Shōgun episode 10 masterfully concluded season 1 and wrapped up the stories of all main characters while also raising the question of what comes next for Yoshii Toranaga following his victory against Ishido. The critically acclaimed FX series was based on James Clavell’s Shōgun novel, which itself was inspired by the true story of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The major changes Japan went through at the end of the 16th century set the narrative for Shōgun, whose season 1 finale confirmed Toranaga’s goal was indeed to overthrow the Regents and lead Japan into a new era.

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

Does Lord Toranaga Become Shōgun?

Toranaga sought to become shōgun the whole time

Lord Toranaga secretly sought to become shōgun the whole time, as revealed by his conversation with Yabushige toward the end of episode 10. Toranaga envisioned a period of peace for Japan in which there would be no wars over the control of the country, with him serving as the absolute military leader as the first true shōgun 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 started. Toranaga’s plan will succeed, and he will eventually become shōgun according to the true story of the Tokugawa shōgunate.

Considering James Clavell’s Shōgun novel is based on the origins of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s shōgunate, it can be assumed that Lord Toranaga’s story plays out similarly to that of his real-life counterpart.

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 of Japan. Ieyasu originally had the support of the Taikō’s heir and his mother, Yodo-no-kata, but their influence on his rule was minimal. However, a few years after establishing his power as shōgun, Ieyasu made a move against the heir, Toyotomi Hideyori. This attack ended with the heir committing seppuku and his mother becoming a nun. Yodo-no-kata was the inspiration for Shōgun’s Ochiba-no-kata, whereas Ishido was based on Ishida Mitsunari.

Character
Actor
Real-Life Inspiration

Yoshii Toranaga
Hiroyuki Sanada
Tokugawa Ieyasu

John Blackthorne
Cosmo Jarvis
William Adams

Toda Mariko
Anna Sawai
Hosokawa Gracia

Kashigi Yabushige
Tadanobu Asano
Honda Masanobu

Kashigi Omi
Hiroto Kanai
Honda Masazumi

Ishido Kazunari
Takehiro Hira
Ishida Mitsunari

Ochiba-no-kata
Fumi Nikaido
Yodo-dono

Considering James Clavell’s Shōgun novel is based on the origins of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s shōgunate, it can be assumed that Lord Toranaga’s story plays out similarly 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 that were once supporting Ishido. Without the heir under his banner, Ishido had no chance of winning the war. This is why Shōgun did not show the Battle of Sekigahara in full – Toranaga’s plan had already succeeded before he even met Ishido on the battlefield.

How Toranaga Won The War Against Ishido In Shōgun’s Finale

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

Custom Image by Debanjana Chowdhury

Lady Mariko’s death in Shōgun episode 9 helped Lord Toranaga in many ways. Firstly, it brought instability into the 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 inner conflicts within the Council of Regents, Ishido became much weaker after Mariko’s sacrifice. Additionally, the death of Lady Mariko took a toll on Ochiba-no-kata. Mariko and Ochiba grew up as sisters, and the former’s demise led the latter to rethink her stance on the war.

The scene in which Ochiba-no-kata read Mariko’s poetry to her son demonstrated how much of an impact Mariko’s death had on the heir’s mother. Ochiba likely realized that it was not worth it to risk her son’s life in a war against Toranaga, especially because the chances of Ishido winning were now much lower. Before she died, Mariko tried to convince Ochiba to support Toranaga, which ended up happening after all. With the heir on his side, it became easy for Toranaga to consolidate his power. Ishido arrived at the Battle of Sekigahara having already lost the war.

Who Burned John Blackthorne’s Ship In Shōgun’s Finale

Blackthorne survived but did not return home

Lord Toranaga had John Blackthorne’s ship burned at the end of Shōgun 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 Blacthorne’s ship was also part of a deal Mariko worked with the Portuguese in exchange for the Anjin’s life. Blackthorne’s life would be spared, but he would never leave Japan. The Portuguese made sure the English Protestant would never bring his allies to Japan, whereas Toranaga got to keep his unusual ally close.

According to Toranaga, he liked having Blackthorne around because the Anjin made him laugh. Additionally, Blackthorne helped create distractions. The Anjin created a lot of trouble as soon as he arrived in Japan, giving Yoshii more freedom to act while his enemies were focused on the barbarian and his ship. Both the Council 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, yet it was actually the opposite that was happening.

Why Toranaga Smiles During Yabushige’s Seppuku

Yabushige learned about Toranaga’s true plan before dying

Yabushige was one of the most interesting characters in Shōgun. Loyal to no one but himself and fascinated with death, Yabushi was Shōgun’s wild card and met his end in episode 10. After being exposed for conspiring with Ishido to orchestrate the attack on the Osaka Castle, Yabushige was sentenced to commit seppuku. Toranaga served as his second, leading to arguably the most important scene in season 1. Yabushige wanted to know the truth about Toranaga’s plan, and since he was about to die, he got to hear everything from Toranaga himself.

After the seppuku ritual was concluded, a subtle smile could be seen on Lord Toranaga’s face.

Lord Toranaga explained his plan and vision for the future of Japan down to the minimum details for Yabushige. This is when Shōgun’s finale included a montage sequence depicting Toranaga’s victory against Ishido. However, once Yabushige asked Toranaga if his plan was always to become shōgun, the Lord of Kanto did not give a direct answer. After the seppuku ritual was concluded, a subtle smile could be seen on Lord Toranaga’s face. This implied that Yabushige was right – Toranaga did plan to become shōgun the whole time. With Yabushige dead, no one might ever know the truth.

John Blackthorne’s Visions Of The Future Explained

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

Shōgun episode 10 opened with an elder John Blackthorne lying down on his bed as his grandchildren talked about the sword he has up on his wall. The children talked about their grandfather’s feat against “savages” in a major battle in what appeared to be a flashforward set decades after the events of Shōgun. Blackthorne had Lady Mariko’s cross on his hands, and the scene initially suggested that he eventually returned to England. However, given that Blackthorne let go of the cross in the sea, it is safe to say the episode’s opening sequence was a dream.

What Happens To John Blackthorne After Shōgun

The Anjin’s fate is to remain in Japan forever

According to Lord Toranaga, it is the Anjin’s fate to remain in Japan. Toranaga will only tell the truth about what happened to Blackthorne’s ship once the Anjin has built a new one. Even then, Toranaga will “probably burn it too.”It is implied in James Clavell’s Asian saga that John Blackthorne never returned to England and lived the rest of his life in Japan. The Anjin’s fate has been in Toranaga’s hands since the beginning, but Blackthorne has failed to realize it. The dream sequence from the start of the Shōgun season 1 finale will never come true because Blackthorne will never leave Japan.

What The Ending Of Shōgun Really Means

Shōgun told the story of how Toranaga’s rule came to be

Shōgun episode 10 may not have been the action-packed finale some were expecting, but it was still a great conclusion to season 1. The episode honored the source material and followed the end of the Shōgun novel quite closely. Shōgun season 1 was about the intertwined stories of Lord Toranaga, John Blackthorne, and Lady Mariko, all of whom 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 rule as shōgun will begin in Edo.

How Shōgun’s Ending Sets Up Season 2

Lord Toranaga’s story isn’t over yet

While Shōgun‘s seasons and 3 are officially happening, the show was originally conceived as a limited series that would cover Clavell’s Shōgun novel in its entirety. Despite a few changes and some omissions, Shōgun 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 are just getting started. This is why Shōgun can work despite no longer having the novel to adapt.

Shōgun season 1 received 25 Emmy nominations.

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

Shōgun star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada has since confirmed that Shōgun’s seasons 2 and 3 will “basically follow the real history,” 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 while also 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 Shōgun’s Cast & Creators Have Said About The Season 1 Ending

The fates of Toranaga, Blackthorne, and Mariko were intertwined

Before Shōgun seasons 2 and 3 were officially confirmed, it seemed like there would be no sequel to the series given the self-contained nature of the season 1 finale. Speaking with Screen Rant, Sanada pointed out that, while we don’t have other James Clavell books covering those specific characters in that time frame, the Japanese know what happened after that. This indicated that, while Shōgun would’ve worked just fine as a limited series, following other chapters of Japan’s real history in future seasons was always a viable option.

[Toranaga] needed Anjin and just wanted to test him, so, “Enough, okay, you got it. You passed.” He never wastes a life. Nagakado, Hiromatsu, Mariko, like Toranaga said at the end of eight, “I’ll never waste your death. I will never. Thank you for your loyalty and sacrifice.” That went to Mariko and all others who died on his team.

Shōgun co-creator Justin Marks discussed Blackthorne’s fate on the show’s official podcast, noting that the Anjin had always been a “prisoner of his own ambition.” Marks discussed 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 Rant, Lady Mariko actor Anna Sawai said that filming her death was “very bittersweet.” To THR, Sanada explained that Shōgun season 1’s finale was very careful not to say clearly whether Toranaga wanted to become shōgun.