Naruto Shippuden is a sophisticated anime masterpiece in which one dynamic story arc follows another, culminating in Naruto’s compelling hero’s journey. The series begins with the crime enterprise, Akatsuki, making major moves to take down the legendary tailed beasts, jinchuriki hosts. It follows Naruto as he becomes more powerful and joins his friends in the Fourth Great Shinobi War for the sake of humanity’s future.
500 episodes were animated by Studio Pierrot, successfully adapting Part 2 of Masashi Kishimoto’s manga. With 500 episodes, there is bound to be filler, so you should be aware of which Naruto Shippuden fillers you can avoid.
Despite not being canon to the manga, most supporters believe some filler arcs are still worth watching. People say that Itachi and Kakashi backstory filler arcs are must-sees because they add depth to their characters. Still, there are some Naruto Shippuden filler episodes and arcs that you should avoid watching.
Naruto Shippuden Filler Episodes
Filler is an unavoidable evil to maintain your favorite anime on the air enough to tell the entire story from its source manga. Masashi Kishimoto, the artist and creator of the Naruto manga, spent insane hours producing compelling comics regularly.
Considering the low cost and convenient process of producing anime, a given series will almost certainly outperform its source material at some point. It explains why long-running shows like Naruto and Naruto Shippuden create non-canon episodes that add little to the plot.
Here are the Naruto Shippuden fillers to avoid, along with their episode numbers. These have no bearing on the main plot, so skipping them is fine.
Episodes 57-71 – Twelve Guardian Ninja Arc
The “Twelve Guardian Ninja” is a Naruto: Shippuden anime arc. The introduction of a boy named Sora expands on the Twelve Guardian Ninja and Naruto’s wind training. The “Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission” comes before this arc, and the “Akatsuki Suppression Mission” comes after.
Episodes 91-112 – Three-Tails’ Appearance Arc
The “Three-Tails’ Appearance” is a Naruto: Shippuden anime arc. It follows Akatsuki, Konoha, and Team Guren’s efforts to capture the Three-Tails. The “Akatsuki Suppression Mission” comes before this arc, and the “Itachi Pursuit Mission” comes after.
Episodes 144-151 – Six-Tails Unleashed Arc
The “Six-Tails Unleashed” is a Naruto: Shippuden anime arc. It focuses on the relationship between masters and students, specifically Utakata, the jinchriki of “Six-Tails,” and his student, Hotaru. The “Fated Battle Between Brothers” comes before this arc, and “Pain’s Assault” comes after.
Episodes 170-171 – Big Adventure! The Quest for the Fourth Hokage’s Legacy
“Big Adventure! The Quest for the Fourth Hokage’s Legacy” is Naruto: Shippuden episode 170. The story begins just before the final rounds of the “Chunin Exam” begin. While training for his upcoming match, Naruto overhears Jiraiya speaking of “the Fourth Hokage’s legacy.”
Episodes 176-196- Past Arc: The Locus of Konoha
This arc is depicted through multiple flashbacks from various characters, such as Iruka recalling his first meeting with Naruto, and Kakashi recalling his appointment as Team 7 leader from his point of view. The first flashback occurs before “Part I,” while the rest occur before the time skip, demonstrating how Naruto has changed in the eyes of these various characters. This arc comes after “Pain’s Assault” and before the “Five Kage Summit.”
Episodes 223-242 – Paradise Life on a Boat Arc
“Paradise Life on a Boat” is a Naruto: Shippuden anime arc. This arc follows Naruto and his team as they travel by sea to the Land of Lightning to keep him safe from Akatsuki during the “Fourth Shinobi World War” and character development for the “Konoha 11.” This arc occurs amid the “Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown” arc.
Episodes 290-295 – Power Arc
“Power” is an arc of the Naruto: Shippuden anime that commemorates 500 episodes. In this arc, set shortly after the “Five Kage Summit” and amid the impending threat of a “Fourth Shinobi World War,” Team Kakashi is sent on a quest to explore the massacre of Tonika Village by Kabuto Yakushi and his resurrected shinobi, who are searching for a treasure containing great power.
Episodes 389-390 – Hyuga fillers
A two-episode special putting the spotlight on Hinata’s younger sister, Hinabi, aired this week, likely heralding the December 6th release of Japan’s final Naruto Shippuden film. Episodes 389 and 390 are fillers done right, particularly compared to last week’s oddly timed clip show.
Episodes 394-413 – In Naruto’s Footsteps: The Friends’ Paths
“Naruto’s Footsteps: The Friends’ Paths” is a Naruto: Shippuden anime arc. This arc focuses on the second “Chunin Exams” after Sasuke Uchiha defected to Otogakure and Naruto Uzumaki left to train with Jiraiya. This arc occurs in the middle of “Jinchriki’s Birth of the Ten-Tails.”
As you can see, Naruto Shippuden contains a plethora of skippable fillers. The Kakashi Anbu Arc and Ashura & Indra backstories are the only fillers that are definitely worth watching and are considered semi-canon by fans.
Some of these fillers, such as the “Three-Tails” and “Six-Tails” arcs, are undoubtedly good, but it’s best to skip them and return to them later.
Why Are These Episodes Skippable?
One of the reasons you should avoid the Naruto Shippuden fillers listed is their overall quality. Most of Shippuden’s filler arcs fall short of the standard you’d anticipate from a top-tier shonen anime. Some storylines, including “Paradise Life on a Boat Arc,” are considered tedious.
Another reason to skip them is due to their location. Some of the fillers in the anime interrupt important storylines, which may irritate most viewers. This was especially true when it was still airing, as fans had to wait for various filler episodes to conclude before returning to the main story. Fortunately, you do not have to go through such a thing today.
Conclusion
You can skip as many fillers as you want with Naruto Shippuden streaming on multiple platforms. Viewers can finish Naruto Shippuden as quickly as possible if they avoid the above mentioned episodes.
If you have extra time and don’t mind watching a few extra episodes, give the fillers a shot because you might end up appreciating them after all.
