Lady Ochiba-no-Kata's main objective is to tear Lord Toranaga from reaching the throne and become shōgun. However, the finale episode shows otherwise, so why did Lady Ochiba help Lord Toranaga in Shōgun's finale?
CONTENT SPOILERS: This article contains spoilers for Shōgun, so proceed with caution.
Why Lady Ochiba Changed Her Mind About Sabotaging Lord Toranaga
Lady Ochiba's revenge story was always tied to taking down Lord Toranaga from his ultimate plan of becoming the shōgun of Japan.
Initially convinced that Toranaga is out to take her off the position she had built from dirt, no one could tell her otherwise about what she plans on doing as her next move.
However, the last episode of Shōgun episode 10 titled A Dream of a Dream demonstrated Lady Ochiba backing out of her former stance on this growing war.
Instead of sabotaging Lord Toranaga's plan, a realization comes to Lady Ochiba that makes her forfeit her will to do whatever it takes to watch Toranaga burn. Here's what happened.
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Lady Mariko's Poem Reminded Lady Ochiba of Who She Was Fighting For
Before Lady Mariko's death, Shōgun episode 9 leaves a gripping strike on her character's role in the series. Lady Ochiba challenged Lady Mariko to a small poetry competition, which the latter excelled in.
Lady Mariko, a woman with precision, recited a cryptic poem, Leafless Branch, where she sent a cryptic message, perhaps a warning to Lady Ochiba if she didn't opt to change her choice in this war.
The poetry of Lady Mariko implies that if Lady Ochiba refuses to see the gravity of war and its effect on the loved ones she's protecting, she may risk losing them in the process.
After learning of Lady Mariko's death, it becomes clear to Lady Ochiba that playing her cards in a war against Lord Toranaga may end up losing her son's life.
Lady Ochiba supported Lord Toranaga by choosing her family's safety over pride, thus, Lady Mariko's role in serving her Lord until the end had proven fruitful.
Because of this, Lord Toranaga secured his position as the Shōgun without even facing Ishido on the battlefield.
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Meanwhile, all episodes of Shōgun are available to stream on Hulu.
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