Boruto Filler List: I Watched 293 Episodes So You Don’t Have To

Last updated on October 30th, 2025 at 01:27 pm

Look, I’ll be honest — I started Boruto thinking it’d be a quick nostalgia trip. Just wanted to see what Naruto’s kid was up to, maybe catch a few fights, and move on with my life.

Three months later, I’d burned through all 293 episodes. And here’s the thing nobody tells you upfront: figuring out what’s actually worth watching in Boruto is harder than the show itself.

So I did the research, compared multiple filler guides, and tested different watching approaches. If you’re wondering which episodes to skip, I’ve got you covered.

What Makes Boruto’s Filler Situation Different

Here’s where Boruto gets weird compared to classic Naruto.

I grew up with the original series, so I knew what filler looked like — random episodes where Team 7 protects some bridge builder or Naruto enters a cooking competition. You skip them, no big deal.

Boruto doesn’t work that way.

Instead of the traditional canon vs. filler setup, Boruto uses a three-tier system that honestly confused me for the first 50 episodes. The anime started in April 2017 while the manga had barely launched in May 2016, so Studio Pierrot couldn’t just adapt manga chapters weekly.

The Three Categories You Need to Know

Manga Canon — These are your bread and butter episodes. Direct adaptations from the official Boruto manga, including approved light novel content. Think of arcs like the Sarada Uchiha Arc Episodes 19-23 or the Chunin Exam Arc Episodes 51-66 where the Otsutsuki clan shows up.

Anime Canon — Original episodes created by Studio Pierrot that aren’t in the manga, but they’re officially recognized as part of the story. Series creator Masashi Kishimoto often.

When I first heard anime canon, it’s just fancy marketing speak for filler. I was wrong. Some of these arcs are actually better than manga canon episodes.

Pure Filler – Traditional skippable content. Episodes with zero connection to the main plot, no meaningful character growth, just standalone stories you can ignore. The Cho-Cho Arc is a perfect example.

The Numbers Game

Anime Filler Guide lists 49 pure filler episodes out of 293 total, which works out to about 17% filler. But Anime Filler List says only 33 episodes are true filler (11%).

Both are technically correct. After watching everything, here’s what I found. Roughly 102 episodes are pure manga canon, about 174-186 episodes are considered anime canon, and only 20-33 episodes are genuinely skippable filler. Here’s a quick reference:

Category Episode Count Percentage Should You Watch?

Category	Episode Count	Percentage	Should You Watch?
Manga Canon	~102 episodes	~35%	Absolutely essential
Anime Canon	~174-186 episodes	~60-63%	Recommended
Pure Filler	~20-33 episodes	~7-11%	Safe to skip

The Episodes Actually Worth Your Time

Academy Entrance Arc: Not filler, has some of the best episodes in the series, better than most of the following arcs.

Boruto Uzumaki Arc: Same deal.

Sarada Uchiha Arc: Adapted from the Naruto Gaiden spinoff. If you’re a Sakura and Sasuke fan, this arc hits different. While many later anime canon arcs struggle to establish stakes, Sarada’s identity crisis makes this essential viewing.

Chunin Exam Arc: This is where Boruto stops feeling like a kids’ show. The Otsutsuki clan makes their first serious move, Boruto inherits a curse mark, and the stakes skyrocket.

Mitsuki’s Disappearance Arc: Arguably the best arc in the series, filler or not. I’m sure that has something to do with how it was directed by series veteran Hiroyuki Yamashita, but on its own merits, this is a fantastic arc.

Time Slip Arc — Boruto and Sasuke travel back to when Naruto was young. If you have any nostalgia for the original series, you’ll love seeing adult Boruto interact with young Naruto and Jiraiya.

Kawaki Arc — The heart of Boruto’s main storyline. Kawaki’s integration into the Uzumaki family sets up everything coming in Two Blue Vortex.

Pure Filler You Can Skip

Cho-Cho Arc — Three episodes about Cho-Cho obsessing over an actor. Zero narrative value.

Byakuya Gang Arc — Standalone story with zero impact on anything that comes later.

Steam Ninja Scrolls Arc — Completely disconnected from the main story.

Episode Arc Guide Watch/Skip ?

Arc Name	Episodes	Type	Recommendation
Academy Entrance	1-15	Anime Canon	Watch — Essential setup
Sarada Uchiha	19-23	Manga Canon	Watch — Core story
Byakuya Gang	43-50	Filler	Skip
Chunin Exams	51-66	Manga Canon	Watch — Major arc
Cho-Cho	67-69	Filler	Skip
Mitsuki’s Disappearance	71-92	Anime Canon	Watch — Best original
Parent and Child Day	93-95	Anime Canon	Watch — Great moments
Steam Ninja Scrolls	106-111	Filler	Skip
Time Slip	127-140	Anime Canon	Watch — Nostalgia trip
Mujina Bandits	141-151	Manga Canon	Watch — Important
Kawaki Arc	177-220	Manga Canon	Watch — Core storyline
Omnipotence Arc	284-293	Manga Canon	Watch — Finale setup

What’s Going On

In March 2023, right before the major time skip, the anime ended. More importantly, Studio Pierrot announced that, after Boruto: One Vortex, they’d changed to a seasonal schedule for Boruto: Two Blue Vortex instead of a weekly release.

This is massive. Animator Kyohei Ebata confirmed in 2024 that Two Blue Vortex is so jam-packed that there’s no room for filler, as well as that more time per episode is being allocated because it’s seasonal.

As of today, the voice actors have all confirmed recording, as well as that the solo single from Naruto’s VA, Yuko Sanpei, is confirmed to be a theme song. Most analysts point to 2026 as the release window.

My Three Recommendations

The Purist Route

Manga extention only. 40 hours, ~102 episodes, all of the show’s main story. Use the Anime Filler Guide’s green bar as your road map.

The Balanced Route

Manga extention plus 2-3 good anime originals. The best way to watch Boruto. Adds Mitsuki Disappearance, Time Slip, Parent and Child Day. 75 hours.

The Completionist Route

Everything. 80 hours. This is what I did..

What I Think

Whether you’re a fan of Naruto or Boruto depends on a. how much of One Vortex you watched and b. went into it with a willingness to let Boruto be its own show.

Not enough people are at both. That’s been the primary problem with peoples’ perception of this franchise, I think.

What’s definitely true is that the manga extention of the show, including the entirety of the Kawaki arc we’ll see in Two Blue Vortex, should be watched if you want to engage with more Naruto content, ever. It’s top-tier, and Two Blue Vortex is hyped.

I was most surprised by how much the show grew on me that I kept the 2 anime originals in the balanced route. The first 50 episodes can feel slow, but you’ll appreciate them when the actual main story begins. Don’t spend time on pure filler.