How to Watch Naruto in Chronological Order With All Movies

How to Watch Naruto in Chronological Order With All Movies

So you've decided to dive into one of the greatest anime of all time — congratulations. But here's the thing: figuring out the right Naruto chronological order can feel more overwhelming than facing a S-rank mission. With over 8,00+ episodes spread across three series, 11 movies, and dozens of filler arcs, knowing where to start (and where to skip) is half the battle.

This complete Naruto watch order guide is designed to make your journey smooth, satisfying, and spoiler-free — whether you're a total newcomer or returning to relive the Hidden Leaf Village.

Why Watching Naruto in Order Actually Matters

Naruto is a story that rewards patience. Character development, power scaling, relationships, and emotional payoffs all build on each other across hundreds of episodes.

Watching things out of sequence — especially placing movies in the wrong spot — can confuse you or ruin some genuinely great moments. This Naruto complete series guide is arranged to preserve every plot twist and emotional beat exactly as Masashi Kishimoto intended.

The Full Naruto Chronological Watch Order

Part 1: Original Naruto (Episodes 1–220)

Start here. No skipping, no shortcuts — at least for the first major arc. The original series introduces Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, and the world of shinobi.

The original Naruto anime first premiered in Japan in 2003, and it runs for 220 episodes. However, a significant chunk of those are Naruto filler episodes — side stories that don't affect the main plot. You can safely skip many of these if you're short on time.

Where to insert the first three movies (Original Naruto):

• Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow → after Episode 101
• Legend of the Stone of Gelel → after Episode 142
• Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom → after Episode 196

The first film in the series, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, follows Team 7 — Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura — as they protect an actress named Yukie from being captured. It's a fun entry point into the movie side of the franchise.

Part 2: Naruto Shippuden Watch Order (Episodes 1–479)

This is where the story truly elevates. Naruto returns after two-and-a-half years of training, and the stakes get exponentially higher.

Just like the original Naruto series, Shippuden continued the trend with filler episodes, comprising 41% of its content. Knowing which episodes to skip — using a reliable Naruto episode guide — is essential if you want to avoid wasting hours on content that goes nowhere.

Where to insert Shippuden movies:

• Naruto Shippuden the Movie → after Episode 32
• Shippuden: Bonds → after Episode 71
• Shippuden: Inheritors of the Will of Fire → after Episode 120
• Shippuden: The Lost Tower → after Episode 156
• Shippuden: Blood Prison → after Episode 196
• Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie → after Episode 249
• The Last: Naruto the Movie → after Episode 479

According to GamesRadar's Naruto watch guide, two movies are truly canon and must not be missed: The Last: Naruto the Movie and Boruto: Naruto the Movie. The rest are entertaining but non-essential side stories.

How to Skip Naruto Fillers Without Missing the Story

If you want to skip Naruto fillers intelligently, here's a quick breakdown:

• Original Naruto fillers: Episodes 101–106, 136–220 are mostly filler. Watch canon arcs only if you're in a rush.
• Shippuden fillers: Major filler blocks include Episodes 57–71, 91–112, 144–151, 170–171, and large stretches in the 300s and 400s.
• Essential filler to keep: Some filler episodes in Shippuden add genuine emotional depth — particularly the ones related to backstories of major characters.

A great resource for tracking this is Anime Filler List, which categorizes every Shippuden episode as canon, mixed, or filler.

The Last: Naruto the Movie — Don't Skip This One

The Last: Naruto the Movie concludes Naruto's primary arc, while Boruto: Naruto the Movie introduces the next generation of ninjas and sets the stage for the Boruto series.

The Last is set after the Fourth Great Ninja War and directly bridges Shippuden into Boruto. It resolves key romantic threads and is 100% canon — written with direct involvement from Kishimoto himself. Treat it as a required episode.

Part 3: Boruto Watch Order

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations aired its final episode in March 2023, going on hiatus as the manga caught up with production.

Here's how to tackle the Boruto watch order properly:

1. Watch Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015) — before or alongside early Boruto episodes
2. Begin Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Episodes 1–293)
3. The first 19 episodes of Boruto retell the movie's events — you can skip those if you watched the film

Boruto picks up years after Shippuden ends, showing a more peaceful Konoha and Naruto finally serving as Hokage.

All 11 Naruto Movies in Chronological Order

Here's a quick-reference list based on the Naruto movies in order, inserted at the proper episode positions:

⭐ = Canon, must-watch

Where to Watch Naruto

You can find the entire Naruto franchise on Crunchyroll in the US and UK, including the original show, Naruto Shippuden, and Boruto. The original Naruto is also available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in the US.

For the most complete streaming experience without interruptions, Crunchyroll remains the go-to destination.

Conclusion

Naruto is a generational anime, and watching it in the right order makes all the difference. Follow this Naruto Shippuden watch order, insert the movies at the correct episodes, use a filler guide to protect your time, and don't skip The Last. Whether you're watching for the first time or doing a full rewatch, this is the most complete and story-respectful path through the Hidden Leaf — all the way from a young orphan's first shadow clone to Boruto's era as the next-generation hero.