “In Naruto’s Footsteps: The Friends’ Paths” | 394-413 | 19 |
| N/A | “The Ones Who Will Inherit” | 422 | 20 |
| N/A | “Naruto’s Rival” | 423 | 20 |
| 21 | “Jiraiya Shinobi Handbook: The Tale of Naruto the Hero” | 432-450 | 20 |
| 22 | “Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes” | 451, 455, 458-468, 470-479 | 20 |
| 23 | “Itachi Shinden Book: Light and Darkness” | 452-454, 456-457 | 20 |
| N/A | “A Special Mission” | 469 | 20 |
| 24 | “Childhood” | 480-483 | 21 |
| 25 | “Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise” | 484-488 | 21 |
| 26 | “Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness” | 489-493 | 21 |
| 27 | “Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding” | 494-500 | 21 |
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017-ongoing)
| Arc # | Arc Title | Episodes | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Academy Entrance Arc” | 1-15 | 1 |
| N/A | “Crisis: The Threat of Failing!” | 16 | 1 |
| N/A | “Run, Sarada!” | 17 | 1 |
| N/A | “A Day in the Life of the Uzumaki Family” | 18 | 1 |
| 2 | “Sarada Uchiha Arc” | 19-24 | 1 |
| 3 | “School Trip Arc” | 25-32 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Super Beast Scroll Slump!” | 33 | 1 |
| 4 | “Graduation Exams Arc” | 34-37 | 1 |
| N/A | “Formation of the Three-Man Squad?” | 38 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Path Lit by the Full Moon” | 39 | 1 |
| 5 | “Genin Mission Arc” | 40-42 | 1 |
| 6 | “Byakuya Gang Arc” | 43-47 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Genin Documentary” | 48 | 1 |
| N/A | “Wasabi and Namida” | 49 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Chunin Exams: The Recommendation Meeting” | 50 | 1 |
| 7 | “Versus Momoshiki Arc” | 51-66 | 1 |
| 8 | “Chōchō Arc” | 67-69 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Other Side of Anxiety” | 70 | 1 |
| 9 | “Mitsuki’s Disappearance Arc” | 71-92 | 1 |
| 10 | “Parent and Child Day Arc” | 93-95 | 1 |
| N/A | “Blood, Sweat, and Namida” | 96 | 1 |
| N/A | “Shikadai’s Decision” | 97 | 1 |
| 11 | “Jūgo Arc” | 98-103 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Little Roommate” | 104 | 1 |
| N/A | “A Wound on the Heart” | 105 | 1 |
| 12 | “Steam Ninja Scrolls Arc” | 106-111 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Chunin Selection Conference” | 112 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Qualities of a Captain” | 113 | 1 |
| N/A | “X Cards Proxy War!” | 114 | 1 |
| N/A | “Team 25” | 115 | 1 |
| 13 | “Konohamaru’s Love Arc” | 116-119 | 1 |
| 14 | “One-Tail Escort Arc” | 120-126 | 1 |
| N/A | “Make-Out Tactics” | 127 | 1 |
| 15 | “Time Slip Arc” | 128-136 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Samurai Exchange Student” | 137 | 1 |
| N/A | “Hiashi’s Birthday” | 138 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Terror! Enko Onikuma” | 139 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Mind Transfer Jutsu that Lost to Potato Chips” | 140 | 1 |
| 16 | “Mujina Bandits Arc” | 141-151 | 1 |
| N/A | “Developing One’s Medical Ninjutsu” | 152 | 1 |
| N/A | “Harmony in Gold” | 153 | 1 |
| N/A | “Himawari’s Ninja Trial Session” | 154 | 1 |
| N/A | “Mitsuki’s Rainy Day” | 155 | 1 |
| N/A | “I Can’t Stay in My Slim Form” | 156 | 1 |
| 17 | “Kara Actuation Arc” | 157-175 | 1 |
| N/A | “Blockade the A-Un Gate!” | 176 | 1 |
| N/A | “The Iron Wall’s Sensing System” | 177 | 1 |
| 18 | “Ao Arc” | 178-187 | 1 |
| 19 | “Kawaki Arc” | 188- | 1 |
Naruto movies watch order by release date
In this section, we are going to discuss the anime feature length movies that are part of the Naruto franchise. Although we have already written a complete chronological watch order for Naruto movies, since this is a complete guide to the whole franchise, we have decided to give you a short summary of that article here.
In total, there are 11 movies within the Naruto franchise as of June 2021. Ten of these movies are focused on Naruto (i.e., they are related to either Naruto or Naruto: Shippuden), while the eleventh one is a Boruto-related movie. In this section, we are just going to give you a list of the 10 Naruto movies and a short summary of the Boruto movie, since we have not done that in the above-mentioned earlier article. The movies are listed by their respective release dates:
- Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (2004)
- Legend of the Stone of Gelel (2005)
- Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (2006)
- Naruto Shippuden the Movie (2007)
- Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire (2009)
- Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds (2008)
- Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower (2010)
- Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison (2011)
- Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie (2012)
- The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014)
- Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015)
Naruto OVA by release date
Along with the main anime series and the eleven movies, the Naruto franchise comprises of 11 special OVA episodes that have been aired from 2002 to 2016. The OVA episodes here are listed by their release date, as we are going to discuss their chronology later in this article. These are the OVA episodes:
- Find the Crimson Four-Leaf Clover! (2002)
- Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village! (2003)
- Konoha Annual Sports Festival. (2004)
- Finally a clash! Jonin VS Genin!! Indiscriminate grand melee tournament meeting!! (2005)
- Hurricane! “Konoha Academy” Chronicles (2008)
- Naruto: The Cross Roads (2009)
- Naruto x UT (2011)
- Chūnin Exam on Fire! Naruto vs. Konohamaru! (2011)
- Hashirama Senju vs. Madara Uchiha (2012)
- Naruto Shippūden: Sunny Side Battle!!! (2014)
- The Day Naruto Became Hokage (2016)
Naruto franchise fillers
We at Fiction Horizon have already done a detailed analysis of the Naruto fillers. You can check out our guide to the Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden fillers, our guide to the Boruto fillers, and also our guide on which Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden fillers are worth the watch.
Do you need to watch Naruto anime in order?
It would be best to watch the complete Naruto anime in order, including OVA episodes and movies. You can skip filler, but if you like the anime, you will decide to watch them as well.
Will there be more Naruto in the future?
Naruto has been finished in its 22nd season after being on television for nearly 15 years. Unfortunately, for now, we don’t think Naruto is coming back and there are certainly no official words about its return.
