Deceased characters Mariko, Yabushige and Hiromatsu could still return forShogunseason 2, says star/producer Hiroyuki Sanada. FX’s sweeping historical drama, based on James Clavell’s bestseller, wowed the critics when it hit in early 2024. Much of the show’s success was owed to its cast of characters, including a few fan favorites who met shocking demises over the course of the story, and seemingly will not be back for the already-confirmedShogunseason 2.
Co-creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks now must come up with new characters to carry theShogunstory forward, but that doesn’t mean audiences have seen the last of Mariko, Yabushige and Hiromatsu, at least according to producer/star Sanada. The Toranaga actor raised hopes recently for some unexpected resurrections, though not of the supernatural variety (viaTHR):
Yeah, it’s a shame, right? No Mariko, no Yabushige, no Hiromatsu. Those lovely characters are gone. The actor Tokuma Nishioka, who played Hiromatsu, said in an interview recently that he and Yabushige would be coming back as zombies. [Laughs.] I have no idea yet. But they very well could come back somehow. Who knows? Ghosts? Flashbacks? Another character’s dream?
What This Means For Shogun Season 2
New Characters Will Have Big Shoes To Fill
Shogunseason 1 put viewers through an emotional wringer as every week another popular character met their end. No death was more wrenching than that of Mariko (Anna Sawai), who fulfilled her destiny – and her role in Toranaga’s designs - with a supreme act of self-sacrifice. Sawai’s nuanced performance not only won over viewers, it also earned the actor an Emmy award.
Losing Mariko for season 2 is a big blow toShogun. So too are the losses of the brutal-but-lovable Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) and the loyal and courageous Hiromatsu (Tokuma Nishioka). It would therefore not be a surprise to see the show bring back some or all of those characters in some capacity. Toranaga is set to continue his ongoing chess game in the new season, but there may be reasons for him to look back upon those who died for his cause, even as he plunges ahead into a cloudy future.
The Needs Of The Story Should Take Precedence
The temptation to bring back Mariko, Yabushige and Hiromatsu will indeed be strong forShogun, and it would be easy enough for Kondo and Marks to give in to that urge by crafting dream sequences or flashbacks through which to temporarily resurrect them. The trick is writing scenes that resonate with viewers, and seem necessary to fleshing out the story emotionally.
Hiromatsu’s death by seppuku was not in Clavell’s original novel.
Bringing back deadShoguncharactersjust to say goodbye again would arguably not serve the story, and even worse, could come across as a crass gimmick. On the other hand,Shogun’s writers did prove their skill at navigating complex situations in season 1, and should be trusted to do right by the characters and story in season 2. Sanada has good reason to tantalize viewers with the possibility of seeing their favorites back on-screen, but there are many reasons as well to not let sentiment rule, and to leave the dead in the past.
Shogun
Cast
Shōgun, released in 2024, is set in Japan during 1600 at the onset of a significant civil war. It follows Lord Yoshii Toranaga as he battles political adversaries on the Council of Regents, while a European ship mysteriously appears in a nearby fishing village, complicating the tides of power.
