The Ultimate
Episode 401 · Naruto Shippuden
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Filler or Canon?
No — Naruto Shippuden Episode 401 is filler. It's anime-original and has no impact on the main story. Safe to skip if you only want canon. A Chunin-Exams filler beat — the survival stage's peak trial; intense but non-canon and self-contained.NEXT CANON → SHP EP 414 · On the Brink of Death
Series
Naruto Shippuden
Episode
401 / 500
Status
Filler
Arc
2nd Chunin Exams
2ND CHUNIN EXAMS · EP 394–413 · 20 EPISODESYOU ARE HERE · 8 OF 20
Episode Summary
The ultimate raises the filler Chunin Exams' stakes as the survival stage tests the candidates to their limits. The episode delivers the anime-original trial's escalation — the competitors pushed to their utmost, the exam's dangers peaking — within the sealed frame. Sealed inside its filler walls, it advances the tournament toward its decisive rounds. Competent and intense, the ultimate trial is engaging in its bubble and outside the timeline, a diversion echoing the exam's high-stakes structure without touching the canon war.
Frequently Asked
What arc is it in?
It's part of the 2nd Chunin Exams arc.
Can I skip it?
Yes, you can safely skip it without missing main story.
2nd Chunin Exams · Ep 394–413 · 20 episodes
394The New Chunin ExamsFiller395The Chunin Exams BeginFiller396The Three ChallengesFiller397Shikamaru's DecisionFiller398The Night Before the Second ExamFiller399Survival BeginsFiller400Taijutsu UserFiller
401The UltimateFiller
402Escape vs. PursuitFiller403Unwavering GutsFiller404Tenten's TroublesFiller405The Two TrappedFiller406My Own PlaceFiller407The Yamanaka Clan: Secret NinjutsuFiller408A Cursed PuppetFiller409The Two Their BacksFiller410The Hidden PlotFiller411The Targeted Tailed BeastFiller412Neji's JudgmentFiller413Hopes Entrusted to the FutureFiller720 episodes — canon, mixed, filler and best animation moments.
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