It's no debate that Naruto is one of the most popular anime in recent memory. Even after the end of its sixteen-year run, it continues to remain a huge favorite among anime fans.
Aside from its popularity, Naruto is also one of the longest-running shows, spanning over 500 episodes. These are the longest arcs in Naruto, taking place in both the original anime and Naruto Shippuden.
Updated on August 17th, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: Because Naruto began airing its anime while the manga was still being written, many storylines were stretched out with detailed fight scenes or longer journeys to new locations. It allowed the animation team to wait for new chapters of the manga to be released. There were also plenty of filler episodes and arcs that allowed for the same. As a result, many of the story arcs in the series are much longer than others. One story arc could be 25 episodes, while another might only be two or three. The longest story arcs in the anime, however, make up a huge number of the series’ episodes.
Prologue - Land of Waves Episodes (19 Episodes)
The first 19 episodes of the original anime are something of a prologue to Naruto’s story, fleshing out events before where the storyline actually begins in the manga.Those episodes provide a lot of the set-up for the show, explaining how much of an outsider Naruto is in the village, and setting up Team 7 on their first big mission as shinobi.
The arc also introduces the characters of Zabuza and Haku, villains who prove that the show can redeem the bad guys, and villains who demonstrate that it won’t just be Naruto Uzumaki who gets to grow as a character.
Search for Tsunade (19 Episodes)
Following the death of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Konohagakure needs a new Hokage. From episodes 81-100 of the original anime series, Naruto and Jiraiya go on the search to find one, but not just anybody can fill the post.
Jiraiya takes on the task of searching for Lady Tsunade, who hasn’t returned to her home village of Konohagakure in years. The episodes provide a great look at the relationship that will develop between Naruto and Jiraiya, as well as that between Jiraiya and Tsunade. The arc also provides the first look at the Akatsuki as the big villains at the time. The group would become major antagonists for most of the series’ run.
Paradise: Life On A Boat (19 Episodes)
“Paradise: Life On A Boat” gets a lot of hate from the Naruto fandom. It occurs during Naruto Shippuden Episodes 223-242, which is a really unfortunate time for the arc to take place.
It’s right in the middle of the Fourth Shinobi World War, which is definitely what the audience is more interested in. The idea is that Naruto and his allies are spending time on the water searching for a place to stash him during the events of the war. With the war being the big focal point of the series though, fans see it as a waste of story potential instead.
Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission (21 Episodes)
The second arc in Shippuden, the "Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission" takes place from episodes 33 to 53. A new character is introduced in Sai, who becomes a member of Team 7. Led by Kakashi, Team 7 goes on a mission to the Tenchi Bridge to locate Sasuke and bring him back to the Leaf Village.
This arc marks the return of Sasuke and Orochimaru, the former of whom has a memorable reunion with Naruto at the Tenchi Bridge. Orochimaru angrily provokes Naruto into entering the four-tails form, which is another memorable moment during the arc in itself.
Past Arc: The Locus of Konoha (21 Episodes)
One of the arcs to be mainly filler, "Locus of Konoha" covers episodes 176 through 196 of Shippuden. It's mostly a flashback arc, showing flashback moments of several characters in the anime. Save for the first episode, all of the episodes focus on how much Naruto has grown.
Even though the "Locus of Konoha" is a filler arc, it manages to accomplish providing the different perspective of the character that has an episode focused around them. Not only that but a few memorable moments are shown, such as Iruki recalling his first meeting with Naruto.
Pain's Assault (22 Episodes)
For many Naruto fans, "Pain's Assault" is seen as the highest peak of the series. The "Pain" arc sees Akatsuki leader Pain leading an attack on Konohagakure in his effort to find Naruto and track down the Nine-Tailed Beast. Naruto's story of Pain spans from episode 152 to 169, and from 172 to 175 in the Shippuden anime.
This arc is notable in that it showcases Naruto's tremendous growth as a character. Motivated by Jiriya's sacrifice, Naruto trains himself and manages to save his village from destruction at the last second. It also helped that Pain proved to be a fantastic villain during the arc, having a unique philosophy that separated him from other Naruto villains.
Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown (22 Episodes)
Right before the Fourth Shinobi World War begins, both factions make their preparations for the conflict. A lot of build-up for the war takes place, what with Tobi forming an army of troops with help from a returning Kabuto, and Tsunade making war preparations with Konoha's war council. Many notable events occur, such as a Team 7 reunion, Naruto fighting Dark Naruto, and Naruto finally meeting his mother.
There are multiple arcs concerning the war in Naruto, but the first arc centered around the Fourth Shinobi World War, the countdown to it, spans episodes 215 to 222, and later picks up from episodes 243 to 256 in Shippuden.
Kaguya Otsutsuki Strikes (23 Episodes)
The arc centering around Kaguya Otsutsuki is an interesting one, largely because the audience didn’t get it in one fell swoop. Instead, the episodes were broken up by smaller filler arcs between episodes 451 and 479 of Naruto Shippuden.
The arc gave the audience more information about Kaguya Otsutsuki, the backstory of the character, and the backstory of the shinobi world as a whole. It also allowed the audience to see the cyclical nature of the shinobi story as Sasuke and Naruto shared a lot in common with Kaguya’s own sons, providing a new layer to their characters.
Three-Tails Appearance (24 Episodes)
Another filler arc in Narutos' Shippuden, the "Three-Tails Appearance" sees the Akatsuki, Konoha, and Team Guren attempt to capture the Three-Tails, Isobu. It lasts from episodes 89 to 112 in the anime.
The arc features plenty of action from the Akatsuki, as Tobi and Deidara do battle against a powerful monster in the lake. It's also notable for being the only appearance of Team Guren, whose leader, Guren, is a fan favorite. Guren, an Ororchimaru subordinate who has the ability to crystalize just about anything, has a bit of a redemption arc over the course of the Three-Tails ordeal and is an anime-only character.
Birth of the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki (26 Episodes)
This particular arc is a massive one during Naruto Shippuden, but fans might not realize it because it takes place over such a large batch of episodes with several interruptions. It begins with episode 378 and doesn’t conclude until episode 431, but there are many strings of episodes that create gaps (including one that is 19 episodes long).
The episodes detail the creation of one of the most powerful jinchuriki in the Naruto franchise, and it does it largely through flashbacks. Through these episodes, the audience learns a lot more about Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha as well.
