Thread: What constitutes a filler?

One of the age old questions of the Pokemon fandom is what someone believes to be filler and non-filler. So what do you personally think is a filler episode and what isn't a filler?

For me, anything that doesn't happen importantly plot-wise like a gym battle or a solid character development episode can be considered a filler. Usually these types of episodes have a COTD formula and a problem that is presented and solvable within the episode.

As a general reminder, this thread is merely to discuss what you feel is a filler and what isn't a filler.

Whether or not you think filler is important to the flow of the series should go in this thread, and the individual series' that you feel has the most entertaining filler should go in this thread.

Just anything that is not related to Gyms, the evil teams, tournaments as well as the beginning and the ending of the series. Special arcs like the recent Nyasu arc also don't really count as fillers, IMO.

Not just an entire episode but a number of scenes that can be called fillers. Hell, this whole series may as well be called "Fillermon" since it hasn't got a substantial storyline.

Any episode that doesn't amount to advancement of the plot or character development (gym matches, Pokemon bonding/training, etc.), has no captures, doesn't introduce any new recurring characters or strategies, or is never referenced again in any way.

I'd pretty much agree with everything said above, but that definition crumbles upon encountering some eps of BW where most of the ep is filler save for the fact it features a capture or other important aspects for a brief amount of time. Technically, it can't be called filler, since something happened, but everything else is of no consequence.

What constitutes a filler? An episode in which nothing or one has got no development or redemtion what so ever. Atleast that's my definition. However, there are fillers that have action, comedy and some sort of improvement of one's skill like a battle. But a filler is something that has gone off of the point of the actual plot is. For example, :Brock wants to enter a Pokemon diet cup. It's where you make the best food and if the pokemon likes it you advance. After that you battle. Then once you win three medialons or whatever the hell, then you get to competition at the national tornament.: Anything in between that that has nothing to do in helping him or the group in anyway should count as a filler. This should go for Bleach fillers too.

I'll say what were all thinking. What constitutes a filler? The majority of the Johto Saga.

Episodes that fail to advance the plot or add anything to the characters. As has been mentioned, a lot of the time it'll be a Character of the day type deal.

What is a filler? A miserable pile of what you do not like! But enough talk! Let's watch the show.

Stuff that doesn't appear in the games.

Fillers(fan made term)are episodes which dont advance plot i any way or help move forward current storyline. In other words they dont include:-character development
-gyms,contests or other side quests which push forward someone story
-pokemon captures,evolutions or learn of new attacks
-inclusion of game protagonists
-return of recurring members like rivals, regional villains or past main characters
Etc,etc.

Of course everyone have their own definition of filler, being hard to establish general consensus about this but i think majority of things mentioned above episodes have to contain to be classified as plot related.

Originally Posted by Blue1225

I'll say what were all thinking. What constitutes a filler? The majority of the Johto Saga.

Not really, out of 158 Johto episodes around 65 were fillers not having anything relevant. Other episodes either contained character development, pokemon captures and evolutions, return of older or recurring characters(like Aya, Duplica, Todd or prof. Oak), plots about TR organization etc.

To me, just about any episode that doesn't influence any other episode plot-wise.

Originally Posted by pokemon fan 132

Fillers(fan made term)are episodes which dont advance plot i any way or help move forward current storyline. In other words they dont include:-character development
-gyms,contests or other side quests which push forward someone story
-pokemon captures,evolutions or learn of new attacks
-inclusion of game protagonists
-return of recurring members like rivals, regional villains or past main characters
Etc,etc.

Of course everyone have their own definition of filler, being hard to establish general consensus about this but i think majority of things mentioned above episodes have to contain to be classified as plot related.

Originally Posted by Blue1225

I'll say what were all thinking. What constitutes a filler? The majority of the Johto Saga.

Not really, out of 158 Johto episodes around 65 were fillers not having anything relevant. Other episodes either contained character development, pokemon captures and evolutions, return of older or recurring characters(like Aya, Duplica, Todd or prof. Oak), plots about TR organization etc.

A GOOD Portion of the Johto arc then. Nothing more to say.

Episodes that don't matter to the over arking story. Character develop and flaw reveals don't count and yes I also don't count multiparters. But there are a lot of core episodes that have are mostly filler like the Paras episode since it reveals Charmeleon's disobeince. One has to use one's own judgement on these borderliners. But I think I got it. An episode that was created for the sake of having another episode rather than the plot. Hence fitting the name filler.

What about filler scenes?

Well filler scenes are obvious in main storyline episodes - for example, the random plots of Team Rocket during gym battles that take away from the action. Other than that, it's a lot a harder to pinpoint what's filler.