Vengeful Strike! Bracken Dance!
Episode 127 · Naruto (2002)
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Filler or Canon?
Naruto Episode 127 is mixed canon/filler — it contains canon manga material with some anime-original padding. Worth watching to follow the story. Kimimaro's death — the arc's quietest tragedy, a devoted weapon killed by his own illness mid-victory, and Sand's debt to Konoha paid in full.
Series
Naruto (2002)
Episode
127 / 220
Status
Mixed Canon/Filler
Arc
Sasuke Recovery
SASUKE RECOVERY · EP 102–135 · 34 EPISODESYOU ARE HERE · 26 OF 34
Episode Summary
Kimimaro unveils the Bracken Dance — a forest of bone spears erupting from the earth, his entire skeleton externalized as a graveyard with Gaara and Lee at its center. The horror is his devotion: a man with minutes to live, spending them perfectly for an Orochimaru who already wrote him off, because being used is the only love he was ever given. Gaara's desert coffin closes on empty bone; the disease finishes what no jutsu could. Kimimaro dies underground, still reaching for a master who isn't coming.
Frequently Asked
What arc is it in?
It's part of the Sasuke Recovery arc.
Can I skip it?
No, it contains canon story material you should watch.
Sasuke Recovery · Ep 102–135 · 34 episodes
102Mission: Help an Old Friend in the Land of TeaFiller103The Race is On! Trouble on the High Seas!Filler104Run, Idate, Run! Nagi Island Awaits!Filler105A Fierce Battle of Thunder and Lightning!Filler106The Last Leg: A Final Act of DesperationFiller107The Battle Begins: Naruto vs. SasukeManga Canon108Bitter Rivals and Broken BondsManga Canon109An Invitation from the SoundManga Canon110Formation! The Sasuke Retrieval SquadManga Canon111Sound vs. LeafManga Canon112A Sudden Plea for RainMixed Canon/Filler113Full Throttle Power! Choji, Ablaze!Mixed Canon/Filler114Goodbye Old Friend! I'll Always Believe in You!Mixed Canon/Filler115Your Opponent is Me!Manga Canon116360 Degrees of Vision: The Byakugan's Blind SpotManga Canon117Losing is Not an Option!Manga Canon118The Vessel Arrives Too LateManga Canon119Mistake: New Enemies Appear!Manga Canon120Roar and Howl! The Ultimate Tag TeamManga Canon121To Each His Own BattleManga Canon122Fake: A Sudden Appearance!Manga Canon123Ninja DropoutManga Canon124The Beast WithinManga Canon125The Sand Shinobi: Allies of the LeafManga Canon126Showdown: Gaara vs. KimimaroMixed Canon/Filler
127Vengeful Strike! Bracken Dance!Mixed Canon/Filler
128A Cry on Deaf EarsManga Canon129Itachi and Sasuke: The Distant BrothersManga Canon130Father and Son: The Broken CrestMixed Canon/Filler131The Secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan!Mixed Canon/Filler132For a FriendManga Canon133A Plea From a FriendS+Manga Canon134The End of TearsManga Canon135The Promise That Could Not Be KeptManga Canon720 episodes — canon, mixed, filler and best animation moments.
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