Shōgun episode 10 changed the entire show in hindsight by revealing Lord Toranaga was planning to become shōgun after all. Despite having said several times that he did not want to become shōgun, Lord Toranaga secretly knew that this was the only for him to lead the country into the future he believed to be the right one. Rewatching Shōgun after the finale will make for an incredible experience now that viewers can pick up all the clues they might have missed the first time.

Those familiar with the previous Shōgun miniseries, the original novel by James Clavell, or the true story of Tokugawa Ieyasu might not have been too surprised to learn that Toranaga’s ultimate goal was to replace the Regents as the country’s true leader. However, even without considering the source, plenty of clues indicated that Toranaga was lying to everyone – including the audience. From the circumstances of Kuroda’s death to Lady Mariko’s Crimson Sky mission, Toranaga’s actions make much more sense after Shōgun episode 10.

Toranaga Saw John Blackthorne’s Arrival As An Opportunity

Blackthorne was an important asset, but for what goal?

Shōgun episode 1 ends with Toranaga describing the arrival of John Blackthorne in Japan as an opportunity, something that fate had brought to his shore. The Anjin’s quest against the Portuguese was bound to create a lot of trouble not only with the foreign Christians but also with the Council of Regents, which included four Catholic lords. Additionally, Blackthorne’s ship and weapons were going to become an important asset at the hands of whoever controlled the barbarian. The fact that Toranaga had plans for Blackthorne from the start indicated he was already fighting a war before the show even began.

The Anjin’s arrival in Japan brought instability to the Council of Regents, which directly helped Toranaga.

Shōgun episode 10 made it clear why Toranaga kept Blackthorne by his side and never let the Anjin go. Firstly, Blackthorne made Toranaga laugh, which the latter admitted when revealing his plan to Yabushige. Additionally, Blackthorne made for the perfect distraction to be used against Lord Toranaga’s enemies. The Anjin’s arrival in Japan brought instability to the Council of Regents, which directly helped Toranaga. Ishido wanted the Anjin’s weapons and knowledge, whereas the Christian lords wanted the Englishman killed as quickly as possible. Blackthorne made a lot of noise, allowing Toranaga to plot from the shadows.

Toranaga Was Plotting Against The Council Of Regents From The Start

Keeping Ochiba-no-kata in Edo caught the Council’s attention

At the beginning of Shōgun episode 1, Ishido welcomes Lord Toranaga in Osaka for a meeting between the Regents. This is when Ishido announces that Toranaga will be impeached soon for trying to kidnap the Heir’s mother in other to take over. While Ishido was trying to use Ochiba-no-kata’s situation in Edo as leverage against Toranaga, he was not necessarily wrong about the Lord of Kanto’s intentions. Keeping Ochiba-no-kata as somewhat of a hostage in Edo was a political play by Toranaga, who made himself a target when it was time to make a move against Ishido and the Regents.

The Council needed all five members to make any decisions, meaning that sidelining Toranaga would bring a lot of instability. To impeach Toranaga, the Regents would have to find another lord who was willing to cooperate with them against the Lord of Kanto. To do so, Ishido and Ochiba-no-kata eventually had to create a hostage crisis in Osaka, forcing those who were still loyal to Toranaga to sideline with them. In other words, going against the Regents at the beginning of the story was a calculated move by Toranaga and one of the most important parts of his plan.

Toranaga Refused The Taikō’s Offer To Rule As Sole Regent

It was too soon for Toranaga to take over

One of the biggest hints that Toranaga was planning to become shōgun is that he refused to become sole regent when offered this position by the Taikō, who by then was on his deathbed. While it may seem paradoxical that refusing to become shōgun was part of Toranaga’s plan to become shōgun, it makes sense within the context of the story. Had Toranaga agreed to rule on behalf of the Taikō’s son as the only regent, he would have become an easy target for the other Regents to go after.

Toranaga did not refuse the Taikō’s offer because he did not want to become shōgun – it was just not the right time.

The other lords were not gonna let Toranaga become shōgun and were going to wage war against him and the Heir. This war would have divided the country, and it would most likely have ended with the deaths of both Toranaga and the Heir. The reason why Toranaga sought to become shōgun was to lead the country into a period of peace, which is why he waited so long to make any significant moves. Toranaga did not have enough power and political capital to sustain his rule back then and had to wait a few more years.

The other lords were not gonna let Toranaga become shōgun and were going to wage war against him and the Heir. This war would have divided the country, and it would most likely have ended with the deaths of both Toranaga and the Heir. The reason why Toranaga sought to become shōgun was to lead the country into a period of peace, which is why he waited so long to make any significant moves. Toranaga did not have enough power and political capital to sustain his rule back then and had to wait a few more years.

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

Ochiba-no-kata
Fumi Nikaido
Yodo-dono

It is interesting to imagine how Lord Toranaga’s plan would have played out had John Blackthorne never arrived in Japan. While Toranaga stated that the Anjin was not essential to his plans, much of what happened in Shōgun originated from Blackthorne’s reckless action. Either way, refusing to accept the Taikō’s offer was the right decision by Toranaga. He grew stronger with every year, crafting more power and expanding his reach beyond Edo through marriage. Toranaga did not refuse the Taikō’s offer because he did not want to become shōgun – it was just not the right time.

Toranaga Carefully Chosen When To Let Blackthorne Reunite With His Crew

The Anjin’s ship had a role to play in Toranaga’s plan

Toranaga kept John Blackthorne on a short leash during the events of Shōgun. Everything the Anjin would bring up his ship and crew, Toranaga swiftly ended the conversation. While it made sense for Toranaga not to let Blackthorne go away considering everything that had happened, the Lord of Kanto never even considered letting the Englishman reunite with his crew until the time was right. Toranaga carefully chose when to let Blackthorne see his men again, and it was all part of a larger plan to convince the Anjin to offer his services to Yabushige.

By keeping Blackthorne away from his men long enough, Toranaga made sure the Anjin would not have a crew by the time he was allowed to leave Japan. Toranaga never intended for the Anjin to leave, yet he wanted him to offer Yabushige an alliance. Yabushige and Blackthorne were going to be responsible for moving the ship without Toranaga’s involvement, adding to the perception that the Lord of Kanto had given up. Blackthorne believed he was feeding Toranaga “sh*t,” yet it was Toranaga who had been manipulating him the whole time.

In hindsight, Yabushige was one of Toranaga’s most important pawns.

Toranaga Kept Yabushige Close (Despite Knowing He Wasn’t Trustworthy)

Yabushige was never a threat because Toranaga was counting on his betrayal

Toranaga was more than smart enough to know that Yabushige was working with Ishido, or at least that the Lord of Izo would have no problem betraying his lord if meant saving his own life. Even still, Toranaga kept Yabushige close to him every step of the way and even had him as part of his war council when Crimson Sky was about to be announced. For someone so intelligent and careful, it seemed odd that Toranaga would let Yabushige know so much about his plans. In hindsight, Yabushige was one of Toranaga’s most important pawns.

Toranaga was counting on everything Yabushige did during the show, including saving the Anjin from execution on orders of Ishido. Shōgun also heavingly implied that Omi, Yabushige’s nephew, was working for Toranaga the whole time. In Shōgun episode 1, Toranaga tells Omi “Why tell a dead man the future,” a quote that Toranaga used in episode 10 during Yabushige’s seppuku. Assuming Omi was indeed working for Toranaga, even the death of Nebara Jozen might have been part of his plan to cause tension between Ishido and Yabushige.

Ochiba-no-kata Suspected Toranaga Was To Blame For Her Father’s Death

Akechi Jinsai’s betrayal didn’t come from nothing

Lady Mariko’s family backstory was one of the most important storylines in Shōgun, and it highlights how complex Toranaga’s plan was. However, most of which revealed through flashbacks or just subtly hinted at during the show. While Shōgun does not directly state that Toranaga was responsible for Akechi Jinsai’s betrayal, James Clavell’s novel all but confirms that he was the one who plotted the assassination of Kuroda. Akechi Jinsai was deemed a traitor and was killed alongside his family. Mariko was the only survivor, her death being denied once Buntaro took her as wife.

Mariko grew up without properly understanding why her father did what he did. Still, she remained loyal to Toranaga and even liked to hear from him that her father would have liked her to continue his fight. However, according to the book, Ochiba-no-kata was right. Toranaga was directly involved in Kuroda’s death and conspired with Akechi Jinkai to make it happen. Kuroda was becoming too powerful and could have essentially made himself into Shōgun, which would have put an end to Toranaga’s ambitions. Therefore, Toranaga’s journey into becoming Shōgun began way before the events of the show.

Toranaga Had No Problem Using His Allies As Pawns

Hiromatsu and Mariko had to die for Toranaga to win

Toda Hiromatsu’s seppuku and Lady Mariko’s sacrifice were two major examples of how Toranaga had no problem using his allies as pawns. That is not to say Toranaga did not care about their lives or was not sad about their deaths, only that he was willing to make those sacrifices to achieve his goals. Hiromatsu knew Toranaga long enough to know what he had to do for his lord to succeed, something that Toranaga himself acknowledged. By committing seppuku for disagreeing with his lord’s surrender, Hiromatsu helped Toranaga pretend he had been defeated for good.

Mariko’s death in Shōgun episode 9 brought instability into Osaka, causing the Regents to turn against Ishido.

Mariko was also ready to die to complete the mission Toranaga gave her, although it is unclear whether she knew what his end goal was. As revealed by Toranaga in Shōgun episode 10, Lady Mariko’s mission in Osaka was the real Crimson Sky. She was sent there to do something no army could – defeat Ishido from within. Mariko’s death in Shōgun episode 9 brought instability into Osaka, causing the Regents to turn against Ishido. Her sacrifice also led Ochiba-no-kata to change sides and remove the Heir’s army from the war, allowing Toranaga to win the Battle of Sekigahara.