Netflix's Last Samurai Standing Fills The Void Left By Shōgun's Uncertain Future

2 days ago 3

Published Apr 21, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT

Zach Moser is a Philadelphia native who writes about film and television news. Zach has been published in Points In Case, Business Insider, Slackjaw, ROCA Travel, and McSweeney's Internet Tendency.

The recent news about Shōgun season 2 is a disappointment for fans of the Hulu epic, but Netflix has a six-episode martial arts epic that fans of Shōgun will appreciate. Shōgun premiered on FX and FX on Hulu in 2024 and quickly became one of the most popular series on the platform.

Unfortunately, season 1 ends where Clavell's book ends, and the implication was that the hero, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), remained in Japan, taking the mystery out of what the show could be next. All this made for an uncertain trajectory for Shōgun season 2.

We only recently learned that Shōgun season 2 has begun production, which means we could be waiting years for the series to actually premiere. Fortunately, there's another Japanese period epic on streaming to whet fans' appetites: Netflix's Last Samurai Standing.

This six-episode series, unlike Shōgun, is actually a Japanese production. Last Samurai Standing is set in the late 19th-century and follows 292 warriors who are brought together to fight one another for a ¥100,000. It's Battle Royale meets Shōgun and it's worth your time.

Last Samurai Standing Is Netflix's Answer To Shōgun

Last Samurai Standing seems to be Netflix's way to access the same viewer pool who tuned into Shōgun week after week. Shōgun was one of the first big budget series in the streaming age to paint a realistic portrait of historical Japan. Through the lens of a Western man, audiences came to understand a culture not often available to Western audiences.

Last Samurai Standing also brings a rarely seen piece of history to the top of the pop culture pile, and even though the story is completely fictional, compared to Shōgun's semi-historical story, being a Japanese production lends an even more palpable air of authenticity and realism.

Shōgun's violence only occurred in short bursts, but when it did, it was extreme. Last Samurai Standing also provides some brutal depictions of violence, but it's a non-stop deluge. Couching itself in a real historical context, Last Samurai Standing offers a probing modern satire in the style of Squid Game with some fascinating historical realities.

With Shōgun Season 2 Still Years Away, Last Samurai Standing Is The Perfect Replacement

Junichi Okada as Shujiro Saga fighting another samurai in the rain in Last Samurai Standing Netflix

As mentioned, Shōgun season 2 is a long way off. The first season of Shōgun was announced in 2018, production didn't begin until September 2021, and the pilot did not premiere until February 2024. If FX is only announcing the beginning of season 2 production in April 2026, then it could be over two years by the time we see it.

On the other hand, The Last Samurai season 2 was announced in December 2025, just a few months after season 1 premiered. It's entirely possible that we get The Last Samurai season 2 before Shōgun season 2 even enters post-production. Thankfully, The Last Samurai offers a lot of what Shōgun fans love so much about the series.