The Naruto franchise has a total of 720 episodes. It's a massive achievement for the studios, and the endeavor took 15 years to complete while remaining faithful to the manga. However, that many episodes and a tight schedule meant a huge number of filler arcs.

About 40 percent of the entire Naruto series consisted of filler arcs, some of which were pretty decent. They had significant character development and excellent writing, adding meaningful lore. Others had a mediocre storyline and, in some cases, ninja ostriches. Anyone going into Naruto today, whether it's their very first time or as a return to an old favorite, will have to make some decisions about which filler episodes to watch and which to just skip past.

Updated on January 7th, 2023 by Xandalee Joseph: The Naruto franchise is known for having filler arcs, possibly too many. Though most fans want to stick the cannon content, others are curious about which filler arcs are worth watching and which ones they should skip.

2 Filler Arcs Fans Must Watch

Kakashi Filler Arcs Have A lot To Offer

It's a shame that Kakashi's Anbu arc, The Shinobi That Lives in the Darkness, has to be called a filler. It's too good to miss. It's an immersive story about the ANBU Black Ops while weaving in Kakashi's past with them. It is filled to the brim with lore, backstory, and, most importantly, Kakashi.

The arc also delves into Kakashi's interactions with other ANBU members, such as Itachi and Yamato. Fans get more of Itachi before he defected from the village, and some of Yamato's origin story thrown in as well. This arc showed how good the Naruto writers could be when creating original stories for the anime.

The New Chunin Exam Arc Gives The Other Rookie 9 A Chance To Shine

The second Chunin Exams occurs just after Sasuke's defection from the Leaf and Naruto's departure. If viewers ever wondered how the remaining Genin advance to Chunin status, this arc delivers an answer. This arc gets points for its decent writing and doing what fillers should do: filling the gaps. It's interesting to see how the second Chunin Exams is meant to play out and how the Akatsuki plays into the story.

However, the arc's poor placement — in the middle of the Fourth Great Ninja War arc — disrupts Naruto's pacing and confused fans when it aired. This is its most significant drawback and why many viewers skip it. Regardless, seasoned Naruto fans will agree that it's worth a watch.

Six-Tails Unleashed Is Leagues Better Than The Three-Tails' Appearance

Six-Tails Unleashed is the better Tailed-Beast arc for a few reasons. The arc weaves a bittersweet tale between a master and his student, a perfect fit considering it takes place just after Jiraiya's death.

Though the story sidetracks from the main plot, it's justified with stellar new characters and writing. Utakata, the Six-Tails' vessel, is a well-rounded character forced to embrace the harsh realities of being a Jinchuriki. The arc is also perfectly condensed and answers viewers' potential questions, containing only eight episodes. For a filler arc, it's an unforgettable watch.

The Power Arc Celebrates An Important Milestone

New fans who plan to watch all of Naruto should not skip this six-episode filler arc. The Power arc – which is very much a love letter to the series – commemorates Naruto reaching 500 episodes; it follows a fully-formed Team Kakashi investigating a string of recent attacks in a neighboring village.

Viewers can look forward to an epic battle between the Nine-Tails and a hydra. This arc shows the extent of an anime producer's creativity and what they can do to commemorate their love and appreciation for such a beloved story.

The Twelve Guardian Ninja Arc Greatly Contributes To The Naruto Storyline

The Twelve Guardian Ninja serve as bodyguards for the Land of Fire's feudal lord. The Third Hokage's son Asuma was a former member, as revealed later in the arc. The arc focuses on an incident near a fire temple led by another Guardian 12 member.

The story has many contributions to the main series, particularly its ideal placement in the Naruto timeline. It expands on Naruto's struggle with the Nine-Tails and his Wind-style training while also delving into Asuma's backstory. His death hits that much harder once this arc explores his past and his character.

1 Filler Arcs Fans Should Skip

Paradise Life On A Boat Has Its Funny Moments But Nothing To Write Home About

The Paradise Life on a Boat arc comprises several single-episode stories following Yamato, Might Guy, and Naruto as they journey to the Lightning Village to train with Killer Bee. It's easy to miss as the episodes are inconsequential and mostly just light-hearted romps with very low stakes.

If new Naruto fans are in the mood for some funny stories, then a few gems are hidden in this arc. For example, one story focuses on Naruto's Shadow Clones going on strike, while another consists of the original Ino-Shika-Cho team in their prime. However, these stories have little impact on Naruto's overall plot and direction.

The Three-Tails' Appearance Arc Is Better Off Skipped

The Three-Tails' Appearance arc is one of two filler series that delves into the search for the Tailed Beasts. However, this is the one to skip. Comprising 16 episodes, the arc follows three groups — the Akatsuki, Orochimaru, and a few Hidden Leaf ninja — simultaneously tracking down the Three-Tails, Isobu.

The manga barely explores Isobu's background, but the anime draws the story out to an extent. It failed to entertain viewers as a stand-alone arc. The arc's only redeeming quality is Naruto's extraordinary finishing move that is never seen again. Other than that, new Naruto fans should skip the rest of the arc.

The Infinite Tsukuyomi Arc Feels Misplaced

The Infinite Tsukuyomi arc is the ultimate example of stories that don't add to the overarching plot. This arc comprised a smattering of random side characters living out their perfect reality while under the Infinite Tsukuyomi's influence. While the concept may have sounded interesting, it just disturbed Shippuden's story flow.

These alternate scenarios would have been fantastic if they didn't occur right in the middle of Shippuden's finale. Dedicated Naruto fans had been watching for over a decade, ready to see how the Fourth Great Ninja War would conclude. Then, the anime suddenly drops a Tenten filler arc in the middle of the climactic battle. It's poor storytelling at best.

The Second Half Of The Original Series Has Little To Offer

This arc is more of a collection of one- or two-episode fillers that don't add to the overall series. Part 1 of the Naruto manga ended with the Sasuke Retrieval Arc before moving into Part 2, Shippuuden, in 2007. Unfortunately, this meant that the latter half of the original anime was unnecessary.

These filler episodes are more akin to classic Saturday morning cartoons than a typical shonen anime. The stories are episodic, with poorly-written villains of the week, minimal stakes, and less-entertaining slapstick comedy. The remaining 17 episodes are a pointless diversion from the real story that picks back up in Shippuden

There's No Point To The Locus Of Konoha Arc

Filled with one-off stories, the Locus of Konoha is another good example of a lousy filler arc. The series contains pointless flashbacks dating back to the first Naruto series, significantly slowing Shippuden's progress.

Funnily enough, the Locus of Konoha arc still has some reasonably funny moments and many kiss scenes sprinkled throughout the episodes. Sasuke and Naruto accidentally kiss again, and even Kakashi shares an over-the-mask kiss with his childhood friend. Another decent episode is hidden in this arc where a ninja chef recalls his first encounter with Naruto.