More than a few Shōgun fans are hoping star Anna Sawai will return as Toda Mariko in the FX historical drama’s second season. But wait: didn’t Mariko die in Shōgun Season 1, and wouldn’t that rule Sawai out of Season 2?
Does Toda Mariko Die in Shōgun Season 1?
Yes, Toda Mariko dies in Shōgun Season 1’s penultimate episode, “Crimson Sky.” She meets her end when a band of shinobi warriors attack her, John Blackthorne, Kashigi Yabushige, and Yoshii Toranaga’s consorts. Correctly deducing that Toranaga’s rival, Ishido Kazunari, secretly hired the ninja assassins, Mariko defiantly stands in front of a door they’ve rigged to explode.
In doing so, she sets up Toranaga’s eventual defeat of Ishido. The power-hungry regent’s military might depend heavily on the backing of Ochiba no Kata, wife of Japan’s recently deceased ruler – and Mariko’s childhood pal. So, after Ochiba figures out Ishido’s role in Mariko’s demise and yanks her support, he’s hopelessly outnumbered. This was seemingly Toranaga’s game plan all along: to win through a single act of self-sacrifice, rather than an all-out assault on Osaka.
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In short: Mariko died doing her duty to her lord. But just as importantly, she was – in her eyes, at least – achieving her late father’s goal of installing a (relatively) benevolent shōgun in Toranaga. Sawai unpacked Mariko’s two, intertwined motivations in a 2024 Vulture interview.
“[Mariko] needs to make a statement against what Ishido is doing,” Sawai said. “She wants to make it clear that what’s happening is not right. So when she realizes they’re going to blow the place open and capture everybody, she runs toward the door because that’s everything she needs to do. She wants to serve her lord. She wants to finish her father’s fight. It’s also just what she wants.”
Will Anna Sawai Return in Shōgun Season 2?
Mariko’s death is one of Shōgun Season 1’s most memorable (and heartbreaking) moments. It’s not something showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks would risk undermining by bringing her back in Season 2. And even if they would, Mariko’s exit was so unequivocal – she’s blown up and buried – there’s not really any way of reframing it as a fake-out. That said, Kondo and Marks could potentially get around this with flashback sequences featuring Sawai in her award-winning role.
Related: Shōgun: The FX Historical Drama’s Ending Explained
Yet even Sawai herself seemingly isn’t banking on a Shōgun comeback. In an interview with The Direct, Sawai insisted she’s “not expecting anything” from the FX historical drama’s future seasons. She also described Mariko’s arc as “perfect the way it is.” So, as it stands, it’s safe to assume Anna Sawai won’t reprise the Mariko part in Shōgun Season 2!
Shōgun Season 1 is currently streaming on Hulu. Season 2 does not yet have a release date.
Published: Jan 9, 2025 10:50 am