What is Shōgun about?
Set in 17th century Japan, Shōgun is a historical drama loosely based on a true story.
At a time of political tension, Shōgun follows John Blackthorne, an adventurous English navigator who becomes shipwrecked in a coastal Japanese fishing village. Trapped in an unfamiliar and hostile land with its own unique customs, John is drawn into a bitter battle between powerful warlords.
One such power, Lord Yoshii Toranaga, is beset by enemies on all sides, while Lady Mariko is forced to prove her worth after her family is shunned.
As alliances are made and broken easily, all must learn to navigate this world to thrive and survive.
Shōgun is based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, which in itself is loosely based on the tale of the William Adams – a British sailor who trained to become a samurai under Tokugawa Ieyasu and would become a shōgun: a rank of military commander-in-chief who, in practice, ruled the country during that time period.
The series’ story is told largely in both Japanese and English.
First released in February 2024, Shōgun was initially conceived as a limited series, but its runaway success has seen the show extended, with season two now confirmed.
How many seasons of Shōgun are there?
Shōgun season one ran for 10 episodes, varying between 43 minutes to 70 minutes in length.
Season 2’s runtime is yet to be confirmed and is expected to be released in 2027.
How successful has Shōgun been?
Shōgun proved to be a huge commercial success on its launch – and it was reflected in awards season.
Season one alone earned a sweep at awards season in 2024, taking home 93 awards.
This included:
18 Primetime Emmys (including Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Lead Actor and Lead Actress, Outstanding Period Costumes and Outstanding Stunts)
5 Actor Awards (formerly SAG Awards)
- including Best Ensemble, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Stunt Performance
4 Golden Globes (Best Drama, Best Actor in a Drama, Best Supporting Actor in a Drama, and Best Actress in a Drama)
4 Critics Choice Awards (winning Best Actor, Supporting Actor, Actress and Supporting Actress)
2 Baftas (including Best International Series)
Who stars in Shōgun and where have we seen them before?
The main cast of Shōgun consists of:
Hiroyuki Sanada (Westworld, John Wick: Chapter 4) as Lord Yoshii Toranaga
Cosmo Jarvis (Raised By Wolves, The Alto Knights) as Major John Blackthorne
Anna Sawai (Pachinko, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) as Toda Mariko
Tadanobu Asano (Mongol, Thor) as Kashigi Yabushige
Takehiro Hira (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Giri/Haji) as Ishido Kazunari
Tommy Bastow (The Window, The Crossing) as Father Martin Alvito, SJ / "Tsuji"
Fumi Nikaido (Vivant, Eye Love You) as Ochiba no Kata / Ruri
Joining the cast of season 2 are:
Asami Mizukawa (Smiling Matryoshka, Modern Love Tokyo) as Aya
Masataka Kubota (13 Assassins, A Bad Summer) as Hyūga
Sho Kaneta (Ultraman Arc, High & Low: The Worst X) as Hidenobu
Takaaki Enoki (Aibou: Tokyo Detective Duo, Kirin ga kuru) as Lord Ito
Jun Kunimura (Pachinko, Sunny) as Gōda
Ren Meguro (Passing The Reins, Kyojo: The Reunion) as Kazutada
What is the age rating of Shōgun?
Shōgun has been marked as 18+ by Disney+ and Hulu – meaning it is considered suitable for adults over the age of 18 only.
Reasons for this rating is due to the show containing:
Graphic violence including creative kills, torture and domestic abuse
Violence and murder of children and babies
Scenes of suicide
Some scenes of nudity - particularly female nudity
Scenes of a sexual nature
Use of profanity
Scenes of alcohol abuse
How can I watch Shōgun on Sky?
Shōgun is a Disney+ show, but we have great news!
Sky has brought together HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and (from July 2026) Hayu all under a single subscription.
That means millions of existing customers will get unrivalled access to unmissable entertainment as part of their Sky TV subscription!
For more information on how Sky TV is getting even better – click here!