History Main / WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter

For those familiar with Japanese culture, KatanasAreJustBetter. For those who live in Japan, Wooden Katanas Are Even Better. Ever since UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi defeated Sasaki Kojirou with a bokken ([[RockBeatsLaser a practice katana made of wood]]). Eiji Yoshikawa's ''Musashi'' has a less romantic telling, suggesting it was a bludgeoning with an ''oar'' after the eponymous fighter had been too drunk... er, late to find his weapon in time. This hasn't put a damper on the story: the wooden sword has become a symbol for the ultimate swordsman.

** It's amazing what Gintoki can do with [[InfinityMinusOneSword Lake Touya]], his curry-scented, [[LethalJokeItem totally replaceable wooden sword]] ([[TreesIntoToothpicks made from the wood of a 10,000-year-old diamond tree, albeit]]) that he purchased off of an infomercial. It [[WeaponBasedCharacterization characterizes]] him as a RetiredBadass.

For those familiar with Japanese culture, KatanasAreJustBetter. For those who live in Japan, Wooden Katanas Are Even Better. Ever since UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi defeated Sasaki Kojirou with a bokken ([[RockBeatsLaser a practice katana made of wood]]). That Eiji Yoshikawa's ''Musashi'' less romantic telling suggests it was a bludgeoning with an ''oar'' after the eponymous fighter had been too drunk... er, late to find his weapon in time hasn't put a damper on the story: the wooden sword has become a symbol for the ultimate swordsman.

Sometimes they have the [[NerfArm impossible cutting power of the steel versions]], but usually these are more about the [[TheManMakesTheWeapon skill of the wielder]] than anything else, especially if he is so skilled that he can ''[[ScissorsCutsRock make]]'' a wooden sword cut as well as a steel one. Sometimes it's actually because the wielder is a TechnicalPacifist (though bokken are also a classic weapon of JapaneseDelinquents). Bamboo shinai are also commonly used, and they are even lower impact because their construction allows for it to give more, and these often end up in the hands of younger characters. Using a wooden weapon (especially in a semi-realistic setting) also conveniently dodges rather strict Japanese laws about carrying blades over a certain size without special permits. While its level of lethality or nonlethality [[ImprobableWeapon can vary depending on the fictional setting's tone]], this is still the equivalent of striking someone with a [[BatterUp length of wood]]; broken bones and concussions are a major reason safety gear is used in real life when practicing with such weapons.

It should be noted that simply ''using'' one is not quite enough for this trope; The weapon has to stand up well. If it ''beats'' a steel weapon (a feat actually demonstrable in real-life, depending on the wood used) it's definitely an example.

-->-- '''[[http://www.cs.utah.edu/~duongsaa/more_htm/jk_100animeRules.htm The 100 Rules of Anime]]''': ''#41 The Law of [[ExpospeakGag Xylolaceration.]]''

For those familiar with Japanese culture, KatanasAreJustBetter. For those who live in Japan, Wooden Katanas Are Even Better. Ever since UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi defeated Sasaki Kojirou with a bokken ([[RockBeatsLaser a practice katana made of wood]]). That Eiji Yoshikawa's ''Musashi'' less romantic telling suggests it was a bludgeoning with an *oar* after the eponymous fighter had been too drunk... er, late to find his weapon in time hasn't put a damper on the story: the wooden sword has become a symbol for the ultimate swordsman.

It should be noted that simply *using* one is not quite enough for this trope; The weapon has to stand up well. If it *beats* a steel weapon (a feat actually demonstrable in real-life, depending on the wood used) it's definitely an example.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]
%%* A rather large variant is the preferred weapon of Hazumi Jinno in ''Anime/BakuenCampusGuardress''
* Since it focuses on kendo clubs, shinai are the primary weapons of choice for the cast of ''Manga/BambooBlade.''
* Katsuhito (or Yosho) tends to use these in the various ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'' franchises. He keeps these on hand more often than steel swords or {{Laserblade}}s that wander around. And on occasion he's been shown slicing mecha open. (On another, in the manga, after chopping up a futuristic fighting robot, ''his'' sword falls apart in pieces.)
** Though the fact that he is [[spoiler:a WarriorPrince of a star nation whose [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething royalty]] are a living, breathing {{Physical God}}s]] generally makes the matter irrelevant.
* Kunieda Aoi from ''Manga/{{Beelzebub}}'' uses a bokken that can ''cut through anything''. One of the other characters even mentioned her sword style as being deadlier than using a real sword.
** They take this trope to another level when Aoi fights a fellow wooden katana user: she manages to slice his sword using ''a ruler''.

* In ''Literature/DemonCityShinjuku'', the hero Kyoya Izayoi wields a bokken that can cut through demon because Genichirou Izayoi, Kyoya's father, had been pouring tremendous amount of spiritual energy into the weapon before his death.

* ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'': It's amazing what Gintoki can do with [[InfinityMinusOneSword Lake Touya]], his curry-scented, [[LethalJokeItem totally replaceable wooden sword]] ([[TreesIntoToothpicks made from the wood of a 10,000 year old diamond tree, albeit]]) that he purchased off of an infomercial. It [[WeaponBasedCharacterization characterizes]] him as a RetiredBadass.
** Likewise, [[KidSamurai Shinpachi]] once defeated an enemy, his [[BigBrotherMentor “Hajime-nii”]] wielding a [[LaserBlade beam saber]] in a SingleStrokeBattle.

* ''Literature/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'': Ryuu Lyon wields the wooden sword Alvis Lumina. Since it is made from a branch of a holy tree, it is strong enough to parry metal blades, and she usually uses it as a magic wand.

* The [[Manga/TheLegendOfZeldaAkiraHimekawa manga adaptation]] of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'' parodies this. Link manages to fight off a sword-wielding Tetra in a friendly match with only a mop.

* Chapter 45 of ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'' had [[{{Samurai}} Micaiah]] provoking [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable Sieg's]] SuperPoweredEvilSide by attacking her with apparent KillingIntent while using a normal bokken. While it snapped like a twig against Sieg's instinctual CounterAttack, it turned out that it had still managed to slip past her defenses and inflict a clean DiagonalCut on the ModestyTowel [[ClothingDamage she was wearing]].
* ''Literature/MagicalWarfare'' provides the page image. Takeshi Nanase is skilled enough to parry and beat up enemies holding real swords using a bamboo sword.

* Suzuka from ''Manga/OutlawStar'' also has a wooden sword, which might as well be a lightsabre considering how she uses it to cut or block almost anything, including cutting a bus in half, standing in front of it, straight down the middle, causing it to separate and go past her, one half on each side. In this case the blade's just a conduit for her KiManipulation; she use a wooden sword [[BoringButPractical because it doesn't show up on metal detectors]], but once achieved the same effect with a [[PipePain metal pipe]].

* Tatewaki Kuno of ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' can cut through ''stone walls'' with his bokken, and in his first fight, he nearly decapitated Ranma. One wonders why he even bothered to upgrade to an actual katana in his second-to-last appearance in the manga.

* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin''

** There's also her student Yahiko, who's fought his every battle (against airborne bombers, assassins, and a huge guy with a cannon-arm) with a shinai. And in both cases it's made very clear that Kaoru and Yahiko fight at a distinct disadvantage, and that they'd be much more powerful with real weapons. However, since they believe that swords are meant to protect instead of harm, their fighting spirit and skill bridge the difference. In the Kyoto Arc, Yahiko, a 12 year old kid had to fight by himself a flying guy who tossed explosives. It's even lampshaded in the manga: "When Kenshin was 12, he was still training, and Sano only had minor street fights at that age, but you have fought Henya and survived harder fights. You are the strongest 12 years old boy in the history". And he only have a stick to fight. In the spinoff one-shot ''Yahiko no Sakabato'', Yahiko has inherited the titular ''sakabato'' (reverse-bladed sword, [[TechnicalPacifist Kenshin's]] signature weapon), but he doesn't even draw it until the last few pages. Instead, he's taken [[TookALevelInBadass so many levels in badass]] during the timeskip that he can beat up two goons wielding real swords with a bamboo practice sword, all without breaking a sweat.

* ''Manga/SamuraiHaremAsuNoYoichi'', based around a martial art style using a wooden sword. The title character and the eldest two of the main family use wooden swords, and the eldest is a teacher, and has the youngest as one of her students

* ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'': Quinella makes herself completely immune to metal weapons and believes she is invincible. Kirito kills her by DualWielding a wooden sword and a sword made of ice.
* [[BadassAdorable Taiga]] [[{{Tsundere}} Aisaka]] in ''Literature/{{Toradora}}'' is more known for using [[CuteBruiser her fists]], but she also has a wooden katana which she pulls out at moments she considers to be the GodzillaThreshold.
** In the first instance she realizes she accidentally left her love letter to Kitamura in Ryuuji's bag, so that night she breaks into Ryuuji's house and tries to whack him on the head with her sword in the hope it will give him amnesia.
** Further along, after [[spoiler:Sumire rejects Kitamura's confession]], Taiga gets angry on the confessor's behalf and challenges the rejector to a sword fight. The challenged borrows a ''shinai'' to use against Taiga's ''bokuto'', and a ferocious brawl ensues.

* In the final arc of ''Manga/{{Yaiba}}'', the eponymous character participates in a nation-wide samurai contest with a wooden sword in hopes of meeting and defeating his father Kenjuro, [[spoiler:whom his purported long-lost sister Moroha claims to be an impostor who had killed their real father and kidnapped Yaiba as a child]], in the finals. He manages to best numerous powerful fighters [[spoiler:including his former comrade, Jubei]] who fought using real swords, and fights his hardest match in the finals against [[spoiler:Onimaru, who had trained under Kenjuro]], also wielding a wooden sword. According to Kenjuro, it is a test of skill: a true warrior should be able to overcome any obstacle regardless of his weapon.

[[folder: Card Games ]]
* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh!'' has the Bamboo Sword line of cards. The Broken Bamboo Sword does absolutely nothing, while the Cursed, Golden, Burning, and Soul-Devouring Bamboo Swords require the Broken one but have incredibly strong effects to make up for it. Golden Bamboo Sword's ability to draw two cards, combined with Cursed Bamboo Sword's searching, has made it one of the more notoriously effective draw engines in the game. The Original Bamboo Sword, meant to be the sword before it was broken, lets you destroy all your opponent's monsters when the equiped monster inflicts damage, meaning it is very powerful indeed.

[[folder: Comic Books ]]
* In the Creator/ChrisClaremont[=/=]ComicBook/Wolverine1982 miniseries, Mariko's father regards Logan with such contempt that he refuses to use a metal sword to beat him into submission. Note that this was the very first such major solo for Wolverine, so when the sword cut him through his torso, it challenged even his healing factor, which [[PopularityPower wouldn't happen these days]].
* ''ComicBook/TalesOfTheJedi'': [=Then-Jedi=] and eventual Sith Lord Exar Kun fought a duel against his master who was using a wooden cane. He needed ''two'' lightsabers to finally beat the guy. Lightsabers can cut through ''metal armor''. However, it's justified in that there's a rare Force ability wherein [[AWizardDidIt objects can be imbued with the Force, making them incredibly hard.]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]
* In ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy'', the Prowler carries around a shinai and her M.O. is to LeaveNoWitnesses, implying that she's bludgeoned them to death with it assuming she didn't use her wrist-mounted pellet and dart guns.
* ''Fanfic/FateDxDAU'': With the help of Reinforcement Magecraft, Ritsuka Fujimaru can slice a tree in half with a wooden sword, though the sword breaks afterwards.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Films -- Live-Action ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]
* Fighters in the ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' series by Brandon Sanderson tend to use wooden dueling canes in lieu of metal swords because the magic users in the setting can manipulate metal. Having metal on you just makes you more vulnerable to ass-kicking.
* In the ''Literature/NightWorld'' series, vampire hunter Rashel uses a wooden sword specifically referred to as a bokken. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as she ''is'' hunting vampires. It is also mentioned to cut through vampires like razor-sharp steel through a human, on at least one occasion.
* The villain in Eric Lustbader's ''The Ninja''.

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' has MasterSwordsman Syrio Forel use a wooden sword to knock down several armored enemies. Deconstructed in that, when a halfway-competent swordsman comes at him, the sword [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome breaks]]. He has a wooden sword only because they caught him in the middle of training a student, forcing him to defend himself with a practice weapon; it’s a testament to his skill that he was able to get even that far against his attackers.

[[folder: Music]]
* From Music/ShiningWizado's [[Wrestling/SteveBlackman "Steve F**king Blackman"]]
-->"Don't turn your back or he'll hit you with a UsefulNotes/{{Kendo}} stick"

[[folder: Professional Wrestling ]]
* Shinai (aka "kendo sticks" or "Singapore canes") are a popular weapon in ProfessionalWrestling. On the wrestling weapon power scale, they seem to be one step below Wrestling/TripleH's sledgehammer.

[[folder: Puppet Shows]]
* In ''Series/ThunderboltFantasy'', [[spoiler:Sho Fu Kan]]'s sword turns out to be this. He just paints the sword silver and harnesses his energy to make the blade sharp in order to keep up appearances.

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* {{Subverted}} by Zote of ''VideoGame/HollowKnight''. his Life Ender is a hand-made wooden nail, but it is completely incapable of hurting anyone, [[spoiler:including the player]]. DoubleSubverted when [[spoiler:you fight the OptionalBoss Grey Prince Zote, who is actually capable of hurting you with his nail.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Kengo}}'': the player regularly uses wooden swords in ordinary duels and official tournaments, employing a real sword for tasks such as bandit hunting or assassinations or even illegal night matches. The "better" part of the trope comes from the fact that you don't risk dying like a dog because of stroke of bad luck, while you can still benefit from passive bonuses bestowed by your real sword while you fight with the bokuto.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', a bamboo shinai you can obtain near the end of the game is extremely weak... but since equipping it gives the whole party a +50% XP bonus and you do most of your fighting with spells at that point, most players will use it exclusively from then on.

* In the ''VideoGame/SoulCalibur'' series, a bokken is Mitsurugi's joke weapon in 3, and a shinnai in 4. They make a delightful ''plok'' sound, yet are still perfectly capable of impaling someone to the hilt. Nightmare or Sigfried sometimes have an actual (uncarved) galley oar, both of these are explicit references to the original UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi.

* Properly upgraded and with its moves learned, wooden katana weaponry in ''VideoGame/WayOfTheSamurai'' are this. A notable example would be the impossibly hard-to-get Reikon-Kudaki from the second game, which differs from a regular wooden Bokuto by its wrapped grip, and its (un)naturally [[StoneWall high defense]] at the expense of extremely low offense. And what all of them shares is that, barring using the [[SetSwordsToStun Blunt]] mode at the third game, every one of them kills an enemy just as easily as a sharp katana does.
** Yes, before you ask, from the third game onward, you can dual wield wooden swords. It is as lethal as it sounds, especially in 3 due to dual wield stance's moves being incredibly powerful and versatile.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', you can transmogrify a [[http://www.wowhead.com/item=8178 Training Sword]] or [[https://www.wowhead.com/item=53280/miserys-end Misery's End]] to fit this trope. In terms of characters, there was the orc Broxigar Saurfang. After losing his axe, the demigod Cenarius gifted Broxigar with a wooden axe made of enchanted wood, stronger and sharper than steel. Broxigar would go down in history by using this axe [[spoiler:to wound ''Sargeras'', the Fallen Titan himself.]]

[[folder: Visual Novels ]]

** Taiga uses a shinai, being the sensei of a kendo dojo. It's said that in terms of stylistic skill, this Taiga is actually ''very'' good. However, she's a goofball and while her shinai is jokingly claimed to be a demonic blade, she has [[{{Muggles}} zero magical ability]], so no super powers.

[[folder: Webcomics ]]
* Dellyn in ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' has a body that's partially made of magical wood, and can quickly grow wooden weapons out of it to defend himself. When he gets into a tavern brawl with another adventurer, his wooden sword is able to sunder the metal sword of his opponent, to the opponent's complete disbelief.

* ''WebComic/TowerOfGod'': In a variant that amounts to about the same thing, when MasterSwordsman Hatz loses his beloved katana, he starts fighting with a random hollow metal pipe. Of course, [[SupernaturalMartialArts he reinforces it with Shinsu]].

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' episode "Mystery Train", the train conductor who "murdered" everyone had a wooden sword and it was able to stand up to Finn's sword without breaking in a sword fight.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' episode "Oni-chan", Kagami manages to chop down a tree with a bokken. However, the bokken doesn't survive the experience either, and it's not meant to showcase the bokken's cutting power or even her skill with it, but rather [[WomanScorned how angry she is at the moment]].
* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' had an episode where Jack faces a poser named [[BlaxploitationParody Da Samurai]] who challenges him into a duel. Jack insists they battle with bamboo sticks instead of blades. The wannabe takes a beating until an entire group of Aku's latest-model of Assassin Robots surrounds him and immobilizes Da Samurai; who watched on in awe as Jack used that same bamboo stick to wipe out the Assassin Robots.

[[folder: Real Life ]]

** Taiga uses one, being the sensei of a kendo dojo. It's said that in terms of stylistic skill, this Taiga is actually ''very'' good. However, she's a goofball and while her shinai is jokingly claimed to be a demonic blade, she has [[{{Muggles}} zero magical ability]], so no super powers.
** Shirou, from the same series, uses a bokken or a shinai near the beginning of some routes (before upgrading to projected weaponry, generally the scimitars [[DualWielding Kanshou and Bakuya]]) with the added justification of [[FunctionalMagic Strengthening Magic]]. And even strengthened, his bokken quickly break due to Kuzuki's [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower sheer martial arts skills]].
** Tetsuro from ''Roleplay/FateNuovoGuerra'' ups the ante by DualWielding them.

** Donatello's wooden Bo also counts, though this trope has been defied on some occasions involving him.

* Suzuka from ''Manga/OutlawStar'' also has a wooden sword, which might as well be a lightsabre considering how she uses it to cut or block almost anything, including cutting a bus in half, standing in front of it, straight down the middle, causing it to separate and go past her, one half on each side. In this case the blade's just a conduit for her KiManipulation, and she was able to take down several armed combatants by using her sword fighting moves while using an ordinary lead pipe. Basically, if Suzuka has it in her hands, she can use it to slice ANYTHING in half. Suzuka claims this to be "[[CharlesAtlasSuperpower a simple feat of strength]]", but nobody else in the series (even ones with SuperStrength exceeding her own) shows the ability to make clean slices using dull objects.

* In the final arc of ''Manga/{{Yaiba}}'', the eponymous character participates in a nation-wide samurai contest with a wooden sword in hopes of meeting and defeating his father Kenjuro, [[spoiler:whom his purported long-lost sister Moroha claims to be an impostor who had killed their real father and kidnapped Yaiba as a child]], in the finals. He manages to best numerous powerful fighters [[spoiler:including his former comrade, Jubei]] who fought using real sword, and fights his hardest match in the finals against [[spoiler:Onimaru, who had trained under Kenjuro]], also wielding a wooden sword. According to Kenjuro, it is a test of skill: a true warrior should be able to ovecome any obstacle regardless of his weapon.

For those familiar with Japanese culture, KatanasAreJustBetter. For those who live in Japan, Wooden Katanas Are Even Better. Ever since UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi defeated Sasaki Kojirou with a bokken ([[RockBeatsLaser a practice katana made of wood]]). That Eiji Yoshikawa's ''Musashi'' less romantic telling suggests it was a bludgeoning with an *oar* after the eponymous fighter had been too drunk.. er, late to find his weapon in time hasn't put a damper on the story: the wooden sword has become a symbol for the ultimate swordsman.

* Tatewaki Kuno of ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' can cut through ''stone walls'' with his bokken, an in his first fight, he nearly decapitated Ranma. One wonders why he even bothered to upgrade to an actual katana in his second-to-last appearance in the manga.

* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' had an episode where Jack faces a poser named [[BlaxploitationParody Da Samurai]] who challenges him into a duel. Jack insists they battle with bamboo sticks instead of blades. The wannabe takes a beating and draws his real sword, which Jack defeats with the same bamboo stick.