Naruto: Shippuden has a total of 502 episodes, and out of those episodes, there are a few you can skip without losing the crux of the series.
One of the most iconic anime manga series is universally considered to be the Masashi Kashimoto-inspired anime manga series, Naruto.
First premiering in 2002, Naruto ran for five years until the first instalment concluded in 2007, as the central characters entered into their teenage years.
Following the conclusion of the first instalment of the series, Naruto later returned in 2007 with the second instalment titled Naruto: Shippuden.
This instalment was a total of 502 episodes spanning over 10 years, and was focussed on the coming-of-age arcs of Naruto Uzumaki and the other central characters of the anime manga.
What is Naruto: Shippuden?
Naruto: Shippuden continues from the first instalment of Naruto, which premiered in 2002 and concluded its first run in 2007.
Naruto focussed on the early and formative years of the titled character Naruto Uzumaki, who, along with other popular characters like Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi Hatake are based on Masashi Kashimoto’s illustrations and writings.
When Naruto: Shippuden premiered in 2007, it focussed on the coming-of-age story of the first generation.
According to IMDb, “Naruto: Shippuden is about Naruto Uzumaki, who “is a loud, hyperactive, adolescent ninja who constantly searches for approval and recognition, as well as to become Hokage, who is acknowledged as the leader and strongest of all ninja in the village.”
A list of what Naruto: Shippuden episodes to skip
One of the tropes that is commonly used in anime is the use of flashbacks in order to fully showcase the character development of characters involved in the A-storyline of the conflict of the moment.
While these sequences give depth to the characters, it does make for a delayed viewing experience for someone who is watching the show in real time. More so, if you are looking to binge watch the more action and progressive episodes of the anime series.
Naruto: Shippuden had a total of 502 episodes throughout its 10-year run, between 2007 and 2017, and in between the episodes that propel the story forward, there are numerous other episodes which veer back to the past to explain the backstory of the central character of the moment.
Meaning that if you were to attempt to impulsively skip episodes to avoid fillers, you might skip moments that are important to the coherency of the narrative.
Below is a list of must-watch episodes and episodes you can skip without missing the central conflict in the anime manga series.
Must-watch episodes |
Filler episodes |
| Episode 1 – Episode 56 | Episode 57 – Episode 70 |
| Episode 70 (last minutes) | Episode 71 |
| Episode 72 – Episode 89 | Episode 90 – Episode 111 |
| Episode 112 (last 10 minutes) – Episode 143 | Episode 144 – Episode 151 |
| Episode 152 – Episode 169 | Episode 170 – Episode 171 |
| Episode 172 – Episode 175 | Episode 176 – Episode 196 |
| Episode 197 – Episode 222 | Episode 223 – Episode 242 |
| Episode 243 – Episode 256 | Episode 257 (half filler and half manga) |
| Episode 258 – Episode 260 | |
| Episode 261 – Episode 278 | Episode 279 – Episode 281 |
| Episode 282 – Episode 283 | Episode 284 – Episode 295 |
| Episode 296 – Episode 302 | Episode 303 – Episode 320 |
| Episode 321 – Episode 346 | Episode 347 – Episode 361 |
| Episode 362 – Episode 375 | Episode 376 – Episode 377 |
| Episode 378 – Episode 388 | Episode 389 – Episode 390 |
| Episode 391 – Episode 393 | Episode 394 – Episode 413 |
| Episode 414 – Episode 415 | Episode 416 – Episode 417 |
| Episode 418 | Episode 419 |
| Episode 420 – Episode 421 | Episode 422 – Episode 423 |
| Episode 424 – Episode 426 | Episode 427 – Episode 457 |
| Episode 458 -Episode 459 | Episode 460 – Episode 462 |
| Episode 463 | Episode 464 – Episode 468 |
| Episode 469 – Episode 479 | Episode 480 – Episode 483 |
| Episode 484 – Episode 502 |
What happens after Naruto: Shippuden?
Following the conclusion of Naruto: Shippuden, which saw the Fourth Great Ninja War take place.
Moreover, it also saw the conclusion of Naruto and Sasuke’s antagonistic brotherly relationship, as they became the two strongest ninja in the world.
The franchise continued with the third instalment in the franchise in 2017, with Boruto: The Next Generation.
The premise thereof being, “Son of Naruto Uzumaki, Boruto, follows his father’s footsteps along with his friends to become great ninja. Throughout all their adventures, Boruto is determined to make his mark in the ninja world and live outside of his father’s shadow.”
Where can I watch Naruto: Shippuden?
For people who prefer video-on-demand subscriptions, Hulu is the best to watch the anime series. Unlike other platforms, Hulu hosts both Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden.
However, for anime fans and aficionados, the go-to online streaming service is Crunchyroll. The platform is touted for having the most extensive catalogue of anime films and series, which can be watched with subtitles or dubbing.
Moreover, Crunchyroll is privy to exclusive live streaming of popular anime shows and films, before any other platform has access to the content.
Other options to stream, watch, buy and/or rent the series are Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Apple TV, Sling TV, DIRECTV, Vudu.
Final thoughts
For most aficionados, Naruto is regarded as one of the first, if not the first, anime manga series to have had global appeal.
Of course, it was built on the appeal of other earlier popular anime series like Pokémon, but Naruto arguably canonised the understanding of anime manga series.
After Naruto ended in 2007, Naruto: Shippuden was the subsequent instalment. A total of 502 episodes spanning over 10 years, the anime manga is filled with episodes that can be missed without losing the crux of the story.
This is as some episodes are fillers aimed to highlight a central character’s background through a series of flashbacks, a common trope in the genre.