How Many Seasons and Episodes Are in Naruto?

The Naruto Phenomenon

Naruto, a globally adored Japanese anime series, amasses an impressive 26 seasons and 720 episodes. Centered around Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village, the series delves into his journey to achieve recognition and become the Hokage, his village’s esteemed leader.

Split into two main parts, the series initially brings us “Naruto”, a captivating five-season, 220-episode saga. This is then followed by “Naruto Shippuden”, an expansive follow-up, featuring 21 seasons and 500 episodes. Notably, some streaming platforms have limited their offerings to just nine seasons and 200 episodes.

The Evolution of Naruto

In its first part, the series chronicles Naruto’s formative years as he navigates the perils and triumphs of adolescence. Meanwhile, “Naruto Shippuden” presents a more mature narrative, plunging Naruto and his comrades into the harsh realities of the shinobi world. Starting its journey in 2002, the series aired until 2007, with its sequel running from 2007 to 2017.

While the original Naruto series has concluded, fans can still delve into the beloved world via the spinoff, “Boruto: Naruto The Movie”. This subsequent series explores the life of Boruto Uzumaki, Naruto and Hinata Hyuga’s son.

Unveiling the Seasons of Naruto

Naruto’s original series and its sequel, Naruto Shippuden, together consist of 26 compelling seasons. However, over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Netflix have only made available nine seasons, encompassing 200 episodes.

This beloved anime, which first captivated audiences in 2002, continues to engage fans, despite its conclusion over half a decade ago. The heartwarming tale of young ninjas striving to overcome their predetermined fates and accomplish their dreams has resonated with viewers globally.

Delving into Naruto’s Seasons

The original series of Naruto includes the following seasons:

Season 1: Aired from October 3, 2002, to November 5, 2003
Season 2: Aired from November 12, 2003, to September 8, 2004
Season 3: Aired from September 15, 2004, to June 29, 2005
Season 4: Aired from July 6, 2005, to May 3, 2006
Season 5: Aired from May 10, 2006, to February 8, 2007

The sequel, Naruto Shippuden, kicked off on February 15, 2007, and wrapped up on March 23, 2017. The series enjoyed a successful run of ten years and produced an impressive 500 episodes.

The Episode Unfoldings in Naruto

Naruto boasts a staggering 720 episodes in total, with the original series contributing 220 episodes and the sequel, Naruto Shippuden, adding another 500 episodes.

As a typical Shonen anime, Naruto was adapted from a popular Japanese manga that was serialized in Shueisha’s magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, from 1999 to 2014. To prevent the anime from overtaking the manga’s storyline, anime-exclusive narratives were incorporated, thus expanding the series.

Diving into the Episodes of Naruto

The original Naruto series includes the following number of episodes per season:

Season 1: 57 episodes
Season 2: 43 episodes
Season 3: 41 episodes
Season 4: 42 episodes
Season 5: 37 episodes

A Dive into the World of Naruto

Renowned as one of Japan’s most adored anime series, Naruto comprises an impressive count of 26 seasons and 720 episodes. This gripping narrative unfolds the life of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja from Hidden Leaf Village, who yearns for validation and aspires to become the Hokage, his village’s chief.

The captivating journey of Naruto is split into two segments: the initial part, “Naruto,” spans over 5 seasons and 220 episodes, while the succeeding part, “Naruto Shippuden,” includes 21 seasons and 500 episodes. However, only nine seasons and 200 episodes have been made available on streaming and OTT platforms.

The first part portrays Naruto’s childhood and his quest for recognition, while Naruto Shippuden mirrors the conflicts and challenges faced by Naruto and his companions as they grapple with the harsh reality of their world. The initial series aired from 2002 to 2007, with its sequel running from 2007 to 2017.

Fans continue to experience the Naruto universe through the spinoff, Boruto: Naruto The Movie, featuring the adventures of Boruto Uzumaki, Naruto’s son with Hinata Hyuga.

Number of Naruto Seasons

The initial Naruto series encapsulates five seasons and 220 episodes. The spinoff, Naruto Shippuden, adds another 21 seasons, bringing the total to 26 seasons. Despite the vast content, platforms like Netflix offer only nine seasons and 200 episodes.

Naruto, since its inception in 2002, has remained at the heart of anime fandom. The series, revolving around the youthful ninjas’ quests and their struggle against their destiny, continues to spark intrigue even after its conclusion. From their juvenile days in Naruto to their teenage years in Naruto Shippuden, the storyline has always left its followers craving more.

Details of Naruto Seasons

The seasons in Naruto unfolded as follows:

Season 1 (October 3, 2002 – November 5, 2003)
Season 2 (November 12, 2003 – September 8, 2004)
Season 3 (September 15, 2004- June 29, 2005)
Season 4 (July 6, 2005- May 3, 2006)
Season 5 (May 10, 2006- February 8, 2007)

Following this, Naruto Shippuden premiered on February 15, 2007, and concluded on March 23, 2017, spanning over a decade and 500 episodes.

Count of Episodes in Naruto

Naruto, in its entirety, embraces a staggering 720 episodes. The original series comprises 220 episodes across five seasons, while Naruto Shippuden offers an additional 500 episodes.

The Naruto series originates from a popular manga serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014. As the anime ran parallelly to the manga, filler episodes were added to prevent the animation from surpassing the manga, thereby extending the series.

Breakdown of Naruto Seasons and Episodes

The episodes in the original Naruto series span across five seasons as follows:

Season 1: 57 episodes
Season 2: 43 episodes
Season 3: 41 episodes
Season 4: 42 episodes
Season 5: 37 episodes

What Lies Beyond Naruto Season 9?

Boruto: Naruto the Movie trails immediately after the ninth season of Naruto on OTT platforms. To recap, the Over-The-Top media platforms accommodate just nine seasons of Naruto from a total of 26, encompassing both the original series and the spin-off. The concluding episode of Naruto is followed by its sequel, Boruto: Naruto the Movie, premiered on April 5, 2017, the same year when Naruto concluded.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations introduces the successors of the Hidden Leaf Village with the narrative centered on Boruto, Naruto’s son who has now taken up the mantle as the 7th Hokage, and his comrades. Contrasting with Naruto’s ambition of becoming the Hokage, Boruto aims to surpass his father, partly fueled by his discontentment with Naruto’s lack of attention towards him.

This new series invites a range of emotions as fans witness Naruto’s dream of becoming the Hokage come to fruition. The viewers also get a glimpse of various relationships—romantic and platonic—among the ninjas in Naruto and observe the shift in dynamics.

Mirroring its primary series, Boruto: Naruto the Movie boasts over 279 episodes. However, Netflix offers just 102 episodes, divided into four seasons:

Season 1 (24 episodes)
Season 2 (16 episodes)
Season 3 (40 episodes)
Season 4 (22 episodes)

The Ideal Sequence to Watch Naruto

Given the multitude of episodes and seasons, it could be overwhelming for first-time viewers of Naruto. Understanding the chronological sequence to watch the series can save time and avoid confusion, especially for those with limited availability.

The most recommended way to watch the series is following the order of its release: start with Naruto and then move on to Naruto Shippuden. Here’s the specific sequence to watch Naruto:

Naruto- (Episodes 1-101)
Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow – (Episodes 102-160)
Legend of the Stone of Gelel (Episodes 161-196)
Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (Episodes 197-220)
Naruto Shippuden: The Movie (Episodes 1-32)
Naruto Shippuden- Bonds (Episodes 72-121)
Naruto Shippuden- The Will of Fire (Episodes 122-154)
Naruto Shippuden- The Lost Tower (Episodes 155-196)
Naruto Shippuden- Blood Prison (Episodes 197-251)
Naruto Shippuden- Road to Ninja (Episodes 252-493)
The Last: Naruto the Movie (Episodes 494-500)
Boruto: Naruto the Movie
Boruto: Naruto the Movie- The Day Naruto Became the Hokage
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Naruto Spin-off: Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals

For those daunted by the prospect of viewing all 720 episodes, it is possible to bypass the filler episodes. Out of the total 720 episodes across 26 seasons of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, 299 are filler episodes that can be skipped without any disruption to the storyline. The original series has 91 filler episodes, making up 40% of the entire series.

Filler Naruto Episodes

Here are the filler episodes you may opt to skip in Naruto:

Episode 26 (Special Report: Live from the Forest of Death!)
Episode 97 (Kidnapped! Naruto’s Hot Spring Adventure)
Episodes 101-106 (Gotta See! Kakashi-sensei’s True Face! – The Last Leg: A Final Act of Desperation)
Episodes 136-140 (Deep Cover? A Super S Ranked Mission! – Two Heartbeats: Kabuto’s Trap)
Episodes 143-219 (Tonton! I’m Counting on You! – The Ultimate Weapon Reborn)

The second part, “Naruto: Shippuden,” which totals 500 episodes, contains 210 filler episodes, representing about 42% of the whole part.

Here are all the filler episodes you can avoid while watching Naruto Shippuden:

Episodes 57-70 (Deprived of Eternal Sleep – Resonance)
Episodes 91-111 (Orochimaru’s Hideout Discovered – Shattered Promise)
Episodes 144-151 (Wanderer- Master, and Student)
Episodes 170-171 (Big adventure! The quest for the fourth Hokage’s legacy Part 1 and 2)
Episodes 176-196 (Rookie Instructor Iruka-Drive Towards Darkness)
Episodes 223-242 (The Young Man and the sea- Naruto’s Vow)
Episodes 257- 260 (Meeting-Parting)
Episode 271 (Road to Sakura)
Episodes 279-281 (White Zetsu’s Trap-The Allied Mom Force)
Episodes 284-295 (The Helmet Splitter: Jinin Akebino- Power-Final)
Episodes 303-320 (Ghosts from the Past-Run, Omoi)
Episodes 347-361 (Creeping Shadow-Team 7)
Episodes 376-377 (The Directive to Take the Nine-Tails! – Naruto vs. Mecha Naruto)
Episodes 388-390 (My first friend-Hanabi’s Decision)
Episodes 394-413 (The new Chunin Exams- Hopes Entrusted to the future)
Episodes 416-417 (The Formation of Team Minato- You’ll Be My Backup)
Episodes 422-423 (The Ones Who Will Inherit-Naruto’s Rival)
Episodes 427-450 (To the Dream World-Rival)
Episodes 464-468 (Ninshu: The Ninja Creed)
Episodes 480-483 (Naruto and Hinata- Jiraiya and Kakashi)

The Birth of Naruto

Naruto (Japanese Manga Series) by Masashi Kishimoto

Naruto, the famed Japanese manga series, was penned and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto in 1997. An art school student at the time, Kishimoto won a contest for upcoming manga artists with his story “Karakuri”.

He then followed up his victory with a short story titled “Naruto”, published in Akamaru Jump. Kishimoto’s ambition to be recognized found reflection in Naruto, his central character, who indeed achieved global recognition.

The manga’s serialization commenced in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump on September 21, 1999, and carried on until November 10, 2014, resulting in approximately 72 volumes in book form. The manga was adapted into an anime series by Pierrot and Aniplex in 2002, which ran for five years, ending in 2007.