Boruto is infamous for its filler episodes. This dates back to the Naruto series, where fillers were a prominent part of the show. True diehard fans swear by the manga and prefer that animators stick to the chapters without adding fillers. Since Boruto manga releases monthly chapters, it can take time for the manga to get far ahead.
Fortunately, not all filler episodes are a waste of time. Without these fillers, we wouldn’t have gotten to see Jiraiya and kid Naruto making an appearance or how Boruto learned Kakashi’s legendary Chidori technique. If you’re someone that skips fillers, these are ten filler episodes you’ll want to bookmark and save to watch later.
10 Crossing Time – Episode 136
Time travel can be a tricky situation. Messing with the events that occurred previously can completely change the current and future tense of a plot. In episode 136, Sakura nearly discovers Sasuke’s identity when she finds a mysteriously blurred letter detailing information about Jiraiya.
In the end, Sasuke had to wipe the memories of everyone involved so that it wouldn’t affect the subsequent events leading to their current time period. Sasuke uses his Rinnegan to time travel back to the present day, where Boruto has a newfound appreciation for what his dad Naruto had to endure as a child.
9 Death Match – Episode 166
In episode 66, fans see the true power of Mitsuki’s sage mode. Team 7 is tasked with protecting the Hashirama Cell from Deepa. These artificial cells contain the DNA of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Users who obtain the cell would be granted the abilities and traits of the great “God of Shinobi.”
In the fight, Deepa battles Team 7 in his quest for the cells. Deepa is an incredibly difficult foe since he can manipulate carbon, making him nearly invincible to ninjutsu attacks. Mitsuki uses his Sage Mode to activate Senjutsu lightning, dealing major damage to Deepa and ultimately saving Boruto and Sarada.
8 The Power Of The Nine Tails – Episode 131
Every anime villain will go to absurd lengths for power, and Urashiki is one of them. In fact, he time travels back in time to find kid Naruto, so he can easily fight him and take Kurama’s chakra. Since Urashiki can’t beat adult Naruto, he has to resort to fighting him as a child.
Kid Naruto being the hot head that he is, goes berserk by letting Kurama’s Nine Tails consume him. Urashiki tries to take his chakra only to find out that a seal is placed inside, preventing him from stealing it. In the end, Urashiki leaves, so he can formulate a strategy to try again.
7 Village Hidden In The Leaves – Episode 129
The time-traveling arc in Boruto is one of the best story arcs that Boruto has to offer. Who could imagine Boruto time-traveling to save his dad from Urashiki? Jiraiya, a fan favorite of the Naruto series, also makes his first appearance in Boruto.
Upon landing back in the old days of Konoha, Sasuke, and Boruto run into Tsunada, Jiraiya, and Naruto. Sasuke tells them that they’re traveling circus performers with ninjutsu capabilities to avoid any suspicion. Jiraiya and Naruto are tasked with watching these two strangers, which gives Boruto and his “dad” an opportunity to bond.
Kara’s Footprints is an episode that proves that fillers can provide context and complement the original plotline. This story begins with Sasuke and Sai investigating the Kara hideout. They find Garashi Tono, a survivor of one of Kara’s attacks.
The shinobis agree to help Garashi, only to be betrayed by him as he reveals himself as the real killer. Sasuke and Sai escape as Garashi dies from poisonous gas. Naruto and Shikamaru are alerted about their findings about the hideout. In the end, the mysterious Kara organization holds a meeting to discuss their new facility and plans to destroy the old hideout.
5 Urashiki’s Target – Episode 128
Urashiki infiltrates the Hidden Leaf Village and makes light work of several Konoha ninjas. Being a power-hungry villain, he takes Mirai’s chakra, hoping to learn about the chakra that the tailed beasts have. Using the Genjutsu gained from Mirai, he’s able to lure the shinobi away from the village as a distraction.
Boruto joins the mission to stop Urashiki. Eventually, they find Urashiki activating an old turtle-like artifact that can transport space and time. Sasuke and Boruto deduce Urashiki’s true intentions and are transported to Konoha’s past.
4 Their Decision – Episode 167
After getting pummeled by Deepa, Mitsuki saves Boruto and Sarada on the battlefield. When the fight ends, they’re taken to the Leaf Hospital. Mitsuki returns to Orochimaru to receive treatment for overexerting himself through the use of Sage mode.
Boruto and Sarada are determined to train harder and grow stronger to never feel powerless again. While it’s not the most action-packed episode, it certainly provides context to their inner motivation. This sets the stage for both shinobi to gain newfound abilities in the coming episodes.
3 Training Begins – Episode 168
After Team 7 suffers a brutal beatdown from Deepa, Boruto and Sarada begin their training. Boruto seeks to make his Rasengan even stronger by learning from Kakashi, while Sarada is mentored by Sasuke, who teaches her how to master her Sharingan.
Boruto showcases his natural ability to learn quickly, similar to his grandfather, the fourth Hokage Minato. He learns how to use wind nature chakra and adds it to his Rasengan. As a result, his newly improved Rasengan is a spiraled, compressed wind that can cut through objects.
2 Joint Mission With The Sand – Episode 169
In episode 169, Team 10 is assigned to a mission to work with members of the Land of Wind, including Garra’s son, Shinki. They were tasked to find a missing puppet, which was used by Urashiki.
Deepa, a member of the Kara organization, kills everyone in a restaurant and has control of the puppet. The two squads track down Deepa and engage in an all-out battle. Unfortunately, the squads are easily defeated by Deepa. Shinki uses his Black Iron Fist to attempt to destroy the puppet rather than letting him have it.
1 Jiraiya’s Assignment – Episode 132
Jiraiya is one of the most liked and popular characters in the Naruto fandom. Think of him as the Yoda of the Naruto series. While he suffered the tragic fate of dying in Naruto, fans are thrilled to see him one more time.
In this episode, we get to see Naruto and Boruto training together to synchronize their chakra. Boruto, who is supposed to remain secretive about his identity, accidentally uses his Rasengen. At this point, Jiraiya figures out Sasuke’s true identity. As Naruto is disheartened by his training, Sasuke gives him words of encouragement.
