Buntaro’s Shogun Ending Explained: Why He Helped Blackthorne

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for the Shōgun finale.

Summary Buntaro, despite a minor role in the Shōgun finale, shows redemption by helping Blackthorne with his ship at the end.

Buntaro's absence in the finale is mostly due to Toranaga's Crimson Sky strategy not going as originally planned.

Buntaro's expert combat skills were underutilized in the series and were a missed opportunity for a more redemptive arc.

Despite playing a major part in the latter half of Shōgun, Buntaro only had a minor role in the series finale. Buntaro is given a brief scene in the final moments of Shōgun after not appearing since episode 8 and hardly taking up any screen time in episode 10. Blackthorne is guaranteed safe passage back from Osaka to Ajiro and Toranaga with the help of Mariko and Father Martin, who Blackthorne believes is the person responsible for destroying his ship. However, Toranaga reveals to Yabushige that he destroyed Blackthorne's ship, again being several steps ahead of everyone else.

Following the epic conclusion of Shōgun titled "A Dream of a Dream" which was released on April 23, 2024, the complete Shōgun series is now available to stream on Hulu or watch on demand through FX. Although Shōgun episode 10 ends without showing the war between Lord Ishido and Lord Toranaga, a conflict that has been brewing throughout the entire series based on the real-life Battle of Sekigahara, the finale was one of the best episodes of the critically acclaimed series. Shōgun has maintained its near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 99% after debuting with a 100% back in February 2024.

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Why Buntaro Helped Blackthorne In The Shōgun Finale

Buntaro was willing to settle his differences with Blackthorne

Image via Hulu/FX

Buntaro choosing to treat Blackthorne with honor after their conflicts in the past, particularly over Mariko, demonstrates that he will carry on his father's honorable Toda name moving forward.

During the final moments of the Shōgun finale, Buntaro settled his differences with Blackthorne by helping him with his ship. Buntaro's assistance in the Shōgun finale reaffirmed his commitment to serving Toranaga as devoutly as Mariko had after being banned from seeking Mariko for a good part of the series. Buntaro expressed that despite his abusive behaviors toward Mariko, which could have been inspired by his posttraumatic stress from the battlefield, he was ready to enter oblivion with her by his side. After Mariko brutally turns him down and heads to Osaka with Yabushige and Blackthorne, Buntaro's purpose in the series rapidly fades.

Blackthorne was given a small window of redemption in the Shōgun finale, one that would likely be extended during the inevitable Battle of Sekigahara that was only briefly depicted onscreen. Buntaro choosing to treat Blackthorne with honor after their conflicts in the past, particularly over Mariko, demonstrates that he will carry on his father's honorable Toda name moving forward. Although it's only a brief scene between Blackthorne and Buntaro, the display of unity and teamwork was a big step towards them repairing their relationship after losing Mariko, and maybe the beginning of a new friendship.

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Why Buntaro Was Hardly In Shogun's Finale

Buntaro was not needed by Toranaga like Mariko was

Buntaro was not featured as much in the Shōgun finale because Toranaga's Crimson Sky strategy did not go as originally planned.

While Shogun's finale was very good, Buntaro was one character who felt underdeveloped and somewhat neglected in the series finale. Buntaro became a major character during Shōgun episode 5's sake scene and played a large role in the latter half of the season. After a devastating Shōgun episode 8 in which his father Hiromatsu commits seppuku and Mariko completely breaks his heart, Buntaro is essentially disregarded for the rest of the series except for one scene in the finale. He should have had at least one more moment in the finale that could have offered his character redemption and a more complete arc.

A big reason why Buntaro was not featured as much in the Shōgun finale was because Toranaga's Crimson Sky strategy did not go as originally planned. Had Toranaga ignited the Siege of Osaka using his army from Edo as he had initially intended to, Buntaro likely would have played a major role in the battle scenes that some viewers had expected to see in the Shōgun finale. Because Toranaga was once again several steps ahead of Lord Ishido and just about every other character in Shōgun, Buntaro was ultimately not needed to advance his master plan like Mariko was. He did, however, succeed in keeping Mariko alive for as long he did.

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How Buntaro's Character Could Have Been Improved In The Shōgun Finale

Buntaro's combat skills feel underutilized in the series overall

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An epic moment during the Sekigahara battle scene would have made Buntaro's character feel more redeemed and complete.

It was expected that Buntaro would play a major role in Toranaga's Crimson Sky plan as a samurai warrior, fueled by his passion and pain for suddenly losing both his father and his wife, which did not happen. Buntaro could have at least been offered more of a chance at redemption than just helping Blackthorne with the ship at the end, although it was a meaningful moment and an indication of their future relationship after the events of Shōgun. Still, Buntaro's combat skills feel underutilized in the overall series, as even an epic moment during the Sekigahara battle scene would have made his character feel more redeemed and complete.

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