Naruto, one of the Big Three of the shonen anime, is often used as a template for many new shonen anime. It starts off with a very standard plot with a hard-working protagonist, but it soon delivers some of the best scenes and moments that we haven’t seen in decades.
There aren’t many fans who haven’t seen this masterpiece. However, if you happen to be one of the lucky ones who can still experience this story for the first time, this article is your final stop to understand the watch order.
What Is the Best Watch Order for Naruto?
There are about 720 episodes and 10 movies for you to watch, and the best approach is to follow the order in which the anime was released. This allows you to experience the anime the way Studio Pierrot intended. The table below is the perfect sequence for that.
| # | Title | Episodes / Year |
| 1 | Naruto | Episodes 1 – 101 |
| 2 | Movie 1: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow | 2004 |
| 3 | Naruto (cont.) | Episodes 102 – 160 |
| 4 | Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel | 2005 |
| 5 | Naruto (cont.) | Episodes 161 – 196 |
| 6 | Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom | 2006 |
| 7 | Naruto (cont.) | Episodes 197 – 220 |
| 8 | Naruto: Shippuden | Episodes 1 – 32 |
| 9 | Movie 4: Naruto Shippuden the Movie | 2007 |
| 10 | Naruto: Shippuden (cont.) | Episodes 33 – 71 |
| 11 | Movie 5: Shippuden the Movie: Bonds | 2008 |
| 12 | Naruto: Shippuden (cont.) | Episodes 72 – 121 |
| 13 | Movie 6: Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire | 2009 |
| 14 | Naruto: Shippuden (cont.) | Episodes 122 – 153 |
| 15 | Movie 7: Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower | 2010 |
| 16 | Naruto: Shippuden (cont.) | Episodes 154 – 196 |
| 17 | Movie 8: Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison | 2011 |
| 18 | Naruto: Shippuden (cont.) | Episodes 197 – 311 |
| 19 | Movie 9: Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie | 2012 |
| 20 | Naruto: Shippuden (cont.) | Episodes 312 – 493 |
| 21 | Movie 10: The Last: Naruto the Movie | 2014 |
| 22 | Naruto: Shippuden (finale) | Episodes 494 – 500 |
A Chronological Listing of All Naruto Arcs and Episodes
However, if you still prefer to watch it in chronological order, properly consuming every event the way it occurred, the following sections can be used for reference. First, we have the original 2002 anime.
Naruto (2002 – 2007)
This is the start of the story. We see Naruto at a young age, who has just started his journey into the dark and interesting world of Ninjas. Primarily, there are not many arcs. We got Chunin Exams, where the cast competes against each other. Then there is Konoha Crush that deals with Orochimaru. We end this anime with the conflicts regarding both Orochimaru and Sasuke.
| Arc | Episodes |
| Prologue — Land of Waves | 1 – 19 |
| Chūnin Exams | 20 – 67 |
| Konoha Crush | 68 – 80 |
| Search for Tsunade | 81 – 100 |
| Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi-Sensei’s True Face! | 101 |
| Land of Tea Escort Mission | 102 – 106 |
| Sasuke Recovery Mission | 107 – 135 |
| Land of Rice Fields Investigation | 136 – 141 |
| Mizuki Tracking Mission | 142 – 147 |
| Bikōchū Search Mission | 148 – 151 |
| Kurosuki Family Removal Mission | 152 – 157 |
| Follow My Lead! The Great Survival Challenge | 158 |
| Gosunkugi Capture Mission | 159 – 160 |
| The Appearance of Strange Visitors | 161 |
| Cursed Warrior Extermination Mission | 162 – 167 |
| Mix it, Stretch it, Boil it Up! Burn Copper Pot, Burn! | 168 |
| Kaima Capture Mission | 169 – 173 |
| Impossible! Celebrity Ninja Art: Money Style Jutsu! | 174 |
| Buried Gold Excavation Mission | 175 – 176 |
| Please, Mr. Postman! | 177 |
| Star Guard Mission | 178 – 183 |
| Kiba’s Long Day A Legend from the Hidden Leaf: The Onbaa! Laughing Shino | 184 – 186 |
| Peddlers Escort Mission | 187 – 191 |
| Ino Screams! Chubby Paradise! Viva Dojo Challenge! Youth is All About Passion! The Mysterious Curse of the Haunted Castle | 192 – 194 |
| Third Great Beast Arc | 195 – 196 |
| Konoha Plans Recapture Mission | 197 – 201 |
| The Top 5 Ninja Battles! | 202 |
| Yakumo Kurama Rescue Mission | 203 – 207 |
| The Weight of the Prized Artefact! | 208 |
| Gantetsu Escort Mission | 209 – 212 |
| Menma Memory Search Mission | 213 – 215 |
| Sunagakure Support Mission | 216 – 220 |
Kakashi Gaiden (Naruto Shippuden Episodes 119 – 120)
This is where many fans get confused, even if it’s just 2 episodes. This small arc is a flashback set during the Third Shinobi World War. It follows a young Kakashi with his teammates Obito and Rin on a mission under their teacher, Minato, who is also the father of Naruto.
These 2 episodes are one of the highlights of the entire anime. It shows how Kakashi got his Sharingan, and makes you wonder how he isn’t evil yet. Technically, they are set even before the original anime, but the manga treats them like a flashback.
Naruto: Shippuden (2007 – 2017)
Naruto is now all grown up and returns to Konoha after training. This arc takes many detours but eventually ends with a great ninja war and the moon people themselves. A lot of the fans make the mistake of starting this anime directly, as it is more action-heavy. However, the original Naruto is important to understand many aspects.
| Arc | Episodes |
| Kazekage Rescue Mission | 1 – 32 |
| Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission | 33 – 56 |
| Twelve Guardian Ninja Arc | 57 – 71 |
| Akatsuki Suppression Mission | 72 – 89 |
| Three-Tails’ Appearance | 91 – 112 |
| Itachi Pursuit Mission | 113 – 118, 121 – 126 |
| Kakashi Gaiden | 119 – 120 |
| Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant | 127 – 133 |
| Fated Battle Between Brothers | 134 – 143 |
| Six-Tails Unleashed | 144 – 151 |
| Pain’s Assault | 152 – 169, 172 – 175 |
| The Quest for the Fourth Hokage’s Legacy | 170 – 171 |
| Past Arc – The Locus of Konoha | 176 – 196 |
| Five Kage Summit | 197 – 214 |
| Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown | 215 – 222, 243 – 256 |
| Paradise Life on a Boat | 223 – 242 |
| Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation | 261 – 270, 272 – 278, 282 – 283, 296 – 302 |
| Road to Sakura | 271 |
| Power Arc | 290 – 295 |
| Prologue of Road to Ninja | 311 |
| Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax | 321 – 346, 362 – 375 |
| Kakashi’s Anbu Arc | 349 – 361 |
| Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki | 378 – 388, 391 – 393, 414 – 421, 424 – 431 |
| Hinata Childhood Arc | 389 – 390 |
| New Chūnin Exams Arc | 394 – 413 |
| Itachi Shinden: Light and Darkness | 451 – 458 |
| Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes | 459 – 468, 470 – 479 |
| Childhood Days | 480 – 483 |
| Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise | 484 – 488 |
| Shikamaru Hiden Arc | 489 – 493 |
| Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding | 494 – 500 |
Every Naruto Movie and How to Watch Them In Order
There are 10 movies across the Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden franchise. The first nine movies are non-canon side stories set at specific points in the timeline that are not concrete, though there is data that loosely sets them in the timeline. The final movie, however, is canonical.
1. Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (After Naruto Episode 101)
Team 7 is sent to escort a famous personality to the Land of Snow for a film shoot, only to discover she is the nation’s exiled princess. This movie is a fun adventure with amazing battle choreography and a good emotional hook.
2. Legend of the Stone of Gelel (After Naruto Episode 160)
Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sakura are dragged into a war that they didn’t sign up for over a mineral called the Stone of Gelel. The villain Temujin is a strong mirror to Naruto himself, making this one of the more thematically grounded early films.
3. Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (After Naruto Episode 196)
Team 7 escorts a spoiled prince home to the Land of the Moon, only to find a literal coup already in progress. This is the lightest film of the original first anime entries, carried largely by the Naruto-Lee dynamic.
4. Naruto Shippuden the Movie (After Shippuden Episode 32)
A priestess named Shion sees the future with Naruto’s death, and Naruto must escort her to stop a demon lord’s resurrection while refusing to accept the prophecy of his own end.
5. Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds (After Shippuden Episode 71)
The mysterious Land of Sky launches a surprise attack on the Hidden Leaf Village, and Naruto is dispatched with Sakura and Hinata to stop them. However, Sasuke appears as well. Though with entirely different motives.
6. Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire (After Shippuden Episode 121)
When shinobi with Kekkei Genkai begin disappearing all over the world, Kakashi, arguably the coolest anime sensei, steps forward to prevent a fourth great ninja war. This is a Kakashi-centric film with the series’ core themes of loyalty running through every scene.
7. Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower (After Shippuden Episode 153)
Naruto is sent 20 years into the past and ends up meeting with a young Minato Namikaze, his father, without being able to tell him who he is. This is really devastating, considering how much he wants to tell him. This is one of the most emotionally heavy movies in the franchise.
8. Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison (After Shippuden Episode 196)
Framed for the attempted assassination of the Raikage, Naruto is imprisoned and stripped of his chakra. This movie offers a more isolated story than most Naruto films, leaning into Sage Mode and solo problem-solving.
9. Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie (After Shippuden Episode 311)
Tobi traps Naruto and Sakura in a parallel world where their roles are reversed, Naruto’s deceased parents are alive, Sakura’s are gone, and every character is an inverted version of themselves. This, too, is one of the most emotionally rich films in the franchise.
10. The Last: Naruto the Movie (After Shippuden Episode 493)
This movie is set two years after the Fourth Shinobi World War. The moon is on a collision course with Earth, and Hinata has been kidnapped by the Otsutsuki clan’s descendant, Toneri. This is technically a love story, with Naruto finally confessing his love.
What to Skip and What Not To? The Fillers From the Anime Series
Between Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, there are roughly 294 filler episodes in total. That is nearly 40% of the entire franchise, which means not everything is necessary to watch if you want to stay canon. The tables below cover every filler entry with a clear watch or skip recommendation.
Naruto (2002 – 2007) Filler Guide
| Filler Arc / Episode | Episode Number | Recommendation |
| Recap of First 25 Episodes | 26 | Skip |
| Attempting to Recover Tsunade’s Debt | 97 | Skip |
| Trying to Discover Kakashi’s Face | 101 | Watch |
| Land of Tea Escort Mission | 102 – 106 | Skip |
| Land of Rice Fields Investigation Mission | 136 – 141 | Watch |
| Mizuki Tracking Mission | 142 – 147 | Skip |
| Bikōchū Search Mission | 148 – 151 | Watch |
| Kurosuki Family Removal Mission | 152 – 157 | Watch |
| Gosunkugi Capture Mission | 159 – 160 | Skip |
| Cursed Warrior Extermination Mission | 162 – 167 | Watch |
| Kaima Capture Mission | 169 – 173 | Watch |
| Daimyo Heir Escort Mission | 174 | Skip |
| Buried Gold Excavation Mission | 175 – 176 | Skip |
| Stopping the Courier Ninja | 177 | Skip |
| Star Guard Mission | 178 – 183 | Skip |
| Kiba, Naruto, and Shino One-Off Episodes | 184 – 186 | Skip |
| Peddlers Escort Mission | 187 – 191 | Watch |
| Ino’s Princess Disguise Mission | 192 | Skip |
| Rock Lee’s Dojo Challenge | 193 | Skip |
| Daimyo’s Wife Search Mission | 194 | Skip |
| Third Great Beast Arc | 195 – 196 | Watch |
| Konoha Plans Recapture Mission | 197 – 201 | Watch |
| Recap of Top Five Battles | 202 | Skip |
| Yakumo Kurama Rescue Mission | 203 – 207 | Skip |
| Prized Artifact Escort Mission | 208 | Skip |
| Gantetsu Escort Mission | 209 – 212 | Watch |
| Menma Memory Search Mission | 213 – 215 | Watch |
| Sunagakure Support Mission | 216 – 220 | Watch |
Naruto: Shippuden (2007 – 2017) Filler Guide
| Filler Arc / Episode | Episode Number | Recommendation |
| Twelve Guardian Ninja Arc | 57 – 71 | Watch |
| Three-Tails’ Appearance | 91 – 112 | Skip |
| Six-Tails Unleashed | 144 – 151 | Watch |
| The Quest for the Fourth Hokage’s Legacy | 170 – 171 | Skip |
| Past Arc: The Locus of Konoha | 176 – 196 | Watch (selectively) |
| Paradise Life on a Boat | 223 – 242 | Skip |
| Sasuke and Naruto Flashbacks | 257 – 260 | Skip |
| Road to Sakura | 271 | Skip |
| One-off Filler Episodes | 279 – 281 | Skip |
| The Helmet Splitter: Jinin Akebino! | 284 | Watch |
| The User of the Scorch Style: Pakura of the Sand! | 285 | Watch |
| Tsunade and Raikage | 286 – 287 | Skip |
| Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist | 288 – 289 | Watch |
| Power Arc | 290 – 295 | Skip |
| The Sound 4 | 303 – 305 | Watch |
| The Heart’s Eye | 306 | Watch |
| Hayate and Yūgao | 307 – 308 | Skip |
| The A-Rank Mission: Food Fight | 309 – 310 | Skip |
| Prologue of Road to Ninja | 311 | Watch (before Road to Ninja) |
| Guy and Lee | 312 | Watch (for fans of the duo) |
| Yota | 313 – 315 | Skip |
| Torune | 316 – 317 | Watch |
| A Hole in the Heart: The Other Jinchūriki | 318 | Watch |
| The Soul Living Inside the Puppet | 319 | Skip |
| Run, Omoi | 320 | Skip |
| Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato Flashback | 347 – 348 | Watch |
| Kakashi’s Anbu Arc | 349 – 361 | Watch |
| Naruto vs. Mecha Naruto | 376 – 377 | Skip |
| Hinata and Hanabi Childhood | 389 – 390 | Watch |
| New Chūnin Exams | 394 – 413 | Skip |
| The Formation of Team Minato | 416 – 417 | Watch |
| Hinata and Hanabi’s Childhood II | 422 – 423 | Skip |
| The Infinite Tsukuyomi | 427 – 450 | Skip |
| Shinobi History | 464 – 468 | Watch |
| Kakashi’s Face Reveal (Special Episode) | 469 | Watch |
| Childhood Days | 480 – 483 | Watch |
| Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise | 484 – 488 | Watch |
| Shikamaru Hiden Arc | 489 – 493 | Watch |
| Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding | 494 – 500 | Watch |
Where to Watch the Complete Naruto Franchise?
Both Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden are actually widely available in 2026. Crunchyroll is the best option, as it carries all 720 episodes of both series plus all 10 movies. On the other hand, Hulu streams both series in full but offers a limited movie selection.
| TITLE | Naruto | Naruto Shippuden |
| RELEASE DATE | Oct 3, 2002 | Feb 15, 2007 |
| MAL RATING (As of June 28, 2026) | 8.02 / 10 | 8.29 / 10 |
| STUDIO | Studio Pierrot | Studio Pierrot |
Are you excited to start your journey with Naruto? Let us know in the comments.
Naruto is streaming on Crunchyroll
