Major Shogun Season 2 Character Death & Historical Accuracy Ominously Teased By Returning Star: “My [Days] Are Numbered”

While the next set of episodes may be moving beyond the source material, one returning Shogunseason 2 star believes their historical counterpart means they’re not long for the world of the show. Originally based on James Clavell’s historical novel of the same name, the FX series takes a slightly fictionalized look at the end of Japan’s Sengoku Period in the late 1500s, when the death of the Taikō led to a brewing war between two of the country’s Regents for power.

Despite initial plans to be a miniseries, Shogun‘s record-breaking run on FX and FX on Hulu, including becoming the first Japanese-language series to win the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, it was later announced that the show had been renewed for two further seasons. The former, which is set to begin filming in January in Vancouver, will again be led by Hiroyuki Sanada, who also produces the series, and Cosmo Jarvis, while also bringing back most of the season 1 writing staff.

One face set to return in Shogun season 2 is that of Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari, the Regent who primarily challenges Sanada’s Lord Yoshii Toranaga, and aims to have him killed. However, during a recent interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan for his new film Rental Family, the Emmy winner ominously teased his role may not be nearly as big as that of season 1.

Revealing that he, at the time of the interview, had “only read episode 1 of season 2“, to which he couldn’t share too many details, Hira did indicate his “days are numbered” in the series, thanks to the real-world history of the show. Though denoting that the show as a whole “loosely follows the actual history” of the country, he did state the fate of the real-world version of Ishido as making it likely he won’t survive long.

To Hira’s point, the real-world inspiration for Shogun‘s Ishido Kazunari, Ishida Mistunari, was only alive from 1559 to 1600, having died shortly after the Battle of Sekigahara, where his troops were defeated. The violent event in Japanese history was alluded to in the show’s season 1 finale, as Toranaga, who is based on Tokugawa Ieyasu, prophesied his victory to Tadanobu Asano’s Yabushige prior to his death.

However, while the show was seemingly set to lead into the Battle of Sekigahara in its next episodes, it was previously revealed that Shogun season 2 would be set 10 years after season 1. As such, not only would the show seemingly be skipping the Battle entirely, but would also jump past Mitsunari/Ishido’s defeat, making the fact Hira is returning a point of curiosity for the series.

While the first season was largely told chronologically, there were a few flashforwards and flashbacks in season 1, which could be how Hira ultimately appears in Shogun season 2. This would not only mark an innovative way to tackle the Battle of Sekigahara, which historians have said lasted somewhere between two and four hours, but also allow for further fleshing out of Hira’s and other characters whose fates are sealed come the end of the conflict.

Release Date

2024 – 2025

Directors

Fred Toye, Jonathan van Tulleken, Charlotte Brändström, Takeshi Fukunaga, Hiromi Kamata

Writers

Rachel Kondo

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  Hiroyuki Sanada

  Yoshii Toranaga

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  Cosmo Jarvis

  John Blackthorne