This is a fairly extensive guide to the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations anime which aims to answer questions people frequently have about what episodes are worth watching, what episodes are adapted from the manga, which are anime original, and so forth. Rather than answer these questions myself, I'm attempting to provide some basic information on each arc and noteworthy episodes so that people can decide for themselves based on what content interests them.

I originally started this guide about two years ago for r/Naruto, and after receiving a few requests to update it, finally sat down this evening to finish writing up everything that was missing. I've decided to post my updated version here, as this is where the majority of discussion on the series has drifted over the last couple years.

Manga/Film/Novel Adaptations

These are episodes or arcs adapted from canon manga chapters, the feature film, or official light novels, all of which were either written, illustrated, or supervised by Kishimoto himself. Pretty much essential viewing.

• "Boruto Uzumaki!!" (1): While the first arc of the series is anime original, it begins with an important prologue scene depicting a flash forward. The manga version includes a bit of additional narration from an older Boruto setting the stage for the story.
• "A Day in the Life of the Uzumaki Family" (18): An expanded adaptation of The Day Naruto Became Hokage, a short bonus manga tie-in for Boruto: Naruto the Movie, which depicts the day of Naruto's Hokage inauguration ceremony.
• Sarada Uchiha Arc (19-23): An adaptation of the Naruto Gaiden: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring manga miniseries, which focuses on Sarada Uchiha and her relationships with Naruto and her own family.
• "Boruto and Sarada" (24): A heavily modified adaptation of Chapter #700 "Uzumaki Naruto!!", the final chapter of the original Naruto manga, which depicts a Five Kage Summit.
• "The Path Lit by the Full Moon" (39): An adaptation of the Naruto Gaiden: The Path Lit by the Full Moon manga one-shot, which focuses on Mitsuki and his origins.
• Chunin Exams Arc (51-66): A significantly expanded retelling of Boruto: Naruto the Movie and its adaptation in the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga, the "Versus Momoshiki Arc" (Chapters #1-10). The manga adaptation included vital additions to the plot, and the anime further expands the arc by incorporating anime original characters, cut material and characters from Kishimoto's original film script, and completely new scenes. The arc focuses on the Chunin Exams and the looming threat of an Otsutsuki Clan invasion, and is in many ways the crux of the series' main overarching plot.
• Parent and Child Day Arc (93-95): An abbreviated and altered adaptation of the Naruto Shinden: Parent and Child Day novel, which explores the relationships between the new generation and their parents, focusing on the Uzumaki, Uchiha, and Akimichi families. The novel version takes place earlier in the story and has an additional plot line featuring Hinata on a mission with her father and sister.
• Steam Ninja Scrolls Arc (106-111): An altered adaptation of the Konoha Shinden: Steam Ninja Scrolls novel, which depicts Mirai Sarutobi on a mission with Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy to investigate a Jashinist cult in the Land of Steam. The novel takes place earlier in the story, bridging Naruto Chapter #700 and the Naruto Gaiden miniseries.
• Mujina Bandits Arc (141-151): An expanded adaptation of the second arc in the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga. Episodes 141-147 are an anime original prologue that sees Team Seven infiltrate the Hozuki Castle shinobi prison to protect a Mujina Gang informant. Episodes 148-151 adapt the manga story arc (Chapters #11-15), in which Boruto is assigned as bodyguard to the son of the Land of Fire's feudal lord while the Mujina Gang infiltrates Konoha.
• Vessel Arc (177-192): An expanded adaptation of the third arc in the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga, the Ao Arc (Chapter #16-23) and the first two chapters of the fourth arc, the Kawaki Arc (Chapters #24-25). The arc seamlessly flows from the anime original Kara Actuation Arc and depicts Team 7 being diverted from an unrelated mission to investigate an airship crash in the Land of Fire, leading to a confrontation with Kara members that are seeking to recover a mysterious vessel lost in the crash. The anime adaptation incorporates many additional scenes depicting members of Kara interacting with one another in their secret base, foreshadowing more plot points from the manga.
• Kawaki Arc: Kara Clash (193-ongoing): An expanded adaptation of the second major section of the Kawaki Arc (Chapter #26-35+) from the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga. This arc deals with Kawaki's introduction to the Uzumaki Household and Kara's initial attempts to track down and recapture him, while exploring Kawaki's relationship with the Uzumaki family and gradually unraveling the mystery of Karma, a strange mark he and Boruto share. As with the previous arc, the anime adaptation incorporates more scenes of the various Kara members, and also somewhat expands on Kawaki's backstory.

Anime Original Story Arcs

These are the main original story arcs created specifically for the anime, supervised by Ukyo Kodachi (writer for the Boruto film and manga series through chapter #52). They're considered canon, give additional character development and introduce new characters, and occasionally foreshadow future plot elements, but aren't necessarily essential viewing. The first three anime original arcs were adapted into a light novel series.

• Academy Entrance Arc (1-15): Introduces Boruto and his classmates, explores Boruto's dojutsu and connections to the Hyuga and Toneri, foreshadows the Otsutsuki, examines the legacy of the Foundation, and introduces an important recurring character named Sumire. Adapted into Novel 1: New Leaves Soaring Across the Blue Sky!, Novel 2: A Call from the Shadows!, and Novel 3: Beacon in the Shinobi Night!
• Field Trip Arc (25-32): Examines the legacy of Fourth Mizukage Yagura and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Adapted into Novel 4: A Record of Field Trip Bloodshed!
• Academy Graduation Arc (34-37): Mainly provides development for Boruto and his classmates while establishing callbacks to the Bell Test and foreshadowing the Otsutsuki. Adapted into Novel 5: Last Day at the Academy!
• Genin Mission Arc (38-41): A short arc detailing the formation of Team 7 and its first official mission.
• Byakuya Gang Arc (42-47): Mainly focuses on character development for Shikadai while introducing the scientist Katasuke and a gang of rogue ninja with unique powers.
• Super Cho-Cho Butterfly Mode Arc (67-69): A short arc that deals with Cho-Cho attempting to master Butterfly Mode while working as an actress. This arc was created at the suggestion of Kishimoto.
• Mitsuki's Disappearance Arc (71-92): A lengthy anime original arc that focuses on Mitsuki attempting to determine his own intentions and path in life, involving Team 7 and Team 10 traveling to Orochimaru's base, Ryuichi Cave, and ultimately Iwagakure in pursuit of Mitsuki as he befriends a group of strange individuals similar to him, eventually getting caught up in conflict that threats Iwagakure.
• Cursed Seal Infection Arc (98-103): An arc that involves Team 7 and Team 15 investigating a strange ecological disaster seemingly caused by Orochimaru's Cursed Seal, leading to a conflict between Jugo and other Cursed Seal users, with appearances from Orochimaru's other followers. The arc places a focus on Sumire, transitioning her into the role she has in later manga arcs.
• Konohamaru's Love Arc (116-119): A short arc focused on Konohamaru protecting a cursed actress.
• One Tails Escort Arc (120-126): Boruto travels to Sunagakure and gets embroiled in an unexpected conflict with the Otsutsuki scout Urashiki, resulting in him being forced to team up with Shinki to try and transport the One Tails, Shukaku, to Konohagakure.
• Timeslip Arc (127-136): A continuation of the One Tails Escort Arc which sees Urashiki, Boruto, and Sasuke slip into the past due to an ancient Otsutsuki artifact, arriving at the tail end of the original Naruto series, some time after Sasuke went rogue. This arc was created for the 20th anniversary of the series, with the time travel idea coming from Kishimoto.
• Kara Actuation Arc (157-176): A lengthy original arc that acts as a prelude to the Vessel Arc, depicting a new first encounter between Team 7 and the Kara, a secret society dealing in both advanced technology and occult mysticism. The arc focuses on two of Kara's Inners, or core members: Victor, a relatively minor character in the manga, and Deepa, an anime original character with a sadistic streak. It also incorporates a short training arc and an impressive climactic battle before seamlessly flowing into the Vessel Arc.

Standalone Original Anime Episodes

These are individual episodes or short mini-arcs between the main story arcs, and if the subjects interest you, you may wish to watch them on a case-by-case basis. I'm not going to spend much time on this, as they're essentially filler.

• Episode 16 focuses on Boruto's anime original classmates, Iwabe and Denki.
• Episode 17 focuses on Sarada.
• Episode 33 focuses on Sai, Inojin and Himawari.
• Episodes 48-49 focus on the anime original Team 5 (Metal Lee, Iwabe, Denki) and Team 15 (Sumire, Wasabi, Namida).
• Episode 50 recaps the previous 50 episodes.
• Episode 70 focuses on Metal Lee.
• Episode 96 focuses on Namida.
• Episode 97 focuses on Shikadai.
• Episodes 104-105 focus on Mitsuki.
• Episodes 112-113 focus on Shikadai and the results of the Chunin Exams.
• Episode 114 introduces the new Extreme Ninja Cards trading card game, which reoccurs from time to time.
• Episode 115 focuses on Kakashi and the anime original Team 25 (Houki, Hako, and Rengo).
• Episode 137 introduces the anime original samurai exchange student, Tsubaki.
• Episode 138 focuses on Boruto's relationship with his grandfather, Hiashi.
• Episode 139 focuses on the anime original Team 40 (Enko, Doshu, Tsuru).
• Episode 140 focuses on Inojin and Cho-Cho.
• Episode 152 focuses on Sarada.
• Episode 153 focuses on Tsubaki and Team 15.
• Episode 154 focuses on Himawari.
• Episode 155 focuses on Mitsuki.
• Episode 156 focuses on Cho-Cho.

Noteworthy Original Anime Episodes

These are episodes that feature particularly notable story elements or tie into the overarching plot of the series. You can think of this as a sort of cliff's notes for the anime original episodes if you don't want to watch the full arcs but want to see the highlights.

• "The Dream's Revelation" and "Proof of Oneself" (8-9): Delves into Boruto's dojutsu, the Otsutsuki, and the Uzumaki family's relationship with the Hyuga clan.
• "The Demon Beast Appears!", "A New Path", "The Path That Boruto Can See" (13-15): Climax of the Ghost Incident Arc, showcasing some of the powers of Boruto's dojutsu, touching on the legacy of the Foundation, foreshadowing the arrival of the Otsutsuki clan, and possibly hinting at a new type of power that appears later in the manga.
• "The Turbulent Field Trip" (25): Minor foreshadowing for the second arc of the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga in the first scene.
• "The Night of the Shooting Stars" (34): Short post-credits scene that foreshadows the arrival of the Otsutsuki.
• "The Chunin Exams: Recommendation Meeting" (50): A recap episode that quickly summarizes the events of the previous 50 episodes.
• "The Other Side of Anxiety" (70): A rare episode focusing on Metal Lee, Rock Lee, and Might Guy.
• "Incurring Wrath," "A Fierce Enemy: Garaga's Ferocious Attack!," and "Mitsuki and Sekiei" (76-77, 90): While I can't completely recommend the entire Mitsuki Retrieval Arc, as it drags at various points, this group of episodes involves Boruto bonding with a giant one-eyed serpent at Ryuichi Cave, a strong candidate for his future personal summon.
• "Boruto's Wish," "Infiltrating the Hidden Stone Village," "The Sensation of Living," and "Clash: Kokuyou!" (81-82, 87-88): Also from the Mitsuki Retrieval Arc, these episodes encapsulate the fan-favorite relationship between Inojin and Akkun.
• "Kozuchi's Will," "Ohnoki's Will," and "A New Ordinary" (86, 91-92): Also from the Mitsuki Retrieval Arc, these episodes focus heavily on the Third Tsuchikage Ohnoki and his legacy.
• "Migration Season" (103): As with the Mitsuki Retrieval Arc, it is hard to fully recommend the Cursed Seal Infection Arc. However, this episode marks a major change for the character Sumire, transitioning her into the role she has when she first appears in the manga.
• "The Little Roommate," "A Wound on the Heart," and "Mitsuki's Rainy Day" (104-105, 155): Fans of Mitsuki will surely enjoy this trio of episodes.
• "The Chunin Selection Conference" and "The Qualities of a Captain" (112-113): Minor episodes that deal with Shikadai's promotion to Chunin after the Exams were disrupted.
• "Boruto and Shinki," "A Village Without Sasuke," "The Power to See the Future," and "The Last Battle, Urashiki" (125, 133-135): The One Tails Escort and Time Slip Arcs are generally considered a disappointment, so I cannot fully recommend them. That said, if you want to see what becomes of Urashiki after the Chunin Exams Arc, this batch of episodes most favorably showcases his powers and final appearance.
• "The Fateful Moonlit Battle" (147): The most important episode of the anime original prologue to the Mujina Bandits Arc. While I would recommend watching the entire thing, this episode sets up the villain of the arc extremely well.
• "Himawari's Ninja Trial Session" (154): A short and cute episode about Himawari which introduces her likely teammates if she decides to become a ninja in the future, who were actually designed and named by fans.
• Kara Actuation Arc (157-176): While this arc drags a bit in the middle (161-164), you would be doing yourself a disservice to skip the arc, as it does an excellent job establishing the threat of Kara and building up to a satisfying climax. This arc succeeds where the One Tails Escort and Time Slip Arcs failed.

Sakuga Episodes

Just the episodes that feature sakuga -- the highest quality animation. This list isn't exhaustive, and there are occasionally short sakuga cuts in random episodes that I may have forgotten about. Check out sakugabooru's Boruto category for a more extensive archive of cuts.

• "Boruto Uzumaki!" (1): While nothing too crazy happens in this episode, there are a bunch of sakuga animation sequences throughout, as expected from the first episode of a new series.
• "The Final Lesson" (6): Boruto, Shikadai, and Mitsuki team up in a fight against Shino, with a bit of sakuga throughout.
• "Love and Potato Chips!" (7): Some light action and extremely expressive character animation.
• "Proof of Oneself" (9): Boruto's sparring match with Hanabi involves a decent chunk of sakuga.
• "The Demon Beast Appears!" and "The Path That Boruto Can See" (13-14): Climax of the Ghost Incident arc brings several sakuga fight scenes involving Boruto, Mitsuki, Sumire Kakei, and the "ghost."
• "Bonds Come in All Shapes" (23): The climax of the Uchiha Sarada arc is chock full of sakuga fight scenes, with the highlight being Sakura's one-on-one fight against Shin.
• "The Mizukage's Successor" (26): A bit of sakuga in the sparring scenes with the Kirigakure kenjutsu students
• "Declaration of War" (28): A bit of sakuga as Boruto clashes with Shizuma Hoshigaki and his cronies.
• "The Sharingan vs. The Lightning Blade, Kiba the Fang!" (30): A bit of sakuga in the fight between Sarada and Buntan Kurosaki.
• "Boruto and Kagura" (31): Climax of the Field Trip arc is full of sakuga fight scenes between Boruto, Mitsuki, Kagura Karatachi, and Shizuma.
• "The Graduation Exam Begins!" and "A Shinobi's Resolve" (36-37): Climax of an arc means sakuga. Fights between Boruto and his classmates and their instructors, with some especially solid animation during the fights with Anko and Kakashi.
• "Formation of the Three-Man Squad?" (38): A bit of sakuga in the fight between Team 7 and Mirai.
• "The Path Lit by the Full Moon" (39): The whole episode is a sakuga fest with lots of Mitsuki and Orochimaru action.
• "The Figure I Want to Be" (47): Another arc climax means more sakuga fight scenes, this time featuring Boruto, Shikadai, Ryogi, and Gekko.
• Chunin Exams Arc (51 - 66): As an adaptation of the film, the arc repurposes a great many sakuga cuts from it, while also occasionally sprinkling in some new stuff.
• "Sasuke and Boruto" (54): One of the standout episodes of the Chunin Exams Arc, this episode features an altered version of the film fight between Sasuke and Kinshiki, with some enhancements and changes.
• "The Otsutsuki Invasion" (62): The turning point of the Chunin Exams Arc, with several visually stunning moments repurposed from the film.
• "Father and Child" (65): The climax of the Chunin Exams Arc and a landmark moment in television anime. An absolute feat of animation with contributions from dozens of rising and veteran animators from all over the world. This episode completely reimagines and easily surpasses the final battle from the movie, using the manga version with its new design for Momoshiki as a basis.
• "The Other Side of Anxiety" (70): Some light sakuga action in this episode focused on Metal Lee and Rock Lee sparring.
• "A Fierce Enemy: Garaga's Ferocious Attack!" (77): A smattering of sakuga cuts in this Mitsuki Retrieval Arc episode, featuring Team 7 facing Garaga and some action with Team 5 in Konoha.
• "Reunion with Mitsuki" (79): The first big battle episode of the Mitsuki Retrieval Arc has a handful of notable sakuga cuts.
• "The Sensation of Living" (87): A turning point in the Mitsuki Retrieval Arc with some truly amazing action sequences during the battle against Kakou.
• "Ohnoki's Will" (91): The sakuga-filled climax of the Mitsuki Retrieval Arc, featuring impressive visuals as Ohnoki joins Team 7 in battling Lord Ku.
• "Jugo and The Curse Mark" (99): Some unexpectedly cool sakuga battle scenes of Team 7 fighting a berserk Jugo, including an amazing exchange between Jugo and Konohamaru.
• "Migration Season" (103): The climax of the Cursed Seal Infection Arc, naturally accompanied by sakuga action sequences featuring Team 7, Jugo, and the arc's villain, Tosaka.
• "The Steam Ninja Scrolls: The S-Rank Mission!" (106): Some unexpected sakuga cuts in this episode featuring Kakashi and Mirai.
• "The Steam Ninja Scrolls: Mirai's King!" (111): The climax of the Steam Ninja Scrolls Arc brings some climactic sakuga action between Mirai and the Jashinist Ryuki.
• "Boruto and Shinki" (125): A turning point in the One Tails Escort Arc, featuring Shinki and Boruto teaming up against Urashiki.
• "The Last Battle, Urashiki" (135): The climax of the Time Slip Arc and the final appearance of Urashiki. A fun and beautifully animated battle with lots of sakuga closes out the arc.
• "Breaking out of Hozuki Castle" (145): While most of this episode is pretty standard, there is a notable sequence with a lot of sakuga featuring some great character acting and FX work.
• "The Fateful Moonlit Battle" (147): The climax of the anime original prologue to the Mujina Bandits Arc. Nothing too flashy, but solid action cuts throughout, as would be expected.
• "Boruto and Tento" (151): The climax of the Mujina Bandits Arc, with Boruto and Tento going up against Shojoji. Not groundbreaking, but an arc climax is an arc climax, and there are solid cuts throughout the episode.
• "Mitsuki's Rainy Day" (155): A smattering of sakuga cuts in this rainy Mitsuki-focused episode.
• "Escaping the Tightening Net" (162): A turning point in the Kara Actuation Arc with some sakuga sprinkled throughout.
• "Death Match" (166): The first big showdown of the Kara Actuation Arc, with lots of action as Team 7 faces off against Deepa while Konohamaru battles Victor.
• "Beyond the Limits!" (175): The climax of the Kara Actuation Arc, a top tier episode with some amazing moments featuring the rematch between Team 7 and Deepa and Konohamaru teaming up with Orochimaru to battle Victor.
• "How You Use It" (186): The first big battle of the Vessel Arc, with a bunch of solid sakuga action showcasing Team 7's battle with Ao.
• "Resonance" (189): The second true landmark episode of Boruto following episode 65, and thus far the only one to rival it. While the fight between Kawaki and Garo is certainly on a smaller scale with less stakes than the final battle with Momoshiki, Studio Pierrot went all out in this episode debuting Kawaki's unique powers and fighting style. The episode is feature film quality sakuga from start to finish, with some of the coolest fight scenes of the year, plus lots of excellent character acting and FX work. Also noteworthy for closely following the art style of Mikio Ikemoto, the manga illustrator, whose designs are normally heavily altered by Tetsuya Nishio for the anime in order to more closely resemble Masashi Kishimoto's art style.
• "The Past" (192): A gorgeous and tragic episode showcasing Kawaki's childhood, with very little action but amazing visuals, including some psychedelic imagery, timelapse effects, and lots of detailed character acting.
• "The Uzumaki Household" (194): Just a touch of sakuga as Boruto and Kawaki fight in the yard after taking a leak.
• "Delta" (197): Once again, just a touch of sakuga as Boruto and Kawaki spar under Naruto's supervision.