10 Longest Anime Filler Arcs of All Time, Ranked

Instead of retelling the original story, production studios often insert filler episodes or anime content between canon events as an adaptation catches up with the source material. Filler is especially common in long-running anime with more than 50 episodes, such as One Piece, Whitenand Naruto.

While some anime only contain a handful of stand-alone filler episodes, others have entire filler arcs spanning more than 20 episodes. Over the years, some anime series have seen some incredibly long filler arcs, many of which fans either enjoy or choose to skip entirely due to their length.

10

Bleach's New Captain Shusuke Amagai Arc Is A 22-Episode Filler That Deserves A Second Look

To this day, the new captain Shusuke Amagai Arc is one of Whitens most divisive filler stories. While some fans consider it a valuable addition, others choose to skip it entirely and continue with the Arrancar saga. One of the biggest complaints about this filler arc is that it follows the typical “protect the princess” formula, making the story feel generic despite its otherwise unique premise.

Despite its flaws, the New Captain Shusuke Amagai Arc is worth experiencing at least once. Between its well-choreographed fights, political intrigue, and exploration of Shusuke Amagai's character, the arc offers more than just standard filler. Fans of Izuru Kira and the 3rd Division will likely appreciate this arc, as it places the squad and its members at the center of the story.

9

Boruto's great naval battle at the Kirigakure Arc is a 23-episode full of wasted potential

The great naval battle at Kirigakure Arc is still one of Borutos most polarizing stories. Many fans criticized it for its villains' obvious plot armor, inconsistent power scaling, controversial character deaths, and numerous twists and turns that stretched the story out longer than necessary.

While the concept behind this filler arc is exciting, with a powerful pirate fleet backed by a ninja clan, its execution ultimately falls short of its potential. Despite that, it still has its big moments, especially the part where the members of the new Team 7 reject the concept of revenge.

8

The Baby Saga is a 24-episode filler that introduced Dragon Ball GT's best villain

It's no secret Dragon Ball GT has long divided the fan base. Even so, many viewers have grown more appreciative of the series over the years, praising its ambitious ideas and experimental concepts despite its inconsistent execution. Among the outstanding stories in this animated-only sequel, the Baby Saga is widely considered to be its finest arc.

In this arc, a villain born of the sins of the Saiyans arrives on Earth to avenge his fallen race. Baby proves to be a terrifying force of nature, wielding parasitic abilities bordering on the terrifying as he infects and controls nearly everyone, including the almighty Vegeta, in his path.

7

Naruto's Three-Tails' Appearance Arc Is A 24-Episode Filler Packed With Tailed Beast Action

Three-Tails' Appearance Arc is one of the Narutos many filler stories, but this one stands out as the longest of them all. While many fans choose to skip this arc, it's still worth watching for those who want more Tailed Beast action. The arc also brings together Team Guren, Akatsuki, and several of Naruto's most iconic shinobi, all converging in a high-stakes battle to capture and seal the Three-Tails.

It also introduces Guren's unique Crystal Release, showcases the Three-Tails in more detail, and features Naruto's collaboration jutsu with Gamatatsu and Gamakichi, Wind Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet, which is a technique never used again in the series.

6

Prince of Tennis' 25-episode Junior Selection Camp Arc remains a fan favorite

The Prince of Tennis is one of the longest-running sports anime series, with its source material continuing more than 27 years after its debut. Among its longest-running anime original storylines is the Junior Selection Camp Arc, which is often grouped together with the Junior Selection Team vs. US Coast Team Arc, forming a combined filler story spanning 25 episodes.

This filler anime arc is well received among fans, as the beloved captain of Seigaku returns to Japan, not as a player but as a coach. The arc also gave fans the iconic “Wonderful Days” performance by the tennis players, led by Atobe and Sanada. More importantly, it marked the first time the series pitted its protagonists against an international team, resulting in exciting matches filled with powerful new techniques from start to finish.

5

Fairy Tail's Key of the Starry Sky Arc is a 26 episode episode that turned side characters into stars

Among Fairy Tails filler arcs, The Key of the Starry Sky Arc is widely considered the best, thanks to its clever callbacks, entertaining humor, and surprisingly decent story despite its messy execution and overall direction.

One of the arc's greatest strengths is its unexpected character interactions, bringing together combinations of characters that the manga rarely explores. On top of that, Lucy, Romeo, and even Laki get compelling character development. Another strength of the arc is that it provides answers to several unresolved details, although some of its development is left unexplained, creating new questions along the way.

4

Saint Seiya's Asgard Arc is a 26-episode arc done right

Despite being a filler anime arc, the Asgard Arc is one of the best arcs in the Saint Seiya who the fans hold in high esteem. The care, imagination and creativity poured into the Asgard Arc is evident in every aspect, from its exciting battles with well-choreographed action scenes and well-developed villains down to the distinctive design of the God Warriors.

Asgard's Arc is a solid anime filler arc that many viewers could easily mistake for a canon story arc. Another distinguishing feature of the Asgard Arc is that it is the first time the series explores a mythology beyond Greek legends. Instead of focusing solely on Greek mythology, the arc draws heavily from Norse mythology to shape its world, characters, and lore.

3

Bleach's Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc is a 36-episode too-good-to-skip

Unlike the Bount Arc, the Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc is widely regarded as one of them Whitens best filler stories with so much potential. Much of its appeal comes from giving fans their first look at the Zanpakuto spirits in their physical form, each with a distinct design and personality.

In other words, the Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc gave fans a side of Whiten they had never seen before. Combined with impressive animation quality, fairly entertaining anime original stories, and memorable battles, especially Ichigo's showdown against Zangetsu, the arc remains one of the franchise's most beloved filler stories that fans wouldn't mind revisiting.

2

Waking the Dragons Arc is a 40-episode filler that took the Yu-Gi-Oh! Into darker territory

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel monsters anime has its own long filler anime arc in the Waking the Dragons Arc, also known as the Orichalcos Arc. Fans generally regard this arc as one of anime's best stories, thanks to its memorable new cards, strong character development, and emotionally driven plot that revealed a darker and more vulnerable side of its protagonists.

The arc's only major weakness is perhaps Dartz himself. Despite being the main antagonist, he remains largely in the background, relying on his subordinates to carry out Doma's plans rather than taking a more active role in the story.

1

Bleach's Bount Arc didn't need 46 Filler episodes to complete

While the Bount Arc introduces an interesting concept, the story spans far too many episodes, making it feel unnecessarily long. This filler arc could have made for an excellent one Whiten movie, but its painfully slow pacing over dozens of episodes ultimately diminished the impact of its story.

While Bount Arc struggled with pacing, its smaller character moments helped make it more enjoyable, especially the interactions between Ichigo and Izuru, as well as Orihime and Rukia. The villains, led by Jin Kariya, are generally less compelling, but it can't be denied that they have cool character designs and powers, which helped elevate the arc. The arc also wraps up nicely, ensuring that the canon story can continue without creating storytelling issues.