Filler episodes tend to have a contentious relationship with anime watchers. When utilized poorly, they dilute their title's product with a watered-down, lesser-quality version of its normal content while delaying the show's narrative for a dissatisfying amount of time. However, that isn't always the case, as some series have proven that non-canonical additions to the anime can be a blessing, rather than a curse.
Some series have chosen to sprinkle in filler episodes, breaking up their core narrative with brief pit-stops to provide a breather. Others have instead introduced entire filler arcs, often buying themselves time while their respective manga releases more content. Regardless of the reasoning, there are plenty of examples where these types of episodes are worth watching.
10 Goku And Piccolo Get Their Licenses During "Goku's Ordeal"
The Dragon Ball franchise has never relied too heavily upon filler episodes, but on the few occasions when it has released anime-only content, it usually hits the mark. One of the most iconic filler episodes of all time, "Goku's Ordeal," was released during the Trunks Saga, giving a reprieve from the break-neck pace of Dragon Ball Z.
Just before the Androids make their presence on Earth known, Chi-Chi requests that Goku and Piccolo go get their driver's licenses so that they can help her bring back groceries from town. What ensues is a hilarious set of hijinks that perfectly captures why Goku, Piccolo, and the Z Fighters are best left to their own devices.
9 The Gintama Handcuff Episode Doesn't Seem Like Filler
Gintama has proven its excellence time and time again, and that trend doesn't fall short of extending to its anime. While the series' lack of traditional serialization makes filler episodes feel less distinct from their canonical counterparts, episodes like "Two Is Better Than One. Two People Are Better Than One" would be fantastic, regardless of their context.
This episode follows Gintoki as he accidentally handcuffs himself to ever-uptight Hijikata. What follows next is a hilarious string of events that showcases exactly what makes Gintama such a well-regarded title: its stellar comedy.
8 "Toys In The Attic" Turns Cowboy Bebop Into Classic Horror
"Toys in the Attic" and its status as filler are fairly polarizing, but given its lack of impact and unbelievably self-contained plot, it feels safe to qualify it as such. The episode follows the crew of the Bebop as they are pitted against an odd, blob-like creature that has invaded the ship, creating an adventure that is clearly a nod to other fictional works like Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and others.
Over-the-top acting, a fantastic premise, and wonderful writing make this one of the more notable episodes in all Cowboy Bebop. Spike, Jet, Faye, and Ed each get their due, and by its end, "Toys in the Attic" stakes its claim as one of the best parody episodes in anime history.
7 My Hero Academia's "Everyone's Internships" Sheds Some Much-Needed Light On A Beloved Character
My Hero Academia is one of the most popular anime of the 21st century for good reason. It embodies a lot of the aspects that represent the appeal of modern shonen media. Izuku Midoriya's adventures are efficiently presented, seasonally released, and for the most part, lack filler. However, that isn't to say that non-canon episodes like "Everyone's Internships" aren't worth checking out.
While Deku is in the hospital after taking on Hero Killer Stain, he ponders how the rest of Class 1-A's internships are going, providing an excellent opportunity to showcase some of the series' best secondary characters. In particular, Froppy gets plenty of spotlight as she adventures with two characters, Selkie and Sirius, who would eventually become canonical additions to the manga.
6 Fairy Tails' "Changeling" Plays With The Classic Body-Switch Trope
It's not exactly common for an anime to start introducing filler episodes early on in its run, but if they were all as enjoyable as Fairy Tail's 19th episode, "Changeling," it might not be so bad. Although the body-switching trope isn't the most original concept ever, it does have the potential to generate some hilarious comedic bits, as is the case in this instance.
Each of the pairings created by this switch is well-thought-out, yet one seems to be a clear cut above the rest in terms of comedy, Happy and Erza. Watching the ever-serious Erza prance around in the adorable body of Happy and vice-versa is a dynamic that deserves to return to Fairy Tail at some point.
5 G-8 Holds Up To One Piece's Storytelling Standards
Despite sitting at over 1000 total episodes, One Piece doesn't have too much filler, with only 95 anime-only episodes in total. When Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hats do occasionally take off for non-canon adventures, fans are often rewarded with high-quality mini-arcs like that of the G-8 saga.
In this arc, rather than plopping down in the open ocean after Skypeia, the Straw Hat Pirates instead land in well-fortified marine base G-8. Episode 206, "So Long, Marine Base! The Final Battle For Freedom," sees the exciting conclusion of these events as the Straw Hats narrowly escape the grasp of a Marine vice admiral, wrapping up what legitimately feels like a canonical addition to the series.
4 The Kakashi Face Reveal Episodes Are Comedy Gold
A running gag throughout the Naruto series is Kakashi Hatake's mask and, more importantly, what it hides. Although very little confirmation on the topic comes in the way of canonical material, two different anime-only episodes focus on it, one of which even shows the face of the "Copycat Ninja" quite clearly.
The 101st episode of the original Naruto series revolves around Team 7's attempts to unmask their sensei. Unfortunately for them, the wielder of the Sharingan was able to skirt their efforts, leading to hilarity upon multiple different false reveals. Episode 469 of Naruto: Shippuden takes this a step further, going as far as to end the mystery by revealing the gorgeous mug of the future Hokage.
3 "Vash The Stampede" Represents A Huge Difference Between Trigun And Other Anime
Compared to almost every mainstream anime title of the past few decades, Trigun has an odd relationship with non-canon material. Of the series' 26 total episodes, 17 are filler. However, this unusual composition plays a huge role in the show's villain-of-the-week storytelling style, extending its narrative and filling in many of the gaps left by its manga.
Interestingly, a recap episode could very well be the best of all the filler that Trigun has to offer. "Vash the Stampede" revisits many of the events surrounding the titular protagonist, with one catch - they are told through the eyes of Vash's friend, Meryle Stryfe. This reframes several of the show's major events and provides some much-needed interiority to a beloved side character in the series.
2 "The One Who Has My Heart, Mind, and Soul" Is A Fun Detour From Black Clover's More Serious Material
Black Clover's 17 filler episodes make up a tiny portion of the show, and despite fans' contentious relationship with its stretch of anime canon prior to the Spade Kingdom saga, the non-canonical material is actually fairly enjoyable. In particular, episodes like "The One Who Has My Heart, Mind, and Soul," which fully embrace the show's jovial tone, stand out as being particularly worthy of viewing.
The aforementioned episode echoes an earlier moment in Black Clover by recreating a group-date situation involving Luck, Asta, and Finral opposite three unprepared women from the Clover Kingdom. This time around, Yami and Charlotte Roselei join in on the fun, leading to a hilariously awkward and endearing string of miscommunications.
1 The Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc Makes Bleach's Filler Bearable
No series in the history of anime has taken more flack for its usage of filler than Bleach. Nearly half of Bleach's 366 total episodes are filler, a fact which no doubt played a major part in its cancelation back in 2012. However, with this much non-canonical content, some of its anime-only additions were bound to be watchable.
Although Bleach has plenty of decent filler episodes and arcs to choose from, none are as high-quality as the Zanpakuto Rebellion. Each Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto takes form and rebels against its owner during the arc, and thanks to episodes like "Zanpakuto Unknown," which follows Ichigo's battle against the orchestrator of the rebellion, it is one of the most memorable filler arcs in shonen history.