Shōgun star Anna Sawai, who portrays Mariko in the miniseries, opens up about how the ending of episode 9 had one key difference from the book.

Shōgun star Ana Sawai, who plays Mariko in the miniseries, has opened up about one key difference between the book and the show surrounding the end of episode 9. The final moments of the penultimate episode show Mariko, John Blackthorne, Kashigi, and other characters stuck in a storage shed, with ninjas outside planting bombs. Mariko decides to sacrifice herself to save everyone else, standing in front of the door as the shed is blown apart.

Speaking with Decider, Sawai explained why Shōgun episode 9’s ending differed slightly from the books. In the books, Mariko refers to herself as a Toda, while in the show she uses her family name of Akechi. The actor explained how this change was an intentional reminder of who she is and what she was fighting for. Check out what Sawai had to say below:

If this is the way that it’s going to turn out, then she’s not going to be captured by the ninjas. There’s no way. Because that means that she’s not able to continue Toranaga’s plan. So if it means being bombed and passing and still being able to send that message, then she’s happy to do it.

She’s not a Toda. She is an Akechi and she is also avenging her family at the same time. It was very intentional and it felt very powerful and I hope that people remember her as an Akechi rather than a Toda.

How Shogun Episode 9’s Ending Change Reflected The Show’s Mariko

Throughout the miniseries, Mariko has struggled with her family heritage, asking her husband yearly to kill her as penance for her father’s betrayal – and to join the rest of her family in death. However, as the show progresses, she grows a more confident sense of self that, while not rejecting death outright, does reject it from her husband’s hand. This is shown earlier in the episode, when she nearly commits seppuku as a show of force against Ishido.

Mariko’s twist in Shōgun episode 9 underscores how her view of death has altered since the start of the series. Instead of dying without purpose by having someone like her husband kill her as atonement, she instead sacrifices herself to save others. This includes John, who she’d fallen in love with, making her death worthwhile in her mind because it would keep him alive. Her death from the explosion signals how much she’d changed, bringing her character full circle by the end of the episode.

In addition to building her character, Mariko’s sacrifice seals Ishido’s fate, as there are now plenty of witnesses to his treacherous attempt at keeping her from reporting back to Toranaga. If everyone else in the shed survives the blast, then it could signify the antagonist’s downfall through more political means rather than a massive battle. This makes her sacrifice all the more important, as it could result in all the captured Regents turning against their supposed leader. With only one episode left in Shōgun, the faithful translator’s sacrifice could be the final push needed to end the ongoing conflict.