Shogun Season 1 Ending Explained: What’s Next for Toranaga

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Shogun Season 1 Episode 10.

Shogun Episode 10 masterfully ended season 1 and wrapped up the stories of all the main characters while also raising the question of what comes next for Yoshii Toranaga after his victory against Ishido. The critically acclaimed FX series is based on James Clavell Shogun Novel, which itself was inspired by the true story of ​​Tokugawa Ieyasu. The main changes Japan went through at the end of the 16th century set the story for ShogunWhose season 1 finale confirmed Taranaga’s goal was to overthrow the regents and lead Japan into a new era.

Yabushige, who committed seppuku for helping Ishido kill Mariko, was the only one Shogun character to hear from Toranaga himself the full extent of his plan. While the battle between Toranaga’s forces and Ishido’s is not shown, Shoguns finale made it clear that Toranaga was going to win the war. John Blackthorne, whose story is based on William Addams, dreamed of returning home and growing old thinking from Mariko, but his ship was destroyed. therefore, Blackthorne could never return to England. ShogunThe bittersweet season 1 finale highlighted how complex of a character Yoshii Toranaga is and sets up season 2.

Does Lord Toranaga become Shogun?

Toranaga sought to become shogun the whole time

Lord Toranaga has been secretly seeking to become shogun the whole time, as revealed by his conversation with Yabushige at the end of episode 10. Toranaga envisioned a time of peace for Japan In which there will be no wars over control of the country, with him serving as the absolute military leader as the first true shogun in years. None of Toranaga’s closest allies were aware of the true extent of his plan, which included defeating Ishido before the war even began. Toranaga’s plan will succeed, and he will eventually become shogun according to the true story of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Lord Toranaga’s character is based on Tokugawa Ieyasu, who, after the battle of Sekigahara against Ishida Mitsunari, replaced the Council of Elders as the true ruler. from Japan. Ieyasu originally had the support of the heir to the Taikō and his mother, Yodo-no-kata, but their influence on his reign was minimal. However, a few years after establishing his power as shogun, Ieyasu made a move against the heir, Toyotomi Hideyori. The attack ended with the heir committing seppuku and his mother becoming a nun. Yodo-no-kata was the inspiration for Shoguns Ochiba-no-kata, whereas Ishido is based on Ishida Mitsunari.

Considering James Clavell’s Shogun Novel is based on the origins of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s shogunate, it can be assumed that Lord Toranaga’s story is similar to that of his real-life counterpart. With the support of Ochiba-no-kata, who represents the heir until he comes of age, it became easy for Toranaga to gather allies who had once supported Ishido. Without the heir under his banner, Ishido had no chance of winning the war. That’s why Shogun Did not show the battle of Sekigahara in full – Taranaga’s plan had already succeeded before he even met Ishido on the battlefield.

How Toranaga won the war against Ishido in Shogun’s Finale

Ochiba-no-kata’s support won Toranaga the war

Lady Mariko’s death in Shogun Episode 9 helped Lord Toranaga in many ways. First, it brought instability to Osaka Castle and disrupted Ishido’s power now that the daimyos realized he was keeping hostages. Without the support of some of the most powerful lords in the region, plus the internal conflict within the Council of Regents, Ishido became much weaker after Mariko’s sacrifice. moreover, The death of Lady Mariko took a toll on Ochiba-no-kata. Mariko and Ochiba grew up as sisters, and the former’s death led the latter to rethink her stance on the war.

The scene in which Ochiba-no-kata reads Mariko’s poetry to her son demonstrates how much of an impact Mariko’s death had on the heir’s mother. Ochiba probably realized that it wasn’t worth risking her son’s life in a war against Toranaga, especially since the odds of Ishido winning were now much lower. Before she died, Mariko tried to convince Ochiba to support ToranagaWhat finally happened. With the heir on his side, it became easy for Toranaga to consolidate his power. Ishido arrived at the Battle of Sekigahara after losing the war.

Who burned John Blackthorne’s ship in Shogun’s finale

Blackthorn survived but did not return home

Lord Toranaga burned John Blackthorne’s ship at the end of Shogun Season 1. While Toranaga made it seem like a traitor in Ajiro was responsible for it, the Lord of Kanto secretly acted so that Blackthorne would never leave Japan. The destruction of Blackthorne’s ship is also part of a deal Mariko worked out with the Portuguese in exchange for Anjin’s life. Blackthorne’s life would be spared, but he would never leave Japan. The Portuguese made sure that the English Protestant would never bring his allies to Japan, although Toranaga had to keep his unusual ally close.

According to Toranaga, he liked Blackthorne around because the engine made him laugh. Additionally, Blackthorne helped create distractions. The Anjin created a lot of trouble as soon as he arrived in Japan, giving Yoshi more freedom to play while his enemies were focused on the Barbarian and his ship. Both the Board of Regents and the Portuguese merchants were too busy worrying about Blackthorne. To realize the Lord of Kanto was about to take over the country. Blackthorne believed he was using Toranaga, but it was actually the opposite that was happening.

Why Toranaga smiles during Yabushige’s seppuku

Yabushige found out about Toranaga’s true plan before he died

Ibushige was one of the most interesting characters in Shogun. Loyal to no one but himself and obsessed with death, Ibushi was Shoguns wild card and met his end in episode 10. After being exposed for conspiring with Ishido to orchestrate the attack on Osaka Castle, Yabushige was sentenced to commit seppuku. Toranaga served as his second, which was arguably the most important scene in season 1. Ibushige wanted to know the truth about Taranaga’s planAnd since he was about to die, he heard everything from Taranago himself.

Lord Toranaga explained his plan and vision for the future of Japan down to the minimum details for Yabushige. This is when Shoguns finale included a montage sequence depicting Toranaga’s victory against Ishido. however, Once Yabushige asked Toranaga if his plan was always to become shogun, the Lord of Kanto did not give a direct answer. After the seppuku ritual was completed, a subtle smile could be seen on Lord Toranaga’s face. This implied that Yabushige was right – Toranaga had planned to become shogun all along. With Yabushige dead, no one can ever know the truth.

John Blackthorne’s visions of the future explained

Blackthorne’s “dream of a dream” will not come true

Shogun Episode 10 opened with an elderly John Blackthorne lying on his bed as his grandchildren talked about the sword he had on his wall. The children talked about their grandfather against each other “Wild” In a major battle in which there was a flash-forward set decades after the events of Shogun. Blackthorne has Lady Mariko’s cross on his hands, and the scene initially suggests that he eventually returned to England. however, Given that Blackthorne let go of the cross into the sea, it’s safe to say the opening sequence of the episode was a dream.

What happens to John Blackthorne after Shogun

The fate of the Anjin is to remain in Japan forever

According to Lord Toranaga, it is the fate of the Anjin to stay in Japan. Toranaga will only tell the truth about what happened to Blackthorne’s ship once the engine has built a new one. Even then, Toranaga will “Probably burn it too.” It is implied in James Clavell’s Asian Legend that John Blackthorne never returned to England And he lived in Japan for the rest of his life. The fate of the Anjin was in Toranaga’s hands from the beginning, but Blackthorne failed to realize it. The dream sequence from the beginning of the Shogun Season 1 finale will never come true because Blackthorne will never leave Japan.

What the end of Shogun really means

Shogun told the story of ​​how the rule of Toranaga came to be

Shogun Episode 10 may not have been the action-packed finale some expected, but it’s still a great conclusion to Season 1. The episode honored the source material and followed up on the end of Episode 10. Shogun Novel quite close. Shogun Season 1 was about the intertwined stories of Lord Toranaga, John Blackthorne, and Lady Mariko, who all played a role in shaping the next two centuries of Japan’s history according to their real-life counterparts. Both Blackthorne and Mariko became pawns in the long game played by Toranaga, whose reign as Shogun would begin in Edo.

As the end of Shōgun sets up Season 2

The story of Lord Toranaga is not over yet

While ShogunWith seasons 3 and 3 officially underway, the show was originally conceived as a limited series that would cover Clavell’s Shogun Novel in its entirety. Despite a few changes and some omissions, Shogun Season 1’s ending matched that of the book. Blackthorne’s fate as someone who would never return home was all but confirmed, and Toranaga was revealed to be the true mastermind behind it all. That said, Toranaga’s efforts to become shogun and establish his rule had just begun. That’s why Shogun Can work despite no longer having the novel to adapt.

Even though Shogun Being a fictional story, this book is obviously inspired by a lot of real-life figures and events. therefore, Shogun Technically has a lot of material to cover in future seasons Given that Tokugawa remained an important figure for years after consolidating his power. Shogun Season 2 can follow Toranaga in the early years of his shogunate or even jump far ahead and show how different the country has been since he became the de facto ruler of Japan. The fate of Taiko’s heir and what it means to Toranaga’s ambitions can also be explored in season 2.

Shogun Star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada has since confirmed that Shoguns seasons 2 and 3 will “Basically following the real story,” indicating that the show’s characters will continue to be based on their real-life counterparts. Sanada noted that Toranaga is a chess player, meaning that he is constantly making moves and planning ahead of everyone. Defeating the Council of Regents was only part of a much larger plan to ensure that his vision for Japan would be fulfilled, which can be explored in season 2.

What the cast and creators of Shōgun said about the season 1 ending

The fates of Toranaga, Blackthorne and Mariko are intertwined

Before Shogun Seasons 2 and 3 were officially confirmed, it seemed like there would be no sequel to the series due to the self-contained nature of the season 1 finale. Talk to Screen RantSanada pointed out that while we don’t have other James Clavell books covering these specific characters in this time frame, The Japanese know what happened after that. This indicated that while Shogun Would have worked just as well as a limited series, yet other chapters of Japan’s real history in future seasons is always a viable option.

[Toranaga] Needed Anjin and just wanted to test him, so, “Enough, okay, you got it. You passed.” He never wasted a life. Nagakado, Hiromatsu, Mariko, as Toranaga said at the end of eight, “I will never forget your death. I will never. Thank you for your loyalty and sacrifice.” This was to Mariko and everyone else who died on his team.

Shogun Co-creator Justin Marks discussed Blackthorne’s fate on the show’s official podcast, noting that The engine has always been a “Prisoner of his own ambition.” Marks discusses the meaning of Blackthorn’s dream at the end of the episode, referring to it as a “Dream of a young man looking forward to one possible version of his life.” When discussing episode 9 with Screen RantLady Mariko actor Anna Savai said that filming her death was “Very bittersweet.” to THRSanada explains that Shogun Season 1’s finale was very careful not to make it clear whether Toranaga wanted to become shogun.

Sources: THR