The Fourth Hokage
Episode 168 · Naruto Shippuden
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Filler or Canon?
Yes — Naruto Shippuden Episode 168 is canon. It adapts the original manga and is essential to the main story. Do not skip it. Minato revealed as Naruto's father — the franchise's biggest parentage reveal, father meeting son inside the seal at the arc's pivotal moment.
Series
Naruto Shippuden
Episode
168 / 500
Status
Manga Canon
Arc
Pain's Assault
PAIN'S ASSAULT · EP 152–175 · 24 EPISODESYOU ARE HERE · 17 OF 24
Episode Summary
The Fourth Hokage appears. With Naruto on the brink of surrendering to the Nine-Tails inside the seal — the fox whispering him toward release — the failsafe Minato left in the seal activates: the Fourth Hokage himself, a fragment of consciousness placed against this exact moment. The episode is the revelation a hundred episodes built toward: Minato is Naruto's father, and he restores the broken seal while finally meeting his son. The truth of Naruto's parentage lands inside his own mind, father and son face to face at last.
Frequently Asked
What arc is it in?
It's part of the Pain's Assault arc.
Can I skip it?
No, this is essential canon — do not skip it.
Pain's Assault · Ep 152–175 · 24 episodes
152Gloomy NewsManga Canon153Following the Master's ShadowManga Canon154DecryptionManga Canon155The First ChallengeManga Canon156Surpassing the MasterManga Canon157Assault on the Leaf Village!Manga Canon158Power to BelieveManga Canon159Konoha Village: Destruction!Manga Canon160Mystery of PainManga Canon161Clan of PainManga Canon162Pain to the WorldManga Canon163Explosion! Sage ModeManga Canon164Danger! Sage Mode Limit ReachedManga Canon165Nine-Tails, Captured!Manga Canon166ConfessionSManga Canon167Planetary DevastationS+Manga Canon
168The Fourth HokageManga Canon
169The Two StudentsManga Canon170Adventure at the Leaf Village: The Search for the Fourth's Legacy - Part 1Filler171Adventure at the Leaf Village: The Search for the Fourth's Legacy - Part 2Filler172MeetingManga Canon173Origin of PainManga Canon174The Tale of Naruto UzumakiManga Canon175The Hero of the Hidden LeafManga Canon720 episodes — canon, mixed, filler and best animation moments.
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