10 Incredible Anime With Zero Filler Episodes

Some of the greatest anime of all time are bogged down by filler, but the use of it has decreased significantly over time — and in the current landscape, there are plenty of incredible series you can watch without worrying about a single filler episode. For those unfamiliar, filler consists of storylines that don’t contribute to the main narrative and can be skipped with little to no impact on the experience. In anime, filler is often non-canon, with these episodes and arcs typically diverging from the source material. Naruto and Bleach, for example, both feature storylines that don’t appear in the manga they’re based on. These can typically be skipped in favor of watching the main plot only.

This was a common scenario for even the most popular anime in the ’90s and early 2000s, as production schedules often necessitated the use of filler. Many series had longer seasons and overall runs with shorter breaks between them. That meant the writers and animators had to fill that space with something. Additionally, these series often aired as the manga was ongoing, increasing the risk of catching up and forcing them to stall for time. Fortunately, the setup of modern anime doesn’t require this nearly as much, which is leading to better pacing and less filler all around. And these incredible titles won’t make you skip around to avoid filler, offering more straightforward viewing experiences instead.

10) Attack on Titan

Those searching for a lengthy anime with no filler episodes should look no further than Attack on Titan. The four-season series adapts Hajime Isayama’s manga with impressive fidelity, following Eren’s quest to eradicate the man-eating Titans through all its unexpected turns. The series only makes slight changes to improve the story’s flow, and that flow remains consistent throughout Attack on Titan. There’s never a dull moment, with high-stakes drama and action moving the anime along nicely. When there are quieter moments — and there aren’t many — they typically serve a purpose. Whether it’s to flesh out the characters and their motivations or expand the lore, every scene in Attack on Titan is crucial to the story it’s telling.

9) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is nothing short of a masterpiece, and it does an excellent job of sticking to Hiromu Arakawa’s source material. The anime opens with a near-perfect first episode, which is action-packed, leaves an impression with its characters, and lays the groundwork for everything to come. The Elric brothers’ search for the Philosopher’s Stone only gets better from there, with the series rarely hitting a lull. Even when it does, the character work and world-building is usually worth it, as it enhances the story. There’s no filler to be found in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and you’ll need to plow through all 64 episodes to get the full picture. Fortunately, it’s so good, most viewers will do that rather quickly.

8) Assassination Classroom

Another anime with little to no filler throughout its run is Assassination Classroom, which revolves around a class of students attempting to take out their homeroom teacher — both because he’s threatening to destroy the world and because they’ll reap a financial reward for doing so. The series adds a few moments that aren’t in Yusei Matsui’s manga, but they’re minor, making it a mostly faithful rendering. There certainly aren’t entire installments dedicated to filler, and its pacing complements its blend of action and comedy. It’s a shame the series is more widely praised, as it’s a fun one to dig into.

7) Steins;Gate

Some would say Steins;Gate gets off to a slow start, but its early episodes are critical to experiencing the highs of the anime that come later. They do a lot of heavy lifting when setting up the twisty time-travel story, and it’s impossible to fully appreciate it without watching them. Needless to say, they’re far from filler — and once the sci-fi anime really gets going, it’s hard to put down. The character work done at the beginning ensures that we come to care, making the series’ discussions about choice and fate hit that much harder.

6) Death Note

Death Note‘s back-and-forth between Light and L is masterfully crafted, and although the anime alters the source material in some ways, it’s never to add unnecessary details. Everything included — even scenes exclusive to the anime — contributes to the story, helping to explain the characters’ motivations and raising the tensions between them. All 37 episodes are required to understand the story, even the one installment (Episode 26) that’s half recap. With such complex personalities, Death Note is one of the few series that might have benefited from more filler. However, it’s still an incredible watch as-is.

5) Odd Taxi

At just 13 episodes, Odd Taxi leaves no time for filler — and since it’s a mystery at its core, most of its story beats are important in some way. The 2021 anime follows a walrus taxi driver as he interacts with the other anthropomorphic animals, eventually finding himself wrapped up in a missing-persons case. The series doesn’t unfold at a breakneck pace, but it’s carefully crafted and builds to a satisfying conclusion. As you’d expect from a thriller with well-placed twists, even small details contribute to the larger picture. Skipping any episodes is inadvisable, as it would prevent viewers from experiencing it as intended.

4) Erased

Another short anime with no time to spare on filler is Erased, and its tight focus allows it to pack a powerful punch. Like Odd Taxi, the 12-episode series leaves little room for filler scenes, much less entire episodes. Nearly everything that occurs fuels the plot or characters in some way. The drama and twists keep coming as Satoru travels back in time to solve his mother’s murder (and figure out who was behind a series of kidnappings from his childhood). Erased actually condenses the events of Kei Sanbe’s manga, too, and it makes a few divisive changes. It doesn’t add anything inessential though, and it’s well worth watching all the way through.

3) Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion grapples with weighty topics, exploring what’s required to overthrow a corrupt authoritarian regime — and questioning whether continuing the cycle of violence is worth it to bring about change and justice. It’s a stunning series with few flaws to speak of, and all of its episodes are required viewing. There are a few scenes that could be considered filler within its run, but even those deliver necessary information about the characters and world. And the highlight of Code Geass — the political intrigue — is built up to in nearly every installment, ensuring viewers won’t want to miss any of them.

2) Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen isn’t finished yet, but like most modern anime, it doesn’t waste time on filler episodes. Instead, its throws viewers headfirst into Gege Akutami’s world of jujutsu sorcerers and curses in Episode 1, and it hardly slows from there. While there are lighter interactions between the characters, they don’t take up entire episodes. And they’re mostly true to the manga, which strikes a similar balance between endearing humor and the darker, high-stakes story. Even the anime’s prequel movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, is canon to the manga and provides important context to understand the main plot. Needless to say, Jujutsu Kaisen is an anime to watch without skipping around.

1) Demon Slayer

Another modern Shonen anime that forgoes filler entirely is Demon Slayer. The series wisely sticks to Koyoharu Gotouge’s source material and progresses Tanjiro’s story with every episode. His quest to turn his sister, Nezuko, back into a human is fast-paced and action-packed, rarely veering off course. Tanjiro becomes wrapped up in the much bigger goal of defeating Muzan Kibutsuji as well. This also proceeds without many pauses in the action, resulting in an incredible series that doesn’t suffer the shortcomings of older classics.

What are your favorite anime with little or no filler? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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