Shogun Season 2 Chances Addressed By Toranaga Actor: “The Japanese Know What Happened After”

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Shōgun Episode 10

The chances of Shōgun season 2 garner an uncertain answer from Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays Lord Yoshii Toranaga. The final installment of FX’s historical drama offered a sense of closure for Toranaga and John Blackthrone (Cosmo Jarvis), while confirming the fate of Toda Mariko and offering resolution for several supporting characters. But even as it pointed toward an end, with Lady Ochiba (Fumi Nikaido) offering Toranaga a lifeline, there are paths for the critically acclaimed series to explore in a potential second installment.

In an interview with Screen Rant‘s Grant Hermanns, Sanada addressed the possibility of Shōgun season 2, giving a mixed response. Sanada acknowledged that, unlike season 1, there would be no James Clavell novel to go off. But he also pointed out that the fictional characters in the show are based on historical figures, leaving the possibility for a continuation open. Read Sanada’s comments below:

We’ve finished the novel, so we don’t have any more James Clavell novels, but we have real history. The Japanese know what happened after that, so yeah, who knows? Yeah, well, it depends on the idea, I think. I have no idea. We have a model, so I know everything he’s done until he dies. [Chuckles] But it’s an original, fictional entertainment, right? Like season 1, we follow the novel, we don’t follow historical books only. So, it’s a fiction.

There Is A Path For Shōgun Season 2 (But Should The Series Take It?)

Even Toranaga Predicts The Outcome Of The Ensuing War In The Shōgun Series Finale.

Earlier in Shōgun‘s run, there were reports that FX was considering whether to submit the historical epic as an ongoing drama or a limited series. It was also mentioned that the producers were considering whether to bring back the show for a second installment. That push-and-pull could perhaps be seen throughout the ending of Shōgun episode 10. The finale, written by Maegan Houang and Emily Yoshida and directed by Frederick E.O. Toye, offers closure, but it also raises questions about a possible season 2.

The biggest thread is arguably related to Blackthrone himself. In a flash-forward that starts the episode and repeats occasionally after, a much older and delirious Shōgun character still holds on to the memory of Mariko. It’s suggested that he remains in Japan and the episode shifts its focus to the complex relationship between Toranaga and Blackthrone, which could prove to be a fruitful focus for season 2.

It’s a different question whether Shōgun should return. One of the show’s strengths is that it’s an adaptation of a single book, telling a gripping and wonderfully acted story throughout ten episodes. Series creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, along with the writing team, the direction, cast, and crew, have delivered what may well be the best show of the year. Perhaps there’s something to be said about leaving its legacy at that.