Naruto Total Episode Count: All Series Explained (2026)

Published: June 2, 2026 | Last updated: June 2, 2026 | 10 min read

TL;DR

• Naruto has 1,013+ episodes total across three series: Naruto (220), Naruto Shippuden (500), and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (293 before its 2023 hiatus)
• Naruto Shippuden alone carries roughly 248 filler episodes – nearly half the run
• The canon-only watch takes around 500–520 episodes across both original series
• Boruto shifted to a manga-adaptation model in 2023, pausing the anime with a clear endpoint
• The journey is worth it: the Pain arc, the Fourth Shinobi War, and Naruto vs Sasuke rank among the best-written arcs in shonen history

How Many Naruto Episodes Are There in Total?

The total episode count across all Naruto anime is 1,013+ episodes. That number breaks down into three series: the original Naruto (220 episodes, 2002–2007), Naruto Shippuden (500 episodes, 2007–2017), and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (293 episodes before its hiatus in March 2023).

If you’re planning a first watch, that number sounds like a wall. But the actual canon story – the parts written by Masashi Kishimoto – runs closer to 500–520 episodes. The rest is filler. Skip the filler, and the pacing tightens considerably.

Naruto (2002–2007): 220 Episodes

The original series ran for 220 episodes over five years. Of those, approximately 120 are canon (adapted directly from Kishimoto’s manga) and around 100 are filler, concentrated in the final stretch between episodes 136 and 220.

The first 135 episodes move briskly through the Academy, Team 7’s formation, the Chunin Exams, and the Orochimaru arc. Those are non-negotiable. The filler block that follows – mostly standalone missions with no plot consequence – can be skipped entirely without missing a single story beat.

What you get from the original series: Naruto’s growth from outcast to determined ninja, the introduction of every core character, and the first major tragedy of the story.

Naruto Shippuden (2007–2017): 500 Episodes

Shippuden is the main event. It runs 500 episodes and adapts Kishimoto’s second half of the manga, covering everything from Naruto’s return after training to the conclusion of the Fourth Shinobi World War.

The filler situation here is worse. About 248 of 500 episodes are non-canon (Anime Filler List, 2024 ). Most of it clusters in the 57–71, 91–112, 144–151, and 213–222 ranges. The war arc, spanning episodes 243 to 479, is particularly padded with flashback filler episodes that interrupt momentum at the worst possible moments.

But here’s the thing about Shippuden. The canon arcs are exceptional. The Pain arc (episodes 152–169) delivers one of the most emotionally devastating sequences in the genre. The Kakashi Gaiden arc recontextualizes a character you’ve known for years. The finale between Naruto and Sasuke genuinely earns its runtime.

I’ve rewatched those arcs specifically and they hold up on a second pass in a way that very few long-running shonen arcs do.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017–2023): 293 Episodes

Boruto ran for 293 episodes before Studio Pierrot paused the anime in March 2023. The decision followed a new production model: instead of continuing weekly episodes, the team opted to wait for the manga (now written by Masashi Kishimoto and drawn by Mikio Ikemoto) to build a larger story buffer before resuming.

The series is a different beast. Early Boruto (episodes 1–52) was original content with no manga equivalent. The Chunin Exams arc, the Vessel arc, and the Kawaki storyline that follows are the strongest portions. Canon filler ratio is harder to track than in the original two series, but the Anime Filler List community estimates roughly half the episodes as non-essential.

A sequel manga, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, launched in September 2023 and continues the story in print. No confirmed return date for the anime as of June 2026.

Full Episode Count by Series at a Glance

Canon episode estimates sourced from community tracking at Anime Filler List (2024) and cross-referenced with Narutopedia (2024).

The Canon-Only Watch: What to Skip and What to Keep

If 1,013 episodes feels unreasonable, the canon-only route cuts the watch time roughly in half.

For the original Naruto, watch episodes 1–135, then skip to episode 220 for the five-minute setup before Shippuden begins. You lose nothing by doing this.

For Shippuden, the math is trickier. Some filler episodes carry genuine character moments even if they aren’t manga-adapted. The Kakashi ANBU arc (episodes 349–361) is technically filler but fleshes out Kakashi’s backstory in a way that complements the main story well. Same applies to episodes 422–423, which cover Minato and the Nine-Tails backstory in more depth.

The strict skip list – episodes with zero story consequence – includes the bulk of the 57–71 block, the Three-Tails filler (89–112), and most of the Kaguya aftermath filler (464–479). Same problem, different decade: the final villain’s arc is interrupted by several flashback episodes that add nothing.

For Boruto, the early-series filler (roughly episodes 16–32 and 67–92) can be skipped without losing character or story context.

Why the Episode Count Is So High (The Filler Problem)

The reason Naruto has so many episodes is structural: the anime was broadcast weekly in Japan from 2002, before Kishimoto’s manga had enough chapters to adapt. This is worth saying upfront. Rather than pause, Studio Pierrot produced original filler content to avoid catching up to the source material (Anime News Network, 2017 ).

Shippuden’s 49.6% filler rate is one of the highest of any major shonen anime. For comparison, Dragon Ball Z runs around 14% filler, and One Piece sits near 9.7% (Anime Filler List, 2024).

Boruto was designed to avoid this cycle. It front-loaded original content for two years, then aligned more tightly with the manga – before ultimately pausing to resolve the gap permanently.

The Arcs That Make the Episode Count Worth It

Some shonen anime reward patience. Naruto does. But the payoff comes from specific arcs, not from the run length itself.

The Chunin Exams (Naruto, eps 20–67): The first arc that proves the show is serious. Rock Lee’s fight alone is worth the first 50 episodes of groundwork. The exam’s third round introduces every major recurring villain and shapes the next fifteen years of story.

The Pain Arc (Shippuden, eps 152–169): The moment Naruto’s central theme – understanding versus hatred – lands with full force. Nagato’s backstory is one of the best villain explanations in the genre. Short section by Shippuden’s standards. No filler. No padding.

The Kakashi Gaiden (Shippuden, eps 119–120): Two episodes. Completely reframes a character you’ve spent years watching. That’s efficient storytelling inside a 500-episode show, which tells you what the canon portions are actually capable of.

The Fourth Shinobi War and Naruto vs Sasuke (Shippuden, eps 479–500): The manga ending adapted faithfully. The final fight between Naruto and Sasuke at the Valley of the End is the emotional payoff to a rivalry built over 15 years of story time. It earns it.

Common Questions About the Naruto Episode Count

How many Naruto episodes are there in total across all series?

There are 1,013+ episodes across all three series. The original Naruto has 220, Naruto Shippuden has 500, and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ran for 293 episodes before pausing in March 2023.

How many filler episodes does Naruto have?

Across all three series, roughly 494 episodes are considered filler or non-canon. Naruto Shippuden has the highest filler concentration at approximately 248 episodes, or about 49.6% of its total run (Anime Filler List, 2024 ).

Can I skip the filler and still understand Naruto?

Yes. Skipping filler episodes will not affect your understanding of the main story. The original series filler begins at episode 136 and the canon resumes in Shippuden. A canon-only watch of both series takes approximately 500–520 episodes total.

Is Naruto Shippuden a continuation or a separate show?

Naruto Shippuden is a direct continuation of the original Naruto series, picking up two and a half years after Naruto leaves the village to train with Jiraiya. The same characters continue, but the story shifts to a much larger war narrative.

Is Boruto worth watching after Naruto?

Boruto starts slowly, with its first 50 episodes as original content with mixed reception. The show improves significantly from episode 53 onward, once it begins adapting the manga. If you’re primarily invested in Naruto and Sasuke, the Boruto-era versions of both characters are used well in the later arcs.

How long does it take to watch all of Naruto?

At 23 minutes per episode, all 1,013+ episodes total roughly 388 hours of runtime. The canon-only watch (approximately 519 episodes) runs about 199 hours. Most viewers completing a first watch at a regular pace take between 8 and 14 months.

Is the Naruto manga shorter than the anime?

Yes. The original manga runs 700 chapters across 72 volumes. The anime’s expanded runtime comes entirely from filler content. If reading speed is a factor, the manga cuts to the point faster (Viz Media, 2024).

Key Takeaways

• Naruto’s total episode count is 1,013+ across three series: 220 + 500 + 293
• Nearly half those episodes are filler, concentrated in Shippuden’s middle sections
• The canon-only watch runs approximately 500–520 episodes – still a major commitment, but one with a defined and satisfying endpoint
• The Pain arc, Kakashi Gaiden, and the final Naruto-Sasuke fight are the benchmarks the rest of the story builds toward
• Boruto’s anime is on hiatus as of 2023; Boruto: Two Blue Vortex continues the story in manga form