Figuring out where all of the Naruto movies fall within the franchise timeline can be tricky without doing a little homework on the anime series - here's the correct chronological order. The Naruto anime (and its movies) are based on the popular manga by Masashi Kishimoto and follow the title character as he trains to become the world's best ninja. The anime adaptation copies the manga's structure by splitting the saga in two; part one focused on Naruto's pre-teen years, while part two (Naruto: Shippuden) jumps 2 years ahead to the character's teenage adventures.
The first part of the Naruto anime series began airing in Japan during October 2002, and would run for 220 episodes until February 2007. Fans didn't have to wait long at all for the Naruto: Shippuden sequel series, which debuted in Japan during February 2007, and lasted an epic 500 episodes before wrapping up in suitably climactic fashion. The English-dubbed version of Naruto arrived in the U.S. in 2005, while Naruto: Shippuden followed in late 2009. The Naruto franchise as a whole ranks alongside the likes of Dragon Ball and Bleach in popularity, and spawned a series of eleven Naruto movies produced alongside the show.
The franchise is currently continuing with the adventures of Naruto's son Boruto, and a live-action Naruto movie is in development at Lionsgate from The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey. While fans wait for Naruto to be adapted into a potential live-action blockbuster (it'll have to break the dreaded anime adaptation curse first), they might want to revisit the animated Naruto movie spinoffs first. While watching the movies isn't necessary to enjoy the show, many fans will be curious to know where each release falls within the Naruto timeline. Here's how to watch Naruto in order.
The initial trio of Naruto movies follow the timeline of the original anime TV series. The next eight, meanwhile, take place within the continuity of Naruto: Shippuden. The first Naruto movie, 2004's Ninja Clash In The Land Of Snow, fits between episodes 101 and 102 of the original TV show, while Legend Of The Stone Of Gelel slots in after 160. The final entry is the lukewarm Guardians Of The Crescent Moon Kingdom, which is set post-episode 196.
The Naruto timeline of Shippuden-era movies is a little fuzzy, however, so some guesswork is necessary. Naruto Shippuden: The Movie from 2007 comes after episode 32 of the sequel series, while 2008's Bonds comes roughly around episode 70. Naruto Shippuden The Movie: The Will Of Fire happens in the aftermath of episode 121, and The Lost Tower trails episode 143. The chronology of Blood Prison is a topic of intense debate among fans, thanks to numerous confusing story elements, but the film likely sits somewhere after episode 220.
Road To Ninja is also unclear in terms of the Naruto timeline, but appears to come approximately after episode 250. The fittingly titled The Last finds Naruto and his friends trying to stop the moon hitting Earth and comes before episode 495. Boruto: Naruto The Movie from 2015 then follows Naruto's son on brand new adventures. Unusually, these events are completely retold in the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations anime series, broadly covering episodes 51-66. The order of the Naruto movies, especially the later entries, is up for debate among franchise fans, but most of them are best enjoyed when detached from strict continuity.