Ashura (weapon)



The Ashura, also known as Asura, Ahura or Asura Knife, is a recurring katana featured several times in the Final Fantasy series. It is often the weakest katana in the games it appears in.

Final Fantasy
The Ashura is the weakest katana in the game, and can be used by Warrior, Thief, Red Mage, and their class upgrades. It has an Attack of 25, and can only be dropped from the Pharaoh in the Dawn of Souls, 20th Anniversary and iOS versions.

On the Easy Type version, it was renamed to Shinobi Katana.

Final Fantasy III
The Ashura is the weakest katana in the game and it can be equipped by the Ninja, Dark Knight, and Onion Knight. It has an Attack of 100, and is found in Falgabard and in Falgabard Cave.

Final Fantasy IV
The Ashura (also known as the Ahura or simply as Middle blade in the SNES version) is a katana equippable by Edge. It is the second weapon available to him, and provides an Attack and Accuracy of 40. It can be found in the Tower of Babil, and bought in Tomra for 7,000 gil. This weapon is metallic.

Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-
Ashura returns in the sequel of Final Fantasy IV. The katana can only be equipped by Edge and he comes initially equipped with it. It has an attack power of 32 and a accuracy of 40.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
The Ashura returns as a weapon used by the ninjas, and provides 32 Attack and 40% Accuracy. It can be bought for 7,000 gil in Eblan or found in Edge's Challenge Dungeon.

Final Fantasy V
The Ashura is a katana equippable by Samurai. It can be found in Castle Tycoon or bought in Regole, Castle of Bal, Quelb, Castle Surgate, or Jachol. It boosts 39 Attack, 42 Hit Rate, and has a 12% chance of dealing a critical hit.

Final Fantasy VI
The Ashura is Cyan's initial equipment, it can also be stolen from Kamui. It has an attack power of 57, and enables the Bushido and Runic commands.

Ashura is also one of the weapons thrown by the Outsider, which deals moderate non-elemental damage to one target.

Final Fantasy X
Any of Auron's katanas can be customized into the Asura when it features any two of the Counter abilities.

Final Fantasy XI
The Ashura is a mid-level Great Katana, crafted by goldsmiths.

Final Fantasy XII
The Ashura is the weakest ninja sword, and does Dark-elemental damage. It has 51 Attack, and requires the Ninja Swords 1 license and 40 LP to use. Ninja Swords are among the fastest weapons with 1.97s charge and 1.2s action time; only daggers are faster. It can be bought in Nalbina Fortress, Mt Bur-Omisace, and Rabanastre for 5,600 gil.

In the International Zodiac Job System version, only the Shikari class can equip the Ashura, by acquiring the Ninja Swords 1 license for 100 LP.

Final Fantasy Tactics
The Ashura is the weakest katana, having an attack power of 7. It can be bought from the outfitters for 3,000 gil. The katana's Iaido ability is called Spirit Blade, which deals non-elemental magick damage.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
The Ashura is a katana available to the Ninja and Assassin classes. It teaches Fire Veil to Ninjas. It adds +33 to Attack and can be brought from Cyril for 5,600 gil and from any other town for 6,300 gil.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Ashura returns as a katana that provides 33 Attack and is Fire-elemental. It teaches Blade Bash to Parivirs and Fire Veil to Ninjas, and can be bought for 780 gil in the shop after creating it in the Bazaar.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Ashura is an artifact found early in the game which increases the Strength of the character by one.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Asura is a level 75 dagger that provides +62 Attack and is bought for 4,500 gil.

Dissidia Final Fantasy (2015)
A pair of Ashura swords appears as an alternate weapon skin alongside the Ogre Staff and Serpent Sword for the Onion Knight available upon reaching level 7.

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade
Ashura is a rare katana in. At its base, it has an Attack of 860 and a Defense of 910. Its max level is 60, it has a cost of 12, and it has a normal leveling rate.

Etymology
Ashura is the Japanese pronunciation of Asura.

Ashura being a katana derives from influence of Buddhist and Zen teachings into the samurai class and aristocracy during the early days of the Kamakura Shougante. While samurai were taught to follow the ways of Bushido—the codes, virtues and etiquette a warrior should display in their everyday life—the other side of being a samurai entailed what was known as Shurado: the knowledge that walking the path of a warrior meant facing neverending violence, the threat of adversaries who also walked the same path, and the theological finality that one was to be reborn in the Ashura realm upon death, and the karma they had engaged in throughout their lives, all much like their mythical counterparts.