The 10 Longest Anime Filler Arcs of All Time, Ranked

Instead of overtaking the original story, production studios often insert filler episodes or anime-only material between canon events once the adaptation catches up with its source material. Filler is especially common in long-running anime, such as over 50 episodes a piece, Bleachand Naruto.

While some anime only contain a handful of standalone filler episodes, others contain entire filler arcs spanning over 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 altogether due to their length.

10

Bleach's new captain Shusuke Amagai arc is a 22-episode filler that deserves a second viewing.

To this day, the new captain Shusuke Amagai remains one of the arc BleachThe most divisive filler plots. While some fans consider it a worthwhile addition, others choose to skip it entirely and continue with the Arrancar saga. The biggest complaint about this filler arc is that it follows the usual “protect the princess” formula, which makes 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, Arc offers more than standard filler. Fans of Izuru Kira and The Third Division will appreciate this arc, as it puts the team and its members at the center of the story.

9

The Great Sea Battle of Boruto's Kirigakure arc is a 23-episode filler full of wasted potential.

The great sea battle of Kirigakure arc remains one BorutoThe most polarizing stories. Many fans criticized it for its villain's obvious plot armor, inconsistent power scaling, controversial character deaths, and numerous twists that stretched the story out longer than necessary.

While the concept behind this filler arc is interesting, featuring a powerful pirate fleet backed by a ninja clan, its execution ultimately falls short of its potential. However, this Still it has its best moments, especially when the members of the new Team 7 reject the concept of revenge.

8

Baby Saga is a 24-episode filler that introduces the best villains of Dragon Ball GT.

That's not a secret Dragon Ball GT The fanbase has long been divided. Still, many viewers have grown to appreciate the series over the years, appreciating its ambitious ideas and experimental concepts despite its inconsistent execution. Among the standout storylines in this anime-only sequel, the Baby Saga is widely regarded as its best arc.

In this arc, a villain born from the sins of the Saiyans arrives on Earth to seek revenge on his fallen race. Baby proves to be a terrifying force of nature, wielding parasitic abilities that border on terrifying as he infects and controls almost everything in his path, including the omnipotent vegetables.

7

Naruto's Three-Tails Appearance Arc is a 24-episode filler filled with tailed beast action.

The three-tailed appearance is one of the arc NarutoThere are many filler storylines, but this one stands out as the longest of them all. While many fans chose to skip this arc, it's still worth watching for those who want more Tailed Beast action. The arc also brings together several iconic shinobi from Team Guren, Akatsuki, and Naruto, all together in a high-stakes battle to capture and seal the Three-Tails.

It also features Guren's unique Crystal Release, displaying the three-tails in greater detail, and along with Naruto's allied jutsu Gamatatsu and Gamakichi, Wind Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet, a technique never used again in the series.

6

Prince of Tennis' 25-episode junior selection Camp Arc is still a fan favorite

Prince of Tennis One of the longest-running game anime franchises, its source material continues more than 27 years after its debut. Among its longest anime-origin storylines is the Junior Selection Camp arc, which is often grouped with the Junior Selection Team vs. US Coast Team arc, forming a combined filler storyline spanning 25 episodes.

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

5

The Fairy Tail Key to the Starry Sky arc was a 26-episode filler that turned side characters into stars.

in between Fairy TailOf the filler arcs, The Key of the Starry Sky arc is widely considered the best, with its clever callbacks, entertaining humor, and surprisingly decent plot despite its messy execution and overall direction.

One of the arc's greatest strengths is its unexpected character team-ups, bringing together a combination of characters that manga rarely finds. On top of that, Lucy, Romeo, and Lucky also receive fascinating character developments. Another strength of the arc is that it provides answers to many unresolved details, although some of its developments are left unclear, creating new questions along the way.

4

Saint Seiya's Asgard arc 26-episode filler done right

Despite being a filler anime arc, Asgard Arc is one of the best arcs in the series Saint Seiya Which is highly respected by fans. The care, imagination and creativity put into Asgard Arc is evident in every aspect, from its thrilling battles with well-choreographed action sequences and well-developed villains to the distinctive designs 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 standout feature of the Asgard Arc is that it is the first time the series has explored mythology beyond the Greek legends. Rather than focusing solely on Greek mythology, Ark draws heavily from Norse mythology to shape its world, characters, and lore.

3

Bleach's Zanpakuto Rebellion arc is a 36-episode filler that's too good to pass up

Unlike the Bount Arc, the Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc is widely regarded as one BleachGreat filler storylines with lots of potential. Much of its appeal comes from giving fans a first look at their Zanpakuto spirits in physical form, each with a unique design and personality.

In other words, the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc gave fans a side Bleach They had never seen it before. With impressive animation quality, highly entertaining anime-origin stories, and memorable battles, especially Ichigo's performance against Zangetsu, the arc is one of the franchise's most beloved filler storylines that fans won't mind revisiting.

2

Waking the Dragons Arc is a 40-episode filler that took Yu-Gi-Oh! In the dark area

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Dual Monsters The anime has its own long filler anime arc in the Waking the Dragon arc, otherwise known as the Orichalkos arc. Fans generally consider this arc to be one of anime's best stories, thanks to its memorable new cards, strong character development, and an emotionally driven plot that reveals the darker and more vulnerable side of its heroes.

Perhaps the arc's only major weakness is Dartz himself. Although 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 doesn't need to complete 46 filler episodes

While the Bount arc presents an interesting concept, its story is spread over so many episodes, it feels unnecessarily long. This filler arc can make for great Bleach movie, but its painfully slow pacing over dozens of episodes ultimately undermined the impact of its story.

While the 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 storyline can continue without creating story issues.