Shogun’s finale confirms that while Lord Yabushige was an insidious backstabber, the FX series’ true Littlefinger was someone much closer to his camp.

FX’s Shogun ends on both a controversial and thought-provoking note. It proves how politics defined the past, or in this case, feudal-era Japan. Furthermore, it is a cautionary tale that kingdoms and empires will always be built on the backs of the innocent, with the overlords not caring about the blood, sweat and tears poured in by the masses.

One of the characters many fans were fascinated with was Lord Yabushige of Izu. He came off as Shogun’s Littlefinger, playing both sides of the civil war the way Petyr Baelish would in George R.R. Martin’s medieval fantasy world. However, by the time the final stroke drops for Yabushige, he isn’t the Littlefinger of the story — it’s actually his nephew, Omi.

Shogun’s Omi Stabs His Uncle In the Back

When Shogun killed off Mariko, it became clear Yabushige had guilt inside. He helped Lord Ishido’s assassins infiltrate the residence in Osaka, thinking he was currying favor with Ishido, and to his defense, he was. Ishido was glad to make Yabushige a member of his council for his treachery. All that was needed now was for Yabushige to go back to the fishing village of Ajiro and ensure Toranaga came to Osaka to surrender.

When Yabushige arrives in the Shogun finale, he is greeted in his own region by hostility. His swords are taken, his fleet confiscated and his power gone. His nephew, Omi, arrives and lets him know that Toranaga wants a meeting. At this point, it’s clear Omi has defected and done what Yabushige would do: hedge bets on the man with more power. Toranaga admits he knows how Yabushige backstabbed Mariko. The kicker is, the letter that came via bird with witness testimony was found by none other than Omi himself.

Omi ended up receiving the scroll, but rather than hide it and let Yabushige’s secret die, he sold his uncle out. It doesn’t anger Yabushige, however. He feels a sense of relief, knowing this would catch up to him. He was already delirious and superstitious with Ishido, pointing to bad omens and maybe, karma befalling them. It explains why he was urging John Blackthorne to get a boat for them, so they could flee. His apprentice has decided his fate for him: Toranaga asking Yabushige to commit seppuku and honor the samurai code for those who have disgraced the movement.

Why Shogun’s Omi Betrays Yabushige

Omi might not have had many scenes or brokered many deals, but he is an enticing character when it comes to allegiances. Initially, he backed Yabushige and Ishido, but bit by bit, he started to see Toranaga’s influence as a scary thing. Notably, Omi manipulated Nagakado (Toranaga’s son) once Saeki betrayed Toranaga. Nagakado died attacking his uncle, and Toranaga knew Omi had a hand in making his son more impetuous. However, he never confronted Omi.

Toranaga respected Omi’s strategy and knew he would become a pawn like Yabushige at some point. When Omi found the scroll, the young man sensed that anyone affiliated with Ishido would be killed. He was already in the belly of the beast and had to save his skin by turning against his uncle. He was already witnessing Toranaga killing men he thought were Ishido loyalists. That fear would have him thinking twice about being a traitor.

In the end, Toranaga cedes Yabushige’s fief to Omi as payment — something Yabushige doesn’t mind at all. Had Toranaga not been around or had Ishido’s men been protecting Ajiro, Omi might have chosen differently. In this case, proximity matters. With spies still in Osaka, Omi wouldn’t be able to predict Ishido being victorious and maintaining a hold on the throne. He therefore had to bet on Toranaga and the new Crimson Sky. Toranaga’s inside support is just too intimidating an asset in Osaka.

Granted, Omi wouldn’t have known that Ochiba and the other Regents would flip to Toranaga’s side in the war later on, so it was a good choice. It may have been due to luck, but Omi learned from his uncle that luck is a big part of surviving these dangerous times. His uncle praises Omi before he dies, letting him know he does consider him a son. Omi still hurts, however, because the perilous politics aside, Yabushige always looked out for him. In this case, Omi had to evolve and be his own man for the landscape to come.

Why Shogun’s Omi Is a Better Littlefinger

What made Littlefinger shine in Game of Thrones was his unpredictability at times. Things like him marrying off Sansa Stark to Ramsay Bolton, then trying to marry her himself, and even killing Lysa Tully caught fans off-guard. He was seen by many as the man who started the entire war for the throne, using the Lannisters, Baratheons and Starks as his cogs. Yabushige has this energy, but he became a bit more predictable in his final days. Fans knew he would back Toranaga when in Izu, and Ishido when in Osaka. But Omi wasn’t so straight-forward. He was always stressed and calculating.

Part of this might be due to Omi having a concubine in the Willow World he wanted to start a family with. This was Kiku, who may well have whispered in his ear. Her tribe got land from Toranaga to build a community of brothels and tea houses, so they could make money and continue expressing themselves in the art of sensuality. It might be she was used by Toranaga to keep Omi close, making her a spy. Toranaga is a man of foresight and secrets, who knows everything in all the nooks and crannies of Izu.

With this aspect of Ajiro hidden, Omi is more intriguing. His betrayal is definitely unexpected, making him a more multi-faceted, nuanced character than many assumed. No one would ever have anticipated him taking the scroll to Toranaga. If anything, viewers would have bet on him destroying it or trying to transplant evidence to someone else to absolve him of blame. But Omi shocks the entire fanbase in a way Littlefinger did: by proving to be cunning against people one would think he would be happily aligned with. Yabushige wouldn’t have done this to him.

Omi knows he has many years ahead and successes to mine if he plays his cards right. That is what Littlefinger would do. Kill loved ones, friends or family, to ascend Toranaga’s ladder. This is coincidentally the cutthroat behavior that appalled John Blackthorne. By the end, he learns there is no unity or sense of blood and kin in the Shogun finale. But as Omi shows, once he can profit off it, then it is worth the journey. Ultimately, this leaves Yabushige content, as he knows whatever happens, Omi’s Littlefinger mentality will keep him safe and alive as a new era rises.