At the mere age of 12, Lord Toranaga's half-brother Saeki boasted that he beheaded his enemy with a single stroke. However, Lord Toranaga's line, "Who picks a child to be their second?" struck a chord with Shōgun fans. Here's what the line meant.
CONTENT SPOILERS: This article contains spoilers for Shōgun, so proceed with caution.
Lord Toranaga Corrects Saeki's Tall Story About His First Kill
Lord Toranaga's half-brother, Saeki Nobutatsu, tried to uplift his reputation among his own comrades, but this rubbed Toranaga the wrong way.
As much as Lord Toranaga could have kept Saeki's version of the first General he beheaded, his pride couldn't.
He wasn't seeking anyone's approval. In fact, he asked his own subordinate why he didn't correct the "ridiculous" story even though he knew the true story.
As the subordinate joked about what a "huge mess" Toranaga made at the time, the latter brought up this line, "Who picks a child to be his second?"
This brought fans to question what Lord Toranaga meant by that line. Though it's clear that his victory was accomplished at a young age, what does being the "second" mean in Shōgun?
READ MORE: Shōgun: What is the Truth Behind Lord Toranaga's First Kill in Ep 7? Exposing Tall Stories
What Does Lord Toranaga's Line Mean, Anyway?
In the opening of episode 7 titled A Stick of Time, we get a glimpse of what Lord Toranaga was like when he was younger.
This was specifically when he was 12, serving as the second alongside Toda Hiromatsu against General Mizoguchi.
Being the second means it's a part of his role to bring the seppuku to a close. In this case, the young Toranaga has to finish off General Mizoguchi himself after he opens his own guts.
Although some fans on Reddit believe that Toranaga's sentiment behind his line was to play the memory off lightly despite the heavy implication of his duty, others believed it wasn't meant to be funny.
A 12-year-old in charge of cutting up an adult in nine swings? Not exactly a proud memory to reminisce about.
Rather, it shows viewers how he was not only forced to grow up at such a young age but "serves as motivation" for why Lord Toranaga would do anything in his power to avoid bloodshed in his battles.
READ NEXT: What is Toranaga's Will in Shōgun? Does He Surrender?
Any thoughts on what that line could mean? Let us know in the comments below!
Meanwhile, Shōgun episode 8 titled The Abyss of Life premieres on Hulu on April 9.
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