One thing that frustrates most shonen anime fans is filler arcs. According to fans, they serve no purpose to the overarching story and usually aren't entertaining enough to watch.

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It's common practice for anime companies to create filler arcs to avoid catching up to the manga. They want to avoid spoiling the material and keep viewers watching as much as possible. They can be seen as "omake" or extra chapters, similar to the ones spotted in many shonen manga. One may argue that movies that stem from their original anime are seen as "filler" but still manage to draw crowds and create hype.

9 Dragon Ball Has Been An Anime Icon Since The '80s (141)

Top left image features a smiling Goku from Dragon Ball; bottom left image features an adult Goku and Vegeta from Dragon Ball; right image features a promo image for Dragon Ball

Even with 806 episodes across five series, Dragon Ball only has a total of 141 reported filler episodes. It still has fewer filler arcs than Naruto and its Shippuden sequel, despite having more episodes altogether.

Dragon Ball has remained a cultural staple in the anime community, almost thirty years after its manga's ending. The Dragon Ball community has given the show a lot of love over the years, and it has been the inspiration for countless battle-oriented shonen anime that aired afterward.

8 Fairy Tail Had Very Few Fillers During Its 10-Year Runtime (61)

Images feature promo images for Fairy Tail

Compared to other anime that aired in the 2010s, Fairy Tail had only 61 filler episodes out of its entire series. It began airing in 2009 and ran until 2019, with a 9-episode OVA series and two movies released during its runtime.

Even with the Big Three releasing episodes around the same time—despite Bleach and Naruto ending in 2012 and 2017, respectively—Fairy Tail still managed to gain a following of loyal fans. Its sequel manga, 100 Years Quest, has been greenlit for an anime adaptation.

7 One Piece Has The Least Filler Episodes Out Of The Big Three (94)

Top left and bottom images feature promo images for One Piece; top right image features Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Franky, Sanji, Brook, and Usopp wearing happi coats from One Piece

One Piece has the least amount of fillers out of the Big Three, with only 94 filler episodes in total. Considering that it's still running, it now has more episodes than Naruto and Bleach combined.

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The anime has been running since 1999 and is close to reaching its 1000th episode in a few short weeks. At the moment, there hasn't been news of an ending to the Straw Hat Pirates' action-packed journey, so fans can sit back and continue enjoying One Piece for the new year or so.

6 My Hero Academia's Filler Count Is Surprisingly Low (4)

Top and bottom images feature promo images for My Hero Academia; top right image features Izuku "Deku" Midoriya fighting from My Hero Academia

Since its debut in 2016, My Hero Academia has established itself amongst modern-day battle anime. The anime has a highly dedicated fanbase and continues to grow more popular with each season. Fans are excited to see Deku and his 1-A classmates during their journey to become professional heroes.

There's no shortage of manga-related discussions and debates across social media platforms as new chapters come out. Out of the 113 episodes that have aired so far, only 4 are reportedly filler episodes. Most of the content shown in the anime is an adaptation from its manga.

5 The 2011 Hunter x Hunter Reboot Adapted Most Of Its Manga To A T (2)

Top left image features Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck from Hunter x Hunter; bottom left image features a promo image from Hunter x Hunter ; right image features Gon Freecss, Killua Zoldyck, and Biscuit Krueger from Hunter x Hunter

Most anime fans may not know Yoshihiro Togashi's Hunter x Hunter has two anime adaptations. The first one aired in 1999, five years after the creator's other popular anime, YuYu Hakusho. It only had 62 episodes and faithfully adapted its manga source, but its distributor reduced the violence to appeal to younger audiences.

Twelve years later, in 2011, a more accurate, uncensored Hunter x Hunter adaptation aired and managed to capture new anime fans' attention with more than double the episode count. Most fans think of the 2011 reboot when discussing Hunter x Hunter. Out of the 148 episodes aired, Hunter x Hunter only has two reported filler episodes.

4 Kuroko's Basketball Is An Intense Basketball Anime Worth Watching (0)

Left image features a promo image of Kuroko's Basketball; bottom left image features Taiga Kagami and Tetsuya Kuroko with the Generation of Miracles from Kuroko's Basketball; right image features Tetsuya Kuroko with the Seirin High basketball team from Kuroko's Basketball

Debuting in 2012, Kuroko's Basketball blew up in the anime community, adding a unique aspect to basketball-themed sports anime. Unlike Slam Dunk, which focuses on a delinquent joining his school's basketball team, Kuroko's Basketball centers around Tetsuya Kuroko, the "shadow" of Teiko Middle School's elites known as the "Generation of Miracles." After graduation, the legendary team disbanded and moved to different high school teams.

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Tetsuya finds himself at Seirin High School, meeting a transfer student from the U.S.: Taiga Kagami. Taiga also has a background in basketball, and Tetsuya senses his great potential. He's confident that he can rival the Generation of Miracles in future tournaments. The anime has 75 episodes, 3 OVAs, a compilation movie trilogy, and a sequel film, but there are no reported filler episodes.

3 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Has No Fillers To Report (0)

Left image features Josuke Higashikata from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Season 4; top right image features Jotaro Kujo and the other characters from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Season 3; bottom right image features Jotaro Kujo and his stand from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Season 3

JoJo's Bizzare Adventure began airing in 1993 as a 13-part OVA series, including its 2000 prequel, an official adaptation airing almost twenty years later. Since 2012, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure continued to charm fans with its lengthy but action-packed episodes and colorful characters.

Throughout its long-running history, the entire anime has had no reported filler episodes. Every episode has been adapted from its manga source.

2 Haikyu!! Fans Go All Out For Their Favorite Even After Its Ending (0)

Top left and right images feature promo images of the Karasuno High School volleyball team from Haikyū!!; bottom image features Shoyo Hinata and Yū Nishinoya cheering from Haikyū!!

Haikyu!! has become one of the most popular sports anime of the modern age. The story follows Shoyo Hinata, a bright-eyed freshman who uses his speed to compensate for his diminutive height; he's determined to compete alongside his new volleyball team at the elite Karasuno High School.

After six years of runtime, the fanbase does what it can to keep Haikyu!!'s memory alive even after its ending in 2020. The anime has 85 episodes, 5 OVAs, and four movies, which is longer than most modern-day sports anime. However, there are no reported filler episodes.

1 Attack On Titan Has Yet To Stray From Its Manga (0)

Top left image features Even Yeager, Armin Arlert, Levi and Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan holding their blades; top right image features the Survey Corps from Attack on Titan saluting; bottom image features Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan facing the Colossal Titan

It would be odd for a series as intense as Attack on Titan to sprinkle a few filler arcs to pad its episode count. Out of its 75 aired episodes, the entire manga has been adapted into the anime.

The anime debuted in 2013, taking the anime community by storm with its severe and action-packed storyline. It started as humanity's struggle to survive amongst the man-eating giants known as Titans. Still, the story slowly reveals a mysterious, more sinister past to which none of the characters was privy.

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