Filler episodes in Naruto usually get a bad reputation among anime fans. Many of them slow down the story or take the characters on adventures that never matter again. However, a few episodes stand out from the rest. Over the years, the anime gave fans several filler episodes that did not just entertain – they filled important gaps, expanded beloved characters, and made the main story feel even richer.
Some of these episodes explain events the manga skipped, while others dive deeper into characters like Kakashi, Itachi, Jiraiya, and the Akatsuki. In fact, a few are so well made that many fans forget they were never part of Masashi Kishimoto‘s original manga. Here are the 10 best Naruto filler episodes that feel like canon, ranked.
10. Naruto Shippuden Episode 112: Tobi Captured the Three-Tails
Tobi and Deidara confronting the Three-Tails beast, Isobu. | Credit: Studio Pierrot
The manga never actually shows how the Three-Tails falls into the Akatsuki’s hands. However, in episode 112 of the Shippuden anime, viewers get to witness Tobi and Deidara capture a Tailed Beast secretly in what would be one of the Akatsuki’s major operations in the Three-Tails Appearance Arc.
That simple addition makes a huge difference. The Akatsuki’s hunt for the Tailed Beasts is one of the biggest parts of Shippuden, so seeing one of those captures happen on screen makes the story feel more complete instead of leaving fans to fill in the blanks themselves.
9. Naruto Shippuden Episode 468: Asura and Indra’s Feud Began
Ashura and Indra from a still. | Credit: Studio Pierrot
The rivalry of Naruto and Sasuke goes way back before they both can remember. Through this particular episode, it was revealed how Hagoromo selects Asura as his successor after learning about the fundamental difference between the ideologies of his two sons.
In contrast to the manga series, which briefly introduces fans to the background information, anime takes more time to establish the background story of the two brothers, making the final battle of Naruto and Sasuke even more meaningful.
8. Naruto Shippuden Episode 144: Utakata Finally Got His Story
Utakata is the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails, Saiken. | Credit: Studio Pierrot
Before this arc, Utakata was little more than another Jinchuriki whose fate happened off-screen. The anime changes that by giving the Six-Tails host a touching story and showing the bond he shares with his student, Hotaru. In the manga, his capture is never actually shown (it happens off-screen during a time skip), but the anime uses this filler arc to show Pain capturing him on-screen.
It is a simple but effective addition. Once fans get to know Utakata, his capture by the Akatsuki becomes much more heartbreaking. Instead of being just another victim, he becomes someone worth remembering.
7. Naruto Shippuden Episode 127: Jiraiya Began His Sage Journey
Jiraiya as a kid from a still. | Credit: Studio Pierrot
Jiraiya had already become one of the Hidden Leaf’s greatest ninja, but this episode shows where his journey really began. Fans finally get to see his first visit to Mount Myoboku and the early steps that led him toward Sage Mode.
While Jiraiya’s initial clumsy arrival at Mount Myoboku is shown via a brief flashback in the manga, the anime takes that specific moment and heavily expands it into a full, detailed chronicle of his youthful training and his growth under the Great Toad Sage.
The episode fits naturally with everything revealed during the Pain arc. Rather than changing the story, it adds more life to one of Naruto‘s greatest mentors and makes his later sacrifice even more emotional.
6. Naruto Shippuden Episode 295: Naruto Faced His Darkest Self
Naruto Uzumaki from a still. | Credit: Studio Pierrot
The Power arc may be anime-original, but its finale feels anything but ordinary. With movie-quality animation and an emotional final battle, Naruto is forced to face the darkness connected to the Nine-Tails once again.
Even though this story never happened in the manga, it perfectly matches Naruto’s long struggle with Kurama. The themes of fear, hope, and never giving up are exactly what made the series special from the very beginning.
5. Naruto Shippuden Episode 352: Orochimaru Fled the Hidden Leaf
Orochimaru and Hiruzen from a still. | Credit: Studio Pierrot
Orochimaru’s escape from the Hidden Leaf is one of the biggest turning points in the series, yet the manga spends very little time on it. This episode fills that gap by showing the moment Hiruzen Sarutobi learns the truth about his student’s cruel experiments.
What really stands out is Hiruzen’s heartbreak. He knows Orochimaru must be stopped, but he cannot bring himself to finish his favorite student. That emotional weakness helps explain why Orochimaru later becomes one of the village’s greatest threats.
4. Naruto Shippuden Episode 358: Shisui’s Sacrifice Changed Itachi
Itachi and Shisui from a still. | Credit: Studio Pierrot
Long before the Uchiha massacre, Shisui Uchiha tried to stop a civil war from breaking out inside the Hidden Leaf. This episode shows his final days, Danzo stealing his Sharingan, and the sacrifice that forced Itachi to carry an impossible burden.
These moments were only briefly mentioned in the manga. Seeing them play out gives fans a much better understanding of why Itachi made the painful choices that followed and why Shisui remained one of the people he respected most.
3. Naruto Shippuden Episode 350: Kakashi Lost Minato Forever
Minato and Kushina from a still. | Credit: Studio Pierrot
No one can forget the impact of the Nine-Tails incident on the Hidden Leaf Village. However, rather than giving more background on Naruto’s birth, this filler episode is told from the perspective of Kakashi, who had already lost Obito and Rin before watching Minato and Kushina die.
Minato actually placed Kakashi into the ANBU before the Nine-Tails attack to give him a sense of purpose after Rin’s death. The Nine-Tails incident occurs while he is already an ANBU operative assigned to protect a pregnant Kushina. The new point of view helps explain why Kakashi threw himself into his ANBU duties and why protecting Naruto later became so important to him. Few filler episodes connect to the main story this naturally.
2. Naruto Shippuden Episode 349: Kakashi’s ANBU Story Began
Kakashi as ANBU from a still. | Credit: Studio Pierrot
The Kakashi: Shadow of the ANBU Black Ops arc begins by exploring something the manga mostly skips – how Kakashi dealt with years of loss. Instead of acting like an emotionless genius, he is shown as a young ninja struggling with grief and guilt.
This slower approach makes Kakashi feel even more human. It also makes his role as Team 7’s caring teacher far more rewarding because fans finally understand everything he had to overcome before meeting Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
1. Naruto Shippuden Episode 469: Kakashi Finally Removed His Mask
For years, fans wondered what Kakashi looked like under his mask. The original Naruto teased the mystery in Episode 101, but it took until Shippuden Episode 469 for the anime to finally reveal the answer through a clever story involving the mysterious photographer, Sukea.
The reveal is funny, nostalgic, and surprisingly satisfying. More importantly, it feels like a reward for fans who stayed with the series for over a decade. It may be filler, but few episodes have left such a lasting mark on the Naruto community, which is why it easily takes the top spot.
Here is a quick overview of all the episodes we have discussed above –
RankSeriesEpisodeEpisode NameEpisode Rating (IMDb)1Naruto Shippuden469A Special Mission7.9/102Naruto Shippuden349The Mask That Hides the Heart7.6/103Naruto Shippuden350Minato’s Death7.7/104Naruto Shippuden358Coup d’Etat8.1/105Naruto Shippuden352The Rogue Ninja: Orochimaru6.7/106Naruto Shippuden295Power: Episode Final6.8/107Naruto Shippuden127Tales of a Gutsy Ninja – Jiraiya Ninja Scroll8.1/108Naruto Shippuden144Wanderer6.0/109Naruto Shippuden468The Successor8.1/1010Naruto Shippuden112A Place to Return To6.7/10
Now the big question: Which Naruto filler episode do you think feels the most like canon, and is there another hidden gem that deserves a place on this list? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Naruto and Naruto Shippuden are both currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
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