Introduction

Filler arcs in anime are a necessary evil. They are anime-only storylines that allow time for the manga to distance itself from the anime, so as not to run out of material to draw from. However, although most are loathed by the community, there are a subset of filler arcs that were so well written you probably thought they were canon! These ten arcs are a breath of fresh air in a world filled with mermaids and flashbacks and so far, those are just Naruto. Seriously, how long did it take them to get off that damn boat!?

Arcs Worth Watching

1. Katekyo Hitman Reborn!: Arcobaleno Trials

This arc was so perfectly integrated into the storyline, you may not realize you had just finished watching several episodes of filler until a later google. Reborn and his comrades show up in order to carry out short trials before Tsuna’s gang are deemed worthy enough to receive their Arcobaleno seals and uncover the full potential of their Vongola rings. It was nice to be able to see all the Arcobaleno family passing on their wisdom to the next generation (as, by this point, several of them were subject to very little screen time). Definitely don’t skip out on this arc if you have the time.

2. Bleach - Zanpakuto Rebellion

This arc is either loved or hated by fans. Usually, stories that feature civil war-style fights between good guys that we know will ultimately lead to no dramatic development and are not looked upon kindly. However, seeing the sword spirits come to life, each with their own personality, interacting with the other Shinigami, was hilarious to watch. Highlights have to be Byakuya vs. Senbonzakura, Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo vs. Zangetsu & Muramasa, and, of course, who could forget, Ikkaku and Hozukimaru performing their patented lucky dance!

3. One Piece: G-8

Widely considered to be one of the greatest filler arcs of all time, this story follows the journey of the Straw Hat Pirates as they attempt to covertly make their way out of a marine stronghold. Hilarity ensues as the Straw Hats disguise themselves as Marine officers and make their escape. This arc features a lot of funny interactions and one of the best side characters of the entire series. The man himself; Condoriano. If you are still on the fence about whether or not to watch this arc then please, do it for Condoriano.

4. Naruto Shippuden: Kakashi Face Reveal/Kakashi's Anbu History/Tailed-Beasts

Kakashi Face Reveal

You probably did realize this episode wasn’t a part of the deep and foreboding Naruto storyline. The members of Team 7 task themselves with revealing Kakashi’s real face. After imagination gets the best of them, picturing their teacher with inflated teeth or luscious lipstick among other things, Kakashi finally agrees to remove his mask. Yet, what did the group get in return for their persistence? Nothing but another mask! With perfect comedic timing, this episode should be singled out in your voyage through skipping Naruto fillers. 

Kakashi's Anbu History

We should also give recognition to another great Shippuden filler series in Kakashi's history with the covert Anbu unit of Konoha. Not only does this arc cover more about Kakashi's backstory but also goes into great detail about secondary characters as well. This arc is a great chance to see younger versions of characters like Itachi, Orochimaru, and Shisui!

Tailed Beasts

This is filler done right. Filler centered around a major plot point in the overarching storyline can never go amiss. Naruto, instead of creating something from nothing, developed a clever story using unused assets in the manga. We as an audience are aware of the nine-tailed beasts, yet, most of them are just killed off-screen in the manga. Giving us as an audience the chance to witness the stories of both the three tails (and later on the six tails) is much appreciated.

5. Kuroshitsuji Two: The Entire Series

This could possibly be cause for argument as, technically, this isn’t a filler in the sense that it isn’t filling time for anything. It’s a stand-alone series that’s anime exclusive. A new butler and his new partner are introduced and events take place completely devoid of manga appreciation. There are two types of anime fans when it comes to fillers. Those who find it commendable when an anime breaks away from its roots to create something entirely new, and those who cannot stand any kind of fillers at all and despise having their precious canon tainted by sandwiching a new story in the middle of or after the real story. If you are of the former camp and don’t mind a filler or two depending on the quality of the story, give this one a watch.

Arcs Worth Skipping

1. Bleach: Bount

Bleach is one of the biggest offenders for filler. Every other arc in this show seems to be anime only. Saving Rukia Arc, BOOM; Bount. Arrancar and Espada Arc, BOOM; Rurichiyo Arc. Espada Part Two, BOOM; fighting…the Zanpakuto? The fighting of the Zanpakuto, however, has already been covered as a hidden gem among the Bleach filler mountain. The Amagai Rurichiyo arc wasn’t the worst offender either in all honesty but suffered from a boring storyline. The true demon that plagues Bleach fillers is the Bount arc. The main problem with the Bount is that, although threatening vampire-like monsters, they were introduced right before the big bad guy of the entire series, Aizen, planned to make his move. Compared to him, the Bount couldn’t hold a candle and we were, unfortunately, left waiting for the real fight to begin.

2. Naruto: [143-219] / Yota Arc

[143-219]

We eluded to Naruto during the introduction to this article but when we tell you that it is the king of fillers – you better believe it! Right after the climax of the original Narutos’ plot development, the Chasing Sasuke arc, we get slapped with 70 episodes of nonstop filler until the sequel (Shippuden) starts. If you skip from episode 143 straight to Shippuden, you lose absolutely nothing story wise. We watched them all. There were about three good ones (Rock Lee’s Dojo being a fan favorite). Do yourself a favor and skip ahead. 

Yota Arc

Naruto being the king of fillers that it is, is deserving of some additional mentionings within its entries on this list. This is because, when Naruto gets a filler right, it can be thoroughly entertaining throughout. However, when they get a filler wrong, they do not hold back! Yota is a five-year-old boy who died due to poor health. He has since been reincarnated and becomes friends with a child version of Naruto. The Konoha populace fights to protect Yota but, ultimately, he perishes by the arc's conclusion. The main problem with this arc is that it rewrites a lot of Naruto history. Naruto was supposed to be an outcast with no friends at all. This is his main driving motivation to becoming a ninja and, eventually, the Hokage. It seems the writers forgot Naruto's entire motivation for a few dozen episodes in this arc.

4. Yu-Gi-Oh: Noah

After being sucked into a virtual world, Yugi and the gang are forced into dueling members of Kaiba Corp’s executive team, known as ‘The Big Five’ who want to make off with their bodies and escape into the real world. Ominous though it sounds, it is hard to take the members so seriously when they are forced into appearing in the guise of duel monsters. Crump as Nightmare Penguin is especially haunting and none of these characters really pose anything more than a mild threat. Noah himself is an interesting character but one who is irritatingly exaggerated as well. All in all, the Yu-Gi-Oh Noah arc is one that holds little purpose in the overarching storyline and is not entertaining enough to be worth watching through despite this.

5. Fairy Tail: Key of the Starry Sky

The Jiggle Butt Gang. The Jiggle Butt Gang! 

This arc is another controversial pick with some praising its story citing that the canon manga makes references to it in the future. However, despite picking up halfway through the arc's runtime and leading to a satisfying enough conclusion, it all feels a little too comedic.  The Jiggle Butt Gang is an evil corporation possibly too slapstick for even Fairy Tail. Feel free to skip to the Grand Magic Games arc instead for a quality storyline featuring a more normal buttocked cast of characters. 

Conclusion

So, these were some of our picks for both the best filler anime content you can watch as well as some detestable fillers you should most definitely avoid! Drop us a line on social media: X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook! We’d love to hear from you!Be sure to let us know your controversial filler opinions as well!