History Main / KatanasareJustBetter

* In ''VideoGame/DOTA2'', Juggernaut uses a katana and is very effective with it, able to spin around, do critical damage, and even enter an invulnerable state. He is one of the best "[[MagikarpPower carries]]" at getting kills in the early game. However, other sword-wielding carries, such as Phantom Assassin and Chaos Knight, deal higher critical damage and can potentially hit much harder than Juggernaut with the same amount of late-game farm.

** While Connor, Duncan and Ramirez all prefer katanas, it's mostly for sentimental reasons rather than the swords are "better": Ramirez's katana was a [[TragicKeepsake dowry gift from his long-dead father-in-law]], [[TakeUpMySword Connor took the katana after Ramirez's death in 1542]], and Duncan got his katana from a man who saved his life.

* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', [[LittleBitBeastly Blake Belladonna]] uses a katana to great measure, [[spoiler: until it's destroyed in the penultimate episode of Volume 6]]. [[ReforgedBlade It got better.]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLWzH_1eZsc Heavily disputed by]] WebVideo/{{Lindybeige}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytbh8mhknFA and]] WebVideo/{{Shadiversity}}.

* The [[https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Katanas_are_Underpowered_in_d20 Katanas are Underpowered in d20]] meme is based on mocking this. There was a post from a guy (who [[PoesLaw may or may not]] have been {{troll}}ing) who argued that katanas were underpowered in the [=d20=] system, accompanied with some staggeringly bad research on katanas, metalworking, and military history. Among the claims are that katanas are thrice as sharp and hard as European swords (they aren't because really hard and sharp swords are also really brittle swords), that katanas could bisect a fully armored knight in one slash (it's physically impossible for a human being to swing a sword with enough force to do that), and that the medieval Europeans never tried to conquer Japan because they were scared of the katanas (Europeans had no idea Japan existed until Marco Polo's expeditions).

** Malacath, the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] of the [[AllTheOtherReindeer Spurned and Ostracized]] and patron deity of the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orcs]], is typically depicted as wielding a large two-handed blade, like a dai-katana. Despite this, the artifact weapons most associated with him are the [[CarryABigStick mace Scourge]] and the [[DropTheHammer warhammer Volendrung]].

* In ''Manga/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime1999'', Impa gets a chance to show off her skills with the ''kodachi'' she carried in the original game. She agrees to tutor Link in swordsmanship and is the only opponent he's unable to beat.

* In the original ''VideoGame/DiabloI'', greatswords are modeled after the katana. They're the most powerful swords in the game, on paper, but generally ill-advised to wield nonetheless, because they're two-handed weapons and as such you cannot have a shield with one... which fits the imagery of katana, to be fair. On the other hand, the unique greatsword called The Grandfather, which can be wielded [[OneHandedZweihander one-handed]], is seen as one of the most powerful weapons in the game.

* Every game in the ''VideoGame/{{Siren}}'' series features a katana as a weapon. In the first game, it's the Homurangi, the traditions-old blade in Jun's real family, obtained after [[spoiler: killing a shibito-turned Jun during the final battle and used against Datatsushi]]. This is same for the game's remake/reimagining, Siren: Blood Curse. In the second game, the blades in the final boss fight are actually transformed versions of artefacts that are from the body of the deity [[spoiler: that created Mother and Otoshigo]].

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' has a katana that can be used by the Soldier and Demoman. Killing an enemy with it heals you fully, but when you pull it out in combat, you can't switch weapons until you've killed an enemy with it, leaving you vulnerable to your enemies' guns. It can also [[SingleStrokeBattle kill other katana users in one hit]]. It is a bit of an aversion. Barring the one-hit kill potential against other katana users (and being the only sword weapon the Demoman can use that still gets random crits) it does the same damage as most of the other melee weapons in the game, and the other Demoman swords also have the same extra melee range, plus other abilities that can be more useful for the "Demoknight" playstyle.\\\
In the end, it's playstyle dependent. One has to keep in mind that by equipping the aforementioned katana as a Demoman armed with one of the shields and a pair of boots, you effectively get a weapon that has no drawbacks. It provides health on kill and benefits from random critical hits (which other swords trade for additional range). The only drawback is the lack of extra range. The katana is the weapon of choice for when you want to berserk; thanks to the random crits and health on kill, killing sprees become quite common!
* Yoshimitsu out of the ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' games is for some reason allowed to bring a katana to a fistfight. Naturally, he's got a lot of manoeuvres that you can't block with your bare arms. Realistic in a way -- a katana really would be better in most situations than a bare hand, that's why people like weapons.

* Played straight in the fifth ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'' novel. When Shiki gets her hands on a katana, she becomes exponentially more proficient and deadly.

** What's the strongest one-handed melee weapon in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]''? The Katana, which is lighter than all three weapons that come close. What's the strongest two-handed melee weapon? The [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Dai-Katana]], which is significantly lighter than all two-handed weapons (except the staff, which is easily the weakest two-handed weapon).

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
** In the ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' add-on "Mothership Zeta," you can find a katana that belongs to a samurai that was kidnapped by the aliens. If you give it back to him, he'll [[RockBeatsLaser slaughter the advanced aliens]]. If you keep it, it is easily in the top tier of melee weapons in terms of damage, only falling behind for lack of perks boosting its power.

** In ''Neo Contra'', Jaguar can use his katana, which can kill enemies and bosses in a few swings. He is a {{Human Alien|s}} samurai, after all.

** Its sister series, ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' downplays this. While a few characters do use Katanas, they're only a small fraction of the game's playable cast.

* Parodied in ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor''. The description of the Katana claims [[Film/BackToTheFuture "All the best stuff is made in Japan"]] but there are better swords for raw damage. The Katana is still the best one you can craft and the hardest for enemies to dodge, however, so it's good for some characters.

* In ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide'', the author states that a katana works best when trying to behead a zombie. Where did he get this idea from? A "lost" scroll about a samurai who chopped the head off a zombie with one. He still recommends a crowbar over swords in general.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' subverts this in terms of plot and gameplay. It is mentioned that Hylians could not become accustomed to the katanas wielded by the Sheikah, who had to learn new smithing techniques. The katanas that Link can use in the game, such as the Eightfold Blade, also have limitations. They are advertised in their descriptions as having the sharpest conventional blades and they are a step up from the initial weapons, but they can be outclassed by future ones. There is also the Windcleaver, a two-handed katana dropped by high-ranking members of the antagonistic [[{{Ninja}} Yiga Clan]]. Although each swing unleashes a RazorWind, which can be handy for fighting foes from a distance, it's fairly brittle compared to other weapons of similar strength,

* ''Fanfic/{{Kage}}'': Jade eventually gets a shadow katana (a gift from [[EnemyWithin the Queen]]).

* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': Whenever he feels like dishing out damage, Hugh would brandish his Chikage to blur through his foes, making it the most frequently used melee weapon from his [[MultiMeleeMaster arsenal]]. Considering the [[BloodMagic blood rite]] it possesses, it's not nicknamed "the Murder Sword" for nothing.

* ''Fanfic/QueenOfAllOni'': Right (one of Jade's {{Battle Butler}}s) and [[DarkActionGirl Hebi]] both wield katanas.

* Nin Azura, the party's ninja in Tales of Faith, wields a katana as his weapon and carries them inside scrolls he keeps.
* Tatsu no Houho from the ''Fanfic/TamersForeverSeries'' uses a katana as his weapon of choice.

* As is Ginji Matsuzaki from ''Manga/BlackLagoon'', an underboss of the Washimine Group who takes a shirasaya katana to a mess of gunslinging yakuza goons and performs [[ParryingBullets feats like slicing bullets in half]] and slicing one cocky yakuza's gun (and his hands!) to pieces. He's even badass enough to take on Revy herself on equal footing in a one-on-one battle to the death, even though [[spoiler:he ultimately throws the fight and loses]].

A SuperTrope to WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter, in which the ultimate sign of a MasterSwordsman in Japan is being able to defeat steel katana using a wooden one.

* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'''s Nikana and upgraded Dragon Nikana are among the most powerful melee weapons in the game, only being outclassed in damage-per-second by clumsy {{BFS}}es and hammers. The Nikana is fast, [[IaijutsuPractitioner attacking almost instantly as it is drawn from the scabbard]]. It has the widest selection of [[{{Combos}} Melee Stance]] mods available; the ReverseGrip "Blind Justice", single-handed "Tranquil Cleave", and twin-handed "Decisive Judgement".
** Later on, we get the [[{{BFS}} two-handed Nikana]] weapon type, which are effectively nodachi in all but name.
** After spending a lot of time being usable only by the Dax SuperSoldier Teshin, we finally get access to the [[DualWielding Dual Nikanas]] weapon type after ''The Duviri Paradox'', starting with Teshin's signature blades the Sun and Moon.

* Used interestingly in ''Manga/BusoRenkin''. The Sword Samurai X Buso Renkin is noted to be abnormally fast and accurate (along with the ability to absorb energy attacks) but is otherwise played as the equal counterpart to the main character's [[BladeOnAStick European-super-lancey-thing Buso Renkin]], itself excelling in overpowering the opposition. It doesn't necessarily help matters that the character holding the sword had previously been training in kendo, and a bokken is ''very'' different in weight to a katana. It's also totally useless against European Victor's axe-type Buso Renkin, Fatal Attraction.

** After spending a lot of time being usable only by the Dax SuperSoldier Teshin, we finally get access to the [[DualWielding Dual Nikanas]] after ''The Duviri Paradox''.

** Katanas hardly stand out in Sengoku-era Japan, but Wolf's katana, [[NamedWeapons Kusabimaru]], seems virtually unbreakable, considering the kind of stuff he can block with it (it may actually be unbreakable, as it is noted to be a Hirata heirloom). Other than its apparent unbreakableness, however, it is still a normal katana and, while it can slice through most enemies thanks to Wolf's great skill, it is utterly useless against [[OutsideGenreFoe the Armored Warrior]], who's decked out in plate armor.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Orochimaru's Kusanagi has a number of abilities the usual kunai and shuriken don't have, such as its capacity to be controlled telepathically and an edge that can cut almost anything. This is not the case in the anime adaptation, where it is depicted as a straight, double-edged tsurugi.
** Mifune is so fast and skilled with his katana that he can strike ninjas before they finish their hand seals.

* Surprisingly for a series about samurai, [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] in ''ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo''. Usagi, a {{Ronin}}, favors his personal daisho for fighting and is shown to be quite skilled with them, but he's the first to concede that swords are ill-suited against weapons with superior range. Like, say, spears. Which would be less of a problem were it not for [[ArchEnemy Jei]] being a master of that weapon.