When it comes to anime, the word filler usually makes fans roll their eyes, and honestly, fair enough. Most filler episodes feel like pointless detours that barely contribute to the plot, leaving you with that annoying “Did I just waste 20 minutes on this episode?” feeling. But here’s the thing about Boruto: Naruto Next Generations; it’s one of those rare anime where filler episodes actually add to the experience instead of dragging it down.
With around 70% of Boruto being filler (an obnoxious portion, for sure), you’d think it would be unbearable. But unlike Shippuden’s often painful filler arcs that disrupted the pacing, Boruto’s filler fulfills its usual purpose, allowing the manga time to stay ahead, while remaining engaging fairly consistently. Despite the high filler count, the show is still super popular and has plenty of solid episodes worth checking out, so here’s a list of the 10 greatest Boruto filler episodes for those who want to check out some quality non-canon moments.
10) A Heaping Helping! The Eating Contest! (Boruto Episode 94)
This episode kicks off with Chōji in trouble after Karui catches him eating their shared snacks alone, leading to an argument that gets him kicked out of the house. When Chōchō asks her mother why she even married her father, Karui struggles to answer. Hoping to prove he’s a good role model, Chōji enters a Parent and Child Day eating contest with Chōchō, going up against other parent-child teams.
The competition gets intense when they face the Dōtonbori team, who seem unusually confident about winning. Boruto later finds out that one of the restaurant cooks has been helping them cheat by giving them shallower bowls, scared that Chōji winning would bankrupt her shop. When the corrupt cook uses ninjutsu to make giant dumplings attack the contestants, Chōji saves the day by expanding to his giant size, devouring all the dangerous dumplings, and burning off the calories by converting them to chakra.
9) The Chūnin Exams: The Recommendation Meeting (Boruto Episode 50)
This one takes a break from the action to show us what happens when the teachers get together. Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, and Shino all gather together to talk about the upcoming Chūnin Exams. The conversation then turns all serious as they review all the trouble Boruto’s class has caused, but they also recognize just how much their students have grown.
Konohamaru says that he’s unsure about recommending Boruto because he worries that he relies too much on luck instead of skill. But then things take a fun turn when they all decide to grab drinks, which leads to Shino getting drunk and unleashing a swarm of insects that requires Naruto to come fix the situation. I genuinely love how this episode balances funny moments and character building perfectly and gives the teachers some well-deserved spotlight.
8) Super Chōchō Love Upheaval! (Boruto Episode 69)
This episode wraps up the Chōchō arc with a message about self-worth and confidence. After getting hurt by Tomaru’s harsh words about her appearance, Chōchō struggles with her self-image and refuses to return to her normal weight, all while uncovering the truth behind Tomaru’s kidnapping. Konohamaru then disguises himself as the fake kidnapper to expose the real kidnapper’s plan.
The kidnapping plot takes a twist when it’s revealed that the former actress Ashina was behind it all, frustrated that Tomaru was getting all the attention. After being exposed, Ashina tries to kill herself with explosive tags, but Chōchō steps in to save Tomaru. I love how this episode gives us an important message about self-acceptance while giving Chōchō the confidence boost she needed to shine.
7) Konohamaru Becomes the Hokkaido?! (Boruto Episode 257)
This episode gives Konohamaru a chance to shine when he volunteers to replace Naruto in a Kagemasa movie so the Hokage can go on a family trip. He shows up at the studio only to find out the new producer relies heavily on CGI and green screen, which disappoints both him and the crew members. The assistant director decides to rebel by forcing an on-location shoot, but ends up getting most of the crew fired.
The same assistant director then ends up in a hostage situation at a bank, and Konohamaru rushes to save him. With help from the actor, Gongorō (who shows up in full costume to provide a distraction), Konohamaru steps up with his Rasengan. The rescue gets filmed by news crews, and the footage convinces the producer to rehire everyone and blend both old-school filmmaking practices with modern CGI effects.
6) The Chūnin Selection Conference (Boruto Episode 112)
Episode 112 takes us behind the scenes as Naruto and Shikamaru wrestle with the difficult decision of who to promote to chūnin after the exams were disrupted. With only one slot available, they carefully review each candidate’s performance. They narrow it down to Sarada, Sumire, and Denki.
At first, Naruto wants to promote Sarada, thinking of her as the most well-rounded candidate. But then Sasuke shows up and shows concerns about whether Sarada is really ready after seeing her emotional struggles post-exam. This makes Naruto reconsider, and he decides to choose Shikadai instead, showing how good leaders consider what’s truly best for young ninja.
5) Boruto and Sarada (Boruto Episode 24)
This episode is all about the tension between Boruto and Sarada. After Sarada announces her goal of becoming Hokage, Boruto questions this sudden change in her attitude since she used to make fun of the whole shinobi thing. Things then get a little awkward when Mitsuki suggests they’d make a cute couple, and Chōchō almost reveals Sarada’s newly awakened Sharingan before being silenced.
Konohamaru steps in to guide Sarada through her Sharingan abilities and explains that Boruto’s bratty behavior comes from wanting to be seen as more than just Naruto’s son. Meanwhile, Naruto warns the other leaders about threats from other dimensions. It all ends with a spar between Sarada and Boruto, and yes, Boruto still finds time to vandalize the Hokage Rock, just like his father did back in the day.
4) The Uzumaki Family’s Hot Springs Vacation (Boruto Episode 258)
This episode follows the Uzumaki family as they enjoy their lottery prize at a hot spring. Kawaki initially seems hesitant about the whole trip, but ends up joining the family in a game of ping-pong, where Naruto and Hinata absolutely smoke Boruto and Kawaki. Hinata does an amazing reverse backflip shot, reminding everyone she’s still got ninja skills.
Later, during a stamp hunt around the inn, the local ghost follows Boruto and Kawaki. Himawari gets upset about being left out of the hunt, activating her Byakugan, which reminds everyone not to mess with the youngest Uzumaki. I think it’s a perfect slice-of-life episode that shows how close-knit the Uzumaki family and their adopted member, Kawaki, really are.
3) A Day in the Life of the Uzumaki Family (Boruto Episode 18)
This episode takes us back to Naruto’s inauguration day, and let’s just say, everything that could go wrong absolutely did. Naruto shows up hungover from celebrating with his friends, and while Hinata rushes out to get his formal attire, Boruto and Himawari get into a huge fight over a teddy bear that ends with Himawari accidentally awakening her Byakugan out of rage. Naruto jumps in to protect Boruto, only to get knocked unconscious and miss his own inauguration.
Jumping between the past and present, the episode shows Boruto in the present day taking care of a sick Himawari. At the time, he’s also quietly dealing with his feelings about Naruto’s demanding schedule as Hokage. What I absolutely love about this episode is how it shows the perfectly imperfect reality of family life: the petty arguments, the unexpected moments of connection, and the way parents and children struggle to understand each other; it’s a must-watch!
2) Team 7: The First Mission! (Boruto Episode 40)
In Episode 40 of BorutoTeam 7 gets their first mission to protect the village of Green Banks from bandits. Konohamaru explains that, as new shinobi, they’ll only receive low-rank missions at first, and Boruto initially dismisses it as a simple task they can quickly complete. But things take a turn when the team discovers that rival shinobi from another village are involved, transforming their D-rank mission into at least a B-rank mission.
The situation becomes more intense when the rival shinobi use genjutsu to control the villagers, and Boruto’s acting impulsively without coordinating with his team nearly costs them everything. He then gets a scolding from Konohamaru, which forces Boruto to take the mission more seriously. I think it’s a great episode that shows why even seemingly easy missions aren’t always so simple, and establishes the foundation for Team 7’s future development.
1) Run, Sarada! (Boruto Episode 17)
Top of the list is this episode that gives us a look into Sarada’s everyday life. She tries to deliver a teddy bear to one of her mother’s patients, but while riding the train, she gets distracted and accidentally leaves the teddy bear behind. When Chōchō finds her later, she begs her not to tell anyone because she doesn’t want Boruto and her classmates to see her running around the village; so he helps her check the lost and found, but they get the wrong package and discover someone already took the real one.
The opening scenes show us how hard Sarada‘s home life really is, with her taking on adult responsibilities while her father is absent and her mother is all over the place. We can see that Sarada doesn’t trust her mom to handle things properly and tries to act more mature than both her parents. There’s a heartbreaking scene in this episode where Sarada makes a comment about needing a father, all while Sakura seems oblivious to Sarada’s pain.
What do you think about these Boruto filler episodes? Let us know in the comments below!
