Naruto Shippuden is divided into several major arcs that define the series’ progression.
If you were to watch the series without skipping anything, it would take you nearly 17 days of non-stop watching to finish. However, many modern viewers use a "Canon-Only" viewing guide, which trims the series down to the essential plot points.
Roughly 201 episodes (about 40%) are filler or mixed canon/filler, used to prevent the anime from overtaking the manga.
To put the 500 episodes into perspective, here is how they generally stack up:
Naruto Shippuden is notorious in the anime community for its "filler"—episodes that act as side stories and do not advance the main plot found in the original manga.
The series is known for its high-stakes battles and emotional character development. Notable milestones include:
Approximately 299 episodes (roughly 60%) directly adapt the manga storyline.