Katana

A traditional Japanese sword featured as a playable weapon in various action, fighting, and role-playing video games.

Action

Tactics

Role-playing (RPG)

Strategy

Racing

8

Games

1997–2008

Years

3

Platforms

$30.84

Ø CIB

-10.7%

24M change

About

In the Bushido Blade series, the Katana is a selectable weapon offering balanced speed and power for realistic sword combat. It also appears as a high-damage weapon class in Final Fantasy Tactics, a usable melee weapon in Dead to Rights II, and an equippable weapon in Final Fight: Streetwise.

In Bushido Blade (1997) and Bushido Blade 2 (1998), the weapon's implementation adheres to the "Body Damage System," where a single clean strike to the torso or head results in an instant kill, reflecting traditional samurai lethality. Within the Final Fantasy Tactics (1998) universe, these swords are specifically utilized by the Samurai job class to trigger "Iaido" abilities, which release spiritual energy to buff allies or damage foes, risking the permanent destruction of the item upon use.

The weapon transitioned into modern action settings through the Dead to Rights franchise. In Dead to Rights 2 (2000) and the spin-off Death by Degrees (2000), protagonists utilize the blade for rapid crowd control against heavily armed mercenaries. Similarly, Final Fight: Streetwise (2006) incorporates the blade as a fragile street-fighting tool in Metro City's urban brawls. The weapon also appears in Jumper: Griffin's Story (2008), where it integrates into teleportation-based combat sequences to execute swift, flanking strikes against opponents.