Naruto still enjoys massive popularity. There’s hardly any non-anime fan who has not heard of the Naruto franchise. Jumping into the pool of curiosity, if you want this experience this greatness too, today we discuss how to watch Naruto in order
The Naruto series was illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto starting from September 21, 1999, till November 10, 2014, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. The manga has been completed in 72 volumes which the anime adapted into two parts for easier understanding.
The first part of Naruto, commonly called the Naruto original, has 220 episodes while Naruto Shippuden, the second part has 500 episodes.
There are a lot of episodes, OVA’s, and movies, thus sometimes it becomes tedious to find out what order to watch Naruto anime episodes and movies. So we have curated a special Naruto watch order just like the Demon Slayer watch order.
Here is basic information on the story of Naruto:
Starting with a boy from the Hidden Leaf Village, Naruto Uzumaki seems to be notorious. But the events surrounding him are kind of suspicious. He enrolls in Academy, forms a team, goes on missions, makes friends, trains harder, and gets stronger.
With the threat of Akatsuki and several greater dangers, he gives his all to save people and eventually achieves his goal of becoming a Hokage.
While Naruto has come to an end, we can still see our protagonist in the Boruto series which is currently airing.
Naruto Release Order
Naruto is a popular franchise but most people do not the innumerable works which have been released to support it.
Let’s take a look at all its releases and then we will discuss naruto order to watch in detail.
Naruto Anime Seasons
- Naruto (2002-2007)
- Naruto: Shippuden (2007-2017)
- Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017)
Naruto Movies
- Naruto Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (2004)
- Naruto Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel (2005)
- Naruto Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (2006)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie (2007)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie: Bonds (2008)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie: The Will of Fire (2009)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie: The Lost Tower (2010)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie: Blood Prison (2011)
- Naruto Shippuden Movie: Road to Ninja (2012)
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Last (2014)
- Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015)
Naruto Spin-off
- Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals (2012)
Naruto Specials
- Naruto: Find the Crimson Four-leaf Clover! (2003)
- Naruto: The Lost Story – Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village (2003)
- Hidden Leaf Village Grand Sports Festival (2004)
- Naruto: The Cross Roads (2009)
- Naruto: Shippuuden – Sunny Side Battle (2013)
- Boruto: Naruto the Movie – The Day Naruto Became the Hokage (2016)
- Boruto: Jump Festa 2016 Special (2016)
Naruto OVA
- Finally a clash! Jōnin vs. Genin!! Indiscriminate Grand Melee Tournament Meeting!! (2005)
- The Adventures of Naruto!…Oh, and Everyone Else Too! / One on One: Every Genin For Themselves! (2006)
- Shippū! Konoha Gakuen Den! (2008)
- Naruto, the Genie, and the Three Wishes Believe It! (2010)
- Naruto x UT (2011)
- Chūnin Exam on Fire! Naruto vs. Konohamaru! (2011)
- Naruto Shippūden Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations OVA Madara vs Hashirama (2012)
Naruto Watch Order
Naruto can be quite confusing to watch taking into account all its movies and episodes. If you want to watch all of it, here’s a list of episodes along with movies that fit the timeline of events. In short, here’s the best way to watch Naruto in order.
- Naruto episode 1-101
- Naruto The Movie: Clash in the Land of Snow
- Naruto episode 102-160
- Naruto The Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel
- Naruto episode 161-196
- Naruto The Movie: Guardian of the Cresent Moon Kingdom
- Naruto Episode 197-220
- Naruto Shippuden episode 1-32
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie
- Naruto Shippuden episode 33-71
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Bonds
- Naruto Shippuden episode 72-120
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Will of Fire
- Naruto Shippuden episode 121-154
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Lost Tower
- Naruto Shippuden episode 155-196
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Blood Prison
- Naruto Shippuden episode 197-251
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Road to Ninja
- Naruto Shippuden episode 252-493
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Last
- Naruto Shippuden episode 494-500
- Boruto: Naruto The Movie – The Day Naruto Became Hokage
- Boruto: Naruto The Movie
Naruto: All arcs with episodes
Naruto has been divided into several arcs for a better understanding of the events. Here’s a total breakdown of the arc to understand events better.
- Land of Waves (ep 1-19)
- Chunin Exam (ep 20-67)
- Konoha Crush (ep 68-80)
- Search for Tsunade (ep 81-100)
- Land of Tea Escort Mission (ep 102-106)
- Sasuke Recovery Mission (ep 107-135)
- Mizuki Tracking Mission (ep 142-147)
- Bokochu Search Mission (ep 148-151)
- Kurosaki Removal Mission (ep 152-157)
- Gosunkugi Capture Mission (ep 159-160)
- Curse Warrior Mission (ep 162-167)
- Kaima Capture Mission (ep 169-173)
- Buried Gold Mission (ep 175-176)
- Star Guard Mission (ep 178-183)
- Peddlar Escort Mission (ep 187-191)
- Third Great Beast Arc (ep 195-196)
- Yakumo Kurama Rescue Mission (ep 203-207)
- Gantetsu Escort Mission (ep 209-212)
- Menma Memory Search Mission (ep 213-215)
- Sunugakure Support Mission (ep 216-220)
Naruto: Important Arcs
Naruto has been known for having too many filler episodes. While it may be entertaining to watch them, it does take up time if you’re speedrunning episodes to catch up with the latest episodes.
Here’s a list of all the important arcs in Naruto that are relevant to the story.
- Land of Waves (ep 1-19):
The first ever story arc of Naruto. This arc shows Team 7 getting into the first stages of understanding how serious being a ninja can be.
- Chunin exams (ep 20-67):
Team 7 signs up for Chunin Exams. The arc introduces more depth to the background stories of characters, like Neji and Hinata. It also introduces us to Orochimaru and Kabuto.
- Konoha Crush (ep 68-80):
Orochimaru’s plan to crush the Hidden Leaf Village goes into action. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, dies while defending the village.
- Search for Tsunade (ep 81-100):
The legendary Sanins are introduced. After the Konoha Crush, the Hidden Leaf needs a new Hokage. Naruto heads out with Jiraiya in search of Tsunade in hope that she will take up the position.
- Sasuke Recovery Mission (ep 107-135):
Sasuke wanted more power. He decided to leave Konoha and join Orochimaru. Naruto and the squad formed to take on the mission of going after Sasuke and stopping him from joining Orochimaru.
Naruto Shippuden: All arcs with episodes
Surely there are several events happening in Naruto Shippuden. It is really difficult to keep a track of arcs going on.
Here’s a list of all the arcs happening in Shippuden:
- Kazekage Rescue Mission (ep 1-32)
- Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance (ep 33-53)
- Twelve Guardian Ninja (ep 54-71)
- Akatsuki Suppression Mission (ep 71-88)
- Three Tails Appearance (ep 89-112)
- Itachi Pursuit Mission (ep 113-118)
- Tale Of Jiraiya The Gallant (ep 127-133)
- Fated Battle Between Brothers (ep 134-143)
- Six Tail Unleashed (ep 144-151)
- Pain Assault (ep 152-175)
- Five Kage Summit (ep 197-214)
- Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown (ep 215-222)
- Paradise Life On Boat (ep 223-242)
- Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation (ep 261-321)
- Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax (322-375)
- Birth Of Ten Tails Jinchuriki (ep 378-431)
- Jiraiya Shinobi Handbook (ep 432-450)
- Kaguya Otsutsuki Strikes (ep 451-479)
- Childhood (ep 480-483)
- Sasuke Shinden: Book Of Sunrise (ep 484-488)
- Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting In Silent Darkness (ep 489-493)
- Konoha Hiden: A Perfect Day For A Wedding (ep 494-500)
Naruto Shippuden: Important Arcs
Naruto Shippuden consists of 500 episodes, surely it’s a huge number of episodes to make anyone back away from the series.
To make things simpler, here’s the list of episodes that are really needed to know about events in the story.
- Kazekage Rescue Mission (ep 1-32):
The Akatsuki have made their first move and it’s against the Hidden Sand. Gaara had been kidnapped and the remnants of Team 7 are sent after him.
- Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission (ep 33-53):
Team 7 has been formed by Captain Yamato and Sai join the team as a new member. They investigate a lead into Orochimaru and a battle ensues.
- Akatsuki Suppression Mission (ep 71-88):
The Hidden Leaf is officially after the Akatsuki starting with the members Hidan and Kakuzu. This arc heavily focuses on Team 10 while Asuma Sarutobi shows his greatness.
- Itachi Pursuit Mission (ep 113-118):
It begins to focus more on Sasuke as it shows how Naruto and Sasuke both attempt to find Itachi.
- Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant (ep 127-133):
It follows Jiraiya as he discovered that Pain was actually Nagato and his journey to stop him from attacking the Hidden Leaf Village.
- Fated Battle Between Brothers (ep 134-143):
Sasuke and Itachi finally go head-to-head against each other. The secret of Itachi is revealed and Sasuke focuses on destroying Konoha.
- Pain’s Assault (ep 152-169 & 172-175):
After a direct encounter in the Hidden Rain, Pain goes to the Hidden Leaf Village to destroy it. Naruto undergoes Sage Mode training.
- Five Kage Summit (ep 197-214):
Sasuke and his team interrupt the Five Kage Summit and the real threat responsible for the Akatsuki reveals himself. The Fourth Great Shinobi War begins.
- Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown (ep 215-222):
This marks the beginning traces of war and shows Sasuke’s hellbent focus on getting revenge on Konoha for causing Itachi to suffer.
- Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation (ep 261-270, 272-289, 296-310, 312-321):
The Fourth Shinobi World War begins and battles are on all fronts. Gaara is put in charge of all allied Shinobi forces. Old allies and foes battle again whether they are willing or not.
- Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax (ep 322-348 & 362-375):
Madara Uchiha is brought into the battle as the fighting escalates to unimaginable levels.
- Birth of Ten Tails Jinchuriki (ep 378-388, 391-393, 414-421, 424-431):
The war is heating up and Obito becomes the Jinchuriki for Ten Tails amidst everything that has happened.
- Kaguya Otsutsuki Strikes (ep 451-455, 450-468, 470-479):
The first appearance of Kaguya shows the looming end of the war and the backstory of the character. The final battle between Naruto and Sasuke happens.
- Konoha Hiden: A Perfect Day For A Wedding (ep 494-500)
The Naruto series final arc finishes with Konoha and the rest important people to Naruto and Hinata trying to figure out what they should do for their wedding.
Naruto Shippuden: Important Fillers
Fillers are some feel-good episodes packed in between arcs to help with the tension in scenes or serve as an intermission between arcs.
While fillers mostly are just fun episodes and can usually be skipped if needed, some hold a few bonus points in accordance with the story or character.
Naruto Shippuden also has a few exceptions of filler episodes that serves almost a part of the main story.
- Kakashi Gaiden (ep 119-120):
This two-episode story adapted the side story of Kakashi. It explains Kakashi’s back story in-depth, along with his days as a member of Team 7 under Minato and also his past with his father.
- Itachi Shinden Book: Light and Shadow (ep 452-458):
This arc serves as an intermission between Kaguya’s appearance in the war. It focuses on Itachi’s life before the Uchiha Clan’s downfall and also on his best friend, Shisui Uchiha.
- Sasuke Shinden: Book Of Sunrise (ep 484-488)
Sasuke’s story has grown alongside Naruto’s adventures. It’s only correct that we end it with a closure that is satisfying. After the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sasuke becomes a wanderer and goes on various missions.
This arc focuses on Sasuke meeting a girl named Chino, a kunoichi from the deceased Chinoike Clan.
- Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting In Silent Darkness (ep 489-493)
This arc focuses on Shikamaru’s life two years after the war. It deals with Shikamaru taking time to reflect on his life and his ever-growing pile of responsibilities.
Naruto Movies
Most Naruto movies are not canon to the series, so it is difficult to understand where they can be placed.
Leaving the last movie, most come under the filler category, so here’s a short description of each Naruto movie to know its events.
- Naruto The Movie: Clash in the Land of Snow (2004)
The movie shows one of the missions of Team 7 when they were all still together happening sometime after the Chunin Exams. The task given is to protect a princess and the change of surroundings from usual greenery to a cold palace is quite interesting.
- Naruto The Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel (2005)
Naruto, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Kankuro form a group on the mission of finding a lost pet ferret returning to its owner. While on the mission they are attacked by opponents having heavy armor and weapons.
- Naruto The Movie: Guardian of the Cresent Moon Kingdom (2006)
The final movie of the Naruto original series. Naruto and Sakura form a team with Rock Lee now that Sasuke’s place is vacant for the mission of guarding Prince Hikaru Tsuki and his father, Michiru of Land of the Moon back to their kingdom.
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie (2007)
Naruto, Sakura, Rock Lee, and Neji, being a jonin come together to complete a mission of guarding Shion, a priestess who is the only one with the power to seal a monster away.
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Bonds (2008)
After a long-awaited moment, Sasuke returns to this movie before making an appearance in the later episodes. It features airships and Zero-tails, while also bringing Naruto and Sasuke together with different motives in the same place.
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Will of Fire (2009)
Shinobis having Kekkei Genkai were kidnapped from all villages except Konoha. Kakashi left the village unwillingly due to a mysterious curse implanted on him while Naruto, Sakura, and Sai break the rules of Konoha and follow him.
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Lost Tower (2010)
Featuring Naruto or Yamato’s time travel element, Naruto is pushed back into the past finding himself in the City of Loran. It also provides the first interaction between Naruto and his now-known father, Minato.
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Blood Prison (2011)
Naruto is taken to prison after being falsely accused. For most parts, Naruto is shown alone without any of his friends as he teams with other prison members.
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Road to Ninja (2012)
Obito transfers Naruto and Sakura into his Infinite Tsukuyomi world, showing that it is a depiction of what Obito’s genjutsu world would be like. While both of their growing-up conditions are switched, it continues with Naruto fighting to defend against Kurama being taken away from him.
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Last (2014)
It is the canon movie of the whole Naruto franchise hence making it a must-watch. Naruto, Hinata, Sai, Shikamaru, and Sakura form a team to save Hanabi. It also brings Naruto and Hinata closer hinting at the final arc in the series.
What can be skipped?
If just the main story is to be taken into consideration, the main arcs can be watched leaving any filler episodes as they do not serve many purposes except for extra information and scenes.
Naruto movies, most are not canon and their existence is not even brought up in the episodes, so it’s fine to skip all of them except Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Last (2014) because it is a canon movie to the series.
Specials and OVAs, again do not serve any special purpose in the series except for adding a bit of fun, so it can be skipped too.
Surely, watching the whole series is bound to evoke different emotions than just watching a few selected episodes.
Where to watch?
It is really difficult to go on finding streaming platforms for the episodes and movies.
While pirated websites readily make the content available, the official websites are not much of a hassle either.
- Naruto (2002-2007): Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu
- Naruto: Shippuden (2007-2017): Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu
- Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017): Crunchyroll, Hulu
- Naruto Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (2004): Netflix, Crunchyroll, Tubi
- Naruto Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel (2005): Netflix, Crunchyroll, Tubi
- Naruto Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (2006): Netflix, Crunchyroll, Tubi
- Naruto Shippuden Movie (2007): Netflix
- Naruto Shippuden Movie: Bonds (2008): Netflix
- Naruto Shippuden Movie: The Will of Fire (2009): Netflix, Crunchyroll
- Naruto Shippuden Movie: The Lost Tower (2010): Netflix, Crunchyroll
- Naruto Shippuden Movie: Blood Prison (2011): Netflix, Crunchyroll
- Naruto Shippuden Movie: Road to Ninja (2012): Crunchyroll
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Last (2014): Crunchyroll
- Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015): Crunchyroll
How much time will it take?
While people may feel it might take months to catch up to the whole franchise, it’s actually not the case. In our how to watch Naruto in Order article , we’ve taken the easiest and fastest route to complete it.
Following our Naruto watch order will complete the whole series in 155 hours 31 minutes which is roughly equal to 7 days.
Here’s a runtime of each-
- Naruto: 48 hours 31 minutes (125 episodes of 23 mins each)
- Naruto Shippuden: 108 hours 57 mins (284 episodes of 23 mins each)
- Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Last: 1 hour 52 minutes
This excludes all special episodes, OVA, spin-offs, and filler episodes in the series.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Boruto: Naruto The Movie came out earlier than Boruto: Naruto Next Generations release making it canon to the Boruto franchise.
The saga of Naruto continues on in Boruto as the place of the protagonist is now changed to Naruto’s son, Boruto. Surely, Boruto being a different individual has different goals and aspirations as a Shinobi. His journey to achieve his goal is also fun.
Boruto has thrived on the popularity of the Naruto franchise and it did not fall short to keep up the expectations of viewers.
After catching up with Naruto, Boruto serves as a great watch.
The journey and adventures still continue in the franchise with Boruto coming out with its own movies.
We will soon come up with an article on Boruto watch order. In the meantime, let us know what you think about our article on how to watch Naruto in order. Keep visiting Orianime for more updates.
