How to watch Naruto in order

Now over 20 years old, watching Naruto in order is becoming increasingly unruly. There are hundreds of episodes of ninja fighting, as the title character works to earn his village's respect and become a high-ranking warrior.

Created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto swiftly became one of the best anime franchises in the 2000s, leading to a worldwide fandom. Over the years, more and more people have become enraptured by the shonen action, interpersonal drama, and all the flashy powers of the kekkei genkai. But in that time, the story has ballooned, with almost 1000 episodes so far, a hefty proposition for a fledgling viewer or returning fan.

However, our power is in making entertainment easy. Just like with our guides on how to watch Attack on Titan in order and One Piece in order, we've broken down how to watch Naruto in order chronologically and by release. We've also provided a rundown of what anime movies are essential to understand the narrative, beginning to end. There's still a lot to get through, but little by little, you'll make it through, with a little help from your internet friends in this guide.

How to watch Naruto in chronological order

The easiest way to enjoy Naruto is in chronological order. You get to watch the hero's evolution as a ninja, alongside all his friends, across multiple arcs worth of journeys and battles together. The arcs of Naruto often aren't very long, leaving stretches of dozens of episodes where you'll see a variety of enemies and situations for the protagonists to overcome.

Interspersed among the episodes are the movies. Much like Dragon Ball and One Piece, the films aren't strictly canon, but they are entertaining and help break up the TV side of things if you're doing a full watch. Frankly, it's just not the same without them!

Below, we've included the original Naruto series, Naruto Shippuden, and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. That way, you can have the complete viewing experience.

• Naruto episodes 1-101
• Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
• Naruto episodes 102-160
• Naruto the Movie: The Legend Stone of Gelel
• Naruto episodes 161-196
• Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom
• Naruto episodes 197-220
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 1-32
• Naruto Shippuden: The Movie
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 33-71
• Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 72-126
• Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 127-143
• Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 144-196
• Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 197-251
• Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 252-493
• The Last: Naruto the Movie
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 494-500
• Boruto: Naruto Next Generations episodes 1-293

How to watch Naruto in release order

Naruto in release order is where things get a little strange. Due to TV and film operating on different calendars and release schedules, the movies didn't always come out right when they lined up in the narrative. Of course, now we have the option to watch Naruto from episode 1 exactly as it was always meant to be.

But fans in the 2000s didn't have that option, and if you'd like to emulate their experience, we've laid it all out for you. This is definitely off-kilter in places, and we'd recommend doing this for a rewatch rather than on your first go. But either way, the choice is yours!

• Naruto episodes 1-97:
• Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
• Naruto episodes 98-145
• Naruto the Movie: The Legend Stone of Gelel
• Naruto episodes 146-195
• Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom
• Naruto episodes 196-220
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 1-23
• Naruto Shippuden: The Movie
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 24-69
• Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 70-120
• Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 121-171
• Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 172-222
• Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 223-271
• Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 272-390
• The Last: Naruto the Movie
• Naruto Shippuden episodes 391-500
• Boruto: Naruto Next Generations episodes 1-293

Are the Naruto movies canon?

Most of the Naruto movies can be considered filler and therefore avoided if you're looking for genuine substance to the plot. Similar to the One Piece filler, they're essentially side-quests, such as when Naruto, Sakura, and company have to protect a future prince of the moon, or when Naruto is framed for murder (it's a weird franchise).

Two are canon, with a story written by creator Masashi Kishimoto. He also contributed to a third, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, but only for story and character ideas. The other two are the ones you'll want to include in any watch-through.

The canon Naruto movies:

• The Last: Naruto the Movie
• Boruto: Naruto the Movie

Where can I watch Naruto?

You can find the entire Naruto franchise so far on Crunchyroll in the US and the UK. This includes the original show, Naruto Shippuden, and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. The original Naruto is also available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in the US.

You'll need Apple TV Plus for Naruto Shippuden and Boruto if you don't want to use Crunchyroll in the US. Both of them are on the service in their entirety, though, so you won't need to move again.

For more anime, head over to our guides on how to watch Bleach in order and how to watch Dragon Ball in order. Or, look ahead with our list of all the new anime on the horizon.