Starting Naruto sounds easy, until you’re face-to-face with 700+ episodes, multiple movies, heavy filler arcs, and an entire sequel generation. One wrong click and you’re stuck watching episodes that don’t matter while wondering if you missed something important.
This guide exists so that doesn’t happen.
Below is the best Naruto watch order in 2026, laid out chronologically, with canon clarity, filler warnings, movie placement, and the latest Boruto shows. This binge-friendly roadmap is all you need to get your watch order in shape.
Master List for Your Naruto Watch Order 2026
We’ll get to the breakdown in a while. Before that, here’s a complete master list of every Naruto anime and movie included in this guide. If you just want a checklist to follow without thinking too hard, this section alone has your back.
| Order | Title | Format | Episodes / Runtime | Release Year | Canon Status |
| 1 | Naruto | TV Series | 220 eps | 2002 | Canon + Filler |
| 2 | Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow | Movie | 82 min | 2004 | Non-canon |
| 3 | Legend of the Stone of Gelel | Movie | 97 min | 2005 | Non-canon |
| 4 | Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom | Movie | 95 min | 2006 | Non-canon |
| 5 | Naruto Shippuden | TV Series | 500 eps | 2007 | Canon + Filler |
| 6 | Naruto Shippuden the Movie | Movie | 94 min | 2007 | Non-canon |
| 7 | Bonds | Movie | 93 min | 2008 | Non-canon |
| 8 | The Will of Fire | Movie | 96 min | 2009 | Non-canon |
| 9 | The Lost Tower | Movie | 85 min | 2010 | Non-canon |
| 10 | Blood Prison | Movie | 108 min | 2011 | Non-canon |
| 11 | The Last: Naruto the Movie | Movie | 112 min | 2014 | Canon |
| 12 | Boruto: Naruto the Movie | Movie | 95 min | 2015 | Canon |
| 13 | Boruto: Naruto Next Generations | TV Series | 293 eps | 2017 | Manga + Anime Canon |
| 14 | Boruto: Two Blue Vortex | TV Series | TBA | 2026 (tentative) | Canon (Latest) |
Now let’s go title by title, with context that actually helps.
Naruto Watch Order 2026: All Canon TV Series & Movies
1. Naruto (Canon+Filler, 2002–2007)
| Details | Info |
| Episodes | 220 |
| Director(s) | Hayato Date (#1–479) Masaaki Kumagai (#261–280) Yasuaki Kurotsu[b] (#290–295)[c] Osamu Kobayashi (#480–483) Chiaki Kon (#484–488) Toshinori Watabe (#489–493) Masahiko Murata (#494–500) |
| Original Creator | Masashi Kishimoto |
| Release Date | Oct 3, 2002 |
| IMDb Rating | ~8.4 |
This is the start of the legend of Naruto Uzumaki. The early arcs of this anime do a great job at establishing the ninja world, core characters, and emotional stakes that pay off much later.
The only problem? Fillers. So, for a clean experience, stop after the Sasuke Retrieval arc and move forward.
2. Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (Optional)
| Details | Info |
| Runtime | 82 minutes |
| Director | Tensai Okamura |
| Release Date | Aug 21, 2004 |
| IMDb Rating | ~6.6 |
The premise is early Naruto missions, and it’s a good watch if you love flashy side quests and new villains. While it doesn’t add to the main story, you get to spend some quality time with Team 7.
3. Naruto the Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel (Optional)
| Details | Info |
| Runtime | 97 minutes |
| Director | Hirotsugu Kawasaki |
| Release Date | Aug 6, 2005 |
| IMDb Rating | ~6.3 |
Combine large-scale conflict and experimental lore ideas, and you get yourself a high-stakes action movie. It’s not canon, but it fits perfectly before Shippuden.
4. Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (Optional)
| Details | Info |
| Runtime | 95 minutes |
| Director | Toshiyuki Tsuru |
| Release Date | Aug 5, 2006 |
| IMDb Rating | ~6.3 |
This is the final movie before Shippuden rocks your world. It’s light-hearted with some really flashy visuals. But it’s a skip if you just want to move on to the serious part of the story.
5. Naruto Shippuden (Canon+Filler, 2007–2017)
| Details | Info |
| Episodes | 500 |
| Director(s) | Hayato Date: Episodes 1–479 Osamu Kobayashi: Episodes 480–483, 700-704 Chiaki Kon: Sasuke Shinden, episodes 484–488 Toshinori Watanabe: Shikamaru Hiden, episodes 489–493 Masahiko Murata: Konoha Hiden, episodes 494–500 |
| Original Creator | Masashi Kishimoto |
| Release Date | Feb 15, 2007 |
| IMDb Rating | ~8.7 |
The Shippuden series is the heart of Naruto. It contains some of the most iconic arcs, like the Pain’s Assault arc, Itachi Pursuit/Fated Battle Between Brothers, Five Kage Summit, and the Fourth Great Shinobi War.
It is also in this series that you get to experience Naruto’s full emotional growth. This is where the fillers get pretty aggressive, so make sure you check out this handy Naruto Shippuden filler list to avoid the lull during your binge.
6. Naruto Shippuden the Movie (Optional)
| Details | Info |
| Runtime | 94 minutes |
| Director | Hajime Kamegaki |
| Release Date | Aug 4, 2007 |
| IMDb Rating | ~6.7 |
Shippuden’s first movie jumps into the supernatural realm with a pretty neat villain. It’s visually solid and quite popular, but you can skip it since it’s not canon.
7. Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds (Optional)
| Details | Info |
| Runtime | 93 minutes |
| Director | Hajime Kamegaki |
| Release Date | Aug 2, 2008 |
| IMDb Rating | ~6.8 |
If you enjoy Naruto and Sasuke’s dynamic, then give this a watch even though it’s non-canon. The emotional appeal of this movie really hits the spot.
8. Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire (Optional but Highly Recommended)
| Details | Info |
| Runtime | 96 minutes |
| Director | Masahiko Murata |
| Release Date | Aug 1, 2009 |
| IMDb Rating | ~7.0 |
Consider this the best non-canon Naruto movie. It feels important, raises real emotional stakes, and blends so well that no one will blame you if you forget it isn’t canon.
9. Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower (Optional)
| Details | Info |
| Runtime | 85 minutes |
| Director | Masahiko Murata |
| Release Date | Jul 31, 2010 |
| IMDb Rating | ~6.8 |
Time travel has always been a risky trope to master. But this movie does a great job at it. It features Minato and fits neatly into the Shippuden era.
10. Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Blood Prison (Optional)
| Details | Info |
| Runtime | 108 minutes |
| Director | Masahiko Murata |
| Release Date | Jul 30, 2011 |
| IMDb Rating | ~7.1 |
If you’ve been craving a gritty Naruto story, this one will soothe the itch. It’s darker, more serious, and morally complex. So, it stands out from others tonally.
11. The Last: Naruto the Movie (Canon – Mandatory)
| Details | Info |
| Runtime | 112 minutes |
| Director | Tsuneo Kobayashi |
| Release Date | Dec 6, 2014 |
| IMDb Rating | ~7.6 |
Finally, a fully canon movie that is absolutely emotionally essential for completing your Naruto experience. It bridges Naruto Shippuden and Boruto, wrapping up character arcs and setting the tone for the next generation.
Want the best experience? Watch it after Shippuden episode 479.
12. Boruto: Naruto the Movie
| Details | Info |
| Runtime | 95 minutes |
| Director | Hiroyuki Yamashita |
| Release Date | Aug 7, 2015 |
| IMDb Rating | ~7.7 |
This film introduces Boruto and reframes the world Naruto built through a new lens. Consider this a transition point where you’ll get introduced to new story elements that are explained later in the anime.
13. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Canon+Filler, 2017–2023)
| Details | Info |
| Episodes | 293 |
| Director(s) | Hiroyuki Yamashita (eps 1–66) Noriyuki Abe (Chief Director, eps 1–104, 282–286) Toshirō Fujii (eps 67–104) Masayuki Kōda (eps 105–293) |
| Writers | Ukyo Kodachi / Masashi Kishimoto |
| Release Date | Apr 5, 2017 |
| IMDb Rating | ~6.3 |
In Boruto, the focus shifts from survival to legacy. The anime mixes manga canon, anime-canon expansion, and filler. So choose the arcs wisely if you want a smooth experience.
14. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex (Latest Era)
| Details | Info |
| Episodes | TBA |
| Writer | Masashi Kishimoto |
| Release Date | 2026 (tentative) |
| IMDb Rating | TBA |
The newest chapter of the Naruto timeline pushes the story into darker and more mature territory. It’s the future of the franchise and pretty essential to watch if you want to stay fully up to date.
Final Thoughts on the Naruto Watch Order 2026
You’re in for the long haul with Naruto. So, do yourself a favor and make it as hassle-free as possible with this simple guide. This 2026 watch order includes every relevant anime and movie, respects your time, and keeps the story flowing without unnecessary detours.
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