Naruto is one of the most iconic anime series of all time. It not only has run for hundreds of episodes, but also has spawned a range of films set in the Ninja world. If you’re a fan of the show you’ve probably seen these before and wondered: how many of these are canon?
It’s not uncommon for movies based on anime series to be outside of canon. This is usually because they are written by writers who aren’t the original creator of the show. However, they usually have some direction and influence that make them faithful.
The Naruto films are similar in that they weren’t developed in the same way as the original series of Naruto Shippuden were, but there is an exception.
Which Naruto Movies are Canon?
There is only one Naruto movie that is canon — Naruto, The Last.
The Last was developed with Masashi Kishimoto, the original creator of Naruto, making it the only story among the Naruto films crafted at his hand. This makes a lot of sense, given the importance this film has in wrapping up the story following the events of Naruto Shippuden.
Outside of this, none of the films are canonical with the main Naruto and Naruto Shippuden series, however, if you are to take into account Boruto alongside these then Boruto: Naruto the Movie would be canonical as its events were retold within the Boruto series after its release.
Just because most Naruto movies aren’t canon doesn’t mean you should skip out on them as many are great stories and a ton of extra fun.