Aahana Swrup
The Netflix show ‘Last Samurai Standing’ finds an action-packed and bloodied finale to its season 1. The story centers on a survival competition between 292 warriors, many of whom are former samurai, struggling to reckon with the reality of their new status under the Heiji era of the 1870s. In the central Kodoku game, where killing fellow participants and collecting their wooden tags is a prerequisite to passing checkpoints along the Tōkaidō route, protagonist Shujiro Saga’s fragile alliance continues to crack. Meanwhile, outside of the game, the political landscape of Japan threatens to change as the Kodoku’s secret mastermind, Toshiyoshi Kawaji, successfully carries out the assassination of Home Minister, Okubo. Yet, despite the open-ended conclusion of season 1, the show has unfortunately received no official confirmation about a renewal. Even so, as creator Michihito Fujii remains hopeful for a continuation, chances are that a second season might come out as soon as 2027, if the renewal gets greenlit in time.
Michihito Fujii Has a Multi-Season Plan For Last Samurai Standing
At the time of writing, the reality of ‘Last Samurai Standing’ receiving a renewal remains uncertain. Nonetheless, the show itself leaves plenty of room for further development and continuation at the end of season 1. Multiple narrative threads, including the conclusion of the central Kodoku competition and the fates of the Kyohachi-Ryu successors, remain unresolved. Consequently, without another season, these storylines will be left unstasifyingly inconclusive. Fortunately for the fans, the show’s creator seems to have plenty of plans for a multi-season arc. Reportedly, director and co-writer Michihito Fujii ideally wants two or three seasons to tell the entire story to its rightful end.
In a conversation with ScreenRant, Fuji said, “(However,) Sometimes future seasons happen two or three years later, and viewers forget what happened in the past. Because I’m a fan of Netflix, I try to convey as much as I can in one season. I like to do as much as possible. If we could conclude the whole story with another season, I think that’s our mission.” Although the specifics of the plans for a potential season 2 are unknown, there are a few overarching storylines that another season is bound to expand upon. For instance, fans can rest assured that they will get to see Shujiro and Futaba’s progression through the competition as they make their way from Chiryu to Tokyo in the next season. Furthermore, we can also expect to get a closer insight into the storylines of Iroha and her fellow Kyohachi-Ryu successors as they settle their conflict with Gentosai once and for all.
Last Samurai Standing Season 2 Might Bring New Kodoku Participants to the Forefront
Since the foundational premise of ‘Last Samurai Standing’ revolves around a survival killing competition, season 1 saw the deaths of numerous characters, antagonistic or otherwise. Therefore, it’s likely that there will be some changes to the secondary characters in the narrative. Most of the primary characters, like Shujiro Saga (Jun’ichi Okada), Futaba Katsuki (Yumia Fujisaki), Iroha Kinugasa (Kaya Kiyohara), and Kyojin Tsuge (Masahiro Higashide), survive the earlier rounds of the game. Consequently, these actors are bound to reprise their roles in a potential season 2. However, the same cannot be said for participants like Bukotsu Kanjiya (Hideaki Itô) and Ukyo Kikuomi (Hiroshi Tamaki). As a result, these characters will probably not be making a comeback for another season.
Alternatively, in the season 1 finale, the narrative extends newfound focus on other participants who hadn’t been particularly prominent throughout the season. These characters include Shinjiro Sayama (Jyo Kairi), Sansuke Gion (Yûya Endô), Shikura Adashino (Taichi Saotome), and Kocha Kamui (Shôta Sometani). It’s likely that these characters will become major players as the story progresses, bringing the participants closer to the endgame. Additionally, characters of Gentosai and Jinroku will also become more involved in the central storyline as the Kyohachi-Ryu narrative becomes more fleshed out. Furthermore, on the more politically driven side of the narrative, characters like Toshiyoshi Kawaji (Gaku Hamada) and Hisoka Maejima (Tetsushi Tanaka) can be expected to return.
Last Samurai Standing Season 2 Will Focus on Kyojin’s Betrayal and Gentosai’s Bloodthirsty Mission
As season 2 expands upon the narrative of ‘Last Samurai Standing,’ a few character-driven storylines can be expected to unravel alongside the exciting Kodoku competition. Among these storylines, the aftermath of Kyojin’s betrayal promises to be the most intriguing one. At the beginning of the story, the strategist warrior strikes up an alliance with Shujiro, which eventually grows as the plot progresses. However, by the time the team reaches Chiryu, Kyojin suggests the alliance split up for increased safety. However, afterward, he seeks out Iroha’s adoptive brothers, Sansuke and Shinjiro, before approaching Gentosai and setting up a trap for the trio of Kyohachi-Ryu successors. Thus, in season 2, the narrative can delve deeper into this yet-hidden morally ambiguous aspect of Kuojin’s character.
On the other hand, there’s a strong possibility that the show will further develop the Kyohachi-Ryu storyline. As season 1 concludes, the real reason behind Iroha, Sansuke, and Shijiro’s participation in the Kodoku is revealed. As it turns out, the siblings intentionally competed in the game in an attempt to lure Gentosai, the monstrous warrior who has been chasing after them and the other Kyohachi-Ryu successors ever since they fled from the mysterious school. Iroha and the others decide that the right time has come to reunite the surviving siblings and confront Gentosai directly. Consequently, if this plot line potentially comes to the forefront in season 2, fans can expect to learn more about Shujiro’s elusive past.
