by Naruto 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:
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.
Naruto (2002-2007) Watching Order
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 |
| Total Episodes | 500 |
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.
