Katanas Are Just Better: Difference between revisions

* Played straight in the fifth ''[[Karano Kyoukai]]'' movie. When Shiki gets her hands on a katana, she becomes exponentially more proficient and deadly.

* In the ''[[Digimon]] Next'' manga, near the end, there is a battle between the gun-wielding RiseGreymon and the katana-wielding Zanbamon. RiseGreymon takes a few potshots at his enemy, only for him to deflect the shots and give us a quote that damn well ''embodies'' this trope:

* In the manga ''Katana'', though the protagonist is descended from a long line of Japanese swordsmiths, and can see the spirit of any sword, he doesn't want anything to do with them. Later it's played straight when he's introduced to a collector of Japanese swords, and the strongest sword spirit is a katana.

* [[Zoids|Zoids Generations]] has Liger Blue Souga, a [[Animal Mecha|lion]] [[Humongous Mecha|mecha]] that wields a katana ''with its mouth.''

== Live Action TV ==

* The [[Xena: Warrior Princess]] finale took place in Japan, and featured numerous references to the superiority of the Katana, even depicting Xena's sword being ''sliced in half'' by a katana. After her first experience with the katana (seen via flashback) warlord Xena had only one thing to say:

** In addition to Xena's initial love of the sword while she was a warlord, she used a katana again upon her second trip to Japan (the non flashback material of the finale), to fight {{spoiler|and kill}} Yodoshi, the Lord of The Darkland.

* The ''[[Highlander (TV series)|Highlander]]'' TV series carries on the film's tradition of arming its Scottish Highlander main character with a katana as his default weapon, justified as well by the sword' sentimental importance. Duncan was versed in a variety of weapons, however, and would occasionally wield other weapons--one episode had him refreshing his memory with a rapier and dagger when preparing to fight a duelist on equal terms--and sometimes switched back to his old Scottish claymore when things get very personal. In one notable episode, Duncan is able to quickly dispatch a foe after they swap weapons--while Duncan was proficient in his opponent's weapon, his enemy was totally unfamiliar with the katana.

* In ''[[Harkovast]]'', a battle is looking dire for one side until an ally shows up and defeats the enemy with little effort. Of course, unlike the other combatants that were losing their lives on the battlefield, he wields a katana!

* Quite a few Azurites in [[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]] fight with katanas (justified, Azure City is the Stick-verse's [[Wutai]]). Subverted by Belkar and Nale, who've both fought with katanas they stole from Azurites, but who switch to their [[Weapon of Choice|Weapons of choice]] at the first opportunity.

* ''[[Electric Wonderland]]'' has ''two'' characters with katanas: NJ (who doesn't use his that often) and Natasha Wing (whose katana doubles as a [[Laser Sword]]).

* In a flashback scene in ''[[Everyday Heroes]]'', Jane's mother (a former ninja) protests that Jane is [http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=125628 old enough to get a katana for Christmas] (which is the cue for a shout-out to ''[[A Christmas Story]]'').

* ''[[Sapphire]]'': Especially when it's the detonator for a bunch of exploding throwing stars.

* ''[[Things Mr. Welch Is No Longer Allowed to Do In An RPG]]'' has numerous katana jokes, none of them flattering.

1408. Even if the rules allow it, I cannot fence with a katana. }}

* Subverted in this Vocaloid Miku Miku Dance [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZx5QtxSbaU&feature=related video].