Shōgun episode 3 recap & ending explained: Toranaga's grand escape

Shōgun episode 3 was all about Toranaga escaping from Osaka Castle, where he was held as a prisoner and was going to be killed by his corrupt Regents.

With the help of his friends and his brilliant trickery, the Lord of Kanto could finally return to his home, which came at the cost of losing one of his loyal samurai, bargaining a deal with the country’s enemies, and more.

Keeping the promise he made to the Taikō of preserving his legacy, Toranaga is taking the very power in his grasp that he never was after. The episode also saw how John’s brilliance played a pivotal role in helping Toranaga flee from Osaka.

However, his job doesn’t end there, as John has been promoted to an honorable rank, making him one of the important individuals in Toranaga’s fight.

Disclaimer: This article contains significant spoilers for Shōgun episode 3. Reader’s discretion is advised.

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Shōgun episode 3: What does John’s new rank as a hatamoto mean for him?

John teaching Toranaga how to take a dive (Image via FX)

After escaping Osaka, Toranaga told John that he was aware of him being a pirate and showed him the books that he got from the Portuguese merchants as evidence.

Toranaga also said that he would have to get these books translated, which would take a lot of time. In the meanwhile, he bestowed him the position of hatamoto, a high-ranking samurai.

Subsequently, Toranaga asked John to train a regiment in foreign tactics that could give him an edge in the impending battle. John agreed to demonstrate the usage of the guns and canons from his ship. But with his men and ship returned to him. Toranaga commanded Yabushige and his son to learn the way the barbarians fight.

Toranaga was aware that his enemies were relying on their Portuguese Catholic friends, so John became his trump card, and making him a hatamoto was one of his right yet calculated decisions.

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Shōgun episode 3: Toranaga’s deal with the Ferriera and Father Dell’Aqua explained

Leaving Osaka came at a great cost. Despite making it to the sea, Toranaga and others still had to go through Kiyama’s men guarding the narrow passage, ready to sink the ship.

John advised Toranaga that they could get past the ambush without a scratch on the Black Ship, which was also ready to set sail. However, Toranaga's approval of the Black Ship's clearance wasn’t enough for Captain Ferriera.

So he proclaimed to pay him ten thousand tael silver coins, of which half of the profit would be his. Toranaga also made an offer to Father Dell’Aqua to provide permission to build a Church in the home city of Edo in return for getting Kiyama and Ohno on his side.

Suddenly, Ferriera told Toranaga that he had to leave John behind, which he didn’t agree to initially, given he was his guest. But he realized that he had no other choice but to accept.

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Shōgun episode 3: Did Rodrigues help John?

During the first episode of Shōgun, when Yabushige, Rodrigues, and others set sail to Osaka, their journey wasn’t pleasant, as they ended up in a massive sea storm.

Unfortunately, due to the strong waves, Rodrigues was hurled out of the ship, so John threw him an oar to keep him afloat. Surprisingly, his quick decision saved Rodrigues as he made it to the shore.

In Shōgun episode 3, when John was left behind, he didn’t give up and set sail parallel to the Black Ship without getting the vessel destroyed by the rocky mountains.

Despite Ferriera’s orders, Rodrigues let John through, returning a debt for saving his life.

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Shōgun episode 3: Who are the assassins from the society of the Amida?

One of the overlooked parts of the episode was when Toranaga was discussing the assassin who attacked the Anjin.

It was revealed that the killer was from a clandestine group of assassins sworn by the sacred oaths of Buddha Amida. Later in the episode, Mariko tells John that the killer was a maid at the palace for years.

She further explained that some of the assassins of this sect train their whole life and maintain their undercover disguise for years just for a single kill, which comes at a great price.

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Shōgun episode 3: How Toranaga’s resignation left the Regents in a tight spot

Hiromatsu delivering Toranaga's resignation from the Council (Image via FX)

After Toranaga’s grand escape, Lord Hiromatsu met the four Regents only to offer his lord’s voluntary resignation from the Council with a formal letter.

Ishido was ardent in his determination that he and the other three remaining Regents would impeach him regardless. However, Hiromatsu proclaimed that Taikō said that any decision would require the votes of all the five Regents, making the impeachment null and void.

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Shōgun episode 3: What happened to Buntaro?

Buntaro bowing to Toranaga (Image via FX)

Since the start of the series, Toda ‘Buntaro’ Hirokatsu emerged as a misunderstood character as his demeanor often obscured his true nature. However, he eventually became the reason that rendered the third episode the most heart-wrenching chapter of Shōgun.

Buntaro knew that Toranaga wouldn’t make past the shores with the large number of enemies heading towards them, so he decided to stay back to prove his loyalty to his master that he would serve him till the end. Although his fate was not revealed, Buntaro eventually died while fighting the enemies.

Toranaga honored Buntaro’s valor by bowing to him, which was one of the most spine-tingling moments from the series.

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Stay tuned for more news and updates on FX’s Shōgun as 2024 progresses.