Data · updated weekly
The Anime Filler Index
Which anime has the most filler? We counted, episode by episode: 2,002 filler episodes across 32 major series (9,625 episodes checked in total). Black Butler (2008) leads the index at 62.5% filler, roughly 6 hours of skippable television.
Hours saved are estimated at 23 minutes per episode. Every series name links to its watch-order guide, where the tracker marks each filler episode individually so you can skip straight past them.
Methodology
Filler means episodes (usually anime-original) that do not adapt the source material and can be skipped without losing the plot. Canon-vs-filler classification comes from the MyAnimeList community record via the Jikan API, refreshed weekly by the same pipeline that keeps our episode trackers current, so this table never drifts from the per-episode flags on the guides it links to. Series without community filler data (or without any filler at all) are not listed; the index grows as data lands.
Counting note: percentages are filler episodes divided by all tracked episodes for that franchise's guide, which can span multiple series entries (sequels, continuations) on one page. Sequels in one continuity aggregate; parallel retellings of the same source do not: Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Brotherhood are listed separately, because averaging two alternate adaptations produces a number that describes neither.
One honest caveat on the table's top rows: for Black Butler (2008), Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Soul Eater, the flagged episodes are a deliberate anime-original storyline (each show intentionally diverges into its own ending), not skippable side content. By the strict does-it-adapt-the-source definition they count as filler; by the can-I-skip-it definition they are the show. Both things are true, and the per-episode list lets you decide which definition you are watching by.
Frequently asked questions
Which anime has the most filler?
Black Butler (2008), with 15 filler episodes out of 24 tracked (62.5%). Fullmetal Alchemist is close behind at 52.9%.
Is it safe to skip filler?
Almost always yes: filler exists so broadcasts would not overtake the manga, and it rarely touches the main plot. A handful of filler arcs are fan favorites anyway; our per-series guides call those out where they matter.
How do I actually skip it?
Open any series above: its guide lists every episode with a Filler badge, and the tracker's hide-filler toggle collapses them so your watchlist only shows canon.