The Katana is a melee weapon that is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. It has historically been associated with the samurai of feudal Japan, and has become renowned for its sharpness and strength.
Pre-Apocalypse
Historically, a Katana were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan, also commonly referred to as a "samurai sword". Modern versions of the Katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods.
Post-Apocalypse
Comic Series
The katana is seen from Issue 19 all the way to the present issue being effective in cutting up and chopping off parts of a zombie.
After the 25 year time skip, Michonne's sword is owned by Carl Grimes who uses it to put down one of Hershel Greene's walkers when it gets onto his property. Carl later uses the sword to put down all of the rest of Hershel's walkers.
TV Series
A katana is the signature weapon of Michonne Grimes. Michonne later admits that it wasn't hers originally, but she found it near the beginning of the outbreak and learned how to use it.
Though it is instantly recognizable as Michonne's signature weapon for defending herself and threats to her group, it has ironically twice been used to kill her friends; once when the Governor decapitates Hershel Greene and when Pete Anderson slices Reg Monroe's throat by mistake while trying to kill Rick Grimes. After Hershel's murder, Michonne recovered her sword and used it to mortally wound the Governor before sorrowfully putting down Hershel's reanimated severed head with the same weapon that had killed him.
On a solo supply run, when Michonne assumes Rick is being devoured by walkers, she drops her katana. Rick then exits his hiding spot and picks it up. He uses it briefly to beat down a walker before throwing it back to her.
During the six years following the supposed death of Rick Grimes, Michonne trains Judith in how to fight with a sword and a smaller version of Michonne's katana becomes Judith's signature weapon, although she will occasionally also use her father's Colt Python. Judith primarily uses her katana with great effectiveness to dispatch walkers, although she does use it to kill a Whisperer during the fall of the Hilltop.
Following the relocation of many of Alexandria's residents to the Commonwealth, Judith's katana is one of the weapons offered to Sebastian Milton for his "advanced military training." Along with the other weapons of the Coalition, Sebastian treats the sword with disrespect, calling it a "toothpick" and tossing it aside.
The Ones Who Live
Michonne continues to use her katana during her search for Rick. After her group is attacked by the CRM with Chlorine Gas, Michonne uses her sword to put down a few zombified members of her group and Aiden and Bailey.
After Nat shoots down a CRM helicopter, Michonne uses her sword to kill two of the Frontliners and attacks the third soldier with it, only to discover that it's Rick, causing Michonne to drop her sword. When Nat is fatally shot by a surviving Frontliner, Rick grabs the sword and uses it to finish the soldier off while Michonne tends to her dying friend. Rick then plants Michonne's sword on Nat to make it look like he was the one who had killed the Frontliners with Michonne lying in her interview with the CRM that her weapon of choice was a bo staff instead that she had lost. However, Jadis recognizes both the sword and its owner and confronts Rick.
As a consignee, Michonne's sword is replaced with a Kill Stick. However, Rick secretly returns Michonne's sword to her while helping his wife to escape. After discovering that Rick is not leaving with her, Michonne stashes her sword somewhere and returns to work as a consignee.
Michonne retrieves her sword before returning home with Rick. When Judith greets her parents, she is wearing both Rick's old Colt Python and her own sword.
Telltale Series
For an unknown reason, Michonne has switched to a machete instead of her usual katana after leaving Alexandria. However, she wields her old katana in a hallucination of her fighting walkers while trying to reach her daughters.
Destinies
Michonne has her katana taken from her when she is first taken to Woodbury, but after becoming suspicious, she sneaks into the Governor's home and she steals it back. After encountering a zombified Penny Blake, Michonne can choose to either put the little girl down with her sword or spare her, causing Merle Dixon/T-Dog to turn against the Governor and take control of Woodbury. Michonne uses her sword to fight her way out of the town and through the militia soldiers in the store where she first meets Daryl Dixon.
After Michonne is captured by the Woodbury leader, he takes the sword from her and uses it to kill either Michonne or Glenn depending upon who makes the case for everyone to live together in peace. If Michonne is the one who is killed, Glenn takes her sword for himself as he escapes from the burning and destroyed prison, using it to fight his way out past the walkers overrunning the prison.
Killed Victims
The following is a list of victims killed with a katana:
TV Universe
- Crowley (Alive)
- Tim (Caused, Alive)
- Hermit
- Penny Blake (Zombified)
- Hershel Greene (Alive and Zombified)
- Philip Blake (Caused)
- Tyreese Williams (Alive, Accidental; Before Reanimation, Off-Screen)
- Reg Monroe (Alive)
- Barnes (Out of Mercy)
- Ron Anderson
- Gabe (Alive)
- Kurt (Zombified)
- Jocelyn (Alive; Possibly, Before Reanimation)
- Mitchell (Alive; Possibly, Before Reanimation)
- Linus (Alive; Possibly, Before Reanimation)
- Gina (Alive; Possibly, Before Reanimation)
- P.J. (Alive; Possibly, Before Reanimation)
- Bernie (Zombified)
- Earl Sutton (Zombified)
- Lisa (Zombified)
- Jasmine (Zombified)
- Bobby (Zombified)
- Aiden (Zombified)
- Bailey (Zombified)
- 3 unnamed Woodbury soldiers (Zombified)
- 1 unnamed Big Tony's Express Mart employee (Zombified)
- 2 unnamed members of the Governor's Militia (Zombified)
- 2 unnamed Saviors
- Numerous unnamed Chilton High School survivors (Zombified)
- 5 unnamed Scavengers (Zombified)
- 7 unnamed members of Jocelyn's group (Alive; Possibly, Before Reanimation)
- 5 unnamed Whisperers
- 22 unnamed Bloodsworth Island residents (Zombified)
- 3 unnamed members of Nat's Group (Zombified)
- 3 unnamed Frontliners
- Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people
Comic Universe
- Eugene Cooney
- James Steagal
- Eric
- Raymond Hilliard
- Tyreese (Alive and Zombified)
- Chris (Along with her fellow survivors)
- Theresa (Along with her fellow survivors)
- Albert (Along with her fellow survivors)
- David (Along with her fellow survivors)
- Greg (Along with her fellow survivors)
- Charlie (Along with her fellow survivors)
- Morgan Jones (Caused; Accidental)
- Denise Cloyd (Before Reanimation; Assumed)
- At least 3 unnamed Saviors
- At least 5 unnamed Whisperers
- Numerous counts of zombies
Destinies
- Penny Blake (Zombified, Determinant)
- Michonne Hawthorne (Determinant)
- Glenn Rhee (Determinant)
- Many unnamed militia soldiers
- Numerous counts of zombies
References
Melee Weapons
| |
|---|---|
| Blades | Axe • Balisong • Bayonet • Bec de Corbin • Bush Axe • Fire Axe • Halberd • Hatchet • Kama • Katana • Knife • Kukri • Machete • Meat Cleaver • Pickaxe • Pizza Rocker • Push Dagger • Rock Pick • Saw • Scythe • Sickle • Sword |
| Sharp Weapons | Awl • Bear Trap • Boat Hook • Cane • Fire Poker • Hay Hook • Kill Stick • Lawn Edge • Morning Stars • Pitchfork • Pool Cue • Road Spikes • S-Pole • Screwdriver • Spear • Spike Strip |
| Blunt Weapons | Baseball Bat • Baton • Brass Knickles • Car Club • Crowbar • Digging Bar • Fire Extinguisher • Golf Club • Hammer • Long Handle Weeder • Monkey Wrench • Rebar • Shovel • Sledgehammer • Staff • Tire Iron • Wrench |
| Prosthetics | Aaron's Arm • Agent 46's Arm • Alicia's Arm • Amy's Arm • Davon's Leg • Hank's Hand • Hershel's Leg • Jeff's Leg • Merle's Arm • Rick's Hand • Kenny |
| Signature Weapons | Abraham's Tomahawk Axe • Ajax's Sword • Alicia's Sharpened Barrel Shroud • Axel's Iron Mace • Axel's Shield • Aya's Police Rod • Beta's Knife • Beale's Sword • Blaine's Garden Shears • Brody's Hammer • Byte's Bladed Mic • Cameron's Shield • Carol's Knife • Caroline's Whip • Catherine's Barbell • Circuit's Polearm • Circuit's Shield • Clementine's Fire Axe • Corvis' Sword • Dakota's Knife • Daniel's Folding Straight Razor • Dario's Sword • Daryl's Knives • Daryl's Morning Star • David's Pipe Knife • Diego's Saw • Elijah's Kamas • Elton's Axe • Elton's Fisherman • Emile's Battle Axe • Emily's Shock Rod • Eric's Fire Axe • Ezekiel's Sword • Fanya's Bolas • Fynn's Battle Axe • Gideon's Spike Strip • Guide's Bear Trap • Han's Tire Hammer • Henry's Staff • Hudson's Traffic Sign • Imani's Knife • Iris' Brambled Mace • Isabelle's Morning Stars • Jacki's Police Batons • Javier's Baseball Bat • Javier's Hammer • Jeremiah's Crucifix • Jerry's Battle Axe • Jarvis' Saw • Jesus' Sword • Jiang's Spear • Judith's Katana • Kingston's Shield • Lady Z's Sword • Lang's Kama • Laura's Chain Weight • Lee's Fire Axe • Losang's Staff • Lyle's Hammer • Madison's Hammer • Magna's Warhmmaer • Marge's Dual Wield Wrenches • Matthew's Knife • Mercer's Axes • Michelle's Hooks • Michonne's Katana • Miho's Naginata • Morgan's Shield • Morgan's Staff • Nicholas' Saws • Nick's Spear • Ophelia's Circuit Staff • Oliver's Shield • Preach's Cross Staff • R's Concrete Hammer • Rania's Handcuffs • Reynaldo's Battle Axe • Rick's Hatchet • Roadie's Knife • Rosita's Macuahitl • Ryan's Saw • Sandy's Brass Knuckles • Sarah's Shield • Siddiq's Saw • Silas' Wrench • Shane's Shield • Souta's Shield • Stalker's Spear • Steve's Flail • Strand's Sword • Tara's Sword • Titan's Baseballbat Mace • Tylor's Throwing Knives • Tyreese's Hammer • Wangfa's Sword • Young-Min's Knives • Chairles • Hilda • Lucille • Mandy • Shiloh • Soul Cleaver |
| Miscellaneous Weapons | Amper Serum • Cattle Prod • Compactor • Salt Lick • Shield • Street Sign • Whip |