By the time Naruto: Shippuden ends, the franchise's main characters have grown so powerful that they're competing on equal footing with deific figures. However, during the original Naruto series, the franchise focused more on quick-thinking and savvy instincts, showcasing different aspects of its stellar cast of characters. For this reason, these 220 episodes still hold a fond place in the heart of many anime fans.
Naruto has 91 filler episodes, and while some are almost painful to watch, others can be seen as treats for fans, often expanding upon the ninja world and giving secondary, tertiary, and even quaternary characters a few seconds in the spotlight. Even if these episodes are a bit stranger than most, they're fun adventures for Naruto and his fellow shinobi.
Updated on May 30, 2023 by Kennedy King: With Part 1 of Boruto now concluded, the Naruto franchise prepares to open a new chapter in its history. Regardless of what the future holds, the iconic series' original 220 episodes are still as enjoyable as ever — including the filler.
20 "Special Report: Live From The Forest Of Death"
Episode 26
Konohamaru and his two companions, Udon and Moegi, represent the Hidden Leaf Village's up-and-coming class of shinobi. Although they don't play much of a narrative role in Naruto, their light-hearted scenes are always a fun addition to the show, as seen in its first filler episode, "Special Report: Live from the Forest of Death."
Unlike most filler episodes, "Special Report: Live From The Forest Of Death" fits firmly into the canonical timeline of Naruto. Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi each interview one member of Team Kakashi about the second stage of the Chunin Exams, providing a bit of insight into the way that both squads communicate.
19 "Mission: Help An Old Friend In The Land Of Tea"
Episode 102
Just before the final canon arc of Naruto, the series takes a brief detour to the rarely-seen Land of Tea for an escort mission. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are tasked with transporting a young boy, Idate, to a rival village in preparation for the boy's upcoming footrace.
Quickly, Team Kakashi finds themselves in combat with opponents far stronger than expected, forcing them to think on their feet without the assistance of Kakashi. The absence of their mentor is still notable at this point in Naruto, and it allows the audience to see how Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura naturally interact with civilians.
18 "The Death Of Naruto"
Episode 165
As Naruto progresses, the series becomes more and more reliant on combat and power-scaling to drive its narrative. Any deviation from this trend is a welcome reprieve, and as seen during Episode 165, "The Death of Naruto," even a campy, murder-mystery format can be successful.
In this episode, Naruto and his allies are investigating the true identity of a mysterious criminal known as the Cursed Warrior. After Naruto dresses up as the villain, they lure the true Cursed Warrior out, revealing his identity in a twist that harks back to beloved whodunit cartoons like Scooby-Doo.
17 "Impossible! Celebrity Ninja Art: Money Style Jutsu!"
Episode 175
The heroes of Naruto are (for the most part) fairly virtuous individuals, but that doesn't mean there aren't characters that could use some guidance. "Impossible! Celebrity Ninja Art: Money Style Jutsu!" introduces the audience to one such character, following the story of Kunihisa — a spoiled child whose answer to every problem is to spend more of his father's money.
Tsunade assigns Naruto to the task of babysitting Kunihisa, and despite their different outlooks on life, Kunihisa ultimately acknowledges Naruto as his first true friend. Money and wealth tend to play a background role in Naruto, so seeing the series — however briefly — tackles the topic feels quite refreshing.
16 "A New Formation: Ino–Shika–Cho!"
Episode 145
Fans who love Team 10 shouldn't miss out on "A New Formation: Ino-Shika-Cho!," a filler episode that focuses on Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. In this episode, the members of Team 10 combine for an awesome new formation to fight off the idiot brothers that Naruto dealt with in the last episode.
Team 10's actions leave Naruto free to go after Iruka, who is fighting an old childhood friend named Mizuki. Although this episode may spell out some strange inconsistencies in the Naruto timeline, it's still worth checking out.
15 "Kidnapped! Naruto's Hot Spring Adventure!"
Episode 97
"Kidnapped! Naruto's Hot Springs Adventure" is by no means Naruto's best episode, but it's a fun side story that showcases plenty of great Tsunade and Jiraiya scenes. In addition, the episode includes a lot of great moments for Shizune, who often feels like a forgotten character in the series.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Naruto take a detour to help Tsunade go pay off some of her debts that could put her Hokage title at risk. The episode is humorous throughout, and people who are big fans of Tsunade and Shizune will enjoy their time together on-screen.
14 "Genjutsu Or Reality?"
Episode 206
Fans who enjoy watching alternate reality episodes shouldn't sleep on Episode 206 of Naruto. Titled "Genjutsu or Reality?," the episode has Team 8, Sakura, Naruto, and a few other characters return to Konoha, only to realize the entire place has been torn down.
There, the group discovers it is trapped inside a Genjutsu and will need to figure out a way to escape. Eventually, the group manages to escape and continues their mission to find Kurenai and Yakumo. The episode is part of the Yakumo Rescue Mission Arc, so fans will get more out of it if they watch the preceding episodes.
13 "The Search for the Rare Bikochu Beetle"
Episode 148
Team 8 fans should enjoy "The Search for the Rare Bikochu Beetle" — especially if they like Shino and Hinata. In an effort to find Sasuke, Naruto grows increasingly desperate and tries to find the rare bikochu beetle, which can supposedly track any scent. Naruto and Team 8 then go on a hunt for this special beetle.
Episode 148 also reveals that Hinata is trying to learn a new defensive technique on her own and is getting close to mastering it. There are some sweet Naruto and Hinata moments in the episode, adding some much-needed depth to the early stages of their relationship.
12 "Deep Cover?! A Super S-Ranked Mission!"
Episode 136
In Episode 136 of Naruto, Jiraiya takes Sakura and Naruto on a new mission to help distract them from Sasuke's absence. Luckily for the determined Naruto, Jiraiya does say that their mission will eventually bring them closer to the stray shinobi.
"Deep Cover?! A Super S-Ranked Mission" gives Naruto, Sakura, and Jiraiya plenty of time together. They don't necessarily share many moments during canon episodes, so the scenes that they share here are much appreciated. Even if the stakes aren't very high, this episode leads well into the time skip that happens shortly after.
11 "Please, Mr. Postman"
Episode 177
When Naruto and Jiraiya first meet, it is easy to see how much of a pervert Jiraiya was. Staying true to his character from the very beginning, "Please, Mr. Postman" follows what happens after Naruto stumbles upon Jiraiya flirting with two beautiful women.
Episode 177 has it all: a fast-paced chase scene taking place on land and on the water; a group of postmen versus Naruto's Sexy Jutsu; and most importantly, a light-hearted adventure involving master and student. The episode also gives fans a taste of what the two years Naruto and Jiraiya spent training might look like.
10 "Follow My Lead! The Great Survival Challenge"
Episode 158
For pretty much the entirety of Naruto, the young ninja never completely grasped what it took to be a leader. When he was chosen to head Konohamaru and his friends on a survival training mission, fans knew that Naruto would try to cheat his way out of the training. But when he and his team got stuck in a fierce thunderstorm, he stepped up and put his life on the line for the others.
Episode 158 does a great job of giving Naruto's minor characters a chance to demonstrate their survival skills that align so perfectly with their personalities. Also, it's hard to deny how funny it is to see Rock Lee go on a power trip after being called "sensei" for the first time.
9 "Laughing Shino"
Episode 186
At least in Naruto, Shino never truly got a chance to show what he was capable of. That wasn't helped by the fact that he lacked emotional depth. That did, however, make him the perfect stand-in for a funeral in which he would not be allowed to laugh.
After he falls victim to a laughing poison, Naruto takes his place, but it is revealed that the funeral was a farce organized to teach a money-hungry family a lesson about enjoying the things that money can't buy. Shino orders Naruto not to tell anyone about a song and dance he performed towards the end of this episode, but little does he know, it was all filler.
8 "Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi-Sensei's True Face!"
Episode 101
Kakashi Hatake is always one of the most enigmatic characters in the original Naruto. It's not until Naruto Shippuden that fans are given his backstory, so when an early episode promises to expose what he was hiding under his mask, everyone is just as excited as Team 7 to see what is under there.
However, these hopes are quickly dashed when it becomes evident that Episode 101 has no intention of revealing Kakashi's true face. From aloof images of Kakashi's face with exaggerated red lips to a gimmicky trio of ninja with question marks on their headbands, "Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi-Sensei's True Face!" is nothing but a light-hearted, fun-filled episode.
7 "Ino Screams! Chubby Paradise!"
Episode 192
In Naruto, Ino rarely gets as much screen time as her teammates Shikamaru and Choji. When Princess Fuku expresses her desire for Ino to be her body double, Naruto and Ino form one of the most awkward ninja teams in the franchise's history.
"Ino Screams! Chubby Paradise!" teeters on the edge of weird and just plain insulting, showcasing a chubby parody of a tap-dancing Elvis as the princess's love interest. Still, at its core, the episode does express some solid themes about body positivity, and it legitimately contains a surprisingly good ending.
6 "A Town Of Outlaws, The Shadow Of The Fuma Clan"*
Episode 137
The Land of Rice Fields Investigation Arc is often cited as one of Naruto's best filler sequences, and in "A Town of Outlaws, the Shadow of the Fuma Clan," its best traits are front and center. The episode not only expands the world-building of the series but also gives even more life to the depths of Orochimaru's evil.
The Land of Rice Fields is home to the Fuma Clan, another group of shinobi that were the target of Orochimaru's selfish pursuit of rare jutsu. "A Town of Outlaws, the Shadow of the Fuma Clan" explains how Orochimaru tricked several of their members into joining his ranks, beginning a non-canon arc that is legitimately worth a watch.
5 "The Last Leg: A Final Act Of Desperation"
Episode 106
When Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are selected to accompany the young Idate, a runner who despises ninjas, Team 7 finds themselves ambushed as Idate's rivals attempt to slow him down. Naruto manages to defeat a ninja wielding the Sword of the Thunder God after Sasuke had been beaten by the sword's power, causing the young Uchiha's feelings of rage to intensify.
Episode 106 sets up the next major arc of Naruto. Although the episode is technically filler, it occurs during a very volatile time for the Hidden Leaf Village and ultimately becomes the last mission that Team 7 embarks on together.
4 "A Clash Of Fate: You Can't Bring Me Down"
Episode 147
Mizuki is not only the first villain in Naruto, but also the first victim of Naruto's Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. Without Mizuki, Naruto may not have even learned that technique. "A Clash of Fate: You Can't Bring Me Down" is part of a filler arc in which Mizuki pursues his revenge against the Leaf Village with two impressively strong twins by his side.
Not only do viewers get to see the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho formation in action, but they also witness an emotional callback to how the entire series started. It's an awesome moment that shows just how far Naruto has come.
3 "Hot-Blooded Confrontation: Student Vs. Sensei"
Episode 196
When Guy is trapped by a ninja with the power to control wooden dummies, Lee, Tenten, Negi, and Naruto come to his aid. What follows is a fight between master and student as Lee and Guy push themselves to their limits to shatter the dummies that mimic the other's movements.
Though intense, it's an emotional battle as they both realize that the further they push themselves, the more vulnerable they'll be, and Guy even promises to die with Lee should anything happen to him. With that level of honor, it becomes clear why Lee aspires to be so much like Guy.
2 "Blaze Away, Byakugan! This Is My Ninja Way!"
Episode 151
Many characters in Naruto are relegated to the realm of uselessness, but "Blaze Away, Byakugan! This Is My Ninja Way!" proves that Hinata is not one of them. Her original fight with Neji during the Chunin Exams proves how tough her fighting spirit is, but when the rest of her team is captured, Hinata steps up to face three ninja on her own.
Of course, the highlight of Episode 151 is when Hinata used her Protective 8 Trigrams 64 Palm to ward off a swarm of bees. Just like Naruto, Hinata pushed herself to her limits during her training to earn the respect of her fellow ninja, providing a glimpse of the similarities between her and her future husband.
1 "Run! The Curry Of Life!"
Episode 157
If a filler episode involves Team Guy, chances are it'll be a good one. "Run! The Curry of Life" brings the Kurosuki Family Removal filler arc to a close as Naruto, Lee, Negi, and Tenten go up against Raiga, a former ninja swordsman of the Mist. Even a drunk Rock Lee couldn't beat Raiga, who struggled to come to terms with losing his only friend.
The tension practically flew off the screen as Raiga went completely berserk, tearing through an army of Naruto's Shadow Clones like an animal backed into a corner. Episode 157 is truly a sequence that will have fans crying with laughter one moment before feeling sympathy for the villain the next.