When Shōgun begins, Lord Yoshii Toranaga’s (Hiroyuki Sanada) goal is to put his family in power for generations to come. The hit FX samurai story is billed as a limited series, but a plot that involves generations must signal that Shōgun will earn a second season, right? Surprisingly, that reality is more possible than we previously thought.
As many history buffs already know, the character of Toranaga is based on Tokugawa Ieyasu, who ruled Japan in the seventeenth century. His rise to the shogunate kick-started a generational reign of more than 250 years, but it took one of the nation’s bloodiest battles, at Sekigahara, to place him on top. Tokugawa’s cunning politics are mostly depicted in Shōgun exactly as they occurred in Japanese history. But when the series wrapped in the finale, his dream is still forthcoming. Now, that dream might become realized on screen for a second season.
Will Shōgun Return for Season 2?
According to Variety, lead actor Hiroyuki Sanada signed a deal with FX to return as Lord Yoshii Toranaga. There is no official renewal for Shōgun just yet, and FX did not comment on Sanada’s willingness to continue. Even so, it’s incredibly exciting news!
Shōgun is based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the same name, which has a definitive ending that the FX series adapted in part. The author wrote many more novels after Shōgun as part of his “Asian Saga,” but none of the stories return to the same characters from Shōgun. Until today, we didn’t expect to see any more episodes after the finale.
Toranaga returns?!
“It’s hard, but I will say that if there were any stories of any kind to be told, they would have to be just as good as the book, and I don’t know if those stories exist,” showrunner Justin Marks told Esquire last month.
Should the Shōgun team abandon the novels and continue to explore the Tokugawa shogunate, there’s plenty of Japanese history after 1600 to adapt. After gaining the title of shōgun, Tokugawa consolidates power for the next fifteen years. At sixty-five years old, he has a new task: to successfully turn the shogunate over to his son, Hidetada. He also maintains a friendship with John Blackthorne’s counterpart, William Adams. Eventually, he’s even forced to siege Osaka Castle when the Taikō’s heir finally comes of age and leads a rebellion. If the team decides to keep going, Shōgun has more story to tell.
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