Boruto Filler List: Every Episode to Watch or Skip

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has a reputation problem. Ask the internet how much of it is filler and you'll get answers ranging from 10% to 70%, depending on who you ask and how they define the word. The truth is somewhere in the middle, buried under a classification system that no other anime uses at this scale, and it's the reason every Boruto filler list on the internet gives you a completely different number.

Here's the short version: out of 293 episodes, only about 78 directly adapt the manga. The rest are a mix of anime-original stories and genuine filler, and the line between those two categories is where all the arguments start. But here's what nobody leads with: hiding inside that pile of anime-original content is a time-travel arc where Boruto trains alongside young Naruto under Jiraiya's watch, and it's one of the best things the franchise has ever produced.

Below, you'll get the verified episode count broken into all three categories, a full arc-by-arc breakdown with honest verdicts, and the anime-original arcs that genuinely earned their place.

Filler Episode Overview: Boruto Filler by the Numbers

Complete Boruto Filler List

Every major filler and anime-canon arc in Boruto, organized chronologically. Manga canon arcs are excluded (watch all of those). Verdicts are straight calls.

Boruto Filler Worth Your Time

Most filler in Boruto is easy to pass on. But three anime-original arcs genuinely earn their keep, and one of them might be the best thing Boruto ever did.

1. Time Slip Arc (Episodes 128-136)

Boruto and Sasuke get thrown back in time by Urashiki Otsutsuki and land in the Hidden Leaf Village during Naruto's childhood. Young Naruto is still the village outcast, still eating ramen alone, still training under Jiraiya. Boruto has to work alongside his father without revealing who he is.

The setup is pure fan service, and the arc knows exactly what it's doing. But the payoff is real. Boruto watches his father's loneliness firsthand. He trains with him under Jiraiya's guidance. He sees the version of Naruto who had nothing and fought for everything, and it fundamentally changes how he understands his own dad. Jiraiya's presence alone makes this arc worth it for any Naruto fan who still misses the old pervy sage.

The fights against Urashiki are solid, the callbacks land, and the emotional core actually works. For anime-original content, it has absolutely no business being this good.

2. Kara Actuation Arc (Episodes 157-175)

Anime-original content that bridges directly into the manga's most important storyline. The Kara organization, Boruto's central villain group, gets its anime introduction through stories involving the Hashirama Cell and rogue scientific experiments. When the manga-canon Kara arc begins at episode 181, everything hits harder because this arc laid the groundwork.

Skipping it is technically possible, but the transition into the manga story feels abrupt without it.

3. Parent and Child Day (Episodes 93-95)

Three episodes adapted from the Naruto Shinden light novels. Naruto and Himawari spend the day together. Sasuke tries (and fails spectacularly) to connect with Sarada. Shikamaru deals with Shikadai. Warm, funny, and one of the rare moments Boruto lets these characters just be parents and kids.

For fans who grew up watching Naruto and Sasuke, seeing them figure out fatherhood is the kind of content only this series can deliver.

The Hot Take: The Time Slip Arc Is the Blueprint

Every long-running anime produces filler. Most of it is forgettable. The Time Slip Arc is proof that anime-original content can be something genuinely special.

It works because it's built on an emotional question that only Boruto can ask: what happens when a kid who resents his famous father gets to see exactly what that father went through? The answer isn't a speech or a flashback montage. It's Boruto standing next to twelve-year-old Naruto, watching him eat alone, train alone, and smile anyway. Jiraiya teaching them both. Boruto quietly realizing that the Hokage he's been angry at was once a lonely kid who had it worse than he ever will.

If the Naruto franchise ever returns to long-form anime-original storytelling, the Time Slip Arc is the template. Find the emotional question only your characters can answer. Boruto found it once. It was enough to justify everything around it.

78 Episodes of Canon, One Arc That Justifies Everything Else

Boruto's filler reputation is earned. A series where only 27% of episodes adapt the manga is a hard sell, and no Boruto filler list can change the underlying math. But the manga story itself (Kawaki, Kara, the Otsutsuki threat) is genuinely excellent, and the anime-original highlights prove the format can produce real quality when the writing commits to it.

Use this Boruto filler list to find your way through 293 episodes. The canon is worth the trip. And the Time Slip Arc is worth the detour. For weekly anime takes, seasonal guides, and opinions that come with receipts, the Kaminari newsletter has you covered.

FAQ

How many filler episodes are in Boruto?

It depends on how you classify "anime canon." Boruto has roughly 102 pure filler episodes out of 293 total (about 35%) according to the AnimeFillerList Definitive count. If you count all non-manga content (including anime canon), the number rises to around 206 (70%). The standard AnimeFillerList page counts only 28 pure filler (10%). The wide range exists because roughly 113 episodes fall into the "anime canon" category, and every tracker draws that line differently.

What is anime canon in Boruto?

Anime canon episodes are original stories created for the Boruto anime that don't adapt the manga but are treated as part of the show's official continuity. Some directly set up manga events (like the Kara Actuation Arc), while others are standalone adventures. The manga never contradicts them, and the anime references them in later canon episodes. They sit between manga canon and pure filler in terms of plot importance.

What are the best Boruto filler arcs?

The Time Slip Arc (episodes 128-136) is the standout. Boruto and Sasuke travel back in time and meet young Naruto and Jiraiya. The Kara Actuation Arc (157-175) sets up the manga's main villains through anime-original stories. Parent and Child Day (93-95) adapts light novels about Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru as fathers. All three are worth watching even on a strict canon-only run.

Can I skip all Boruto filler and still understand the story?

Yes. The manga canon episodes (roughly 78 out of 293) tell a complete, self-contained story. You won't miss any major plot points or character deaths. However, some anime canon arcs (Academy Entrance, Mitsuki Disappearance, Kara Actuation) provide context that makes manga arcs feel less abrupt. The safest approach is to watch manga canon plus the anime canon arcs flagged as "Watch" in the table above.

What episodes of Boruto are manga canon?

The manga canon episodes are: 19-23, 39, 53-58, 61-66, 148-151, 181-189, 193-208, 212-220, and 282-293. That comes to roughly 78 episodes out of 293, covering the Sarada arc, Chunin Exams, Mujina Bandits, Ao/Kara arc, Kawaki arc, Otsutsuki Awakening, Code arc, and Sasuke Retsuden.