Naruto’s sprawling anime output from its original series through *Naruto: Shippuden *have always been known to have enormous portions of filler breaking up its stories. While this provided occasional welcome interludes between major arcs, Naruto: Shippuden’s particularly egregious moments came with filler arcs cropping up between pivotal moments of the Fourth Great Ninja War. While this was the inevitable byproduct of a weekly anime needing to break away from demanding canon content while continuing to entertain the masses, one such wasteful Naruto: Shippuden arc was that of Mecha-Naruto.
Mecha-Naruto’s filler arc spanned just two episodes, Naruto: Shippuden episodes #366-377, directly following the start of Kakashi and Obito’s clash in the Fourth Great Ninja War. It’s ostensibly not the worst-animated arc by any means, and in fact its redeeming fun factor and gut-busting humor are pretty memorable. But it also feels like a tonally inconsistent fever dream born out of fan-fiction, pandering to nostalgic viewers while oddly sprinkling in vaguely Astro Boy or even MCU vibes throughout. But despite its flaws and unfortunate placement, Mecha-Naruto’s premise-defying technology ages better in light of Naruto’s sequel.
Mecha-Naruto is, conceptually, a piece of technology capable of replicating ninja abilities, bypassing training and unleashing hell on their own. In Mecha-Naruto’s case, he is built specifically to mimic the Gedo Statue’s function of capturing the Nine-Tails for Orochimaru, while the second episode’s reveal of a Mecha-Nine-Tails (or Mecha-Kurama) is pretty much purely there to wreak havoc. It can consume chakra and use attacks and forms from the Tailed Beasts, making it bear amusing similarities to Boruto’s Scientific Ninja Tools, namely the Advanced Technology Type.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations sees its world in a more optimistic place with technology and infrastructure improving vastly during an era of peace. While introduced with poor reception to its implications at first, with Boruto Uzumaki infamously using its jutsu-mimicking potential to cheat in the Chunin Exams, Scientific Ninja Tools have taken a welcome place. This is especially the case by Naruto Next Generations chapter #18.
Mecha-Naruto resembles the higher-tech elements of *Boruto’s *Scientific Ninja Tools, albeit obviously as an unintentional filler gag in the vein of *Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. *Despite existing far outside the norm of Naruto’s world, Boruto’s concepts indicate Mecha-Naruto could be regarded as a crude predecessor to future tech.
Scientific Ninja Tools may not have humanoid robots that oddly have Iron Man-style interiors for human wearers, but they do feature robotic prosthetics like for Ao, and synthetic toads for Koji Kashin as an obvious nod to his template, Jiraiya. They have proven highly useful as tools in the world of *Boruto, *and while Mecha-Naruto finished itself off alongside Mecha-Kurama, they would have hypothetically made far more sense in Boruto’s anime. However, it’s not merely the tech that was jarring or unusual about this particular *Naruto: Shippuden *filler.
The Mecha-Naruto Arc takes place just as Naruto is training to develop his Wind Release chakra to eventually create the Rasen Shuriken. It’s a distractingly simpler time in Konoha, where the village hadn’t yet been ravaged by Pain, Sasuke hadn’t rebelled yet against Orochimaru, and Neji was still alive and hadn’t died a mere twelve episodes prior. But as Orochimaru’s synthetic threat reaches Konoha to harvest the Nine-Tails from Naruto, chaos ensues.
Mecha-Naruto is exactly like it sounds: a robotic facsimile of Naruto Uzumaki, albeit with the ability to transform into what can only be referred to as Dr. Robotnik secondary forms as Naruto tries to lure it away from the village to prevent collateral damage. It’s loaded with fan-service, including a return of the Sasuke Retrieval Mission crew, the obligatory Shino snub, and even a welcome Jiraiya cameo. For those who dearly missed Neji and Jiraiya, their appearances in this episode are very eerie, especially with Neji so frequently brought to comical tears as his comrades are picked off in slapstick fashion, with him hilariously phoning it in instead of delivering the usual Neji seriousness.
It’s a distinctly unserious arc, and at times it feels almost cheap how many nostalgic moments there are, including Sakura calling out to Naruto amid Konoha’s flaming wreckage much like during Pain’s attack. But it’s also oddly self-aware, with Naruto handing Sakura a flower to protect, while offering a lobotomized heroic speech about protecting the girl who protects the flower. It’s nonsense and total popcorn filler, complete with a sick Yamato rocketing himself into space with his own vomit and Mecha-Naruto getting an *Astro Boy-*style sacrificial sendoff.
Interactive Quiz
Hidden Leaf Village · Chunin Exam NarutoTrivia Challenge
Naruto Uzumaki carries an immense burden — a powerful Tailed Beast sealed inside him since birth by the Fourth Hokage. This fox demon’s chakra gives Naruto extraordinary power but also makes him an outcast. What is the name of this Nine-Tailed Beast?
✓ Correct! Kurama is the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage. Initially a source of fear and hatred, Kurama eventually becomes one of Naruto’s closest allies. Their bond is one of the most emotional arcs in the entire series. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Kurama. Shukaku is the One-Tail sealed in Gaara, Matatabi is the Two-Tails, and Gyuki is the Eight-Tails sealed in Killer Bee. Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, is Naruto’s legendary partner.
Naruto’s greatest rival is a prodigy from a prestigious clan who possesses a powerful eye technique called the Sharingan. Consumed by a desire for vengeance against his older brother, he defects from the Hidden Leaf Village. Who is this rival?
✓ Correct! Sasuke Uchiha is Naruto’s eternal rival and best friend. After the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke’s obsession with killing his brother Itachi drives him to leave the village and seek power at any cost. Their rivalry is the emotional backbone of the entire series. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Sasuke Uchiha. Neji is a Hyuga clan genius with the Byakugan, Gaara is the Sand Village’s jinchūriki, and Rock Lee is the taijutsu specialist. Only Sasuke wields the Sharingan and defects to join Orochimaru.
Naruto’s signature jutsu is a spinning sphere of concentrated chakra formed in the palm of his hand. Originally created by the Fourth Hokage and taught to Naruto by Jiraiya, it becomes the foundation for many of his most powerful attacks. What is this technique called?
CShadow Clone Jutsu DSage Art: Lava Rasenshuriken
✓ Correct! The Rasengan is a pure chakra manipulation technique that doesn’t require hand signs. Created by Minato Namikaze and passed down through Jiraiya to Naruto, it evolves into many variations including the devastating Rasenshuriken with added Wind Release nature transformation. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is the Rasengan. The Chidori is Sasuke and Kakashi’s lightning technique, Shadow Clone Jutsu is a different Naruto staple, and the Lava Rasenshuriken is a late-series variant. The base Rasengan is Naruto’s iconic spinning chakra sphere.
Team 7’s leader is a mysterious, mask-wearing jonin known as the “Copy Ninja” for his ability to replicate over a thousand jutsu using his borrowed Sharingan eye. He’s always reading a certain novel. Who is this legendary sensei?
BAsuma Sarutobi DKakashi Hatake
✓ Correct! Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja of the Sharingan, leads Team 7 (Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura). His Sharingan was a gift from his dying friend Obito Uchiha. Always cool under pressure and perpetually reading Make-Out Paradise, Kakashi eventually becomes the Sixth Hokage. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Kakashi Hatake. Might Guy leads Team Guy, Asuma leads Team 10, and Jiraiya is one of the Legendary Sannin who later trains Naruto. Only Kakashi is the masked Copy Ninja with a borrowed Sharingan who leads Team 7.
Sasuke’s older brother massacred nearly the entire Uchiha clan in a single night, then joined the criminal organization Akatsuki. It was later revealed he did it all on orders from the village to prevent a coup — sacrificing everything to protect his brother. Who is this tragic figure?
✓ Correct! Itachi Uchiha is one of Naruto’s most complex characters. A pacifist genius forced into an impossible choice, he bore the hatred of the entire world — including his beloved brother Sasuke — to protect the Hidden Leaf from civil war. His final words to Sasuke remain iconic. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Itachi Uchiha. Madara is the legendary clan founder, Obito is the masked man behind much of the war, and Shisui was Itachi’s best friend. Itachi alone carried out the massacre to prevent the Uchiha coup and protect Sasuke.
From the very first episode, Naruto declares his lifelong dream to earn the respect of his village and prove his worth. He vows to achieve the highest rank in the Hidden Leaf — its supreme leader. What is this title that Naruto dreams of?
BJonin Commander
✓ Correct! Hokage is the title of the Hidden Leaf Village’s leader, and Naruto’s dream of becoming Hokage drives the entire series. After years of struggle, he finally achieves his dream and becomes the Seventh Hokage in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Hokage. The Kazekage leads the Sand Village, Jonin Commander is a military rank, and Anbu Captain leads black ops. The Hokage is the Hidden Leaf’s supreme leader — and Naruto’s lifelong dream since he was a lonely academy student.
Naruto’s father was the Fourth Hokage, known as the “Yellow Flash of the Leaf” for his incredible speed using the Flying Thunder God technique. He sacrificed his life to seal the Nine-Tails inside his newborn son. What is his name?
AMinato Namikaze BHiruzen Sarutobi CTobirama Senju DHashirama Senju
✓ Correct! Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage and Yellow Flash, sacrificed himself using the Reaper Death Seal to seal Kurama inside baby Naruto. His love for his son and faith in Naruto’s potential made him one of the series’ most selfless characters. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Minato Namikaze. Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Third Hokage, Tobirama Senju is the Second, and Hashirama Senju is the First. Minato, the Fourth Hokage, is Naruto’s father who sealed the Nine-Tails at the cost of his own life.
A shy, kind-hearted kunoichi from the Hyuga clan admired Naruto from afar since their academy days. She boldly confessed her love while fighting Pain to protect him, and eventually became his wife. Who is this character?
✓ Correct! Hinata Hyuga went from a timid girl who could barely speak around Naruto to a fierce warrior who stood against Pain to protect him. Her confession during the Pain arc is one of the series’ most emotional moments. They marry in The Last: Naruto the Movie and have two children, Boruto and Himawari. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Hinata Hyuga. Sakura is Naruto’s teammate who loves Sasuke, Ino is Sakura’s rival from the Yamanaka clan, and Temari is a Sand Village kunoichi who marries Shikamaru. Only Hinata loved Naruto from the very beginning.
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There’s a lot of nonsense and tonal whiplash, with dead characters being played up nonchalantly in a pair of episodes directly following a heated, fateful clash of former allies. However, the Mecha-Naruto Arc is a reminder of how good the Naruto: Shippuden anime’s team was even when working on totally absurd filler.
The animation is surprisingly decent, the slapstick humor is a worthwhile distraction if viewers open themselves up to it, and the visuals shockingly hold up well. Its placement in the anime’s run is godawful, but its nonsensical tech has aged considerably well entirely by accident. While Boruto: Two Blue Vortex will likely never bring Mecha-Naruto back, ***Naruto: Shippuden’s ***worst filler still has its place in some viewers’ hearts. It’s arguably still not good, but not without its entertainment value by any stretch.
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Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
Latest Film
Boruto: Naruto the Movie
First TV Show
Latest TV Show
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
First Episode Air Date
Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei
Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists’ children and returning faces.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ](/tag/boruto/)
Masashi Kishimoto, Ukyo Kodachi, Mikio Ikemoto
Boruto: Naruto the Movie
Latest Film
Boruto: Naruto the Movie
First TV Show
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Latest TV Show
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
First Episode Air Date
Boruto is the sequel to the Naruto franchise, created by Masashi Kishimoto and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto. It follows Boruto Uzumaki, Naruto’s son, as he navigates the challenges of being the Hokage’s child while forging his path as a ninja. The series explores the evolving world of shinobi and introduces new generations of characters while maintaining the franchise’s core themes of friendship, perseverance, and legacy.