07-05-2025
Everything We Know, Trailer, Cast, Release Date
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With Shogun Season 2 officially confirmed, we're running down everything you need to know about the celebrated historical drama, including the release date, cast list, and plot details.
FX officially broke the news on May 1. The platform's most-watched programme ever (based on total hours streamed) shattered Emmy records in 2024 by bagging 18 awards in total, including best drama series, best actor in a drama for Hiroyuki Sanada, and best actress in a drama for Anna Sawai.
Based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, it tells the story of a warring Japanese clans and the stranded English sailor caught in the middle. However, there's now no more source material left. Shogun was conceived as a limited series, and so the first season chronicled the entire book in one go.
Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis star in Shogun
Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis star in Shogun
FX
The second season is set to take place ten years after season 1. It'll bring back some key characters as well as introduce some fresh faces. But when? Sooner than you think. Read on for the all-important details.
Shogun Season 1 Recap
Shogun starts with the arrival of John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) in turn-of-the-17th-century feudal Japan. Five regents are battling for rule. One of them, Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Sanada), captures Blackthorne and his crew.
Blackthorne doesn't speak the language, so he relies on Lady Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai) to translate. What follows across ten episodes are assassination attempts, uneasy alliances, and deft political manoeuvring as the regents use Blackthorne like a pawn.
What Happened in Shogun Season 1?
In the Shogun Season 1 finale, A Dream of a Dream, Toranaga achieves victory. Blackthorne is still in Japan with seemingly no way home, and Mariko sacrifices herself. In addition, Ochiba betrays Ishido, and Yabushige commits seppuku, killing himself.
Shogun Season 2 Cast
Two characters are confirmed so far for Shogun Season 2. These are Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga and Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne, who both reprise their roles from the first season.
Sanada told Variety "half the existing cast will be back, and "the other half will be new characters coming in," confirming theories we're in for a drastic change.
The following three actors are unlikely to return, due to the way their character's arcs went. These are Anna Sawai (Toda Mariko), Tadanobu Asano (Kashigi Yabushige) andTakehiro Hira (Ishido Kazunari).
What Will Happen in Shogun Season 2?
Shogun Season 2 continues the story of John Blackthorne and Lord Yoshii Toranaga during the Azuchi–Momoyama period to the Edo period in feudal Japan.
However, with the first season telling the entirety of author James Clavell's source material from beginning to end, FX writers will be creating the rest of the story from scratch.
Sanada said it will be accurate to Japanese history, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "We're going to basically follow the real history in seasons two and three."
Head writer Justin Marks also teased the plot to Deadline. "I think the thing to take away, more than anything, is how, I hope people are going to be surprised with some of the big ideas as soon as the first episode of part two. So, we'll start there and see where it takes us for future stories. But we're really excited about it, especially for [Hiroyuki Sanada]."
How Many Episodes are in Shogun Season 2?
There are ten episodes in Shogun Season 2, as officially confirmed by FX.
Shogun Season 2 Release Date
Shogun Season 2 is likely to release in early 2027, although FX has not yet announced the exact date.
Production is set for January 2026, which means it's probably too early to make a release in 2026. Shogun Season 1 was released February 2024, so a February 2027 window might be what showrunners are aiming at.
Will Shogun Season 2 Release in 2025?
Shogun Season 2 will not release in 2025. That's because, in February 2025, co-showrunner Justin Marks told Deadline that the writers had only just completed their script for Shogun Season 2.
"We're coming out of the writers room now. We're also done with the ten episodes and we have our finale now," Marks said. "That's allowing us to start figuring out how we're going to shoot this. But we're very excited about the plan."
Is There a Shogun Season 2 Trailer?
There is no Shogun season 2 trailer. With production not even started, it will be at 2026 at the earliest until the first teasers start dropping.
Shogun Season 2 Synopsis
Shogun Season 2 does not yet have a synopsis. Here is the synopsis for Shogun Season 1:
"Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Sanada) fought for his survival as his enemies in the Council of Regents united against him. When a mysterious European ship was found marooned in a nearby village, its English pilot John Blackthorne (Jarvis) shared vital strategic secrets with Toranaga that tipped the scales of power in his favor to win a century-defining civil war."
