Naruto is one of the most well-known anime series in the whole world; it’s so popular that almost everyone recommends it as a starting point for new anime watchers. It’s one of the best anime shows out there, without a doubt, but it’s also quite long, which is why I have created this Naruto watch order guide to help you!
The entire Naruto series ran for an astounding 720 episodes, and then there were movies, specials, and OVAs for die-hard fans.
Thanks to the insane number of episodes, the series could focus on multiple characters and their development rather than just on the main characters. This allowed the show to explore various storylines in great detail and not skip important plot points.
However, due to the large number of episodes, there were also a lot of filler episodes that virtually added no value to the main storyline!
That’s one of the reasons why I decided to create this guide and tell you exactly how to watch Naruto in order. It’s one of the longest and highest-grossing shonen anime series out there, and if you’ve got the time and commitment to watch the show, it’s absolutely worth it!
How to Watch Naruto In Order?
The entire show is divided into two parts, each containing multiple story arcs. The first part is Naruto, consisting of 220 episodes, while the second part is Naruto Shippuden, consisting of 500 episodes in total.
And then there’s the Boruto series as well, which focuses on the next generation of shinobis.
So, what’s the best order to watch the Naruto series? Let’s have a look!
1. Release Order
- Naruto (2002-07)
- Naruto: Shippuden (2007-17)
- Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017)
2. Naruto Movies In Order
- Naruto Movie 1: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (2004)
- Naruto Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel (2005)
- Naruto Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (2006)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie 1 (2007)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie 2: Bonds (2008)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie 3: The Will of Fire (2009)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie 4: The Lost Tower (2010)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie 5: Blood Prison (2011)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie 6: Road to Ninja (2012)
- The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014)
- Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015)
3. Naruto Specials
- Naruto: Find the Crimson Four-leaf Clover! (2003)
- Naruto: The Lost Story – Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village (2003)
- Hidden Leaf Village Grand Sports Festival (2004)
- Naruto: The Cross Roads (2009)
- Naruto: Shippuden – Sunny Side Battle (2013)
- Boruto: Naruto the Movie – The Day Naruto Became the Hokage (2016)
- Boruto: Jump Festa 2016 Special (2016)
4. OVAs
- Naruto Narutimate Hero 3: Tsuini Gekitotsu! Jounin vs. Genin!! Musabetsu Dairansen Taikai Kaisai!! (2005)
- Naruto x UT (2011)
5. Spin-Offs
- NARUTO Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals (2012)
These are all the episodes, movies, specials, OVAs, and spin-offs that comprise the entire Naruto series. If you want to watch them as is, you can go ahead without wasting a moment.
I personally recommend you watch the main storyline, Naruto, followed by Naruto Shippuden. Then, you can take your time watching the movies or specials because they don’t contribute anything significant to the main story.
However, if you want to go the hard way and watch the Naruto series in chronological order, I’ve got you covered there as well. Check out the below section, and you can go through the series according to the events’ chronology.
How to Watch the Naruto Series in Chronological Order?
The number of episodes you’ll have to watch is insane, but the series is pretty straightforward and does not have confusing story arcs.
Once you start watching the show, you’ll be hooked because the author introduces plot points that will intrigue you, and you’ll want to watch more to discover what happens next. And ultimately, you’ll want to know how the story ends.
So, if you want to watch every title – movies, specials, and spin-offs included – in the franchise, here’s the ultimate Naruto watch order guide for you!
Naruto (2002-2007)
- Episodes 1-5
- Find the Four-Leaf Red Clover! (OVA)
- Episodes 6-19
- Naruto: The Cross Roads (OVA)
- Episodes 20-101
- Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village! (OVA)
- Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (Movie)
- Episodes 102-160
- Naruto the Movie: The Legend of the Stone of Gelel (Movie)
- Episodes 161-196
- Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (Movie)
- Episodes 197-220
Naruto Shippuden (2007-2017)
- Episodes 1-32
- Naruto Shippuden the Movie (Movie)
- Episodes 32-71
- Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds (Movie)
- Episodes 72-126
- Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire (Movie)
- Episodes 127-143
- Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower (Movie)
- Episodes 144-196
- Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison (Movie)
- Episodes 197-219
- Chunin Exam on Fire! Naruto vs. Konohamaru! (OVA)
- Episode 220-251
- Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie (Movie)
- Sunny Side Battle (OVA)
- Ninja Escapades (OVA)
- Episodes 252-493
- The Last: Naruto the Movie (Movie)
- Episodes 494-500
- The Day Naruto Became Hokage (OVA)
- Boruto: Naruto the Movie (Movie)
Naruto Watch Order: Should You Watch the OVAs and Specials?
Several OVAs and Specials were released while the show was on air, but these OVAs feature side stories. They don’t feature anything from the main storyline, but at times, their events have a certain impact on the main story, so it’s a good idea to watch them.
However, if you aren’t interested in watching any OVAs or Specials, that’s okay because you won’t miss anything in the main story.
The only OVA I recommend you watch is The Day Naruto Became the Hokage (2016) because this is the moment we all have been waiting for.
As much as I hate what happened to Naruto Uzumaki on the most important day of his life in this OVA, and I hate the author for doing that, I recommend you watch and form your own opinions on it!
Naruto Filler Episodes – Should You Watch Them?
One of the biggest issues with a long-running anime show is that it’s littered with filler episodes. These episodes feature a story that has nothing to do with the main story, and they are often released while crucial events are taking place in the anime.
This happens when the events in the anime catch up to the events in the manga, so the anime starts releasing filler episodes to allow the manga to advance the story.
So, if you were watching the show while it was airing, you had no choice but to watch the filler episodes, but that’s not the case right now.
The Naruto series has concluded, and you can completely ignore the filler episodes and binge-watch the canon episodes without breaking the flow of the main storyline!
As part of the Naruto watch order guide, I have listed all the filler episodes in both the parts that you can skip without remorse:
- Naruto (2002) – Episodes 26, 97, 99, 101-106, 136-219
- Naruto Shippuden (2007) – Episodes 57-71, 90-112, 144-151, 170-171, 176-196, 223-242, 257-260, 271, 279-281, 284-295, 303-320, 347-361, 376-377, 389-390, 394-413, 416, 422-423, 427-450, 464-469, 480-483
What’s Next?
Once you finish all the 720 episodes and all the Naruto movies, you will feel either satisfied with the epic journey and the incredible adventure you just witnessed, or you will crave more action in the world of shinobis!
If it’s the latter and you want to watch more of the world of ninjas, you can start watching Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, which focuses on the next generation of ninjas, i.e., the children of the cast of the Naruto series.
Of course, you won’t see Naruto much in this particular show, but he makes several appearances in significant events.
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