Why Does Naruto Have So Many Filler Episodes? Explained

The reason for Naruto’s numerous filler episodes has been a source of confusion for many new fans of the franchise. The abundance of filler material has made it more challenging to fully appreciate the original anime, making it more challenging to attract new viewers to the series.

By now, it is widely known that the large number of Naruto filler episodes can be attributed to Studio Pierrot’s anime adaptation attempting to keep up with Masashi Kishimoto’s manga. Since the anime aired on a weekly basis rather than being released in seasons, this resulted in the production of numerous filler arcs to allow the manga to progress and stay ahead.

Please note that this article includes spoilers for the series.

Explaining the Prevalence of Filler Episodes in Naruto and Its Impact on the Series

The decision to include a large number of filler episodes was a necessary one given that Studio Pierrot’s anime adaptation was consistently surpassing the manga. With a shortage of source material to work with, the creators turned to filler arcs to give Kishimoto more time to produce new chapters. This was a common practice during the time of weekly anime, as evidenced by another Studio Pierrot series, Bleach, which also faced similar challenges.

Regarding this, the anime covered various arcs and their respective number of episodes throughout the series.

Original series 26: Chunin Exams arc
Original series 97: Search for Tsunade arc
Original series 102–106: Land of Tea Escort Mission arc
Original series 136–219: Land of Rice Fields Investigations arc
Shippuden 57–71: Twelve Guardian Ninja arc
Shippuden 89–112: Three Tails’ Appearance arc
Shippuden 119–120: Kakashi Gaiden arc
Shippuden 144–151: Six-Tails Unleashed arc
Shippuden 170–171: Big Quest for Fourth Hokage’s Legacy
Shippuden 176–196: Past arc: Locus of Konoha
Shippuden 223–242: Paradise Life on a Boat arc
Shippuden 257–260: Flashbacks
Shippuden 272: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc
Shippuden 280–281: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc
Shippuden 284–289: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc
Shippuden 300–317: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc
Shippuden 319–320: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc
Shippuden 347–361: Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax arc
Shippuden 376–377
Shippuden 388–390: Birth of ten-Tails’ Jinchuriki arc
Shippuden 394–413: Birth of ten-Tails’ Jinchuriki arc
Shippuden 416: The Formation of Team Minato
Shippuden 422–423: Birth of ten-Tails’ Jinchuriki arc
Shippuden 427–457: Birth of ten-Tails’ Jinchuriki, Jiraiya Shinobi Handbook: The Tale of Naruto the Hero, Itachi Shinden Book: Light and Darkness arcs
Shippuden 469: Kakashi’s Face Reveal
Shippuden 480–500: Childhood, Sasuke Shinden Book: Book of Sunrise, Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting In Silent Darkness, Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day For a Wedding arcs

The Consequences of Filler Episodes

Hinata Hyuga benefitted from the filler episodes (Image via Studio Pierrot).

The filler episodes in Naruto were easily skippable as they had little impact on the main plot. However, with the series now concluded, it is clear to see how these fillers affected the overall flow of the story.

The filler arcs allowed for supporting characters like Hinata, Rock Lee, and Ten Ten to have their moments, but they had a tendency to interfere with the main storyline. This was evident in Madara’s Infinite Tsukuyomi, where some characters were shown to have dream sequences that did not occur in the original manga.

Final Thoughts

Despite their notoriety, Naruto fillers are now easily avoidable with a simple online search. It’s important to remember that their abundance was a result of the time when anime episodes were broadcasted weekly for most of the year, so while they may be annoying, they were a product of their time.