What That Shocking Death Means For The Show

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Shōgun episode 7.

Summary

• Nagakado died after a tragic accident in Shōgun episode 7
• Toranaga’s surrender is due to the betrayal of brother Saeki.
• Toranaga may reconsider his decision after Nagakado’s death, or his surrender might be part of a larger plan.

Shōgun episode 7 ends with the shocking death of Nagakado in a gruesome accident following Lord Toranaga’s surprising surrender. While Lord Toranaga announced the Crimson Sky plan at the end of Shōgun episode 6, any attack on Osaka would only work if he had the help of his brother, Saeki Nobutatsu. However, not only did Saeki not join forces with Toranaga, but he aligned himself with the Council of Regents and betrayed his brother. Toranaga’s army was surrounded in Ajiro, putting an end to Crimson Sky before it even began.

To make things worse, Lord Toranaga’s son died while trying to attack Saeki, hoping they would free their army and prevent Yoshii from turning himself in. Toranaga’s decision was not well received by his men, particularly John Blackthorne, who pointed out that they would all die now that their lord had seemingly given up. How Nagakado’s death will impact Toranaga going forward remains to be seen, but the odds are currently not in his favor unless his surrender is part of a larger ploy to defeat Ishido later.

Nagakado’s Death In Shōgun Episode 7 Explained

Nagakado’s death was a terrible accident

Yoshii Nagakado, just like the Anjin and all of Toranaga’s advisors, could not accept that his lord was going to turn himself in. With the help of Shōgun‘s Lady Kiku, who was spending the night with Saeki as his courtesan, Nagakado and his men ambushed Toranaga’s brother and killed some of his samurai. Nagakado came very close to killing his uncle, but as he was raising his arms to use his sword for the final blow, Toranaga’s son slipped and fell. His head hit a rock, leading to one of the most visceral, graphic deaths in the show so far.

Even if he and his man had succeeded in killing Saeki, Crimson Sky would never have worked without the help of Lord Toranaga’s brother.

Saeki pitted the death of his nephew, saying that his actions were not worth it. It’s unclear who else knew that Nagakado was going to attack Lord Saeki that night, but it is safe to say Lord Toranaga was not aware of it. Similar to what happened in episode 4, Nagakado did not think his actions through, and they ended up backfiring. Even if he and his man had succeeded in killing Saeki, Crimson Sky would never have worked without the help of Lord Toranaga’s brother. That said, Nagakado’s tragic death may cause Toranaga to rethink his plans.

Why Lord Toranaga Is Surrendering To Ishido & The Regents

Is there more to Toranaga’s decision?

According to Toranaga, even though there is an evil to be fought, he will not do it at the risk of dividing the country. This was the response he chose to give to his allies, though, and it may not be the whole truth. Toranaga is smart enough to know that, without his brother’s army, he does not have the numbers to take Osaka. Crimson Sky would be a suicide mission with Toranaga’s current regiment, which is why he did not want to consider this option in the first place.

Lord Toranaga had no choice but to announce that he was going to report back to Osaka and leave his fate at the hands of Ishido and the other Regents. Still, there may be more to Toranaga’s surrender than it seems. Given how smart Yoshii has proven to be so far, he might have a backup plan. Considering they are not heading to Osaka immediately, Toranaga will have at least a full night to come up with a way of countering Ishido’s move and avoiding his execution. Based on Tokugawa Iewasu’s history, Toranaga still has more battles to fight.

Why Lord Toranaga’s Brother Betrayed Him

Saeki’s men ambushed Toranaga’s forces

Toranaga had not spoken to his brother for a long time, but that is not the reason why Saeki betrayed him. Toranaga’s brother was offered a seat in the Council of Regents, replacing Lord Sugiyama as one of the five most powerful daimyos in the country. According to Saeki, Toranaga’s proposal arrived too late, as he had already aligned himself with Ishido. Saeki was already working for the Council of Regents when Shōgun episode 7 began, meaning that Lord Toranaga and his men never had a chance against him and walked right into an ambush.

Lord Toranaga’s First Battle Explained (& Why Saeki Lied About It)

Toranaga’s first kill was not as clean as Saeki described it

Shōgun episode 7 opened with Yoshii Toranaga’s first battle more than 40 years ago. Toranaga, who was still a kid, was fighting alongside Toda Hiromatsu against the forces of Mizoguchi. While Toranaga won his first battle at a very young age, a feat that would become known across the country, his victory was not as elegant as his brother described. Instead of a single blow to execute Mizoguchi after the daimyo’s seppuku, it took Toranaga multiple attempts to behead his enemy. It was a messy, bloody kill of which Toranaga is not proud.

Why Lady Mariko Asked To Commit Seppuku

Mariko asked Toranaga to led her die

Shōgun‘s Lady Mariko has been wanting to commit seppuku since the death of her father, who betrayed his lord and brought shame to his family. Even though Lord Toranaga told Mariko in episode 6 that her father wanted her to continue his fight, she would rather die than live as Toda Buntaro’s wife. The only reason why Mariko was not killed alongside her family was because Buntaro married her, which is one of the reasons why she has always hated their marriage. Toranaga ignored Mariko’s request and treated it as nonsense, although he understood where her feelings came from.

John Blackthorne’s Reaction To Toranaga’s Surrender Explained

Blackthorne cannot accept Toranaga’s decision

John Blackthorne felt personally offended by Lord Toranaga’s surrender even though he was originally not keen on joining this war. The Anjin knows that, with Toranaga gone, all of their efforts will have been for nothing. Ishido and the Council will continue to back up the Portuguese, those once loyal to Toranaga will be killed, and the Anjin will never see his crew again. Naturally, Blackthorne is not just thinking about himself – a friendship was being born between Toranaga and his Hatamoto, adding to the Anjin’s discontentment with Yoshii’s surrender.

Is There Any Hope For Lord Toranaga In Osaka?

What will Toranaga’s next move be?

If Toranaga goes to Osaka without a backup plan and turns himself in, the Lord of Kanto will be officially impeached and killed. This is why Toranaga has already written a will and seems to have made peace with the idea of dying. He even refused to discuss long-term plans for Edo. However, assuming FX’s Shōgun will not steer away from the source material and the real-life events the novel is based on Lord Toranaga’s story shouldn’t be over yet. Yoshii and Ishido have to meet on the battlefield first.

Nagakado’s death may be what prompts Toranaga to reconsider his decision, especially if he blames his brother for what happened. Another option is that John Blackthorne takes the lead and uses his cannon regiment to go to war regardless of Toranaga’s decision, although he would have to be backed up by at least Hiromatsu for this to work. With only three episodes left before Shōgun’s finale, the fate of Toranaga, Ishido, Blackthorne, and the country as a whole will soon be defined.

Shōgun

releases new episodes Tuesdays on FX and Hulu.

Stream on Hulu