Naruto Shippuden filler worth watching
Kakashi's Anbu story is the first detour we'd add back. Power is a shorter choice if you want another mission, while Childhood suits a quieter break near the end. You can leave the rest of the filler out and still follow the main story.
This page covers Shippuden, episodes 1-500. If you're still in the original series, see the best Naruto filler episodes. For every episode label, use the Naruto Shippuden filler list.
Three detours, for different moods
| Episodes | Pick | Watch it for |
|---|---|---|
| 349-361 | Kakashi's Anbu story | Kakashi, Itachi and Tenzo's past |
| 290-295 | Power | A six-episode side mission |
| 480-483 | Childhood | Small moments from the characters' early lives |
Watch each pick where it falls in the episode order. This table ranks what to consider, not the order to watch it in. The outlines below avoid the endings, but the episode positions alone can hint at how far a character's story runs.
Episodes 349-361: Kakashi's Anbu story
This arc steps back into Kakashi's time in the Anbu. It gives more space to his work alongside figures such as Itachi and Tenzo, before the Team 7 setup you already know.
It's the strongest fit for viewers who want more of Kakashi rather than another new enemy for Naruto. The draw is seeing familiar relationships from an earlier point in their lives. If those characters interest you, the longer detour has a clearer purpose than a random side mission.
There is a label detail worth keeping straight: our list counts episode 350 as manga canon. The optional filler in this run is 349 and 351-361. If you choose the whole arc, watch 349-361 together. If you're skipping filler, keep 350 anyway.
The trade-off is its position. It interrupts the later main story for thirteen episodes. You can save the optional episodes for a rewatch, but don't move the whole arc to the beginning of Shippuden: it assumes you already know its characters.
Episodes 290-295: Power
Team Kakashi investigates an attack on a village, with Kabuto involved in the trouble. It's a contained six-episode story, so you can try a complete side mission without committing to one of Shippuden's much longer filler runs.
Choose Power if you want a change of scene and another mission with the team. It has a different appeal from Kakashi's Anbu arc: the focus is the immediate incident, rather than filling in a familiar character's working life.
Watch all six episodes in order if you start. Our dataset marks 290-295 as filler, so a straight main-story route can skip them and resume at 296. The arc isn't a missing chapter you need to understand the next part.
Episodes 480-483: Childhood
These four episodes look back at the characters as children. Each episode pairs two characters, giving the run a smaller scale than the long battles and missions around it.
This is a pick for people who enjoy the quieter parts of Naruto. If you want to spend a little longer with the cast near the end, it offers that without starting another big conflict. If you want the ending to keep moving, you can leave it out.
All four are filler in our list. Episodes 484-500 are different: they adapt official novels and stay in our watch plan. Don't extend a skip from Childhood through the rest of the series just because those episodes also sit after the main manga climax.
Is Shippuden filler worth watching?
Some of it is, depending on what you like about the show. Pick Kakashi for backstory, Power for a side mission, or Childhood for character moments. You don't have to watch every optional arc to get something out of one.
Should I skip all the filler on my first watch?
If the detours are making you lose interest, yes. Follow the Shippuden watch-without-filler ranges and keep mixed, manga canon and anime canon episodes. Add a recommendation back only when it sounds like something you want to see.
Are Itachi's novel episodes filler?
Our watch plan keeps the Itachi Shinden material in 451-458. That run includes novel adaptations and mixed episodes, so it isn't one of the optional filler blocks listed here. Our episode-label guide explains the distinction.
Where do the films fit?
Use our Naruto watch order for the series and movie sequence. You don't need a film between any of these picks and the next numbered episode.
Sources and recommendations
Episode labels come from our checked Shippuden dataset. The watch-or-skip advice here is editorial, not an official ranking.
Arc boundaries and premises: Narutopedia's Kakashi's Anbu arc, Power and Childhood.