How to watch Naruto in order

Watching Naruto in order can be a daunting task, as it's one of the longest-running anime of all time with hundreds and hundreds of episodes to dig into and endless characters and storylines to piece together. It's part of what makes Naruto so popular, but it can also potentially feel a bit overwhelming.

Fortunately, we've got you covered with a guide on how to watch Naruto in order from start to finish. Our guide covers everything including all the currently released seasons of the show and all released movies, going back to 2003 when the Naruto anime first premiered in Japan. It's organized both by chronological story order as well as by release date.

How to watch Naruto in chronological order

Naruto in order: Naruto Uzumaki jumping in the air getting ready to punch something during the anime Naruto. — (Image credit: Crunchyroll)

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 order: Pain holding Naruto Uzumaki during a fight in Naruto Shippuden. — (Image credit: Crunchyroll)

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?

Naruto in order: a close-up of Kakashi Hatake's face. — (Image credit: Crunchyroll)

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?

Naruto in order: Naruto Uzumaki and a bunch of his clones looking confused during the anime Naruto. — (Image credit: Crunchyroll)

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.