John Blackthorne is a vital character in Shōgun. Upon landing in Japan, he is taken as a prisoner. He is later used by Lord Toranaga as a political pawn. Did John Blackthorne betray his men after his alliance with Toranaga?
Let's take a look at what happened to Blackthorne in Shōgun episode 8.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for Shōgun episode 8, so proceed with caution.
Who Captured John Blackthorne?
In Shōgun, John Blackthorne's (played by Cosmo Jarvis) ship, the Erasmus, breaks land at Izu, Japan. This was because the ship got caught in bad weather and his men were plagued by a disease that killed most of the crew and left many of them starving.
Upon their arrival, Lord Yabushige (played by Tadanobu Asano) captures Blackthorne and his men.
However, the spy of Lord Toranaga (played by Hiroyuki Sanada) tells him that the ship has cannons, gold, silver, and guns.
Toranaga decides to imprison Blackthorne to keep him safe from Lord Ishido (played by Takehiro Hira).
Toranaga saw Blackthorne as a political pawn that he could use to protect himself and his men.
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Did John Blackthorne Betray His Men?
In the original book, Blackthorne's men were housed in a village in Edo, where they were considered the lowest class of people.
From the start, Blackthorne had been trying to return to his men, who were also made prisoners. Unfortunately, Lord Toranaga denied his requests, even after he became his hatamoto.
When Blackthorne finally gets the approval of Toranaga, he pays a visit to his men and becomes disgusted by their behavior. This is because Blackthorne had already been accustomed to Japanese culture.
Blackthorne's men, on the other hand, were not interested in reuniting with him. This is because they blamed him for what happened to them.
So did John Blackthorne betray his men? His men believed that Blackthorne already knew what they were sailing toward yet pushed through.
They also believed that he had the option to stop the mission when the original captain committed suicide. Because of this, his men believe that he betrayed them from the start.
In episode 8 of Shōgun, Blackthorne had a scuffle with one of his crew members. After learning that they were resenting his leadership, Blackthorne turned away and left without talking to his men anymore.
He then proceeded to Yabushige to ask for a new banner to sail under, in the hopes of leaving Japan for good.
What do you think? Did Blackthorne betray his men? Let us know in a comment below.
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