Katana (weapon type)

Katanas are a group of weapons that occur in many Final Fantasy games. They are mainly used by the Samurai Job class in games where that class appears. The most prominent Katana is the Masamune. Recurring katanas are: Kotetsu, Kikuichimonji, Ashura, and the Muramasa and Masamune, which are the two most powerful, though the Masamune is usually idolized as the strongest.

Final Fantasy
In Final Fantasy there are Blades 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 "Katanas":
 * Asura
 * Kotetsu
 * Sasuke's Blade
 * Kikuichimonji
 * Murasame
 * Masamune

Final Fantasy III
Only the Dark Knight and Ninja Job class can equip Katanas, which are called Dark Blades in the game.

List of Dark Blades:
 * Ashura
 * Kotetsu
 * Kiki-Ichimonji
 * Masamune
 * Murakumo (DS only, Dark Knights only)
 * Muramasa (DS only, Ninjas only)

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

List of Katanas:
 * Kunai
 * Ashura
 * Kotetsu
 * Kikuichimonji
 * Murasame
 * Masamune
 * Sasuke's Katana (GBA only)
 * Mutsunokami (GBA only)

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
List of Katanas:
 * Kunai
 * Ashura
 * Kotetsu
 * Cherry Blossom
 * Kikuichimonji
 * Murasame
 * Masamune
 * Mutsunokami

Final Fantasy V
Only the Samurai Job can equip Katanas.

List of Katanas:
 * Asura
 * Kazekiri
 * Osafune
 * Kotetsu
 * Kiki-Ichimonji
 * Masamune
 * Murakumo
 * Mutsunokami (GBA only)

Final Fantasy VI
Cyan can equip Katanas, also known as "Knives". They allow him to use his Bushido techniques.

List of Katanas:
 * Ashura
 * Kotetsu
 * Kiki-Ichimonji
 * Kazekiri
 * Murasame
 * Masamune
 * Murakumo
 * Mutsonokami
 * Zanmato (GBA only)

Final Fantasy VII
Sephiroth wields a massively long katana called the Masamune, which has become his trademark weapon over time. Cloud also has two katana named Murasame and Yoshiyuki, and a Masamune replica (called the Masamune Blade; 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.

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.

Final Fantasy X
Auron's initial sword is called a Katana, though it actually appears to more closely resemble a Zanbatō.

Final Fantasy X-2
Katanas are used by the Samurai Dressphere, two of them being the same weapons previously used by Auron.

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
Katanas 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. One notable trait of Katanas in Final Fantasy XII is that they use both the Magic stat and the Strength stat, for calculating damage, which could be helpful to characters like Penelo. The higher the character's level, the more weight is put on Strength, and less on Magic, though.

List of Katanas:
 * Kotetsu
 * Osafune
 * Kogarasumaru
 * Magoroku
 * Murasame
 * Kiki-Ichimonji
 * Yakei
 * Ame-no-Murakumo
 * Muramasa
 * Masamune

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

Final Fantasy Tactics
Katanas are equipped by the Samurai class. Each Katana has a particular Iaido skill. There is a chance of a Katana breaking when its respective Iaido skill is utilized in battle.

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

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

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
A new Job, the Parivir, is the third class to equip Katanas, along with the returning Assassins and Ninjas.

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