You've probably been there. You just finished a massive arc in the anime, the adrenaline is still pumping, and you realize there’s a whole Naruto list of movies sitting out there that you haven't touched yet. It’s overwhelming. Do you watch them now? Do they even matter to the story?
Honestly, most of them don't.
That’s the dirty little secret of the anime industry. Most theatrical releases are just high-budget filler meant to sell tickets and merchandise while the main manga artist, Masashi Kishimoto, takes a breather. But "most" isn't "all." If you skip the wrong one, you’re going to be hopelessly confused when Boruto starts.
The Early Days: Ninja Clashes in the Land of Snow
Let's go back to 2004. The original series was a global phenomenon. Studio Pierrot decided it was time to take Team 7 to the big screen. The first flick, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, is actually pretty charming. It features Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura (yes, Sasuke was still around!) protecting an actress who is secretly a princess.
It feels like a long, polished filler episode.
Then came Legend of the Stone of Gelel and Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom. If I’m being real with you, these are the ones you watch only if you’ve run out of everything else. They introduce "veins of energy" and "moon kingdoms" that never get mentioned again. It’s a bit of a localized fever dream. You’ll see some cool animation, specifically in the fight choreography, but don't expect these characters to show up in the Great Ninja War later on. They won't.
Why the original movies feel "off"
The power scaling in these early films is a mess. Naruto uses a "Seven-Colored Rasengan" or a "Crescent Moon Rasengan." These look cool on a cinema screen, but they fly in the face of the actual jutsu logic established in the manga. It’s basically fan fiction with an official budget.
The Shippuden Era: Bigger Stakes, Same Problems
When the time-skip happened, the movies got "darker." Or at least, they tried to. Naruto Shippuden the Movie (2007) literally starts with a vision of Naruto dying. It’s a classic bait-and-switch.
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Then we got Bonds. This one is actually semi-popular because it features a temporary team-up between Naruto and Sasuke. Since Sasuke was a rogue ninja for about 90% of Shippuden, fans were starving for any interaction between the two. Is it "canon"? No. Is it fun to see them hit a guy with a combined attack? Absolutely.
The Will of Fire is probably the best of this mid-tier bunch. It focuses on Kakashi and the "Will of Fire" philosophy. It feels more grounded in the world's lore than, say, Blood Prison, which puts Naruto in a high-security jail for a crime he didn't commit.
The timeline for Blood Prison is a total headache. Naruto knows Sage Mode, but the village treats him like a random genin, and the Raikage is acting out of character. If you try to fit this into the Naruto list of movies chronologically, your brain will melt. Just treat it as a "What If?" story.
Road to Ninja: The Turning Point
This is where things changed. For Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, Masashi Kishimoto actually got involved with the story and character designs.
It’s a "Reverse World" scenario.
Naruto and Sakura get sucked into a Limited Tsukuyomi where their lives are swapped. Naruto’s parents are alive, but they’re kind of annoying. Sakura’s father was the Fourth Hokage who died saving the village, making her the lonely orphan. It’s a fascinating look at Naruto’s psyche. It deals with his grief in a way the filler episodes never could. While the events technically don't "happen" in the main timeline, the emotional weight feels real. It’s the first movie that feels like it has a soul.
The Only Movies You Must Watch
If you are a completionist, watch everything. If you value your time and want the "true" story, there are only two entries on the Naruto list of movies that are mandatory.
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- The Last: Naruto the Movie
- Boruto: Naruto the Movie
The Last is officially canon. It’s set two years after the final battle with Sasuke. If you jump from the end of the anime to the beginning of Boruto, you’ll be confused. Why is Naruto suddenly in love with Hinata? Why does he have a prosthetic hand? How did the moon almost crash into the Earth?
This movie bridges that gap. It’s effectively Chapter 699.5 of the manga. It’s a romance movie disguised as a ninja epic. Toneri Otsutsuki is the villain, and he’s actually relevant to the overarching lore of the series. If you skip this, you’re skipping the actual ending of Naruto’s personal journey from an outcast to a man who understands love.
The Boruto Hand-off
Then there’s Boruto: Naruto the Movie. This is a weird one. It was released before the Boruto anime started. Later, the anime retold the entire movie plot across several episodes (the Momoshiki arc).
So, do you need to watch it?
If you’ve seen the anime arc, you’ve seen the movie, but the movie has arguably better animation during the final fight. Seeing Naruto and Sasuke fight at full power with movie-quality production is a religious experience for some fans.
Navigating the Watch Order
Don't overthink the order. For the non-canon stuff, just watch them whenever you finish a corresponding era.
- Watch the first three movies after the original series (before episode 220).
- Watch the Shippuden movies (up to Blood Prison) whenever you want a break from the war arc.
- Stop everything once you finish episode 479 of Shippuden. That is when you watch The Last.
After The Last, you can watch the final episodes of the wedding arc (494-500) and then move into the Boruto era.
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The Animation Gap
One thing you'll notice when scrolling through any Naruto list of movies is the massive jump in quality. Studio Pierrot saves their best animators for the theatrical releases. While the TV show famously suffered from "off-model" faces (looking at you, Pain vs. Naruto), the movies are consistently gorgeous.
In The Last, the way the chakra cloaks are rendered is stunning. The hand-to-hand combat in Boruto uses incredible "sakuga" techniques that make the movements feel fluid and weighty. Even the mediocre stories are often worth a "muted" watch just to see the artistry on display.
Hidden Gems and Short Films
People often forget the OVA shorts that sometimes screened with the movies. Naruto: The Cross Roads or the hilarious Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village! are deep cuts. There’s also the "shorter" films like Sunny Side Battle where Itachi tries to cook the perfect egg using the Mangekyo Sharingan. It’s ridiculous. It’s unnecessary. It’s also some of the best content the franchise has ever produced.
Moving Forward with the Franchise
The era of Naruto movies seems to have paused in favor of seasonal anime arcs and "movie events" within the Boruto series. However, the legacy of these films persists in video games like Ultimate Ninja Storm, where many movie characters appear as playable fighters.
If you’re looking to dive back in, start with The Last. It’s the highest-rated for a reason. It respects the characters, it looks beautiful, and it provides the closure that a 700-episode series deserved.
Next Steps for the Dedicated Fan
To get the most out of your viewing experience, prioritize the "Kishimoto-involved" projects first. Start by watching Road to Ninja to see the alternate reality designs, then immediately transition to The Last for the canon conclusion. If you find yourself wanting more, go back to Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow for a hit of pure nostalgia. Avoid Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom unless you are a die-hard completionist with a lot of popcorn to kill.
Check out the official Japanese Blu-ray releases if you can find them; they often contain "omake" (extra) sketches and commentary that explain why certain weird jutsu were invented just for the films. This gives you a much clearer picture of the production hurdles the team faced during the peak of "Naruto-mania."