Nearly a decade after Naruto Uzumaki's story wrapped on screen, the same question keeps circling fan forums: what's actually next for Naruto? For years the honest answer was "not much" , a sequel that divided the fandom and a revival that seemed stuck in limbo. In 2026, that's finally changing. Between a long-delayed anniversary anime, a reborn Boruto series, and a rare "Big Three" reunion, the franchise is moving again.

Here's a clear-eyed look at where the Naruto franchise stands right now, what's confirmed, what's rumored, and what fans are still hoping for.

Quick answer: what's the future of Naruto?

The Naruto 20th-anniversary anime

four brand-new special episodes set in Team 7's early days — is slated for late 2026 after a multi-year delay.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex

is getting an anime, built on a new seasonal production model rather than the old weekly grind, with most reporting pointing to a 2026–2027 window.

A full Naruto remake is fan-requested but unconfirmed.

2026 could be the first time in years that Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach all air new content together — a true Big Three moment.

Where the franchise stands in 2026

To understand the road ahead, it helps to know how the on-screen story has played out. The original Naruto anime ran from 2002 to 2007 across 220 episodes. Naruto Shippuden followed from 2007 to 2017. After that, the only new animated content came from the sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, which aired 293 episodes before its first part ended in March 2023.

Since that 2023 finale, the franchise has been quiet on the anime front — a long pause for one of the most recognizable names in all of manga and anime. That silence is exactly what's breaking in 2026.

The Naruto 20th-anniversary anime: four special episodes

The headline project for longtime fans is the anniversary revival: four new episodes that rewind the clock to Naruto and Team 7's early days, before the time-skip and before Sasuke leaves the village. It's a chance to see the original trio — and a young Kakashi — back in action as kids, with a story that hasn't appeared in either the anime or the manga.

The catch has been the wait. Originally announced around the 20th-anniversary celebration and first targeted for 2023, the project was pushed into an indefinite delay. Studio Pierrot reportedly held it back rather than ship something substandard. As of 2026, reporting indicates production on all four episodes wrapped in 2025, with a late-2026 premiere expected. An exact date hasn't been locked publicly, but a key visual or trailer is the kind of reveal fans are watching for.

There's a nostalgic bonus, too: FLOW, the band behind some of the franchise's most iconic themes, is returning — including a new take on the opening "GO!!!" and a cover of ORANGE RANGE's "Viva★Rock."

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex — the seasonal reboot

The bigger structural story is Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, the timeskip sequel that continues the manga past the first Boruto series. Studio Pierrot has confirmed the next part is in the works, and the most important detail isn't the date — it's the format.

Pierrot is moving Boruto to a seasonal release model instead of the old weekly cadence that defined Naruto anime for more than two decades. President Michiyuki Honma has signaled a quality-over-quantity approach, and that single decision addresses the franchise's longest-running complaint.

Most industry watchers point to a 2026–2027 return, with the studio's schedule partly gated by the final cour of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War — The Calamity, set for July 2026. Once that wraps, resources can shift back toward Konoha.

Why the seasonal shift matters more than any release date

If you've ever bounced off the Naruto anime, there's a good chance filler is why. Naruto Shippuden was famously padded with non-canon material — interrupting major arcs to let the manga stay ahead. Boruto's first series took it further: of its 293 episodes, the large majority were anime-original content, which diluted the tension of its central threat and pushed a lot of viewers away.

A seasonal model fixes the root cause. Gaps between seasons let the anime keep a healthy distance from the monthly manga, so writers don't have to invent stalling arcs. It's the same approach that's worked for modern hits — and it's why Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War earned praise for some of Pierrot's best-looking animation in years. The trade-off is patience: fans used to a steady weekly stream will have to wait longer between drops. For most, that's a price worth paying for a tighter, better-looking show.

Will there be a Naruto remake?

This is the wishlist item. The original Naruto is beloved but undeniably dated, and its heavy filler makes it a tough binge for newcomers. With One Piece already getting a high-profile remake from another studio, plenty of fans want the same modern treatment for Naruto.

For now, there's no confirmed full remake. The closest thing is the four-episode anniversary project — new animation of early-era Team 7 — which scratches the itch without being a ground-up redo. A complete remake remains speculation, but the appetite is clearly there.

The Big Three reunion: Naruto, One Piece, Bleach in 2026

Here's the milestone that has the wider anime community buzzing: if Naruto's revival lands as expected, 2026 could mark the first time in a long while that all three of Shonen Jump's legendary "Big Three" — Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach — air new content in the same year. With Bleach's final Thousand-Year Blood War cour set for mid-2026 and One Piece going strong, a Naruto return would complete a rare convergence. For a generation that grew up on these series, it's a genuine event.

What fans actually want vs. what's likely

The long-running debate among fans isn't really about whether Naruto continues — it's about how. A few recurring tensions:

Power creep vs. stakes. Boruto's manga has been criticized for escalating power levels to the point where it's hard to feel tension. Many fans would rather the franchise slow down and tell focused stories than keep raising the ceiling.
Generational sequels vs. the past. Instead of endlessly following the next generation, a vocal chunk of the fandom wants the franchise to look backward — exploring the earlier Shinobi Wars, the founding of the villages, and the legendary ninja only hinted at in the original story.
Adaptation quality vs. speed. After years of filler fatigue, the consensus has shifted hard toward "take your time and make it good." Pierrot's seasonal pivot suggests the studio heard that.

Where the franchise actually goes will likely be a compromise: finish Boruto's story well, deliver the anniversary nostalgia hit, and leave the door open for prequels and spin-offs that mine the universe's rich history.

The manga keeps the engine running

While the anime catches up, the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga continues monthly in V-Jump, with grittier, more mature storytelling than the original Boruto series. New chapters land every month, which means by the time the anime arrives there will be a healthy backlog of material to adapt — exactly the buffer a seasonal show needs to avoid filler. For readers, the manga is where the franchise's cutting edge lives right now.

What the future could hold

Beyond what's confirmed, the franchise has obvious room to grow:

Prequels centered on iconic figures and past wars, giving fans the history they keep asking for.
A potential full remake if the anniversary episodes prove the demand (and the budget) is there.
Continued game and merchandise momentum, which has never really slowed.
A long-running Boruto saga — the Otsutsuki threat is far from resolved, leaving years of story ahead.

The throughline is simple: after a quiet stretch, Naruto has a real path forward again, and 2026 is the year it starts walking it.

FAQ

Is there a new Naruto anime coming out? Yes. A four-episode Naruto anniversary special — set in Team 7's early days — is expected in late 2026 after a multi-year delay. Production reportedly finished in 2025.

When is the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex anime coming out? No exact date is confirmed. Most reporting points to a 2026–2027 window, with the timing partly dependent on Studio Pierrot's schedule clearing up after Bleach's 2026 cour.

Why was the Naruto revival delayed for so long? The anniversary project was originally aimed at 2023 but hit an indefinite delay, with reports indicating Pierrot held it back to avoid releasing a lower-quality product.

Is Naruto getting a remake like One Piece? Not officially. The four anniversary episodes feature new animation of the early era, but a full ground-up remake has not been confirmed.

What is the "Big Three" reunion? If Naruto's new anime airs in 2026, it would join One Piece and Bleach in releasing new content the same year — a rare convergence of Shonen Jump's three most iconic franchises.

Is the Naruto/Boruto story over? No. The Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga is ongoing and monthly, the Otsutsuki conflict is unresolved, and the franchise has plenty of unexplored history to draw on.

Want to track every Naruto and Boruto release as it drops — and talk it out with fans who care about spoilers as much as you do? Build your watchlist on Kaiveron.

Sources & further reading: ComicBook, ScreenRant, CBR, GameRant, OtakuWire, and Outlook Respawn coverage (Dec 2025 – Apr 2026). Always confirm release dates against Studio Pierrot's official announcements before publishing time-sensitive claims.