Here’s the ending of Shogun Episode 8 explained with a recap featuring spoilers about what happened. Dive into our breakdown and find out what Hiromatsu did and what a Goshawk is.
What happened at the end of Shogun Episode 8?
Shogun Episode 8 ended with Toranaga paying his respects to Nagakado and Hiromatsu after sending Lady Mariko to Osaka with Yabushige and Blackthorne.
Shogun Episode 8, “The Abyss of Life” saw Lord Toranaga mourning his son’s death after he died in the name of his father and clan. But even the acts of Toranaga’s son did not change his mind. He stood by his decision to surrender, allowed the Catholics to build a church in Edo, and sent Yabushige to Osaka to surrender his cannons and weaponry.
Meanwhile, in Osaka, Lord Ishido presented Lady Ochiba with an offer to strengthen their alliance through marriage, which the latter seemingly agreed to towards the end.
While all hope seemed lost in Edo, and Toranaga’s advisors decided to leave his side, Hiromatsu committed Seppuku to try and change Toranaga’s mind. But the great lord didn’t budge. He still moved on with his decision to surrender.
In the end, he paid his respects to his son’s ashes. He thanked him for buying his father 49 days of mourning before he officially surrendered himself and his allies to die in Osaka. This proved that Toranaga actually has a plan to turn the tide against Ishido.
Why did Hiromatsu commit Seppuku?
Hiromatsu committed Seppuku to fulfill his duty towards his lord and his clan, as his sacrifice made everyone believe that Toranaga had truly lost.
While it initially seemed that Hiromatsu was trying to change Toranaga’s decision to surrender by committing Sepukku, he actually knew Toranaga’s real plan. By sacrificing himself, he was able to make Toranaga’s councilmen and everyone else believe that he had lost the fight. But that’s exactly what the lord wanted.
He mourned Hiromatsu’s death by telling Lady Mariko that his friend died to fulfill his duty. Then, he thanked Hiromatsu for his sacrifice while paying respects to his son’s ashes. Now, when everyone believes that Toranaga is lost, he will strike back with a plan that Ishido will not see coming.
Why did Toranaga call Yabushige and Blackthorne a goshawk?
Toranaga referred to Yabushige and John Blackthorne as goshawks because of their predictability and inability to see the bigger picture.
Goshawks are short-winged birds found in many European and Asian countries including Great Britain, Spain, Tibet, Nepal, China, and Japan. These medium-large birds fall in the same Accipitridae family as eagles, buzzards, and harriers, and are also called True Hawks.
They are known for being quite easy to catch. So, Toranaga used the reference to goshawks to describe Yabushige and Blackthorne in front of Markio because of their actions. Even before Mariko revealed what happened, Toranaga knew that Blackthorne would try to find an ally in Yabushige. He also knew that Yabushige would accept Blackthorne’s offer after Hiromatsu’s Seppuku.
So, knowing that they are unable to see his hidden master plan, he is using them to make Lord Ishido believe that he has lost. But he also sent Lady Mariko with them to ensure that his secret plan would eventually come to fruition.
For more Shogun updates, learn whether it is based on a true story. Also, find out what is Natto in Episode 4.
