Katana (weapon type)

Katana, also known as Ninja Swords, Dark Blades, and Knife, are a group of weapons that occur in many Final Fantasy games. The most prominent Katana is the Masamune. Recurring katana are: Kotetsu, Kikuichimonji, Ashura, and the Muramasa and Masamune, which are the two most powerful, though the Masamune is usually idolized as the strongest.

About Katana
"Katana" is the Japanese word for "sword", but is also commonly used to denote a group of sword types originating from Japan. They bear a distinctive curved, single edged blade with a flat shaped guard, a simple handle wrapped in cloth, and subtle designs that distinguish their identities from other blades. Most are named based on the blacksmith who forged them. While specifically a backsword, a form of sword not unlike that of a saber, in the Final Fantasy series, they are presented as their own unique series of weapon, being exotic blades, swift enough to attack in the blink of an eye or having mystical powers.

In games which have classes, they are often reserved for Japanese-styled classes such as the Samurai, Parivir, and Ninja.

Final Fantasy
In Final Fantasy there are swords only equippable by the Warrior, Thief, and Red Mage classes that possess an icon resembling a Katana. These are all high-rank weapons, only obtainable later in the game.

List of Katana:
 * Scimitar
 * Falchion
 * Sasuke's Blade
 * Ashura
 * Kotetsu
 * Kikuichimonji
 * Murasame
 * Masamune

Final Fantasy III
Only the Dark Knight and Ninja Job class can equip Katana, which are called Dark Blades in the game. Murakumo can only be equipped by Dark Knights while Muramasa can only be equipped by Ninjas.

List of Dark Blades:
 * Ashura
 * Kotetsu
 * Kiku-Ichimonji
 * Masamune
 * Murakumo (DS)
 * Muramasa (DS)

Final Fantasy IV
Edge can equip two Katana at a time.

List of Katana:
 * Kunai
 * Ashura
 * Kotetsu
 * Kiku-ichimonji
 * Murasame
 * Masamune
 * Sasuke's Katana (GBA)
 * Mutsonokami (GBA)

Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-
Edge returns has the sole user who can equip two Katana at a time.

List of Katana:
 * Ashura
 * Kotetsu
 * Kiku-ichimonji

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Edge, Gekkou, Zangetsu, Izayoi, and Tsukinowa are the only ones who can equip Katana.

List of Katana:
 * Kunai
 * Kodachi
 * Kogarasu
 * Crimson Cherry
 * Ashura
 * Kiku-ichimonji
 * Boltslicer
 * Kotetsu
 * Murasame
 * Masamune
 * Mutsunokami
 * Sasuke's Katana (Dummied)

Final Fantasy V
Katanas can be wielded by Freelancers and Samurai. They deal damage based on the attacker's Strength stat, and they are among the few weapons in Final Fantasy V which can score critical hits.

List of Katana:
 * Ashura
 * Wind Slash
 * Osafune
 * Kotetsu
 * Kiku-Ichimonji
 * Murasame
 * Masamune
 * Murakumo
 * Mutsunokami (GBA)

Final Fantasy VI
Cyan can equip Katana, also known as "Knife". All katana enable the Bushido and Runic command.

List of Katana:
 * Ashura
 * Kotetsu
 * Kiku-ichimonji
 * Kazekiri
 * Murasame
 * Masamune
 * Murakumo
 * Mutsunokami
 * Zanmato (GBA)

Final Fantasy VII
Sephiroth wields a very long katana called the Masamune, which has become his trademark weapon throughout all of his appearances. Cloud also has two katana named Murasame and Yoshiyuki, and a Masamune replica (called the Masamune Blade; but it cannot be used) that can be obtained at the Gold Saucer.

Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-
Katana (Male), as per his name, wields a katana, as does the non-player character Elfé.

List of Katana:
 * Murasame
 * True Murasame

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Kadaj uses Souba in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. The Souba is a katana with two reinforced parallel blades, set a small distance apart from each other. When Kadaj turns into Sephiroth he wields his iconic Masamune.

Final Fantasy X
Auron wields heavily stylized blades referred to as Katana.

Final Fantasy X-2
Katana are used by the Samurai dressphere. Yuna uses the Spider's Kiss and Rikku uses the Katana, weapons previously wielded by Auron, while Paine has a unique unnamed katana. When in the Dark Knight dressphere, Rikku uses the Masamune.

Final Fantasy XI
Katana are one-handed blades that can be used only by Ninja, who are capable of dual-wielding them. In higher levels, dual-wielded katana are capable of impressive damage over time and moderately strong Weapon skills. Great Katana, the two-handed variants of this weapon, are the main weapon for Samurai, although Ninja are also able to equip a select few of them.

Great katana are high damage, high delay weapons. The strength of the great katana comes from the versatility in its Weapon skills. Most great katana Weapon skills are strategically placed all around the skillchain chart, making it very skillchain-friendly with other weapon types. This works well with the Samurai themselves because they can unleash Weapon skills and skillchains faster than any other Job.

Final Fantasy XII
Katana can be used after being unlocked on the License Board. They are valued for their combo ability, which can be enhanced by the Genji equipment, and it is second only to the one of the Ninja Swords.

The damage formula for katanas is:
 * $$DMG = [ATK * RANDOM(1..1.125) - DEF] * [1 + STR * (Lv+MAG)/256]$$

Due to the weight put on user's Strength and Magick Power, but also user's Level, recommended Katana user is Vaan.

In the International Zodiac Job System, only the Mononofu can equip the weapon.

List of Katana:
 * Kotetsu
 * Osafune
 * Kogarasumaru
 * Magoroku
 * Murasame
 * Kiku-ichimonji
 * Yakei
 * Ame-no-Murakumo
 * Muramasa
 * Masamune
 * Masamune I (International version)

Final Fantasy Tactics
Katanas can be equipped by the Samurai, Onion Knight, Sword Saint, and by Celia's Assassin Job. Each Katana has a specific Iaido ability. There is a chance of a Katana will break when its respective Iaido ability is utilized in battle.

List of Katana:
 * Ashura
 * Kotetsu
 * Osafune
 * Murasame
 * Ama-no-Murakumo
 * Kiyomori
 * Muramasa
 * Kiku-ichimoji
 * Masamune
 * Chirijiraden

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Katana are the weapons of choice for Assassins and Ninja, and thus are cheaper at Cyril and Muscadet. The ultimate katana is the Masamune 100.

List of Katana:
 * Ninja Knife
 * Murasame
 * Ashura
 * Petalchaser
 * Osafune
 * Kotetsu
 * Heaven's Cloud
 * Kikuichimonji
 * Mythril Epee
 * Nosada
 * Charfire
 * Silkmoon
 * Masamune
 * Masamune 100
 * Zanmato

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
A new Job, the Parivir (in fact a simple renaming of Samurai; for instance, the French version of the game names the class "Ronin", the Japanese term for a wandering samurai that serves no specific lord), is the third class to equip Katana, along with the returning Assassins and Ninjas.

List of Katana:
 * Kunai
 * Murasame
 * Ashura
 * Osafune
 * Kotetsu
 * Kiku-ichimonji
 * Ama-no-murakumo
 * Nosada
 * Adazakura
 * Ragetsu-Denbu
 * Masamune
 * Zanmato
 * Sumihomura
 * Hyakushiki-Masamune

Final Fantasy Type-0
Jack wields a Katana as his weapon of choice.

List of Katana:
 * Tachi
 * Kikuichimonji
 * Choko
 * Mukademaru
 * Murasame
 * Imperial Army's Official Sword
 * Dragon Killer
 * Kotetsu
 * Mythril Blade
 * Onikiri
 * Tengoku
 * Furinkazan
 * Muramasa
 * Bushido Blade
 * Mutsunokami
 * Genji Blade

The Final Fantasy Legend
Two katana appears in the game, both classified as swords.

List of Katana:
 * Katana
 * Masmune

Final Fantasy Legend II
Three katana appears in the game, all of them classified as swords.

List of Katana:
 * Katana
 * Muramas
 * Seven

Final Fantasy Legend III
There are three katana that appears in the game, the Muramas is classified as a sword while both the Masmune and Emperor are classified as Mystic Swords.

List of Katana:
 * Muramas
 * Masmune
 * Emperor

Bravely Default
List of Katanas:
 * Ise-no-Kami
 * Nodachi
 * Osafune
 * Raikiri
 * Kotetsu
 * Kiku-Ichimonji
 * Masamune
 * Muramasa
 * Mutsu-no-Kami
 * Ama-no-Murakumo

Dissidia Final Fantasy
Katana appear in Dissidia as a type of weapon. Garland, Firion, Bartz and Sephiroth are the only characters that can equip them originally.

List of Katana:
 * Katana
 * Nodachi
 * Uchigatana
 * Warblade
 * Kiku-ichimonji
 * Murasame
 * Heike's Blade
 * Kazekiri
 * Heaven's Cloud
 * Piggy's Stick
 * Lufenian Katana
 * Genji Blade

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Katana return in Dissidia 012, and now are also available to Warrior of Light, Cecil, Kain, Gilgamesh, Cloud, Squall, Vaan, and Lightning.

List of Katana:
 * Katana
 * Uchigatana
 * Nodachi
 * Warblade
 * Kiku-ichimonji
 * Yasha
 * Heike's Blade
 * Murasame
 * Onimaru
 * Kazekiri
 * Suzaku
 * Heaven's Cloud
 * Genji Blade
 * Piggy's Stick
 * Lufenian Katana
 * Hardwood Katana

Final Fantasy All the Bravest
Katana can be equipped by the Samurai, Ninja, and Auron.

List of Katana:
 * Homura
 * Ichigeki
 * Kagenui
 * Kiku-ichimonji
 * Kotetsu
 * Masamune
 * Murakumo
 * Nanatsusayanotachi
 * Yoshiyuki