Shogun Season 2 Can't Happen, But There Are 4 Sequel TV Shows That Could

Although a second season of the celebrated limited series Shōgun isn't possible, there are still plenty of options for expanding the franchise. Shōgun, based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by James Clavell, is a standalone work that is expected to conclude after ten exceptional episodes. Shōgun episode 9 saw another ally of Lord Toranaga make a shocking sacrifice to advance his plan to become the new shogun, which will all come to a head in episode 10 "A Dream of a Dream."

Although Shōgun is arguably the most famous Clavell novel, the renowned author wrote additional books that exist in the same universe. Known as Clavell's "Asian Saga", Shōgun is the first narrative in a series of six novels written by Clavell between 1962 and 1993. The novels all similarly focus on stories about Europeans in Asia, such as John Blackthorne in Shōgun. The entire book series at large depicts the earliest conflicts and assimilations of Eastern and Western civilizations.

Related What Time Shogun Episode 10 Releases On Hulu & FX Shōgun episode 10 "A Dream of a Dream" premieres on Tuesday, April 23 on Hulu and FX. Here's exactly when it releases on each platform.

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James Clavell's Other Asian Saga Books Could Be Adapted Instead Of Shogun Season 2

Clavell wrote five other historical fiction books set in Asia

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Since it's very unlikely that Shōgun season 2 will happen since it will be a complete story after its series finale, Hulu and FX could explore other original works in Clavell's Asian Saga to adapt as well. The other novels in Clavell's Asian Saga include King Rat (1962), Tai-Pan (1966), Noble House (1981), Whirlwind (1986), and Gai-Jin (1993). Shōgun was published in 1975, thirteen years after King Rat, but still acts as the first in the chronological order of the book series.

The various books in Clavell's Asian Saga share storylines and characters that connect them all together. Whirlwind, which is set in Iran in 1979, is somewhat of an exception because it connects to the other books in the series to a degree, but not as much as the others. The sequential order of the books is very different from the order of their publications, as seen in the table below.

Chronological Book Order Publication Year Book Setting Shōgun 1975 Feudal Japan, 1600 Tai-Pan 1966 Hong Kong, 1841 Gai-Jin 1993 Japan, 1862 King Rat 1962 Singapore, 1945 Noble House 1981 Hong Kong, 1963 Whirlwind 1986 Iran, 1979

Related How Will Shogun End? 8 Clues & Theories With only 2 episodes remaining of the critically acclaimed FX/Hulu series Shōgun, there are several clues and theories of how the finale will go down.

Why Gai-Jin Would Be The Best Sequel Show For Shogun

Gai-Jin is set in Japan and follows a descendant of Toranaga

Image via Hulu/FX

Out of all of Clavell's novels in his Asian Saga, Gai-Jin would be the best to adapt after Shōgun. Gai-Jin is the only other book in Clavell's Asian Saga that is set in Japan and follows a descendant of Lord Toranaga. Even though it's not a direct sequel to Shōgun, the fact that it follows a Toranaga descendant and is set just a few decades before the end of the Edo Period, which Toranaga's real-life inspiration Tokugawa Iyeasu had established, makes it the best choice for Hulu and FX to expand on the success of Shōgun.

Related Anna Sawai’s Breathtaking Performance In Shogun Is A Reminder To Watch Her 2022 Drama With 97% On RT Anna Sawai has become one of the best characters in the highly celebrated series Shōgun but she has also starred in another critically acclaimed show.