10 Worst Anime Filler Arcs Of All Time

Filler arcs are present in a lot of anime, as the original episodes created by the animation studios were necessary to make room for the manga’s story to progress after catching up to it. But while there are anime filler arcs good enough to be considered canon, there are some narratives that contribute nothing to their story, and fans prefer to avoid them completely.

While there are some bad short arcs that last just a couple of episodes, sometimes the worst are those long original plots that seem to drag on forever without a clear direction, damaging their series’ reputation. Furthermore, the worst anime filler arcs are so questionable that they make fans wonder what the writers had in mind.

Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Virtual World Arc (Episodes 98 -121)

The Virtual World arc is one of the worst parts of Yu-Gi-Oh! because of how poorly timed it was, as it broke the anime’s pacing right in the middle of the semifinals of the Battle City tournament. The Virtual World arc features enemies with a personal vendetta against Seto Kaiba, introducing Noah, who is connected to his father, Gozaburo.

Unfortunately, while it incorporates interesting ideas like the Deck Masters, the events of the Virtual World arc are largely inconsequential. Noah’s personality closely resembled Seto’s, and despite his trauma, he didn’t have a significant resolution or impact on Kaiba’s life. As a result, the Virtual World arc feels like a torn-out page that fans skip when rewatching the anime.

Dragon Ball Z’s The Garlic Jr. Saga (Episodes 108 – 117)

Given its egregious dependence on its prior movie to understand the story and the absence of characters like Goku and Vegeta, the Garlic Jr. Saga has gained a poor reputation. The Garlic Jr. saga feels out of place after the battle with Frieza, as it postponed the discovery of what happened to Goku, making it feel especially drawn out.

The arc has positive aspects, like giving prominence to Gohan, Krillin, Piccolo, and even Kami, as well as increasing the stakes by introducing Dragon Ball‘s first immortal enemy, who was also capable of controlling Earth’s inhabitants with his Black Water Mist. However, its ending felt forced due to how Garlic Jr. set up his defeat by opening the Dead Zone.

One Piece’s Foxy’s Return Arc (Episodes 220 – 228)

The Long Ring Long Land arc marks some of One Piece‘s most divisive episodes, as, despite introducing the Davy Back fights, it differs from the anime’s dynamic of fighting powerful enemies like Enel in the Skypeia arc. Because of this, many fans chose to skip the Foxy Pirates’ first appearance and disliked their return in a filler arc.

Foxy’s Return felt repetitive and boring, and it had bad animation (with an infamous scene featuring two Zoros), and it wasn’t helped by the fact that it followed the Ocean Dream Arc, which was another lackluster filler. Its only redeeming feature is that the Foxy Return arc mixes canonical elements from the manga at the end by introducing Aokiji.

Fairy Tail’s Eclipse Celestial Spirits Arc (Episodes 204 – 226)

Fairy Tail has some good filler arcs with Hiro Mashima’s approval, but the Eclipse Celestial Spirits Arc is undoubtedly one of the anime’s lowest points. Following the critically acclaimed Grand Magic Games, a disturbance in the Celestial Spirit World affected Lucy’s summons, causing them to spiral out of control and endangering their lives.

The worst part wasn’t the celestial spirits’ new designs and quirky personalities, but rather the absurd battles, ranging from a card game to a dance battle. Moreover, it had the potential to expand on what viewers knew about celestial spirits, but the arc ends with them losing their memories as if nothing had happened, which makes it simply unnecessary.

Naruto: Shippuden’s Mecha-Naruto Arc (Episodes 376 – 377)

The Robot Naruto is one of the strangest arcs seen in the anime (even more so than the episodes of the Ostrich and Mother alliance), mainly because it aired during the Fourth Great Ninja War. This mecha Naruto parody was created by Orochimaru, and its goal was to capture the Nine-Tailed Beast, Kurama.

Although it only lasted two episodes, the anime’s abrupt shift in tone caused fans emotional whiplash as the Mecha-Naruto arc aired after Kakashi and Obito’s battle, which is considered one of the best fights in shōnen history. While many fans enjoyed its absurdity, and the robot even appeared in Naruto‘s games, this arc was unwatchable for some, and rightfully so.

Naruto’s Mizuki Tracking Mission (Episodes 142 – 147)

Naruto‘s original series has over 80 filler episodes, and while some offer fun moments, others are nothing more than time-wasters for viewers, especially the Mizuki Tracking Mission. Mizuki was a chunin and the anime’s first antagonist, who only appeared in one episode and manipulated Naruto into stealing the scroll of seals.

Mizuki had been imprisoned and escaped to seek revenge on Iruka and Naruto, with his body being modified after using drugs developed by Orochimaru to enhance his power. While Mizuki’s return had potential, linking him to Orochimaru seemed like a waste. Besides, fans had already forgotten about Mizuki, and his tiger design didn’t help either.

Bleach’s Bount Arc (Episodes 64 – 108)

Although Bleach is one of the big three shōnen anime, many fans chose to drop it for its excessive filler, with the Bount arc being especially disliked. This arc featured an immortal vampire-like race, the Bounts, whose powers challenged even the Soul Reapers. However, while the arc sets up some big battles, it was heavily criticized for its slow pacing.

While the Bount arc isn’t as bad as some fans suggest, the events are so drawn out that most decided to skip it altogether. Furthermore, its flaws are most evident as it takes place between the Soul Society arc and the Arrancar Saga. This widespread hatred is the reason why the Bount arc was even excluded from Bleach: Brave Souls.

Rurouni Kenshin’s Third Season (Episodes 63 – 95)

After adapting the incredible Kyoto Arc, the anime got too close to the manga, ultimately running out of content. That’s why, except for the Shimabara Arc, which explores a slice of Japanese history showcasing Christianity and an antagonist who shares Kenshin’s signature style, there’s nothing redeeming about Rurouni Kenshin‘s third season.

Rurouni Kenshin‘s later filler arcs are unremarkable and detract from the anime’s grounded story about the changes in the Meiji era with developments that fans would rather forget, such as the criticized Feng Shui arc. Rurouni Kenshin‘s third season tarnished the anime’s popularity, which ended up being canceled. Luckily, Rurouni Kenshin has a remake that is faithful to the manga.

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water’s Island and Africa Arc (Episodes 23 – 34)

Inspired by the iconic work of Jules Verne, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is an underrated anime by the legendary Evangelion director Hideaki Anno. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water received critical acclaim, prompting a demand for filler episodes to take advantage of the anime’s popularity.

Anno didn’t work on the Island and Africa arcs, and what makes them a dark spot in an otherwise great anime is that the arcs have poor characterization, and the story gets bogged down in displeasing, horrifying subplots with low animation quality. As a result, fans are better off skipping the filler.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya’s Endless Eight Arc (Episodes 23 – 34)

Haruhi Suzumiya’s Endless Eight Arc is the most preposterous and audacious creative decision in anime history. Although it was adapted from a story in the light novel, which featured the characters being stuck in a time loop, the anime greatly extended the arc by showcasing the same episode seven consecutive times to meet the requested length of the season.

The episodes weren’t repeated, as each one was animated separately and featured minimal differences. However, it would have been better to retitle it to “The Boredom and Monotony of Haruhi Suzumiya,” as it was essentially the same episode being broadcast for nearly two months, trapping the viewers in a time loop with no idea of ​​when it would end.

The Endless Eight arc was so infamous that it damaged the anime’s popularity, and the third season was canceled. The anime wouldn’t return until years later with The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, a wonderful addition to the franchise that, sadly, failed to achieve the acclaim of Haruhi Suzumiya in its prime.