Yabushige is one of the few characters who always chose himself above anyone else. However, by the final episode of Shōgun, Yabushige surprisingly pushed forth to commit seppuku for one particular reason.
CONTENT SPOILERS: This article contains spoilers for the Shōgun finale, so proceed with caution.
What Seppuku Means For Yabushige
Yabushige is a man who lives for no one but himself. He was willing to switch sides as much as he could, so long as he stayed on the winning lane.
In the finale of Shōgun (episode 10 titled A Dream of a Dream), however, Yabushige was at his wit's end when he learned that helping Ishido infiltrate their castle in the previous episode killed Lady Mariko.
Out of guilt, he comes clean about it to Lord Toranaga. In addition to that, Yabushige takes the opportunity to figure out Lord Toranaga's true plans for himself.
Yabushige plans on committing seppuku under Lord Toranaga's sword. But before he dies, he asks Toranaga one final question he wants answered: how could he win this war?
READ MORE: Why Did John Blackthorne Stay in Japan in Shōgun? His Fate Explored
Yabushige Hears Lord Toranaga's True Plan From the Beginning
Yabushige didn't understand Lord Toranaga's perspective. Despite knowing how the Crimson Sky plan worked, Yabushige still had a lot to uncover behind Toranaga's demeanor.
As though Lord Toranaga decided to hear a dead man's wish, he finally reveals what his plan had been all along: "I could never send an army to Osaka. It would have meant certain death. So I sent a woman to do what an army never could."
This not only confirmed Yabushige's suspicions about Lady Mariko's crucial role in Lord Toranaga's plan, but he also came to a revelation that everything went according to how he predicted the outcome.
The Regents turned on Ishido and Lady Ochiba didn't send the Heir's army to the battlefield, rendering Lord Toranaga's success in becoming the shōgun without spilling a drop of blood. Well, only the traitor's, Yabushige's.
READ NEXT: Shōgun: Why Did Lady Ochiba Help Lord Toranaga in the Series Finale?
Meanwhile, all episodes of Shōgun are available to stream on Hulu.
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