Shogun star Anna Sawai explains how Lord Toranaga will react to Lady Mariko’s shocking fate in episode 9 of the acclaimed period drama.

Shogun star Anna Sawai explains how Lord Toranaga will react to Lady Mariko’s shocking episode 9 fate. Sent by Lord Toranaga on an important mission to Osaka, Mariko in episode 9 finally comes face-to-face with Ishido and Lady Ochiba, revealing her true role in Toranaga’s intricate plan. Things take a shocking twist, however, when Mariko is cornered along with Blackthorne, Yabushige and Toranaga’s wives, and seemingly chooses an honorable death by sacrificing herself to save the others.

Shogun episode 9’s ending cliffhanger left the door open a crack on Mariko surviving, but it seems that she finally got the death she was longing for, and in an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Mariko actor Sawai discussed how Toranaga will react when news reaches him of Mariko’s fate. Check out her remarks below:

I don’t know if he expects her to be living. Actually, I really don’t know. Maybe there’s a part of him that was like, “If all goes bad, she may die.” But, he’s seen everything, he’s gone through every scenario, and so I don’t think it would surprise him too much. I think that, yeah, he’ll continue his plan.

Did Toranaga Mean For Mariko To Die?

& Why That May Not Matter

Toranaga’s plan led to the sudden deaths of his son Nagakado and his most loyal general Hiromatsu. What isn’t clear is whether Toranaga intended for those deaths to happen. Nagakado’s death indeed seemed to have been purely accidental, while Hiromatsu’s seppuku sacrifice could have been something that was not intended, yet nonetheless served Toranaga’s purposes. In any case, Toranaga reacted to both deaths in an impassive fashion, continuing to press on with his plan in spite of whatever grief he may have experienced.

After Nagakado’s shocking episode 7 death, and Hiromatsu’s stunning act of seppuku in episode 8, it should perhaps come as no surprise that Mariko met her own fate in episode 9. As Sawai’s remarks indicate, it’s hard to say if Toranaga meant for Mariko to die, or if he was hoping she would somehow survive her showdown with Ishido and Ochiba.

Mariko may indeed not have wanted to walk away from Osaka alive, as she had repeatedly expressed the desire to join her long-dead family by meeting her own fate. It’s yet to be seen what Toranaga’s next move will be, but he is unlikely to show any outward grief over Mariko’s death, given how he took the deaths of Nagakado and Hiromatsu. It’s likely Toranaga already has his next move planned, and will plunge ahead into the Shogun endgame he’s long been steering toward.