Shōgun, FX's epic series based on the book of the same name by James Clavell, premiered on February 27, 2024, and established itself as one of the year's Game of Thrones-level television events. It follows the fictional story of Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a 17th-century Japanese lord who is pulled into a battle of wits as his enemies conspire to take away his power and have him killed. If he dies, all his allies will likely be executed with him, including British sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) and translator Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai).
Over its run, the Japanese series became FX's most-watched show ever and eventually an awards season favorite. Although the finale in April 2024 brought the stories of Toranaga, Mariko, and Blackthorne to an end, fans were hoping for any chance that the series's gorgeous, brutal, intricate depiction of 1600s Japan could return. As it turns out, with the show's success, FX was also not ready to let go of its new mega-hit series. Below, here's what we know about the future of Shōgun.
What happens at the end of 'Shōgun?'
Shōgun followed the looming war between Toranaga and his vassal lords and Ishido Kazunari (Takehiro Hira) and Ochiba-no-kata (Fumi Nikaido), mother of the country's Heir—and by the end of the finale, all of the season's big questions were answered.
Following Mariko's sacrifice at Osaka Castle in the penultimate episode, the other members of the Council of Regents turn against Ishido. He also loses Ochiba, who was childhood friends with Mariko, and becomes enraged that he had her killed. Because of that, Ochiba sends a secret note to Toranaga promising that her son's military will not join Ishido's at war. Without the backing of the Heir, the rest of the Council is expected to turn against Ishido, and Toranaga will easily win the battle and become the de facto leader of Japan.
Meanwhile, Blackthorne is utterly devastated by Mariko's death. He's allowed to return to Toranaga in Edo, but he learns that Mariko made a deal with the Portuguese Catholics. Instead of killing Blackthorne, they torch his ship — leaving him with close to nothing, as now both Mariko and his ship are gone, as well as his consort Fuji (Moeka Hoshi), who announces that she's going to become a nun.
However, when Blackthorne goes to Toranaga to ask for permission to kill himself, the bushō has other plans: He tells him to rebuild his ship and resume his role as captain of Toranaga's war fleet.
Then, in the final scene when Toranaga lays out his plan to the soon-to-be-executed Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano), the warlord reveals that he was the one to burn Blackthorne's ship, at Mariko's request. Toranaga also admits that he kept the anjin around just because he amused him.
As the 1980 adaptation of Shōgun centered Blackthorne's character so much so that the Japanese dialogue wasn't translated, it's a nice note to end on, illustrating how much the Englishman was a relative non-factor.
Will there be a 'Shōgun' season 2?
Shōgun's second season is officially happening. After months of development buzz, FX announced on April 30, 2025, that the writers's room for season 2 had ended, with production expected to begin in January 2026. In addition to Hiroyuki Sanada, who signed on to return to the series in May 2024, Cosmo Jarvis will also reprise his role as Anjin, John Blackthorne. Because season 1 adapted the entirety of Clavell's novel, season 2 will be "a wholly original new chapter."
Despite originally being billed as a miniseries, Shōgun's immense success made FX reconsider the show's fate. On May 16, 2024, the network announced that FX and Hulu were interested in developing not one but two additional seasons of the period drama, with season 1 co-creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, executive producer Michaela Clavell, and star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada on board. Sanada has since been elevated to executive producer, while Jarvis will serve as a co-executive producer.
What will 'Shōgun' season 2 be about?
As Shōgun prepared to move into production on season 2, FX offered more details of what fans can expect. As reported by Variety, an official logline has been released: Season 2 is "set 10 years after the events of the first season and continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined."
It's hard to guess where Shōgun season 2 will go. However, based on the logline, some clues could be found in the real-life history that inspired the series. Shōgun technically ends before we see Toranaga and Ishido on the battlefield, though the finale does show the moment before the fight when Ishido learns that Ochiba has betrayed him. As for the true history, the Battle of Sekigahara took place on October 21, 1600, and was won by Toranaga's real-life counterpart, Tokugawa Ieyasu. The fighting lasted six hours, with Tokugawa winning after some other powerful lords switched to his side.
According to the USC Pacific Asia Museum, Tokugawa's victory ended over 200 years of civil war and began the peaceful Edo period. The Tokugawa shogunate ruled over Japan for the next 250 years from the relocated capital of Edo, modern-day Tokyo. Assuming both the Shōgun novel and miniseries follow this path, Toranaga succeeded in bringing forth "a nation without wars" and "an era of great peace."
Who in the 'Shōgun' cast will return for season 2?
It's been confirmed since season 2 was officially ordered that Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis would be reprising their leading roles as Lord Yoshii Toranaga and John Blackthorne. Now, however, we have an idea of the rest of the ensemble.
In November 2025, Variety reported Fumi Nikaidô (Ochiba), Shinnosuke Abe (Buntaro), Hiroto Kanai (Omi), Yoriko Dôguchi (Kiri), Tommy Bastow (Father Martin Alvito), Yuko Miyamoto (Gin), Eita Okuno (Saeki), and Yuka Kouri (Kiku) will all return.
Anna Sawai will notably not be back. However, it's been known for some time that Mariko likely wouldn't be in season 2, given how her story concludes by the end of season 1. Sawai herself spoke to Marie Claire about this in a 2024 interview, saying, "I love Mariko so much that if there was more that I could explore, I would do it in a heartbeat...But I think that her story is now complete, and I don't know if anyone should be trying to like touch that. It's kind of perfect the way it ended."
Who are the new cast members in 'Shōgun' season 2?
While Mariko won't grace our screens again, several newcomers will. Details of their characters have been kept under wraps, but Variety announced in November 2025 that season 2 will see the additions of Asami Mizukawa as Aya, Masataka Kubota as Hyūga, Sho Kaneta as Hidenobu, Takaaki Enoki as Lord Ito, and Jun Kunimura as Gōda.
The following week, another exciting casting announcement was made. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ren Meguro—best known as a J-pop idol and member of the group Snow Man, as well as acting roles in the TV show Trillion Games and its movie spinoff, As Long as We Both Shall Live, and Silent—is joining the cast. He's set to play Kazutada, though additional details are scarce.
The pop star/actor shared a statement about his casting. "I am incredibly honored to join the cast of Shōgun season 2," Meguro said in a statement, per THR. "When I streamed Shōgun on Disney+ last year, I was profoundly moved by the series’ unique and grand portrayal of Japan, which felt different from past portrayals. As a Japanese person, I felt a compelling urge to be part of this groundbreaking production. I started learning more about the production team, exploring Hiroyuki Sanada’s vision and his long-standing dedication, and reading various articles about Shōgun. This year, the opportunity to audition came my way. I submitted my footage and participated in auditions. Now, my dream has become a reality, and it truly felt like a dream come true. For the past year, I have constantly envisioned myself on the set of Shōgun, bringing my character to life. I am committed to honoring the legacy that so many have built before me and to carefully shaping the role entrusted to me in this remarkable series. I can’t wait for everyone to see the release of Shōgun season 2 and to share in this incredible journey with us. Thank you and please look forward to Shōgun season 2.”
When will 'Shōgun' season 2 be released?
While season 2 is in the works, it's still hard to say when the show will be back on the air. When Ren Meguro was cast, THR revealed filming is set to begin in January 2026—but it may be a long shoot.
We can look back at season 1's timeline to get an idea; the 10-episode run was filmed from September 2021 to June 2022, before premiering in February 2024. Hopefully FX will fast-track the post-production for such a highly anticipated show, but fans will still likely wait a while for the new season to reach our screens. If we had to guess, the show may not return until the middle of 2027.
