Katanas are among the best melee weapons in Cyberpunk 2077. These elegant bladed weapons are capable of striking quickly and dealing great damage with each slice of the blade. Combine this with some interesting weapon mods and abilities and they make the player a force to be reckoned with.
RELATED: Cyberpunk 2077: 5 Iconic Weapons Worth Upgrading (& 5 To Skip)
There are at least seven Katanas in the game ranging from standard Arasaka designs to powerful iconic melee weapons only obtained through quests. For players interesting in wielding these finely crafted swords, it’s important to know which ones are the best and how to obtain them.
Updated on June 24, 2021 by Ben Baker: The world of Cyberpunk 2077 is large and it can be hard to track down certain items in the game. This is especially compounded by the issue that some items are only available during certain questlines and will be lost forever if not obtained during that time. To help players track down the best katanas in Cyberpunk 2077 it seemed appropriate to give more detailed guides. These brief walkthroughs give a general idea how to complete the quest up to the point where the katana can be obtained.
The basic Katana in the game is capable of five attacks per second making it a fast striking weapon. It comes in Rare, Epic, and Legendary variants each with their own color scheme and design. Weighing only 4.5 pounds it’s a solid melee weapon for close encounters or stealth attacks.
Katanas are wielded by a variety of opponents in the game in both Rare and Epic tiers with the latter being much harder to find. For players wanting a Legendary Katana there are two ways to get it:
- Buy one from Coach Fred at the Megabuilding H10 in Little China.
- Craft One: Requires Level 18 Crafting, Requires Edgerunner Artisan Perk, Costs 25 Rare Item Components, Costs 15 Epic Item Components, Costs 2 Legendary Item Components
The Black Unicorn is a unique variant of the standard Katana. Its main perk is the unique design as the attack rate is lower at 2.91 strikes a second. It boasts more slots than a standard Katana with up to four slots at Legendary rarity. Aside from these modest advantages, it’s more for players with a passion for The Witcher 3.
The Black Unicorn can only be obtained in the GOG version of the game. Once the player owns this version of the game they’ll find the Black Unicorn waiting in V’s stash when they start playing.
The Cocktail Stick is an interesting Iconic Katana. The purple blade deals a base damage of 63 with each strike and can attack 2.9 times per second. This results in a decent DPS of 191. It also comes with some handy abilities and perks:
- +40-49 boost to Physical damage
- +18% boost to Critical Damage
- +10% chance to inflict Bleed.
It’s a bit slow, but the damage is decent and the Bleed shortens fights when it applies.
The weapon can be obtained during the Automatic Love questline. It’s recommended to be at least level eight when starting this quest to get the Cocktail Stick katana. To get it players will need to call Judy Alvares and then meet her at Lizzie’s bar. After talking to Judy and getting Evelyn’s Cigarette Case head to Megabuilding H8. Before getting on the elevator make sure to have at least $700 on hand for the quest. The Cloud wont open until after 7pm so you might have to wait a minute.
RELATED: Cyberpunk 2077: The Best Pieces Of Cyberware In Every Slot (& Where To Get Them)
It doesn’t matter if you choose Angel or Skye upon entering. But both require $500 and drop off weapons. Use the safeword to end the encounter with the doll and get information on Evelyn leading to Booth 11.
Afterward sneak into the VIP area. Find Tom who will direct you to seek out Woodsman. At this point go into the hostile room on the left at the end of the hall. Pass a Tyger Claw sitting at a table and enter Evelyn’s dressing room, the Cocktail Stick katana is on the table below the “Bliss” sign.
Players can upgrade it to the Epic version with:
- Grease Monkey Perk
- 25 Uncommon Item Components
- 40 Rare Item Components
- 50 Epic Item Components
- 2 Legendary Item Components
It can be further upgraded to Legendary with:
- Edgerunner Artisan Perk
The surgically precise Scalpel Katana is a fast-hitting weapon with five attacks per second. With each strike dealing 145 damage that can result in a DPS of 728.4. Adding to that damage are the following perks:
- +92 - 113 Chemical damage
- +92 - 113 Electric damage
- +92 - 113 Physical damage
- +92 - 113 Thermal damage
It all but guarantees having an advantage against any opponent type.
The Scalpel is a reward for completing the Side Job Big In Japan. To start Big In Japan and get the Scalpel katana go to the Afterlife during Act 2 of the game. Talk to Dennis and accept his job. Follow the directions to the outer edges of Kabuki and look for a box labeled “No Future”.
Open the tall container and call Dennis. Either kill Tyger Claws and lead the package to safety or sneak around with the package. Whatever path make sure the package isn’t discovered. Place package in the back of a car and drive safely to the rendezvous point. After talking with Dennis the Scalpel katana will be rewarded.
Upgrading to Epic tier requires:
- Grease Monkey Perk
- 25 Uncommon Item Components
- 40 Rare Item Components
- 50 Epic Item Components
- 2 Legendary Item Components
For Legendary the player needs:
- Edgerunner Artisan Perk
The Tsumetogi is fast dealing five attacks per second with each attack dealing 150 base damage. That results in a nice DPS of 754.4 It also comes with some nice perks and abilities:
- +96-118 Electrical Damage
- +10 Electrical Resistance
- +5% Critical Hit Chance
- +10% Critical Hit Damage
- +20% Chance to inflict Shock
This is a great Katana to use against more robotic units vulnerable to Shock effects and Electrical damage.
The weapon is easiest to find if players are completing the Pisces Side Job. After completing the quest Talking Bout A Revolution talk to Judy. Go to Megabuilding H8 and follow Judy up the elevator to maintenance to fight Tyger Claws. Ride elevator to the roof and drop down into glass room.
At this point head to Maiko’s office in the Clouds and join the meeting. Make whichever decisions you want. Before leaving that office be sure to grab the Tsumetogi katana lying nearby.
Upgrading this weapon to epic only requires the Grease Monkey Perk and Legendary only requires the Edgerunner Artisan. This makes it a cheap, but powerful weapon to upgrade.
The Jinchu-Maru is a phenomenal Katana. It strikes 4.8 times a second dealing 111 damage with each hit. This means a DPS of about 536.9. Then the following abilities nudge that damage even higher:
- 100% critical hit chance when Kerenzikov is active
- The Last Strike in a combo deals double damage
- Enemies with twice the player’s health receive double damage
Basically, if the player deals a last strike against a boss it’ll be quadruple the normal damage. And that’s not factoring in the critical damage bonus if the player had Krenzikov active when they did it. To put it simply, if the player has Kerenzikov active against a boss or opponent with a lot of health it’s the best sword in the game.
Players can get this sword during the main quest Play It Safe. The main quest Play It Safe begins with a call from Takemura. Go to Japantown Market and speak to him and take the shard. After the time jump cross the footbridge and take out the first sniper. Follow the waypoints leading to the next sniper and take him out.
Quietly follow the waypoints to stealthily take out guards. When approaching the footbridge by the parade make sure to wait for a gap in the floats. Otherwise V will be trashed by the reactors. Follow the path to take out guards and make sure to knock out the drones to avoid problems later. Take out the last sniper.
RELATED: Cyberpunk 2077: The Most Useful Mods & Where To Find Them
Now head to the Foyer on the 30th floor. Inside events will lead to the boss Oda appearing. The key to this boss fight is to keep moving to avoid his Mantis Blades, use cover when he shoots his homing Smart SMB bullets, and be sure to prevent Oda from healing by keeping track of his hiding spots. Once he’s defeated he’ll drop the Jinchu-Maru katana.
It can be upgraded to Legendary with:
- Edgerunner Artisan Perk
- 25 Rare Item Components
- 40 Epic Item Components
- 3 Legendary Item Components
The best Katana in the game by far is Satori. It can deal 3.85 strikes per second with each one having a base damage of 57. A DPS of 221 isn’t much compared to other Katanas, but this weapon's strength lies in its only perk:
- +500 – 600% Critical Hit Damage
If the player lands a critical hit, which isn’t hard to do with a critical hit based build, the weapon will deal a whopping 1,105 – 1,326 with every single strike. The only Katana that even comes close is the Jinchu-Maru which requires very specific circumstances to reach this level of damage.
To get the best katana in Cyberpunk 2077 players will need to complete The Heist. Meet Dex in Afterlife after completing The Information and The Pickup. After having a drink with Jackie in the bar follow the bodyguard escort to Dex’s booth. Drop off the bot, be sure to grab the Militech suit, and talk with Dex.
After hashing out the details with Dex and ride to the hotel with Jackie. Follow Jackie’s lead to get to the 42nd floor. Guide the Flathead to the chosen location. After the long wait follow Jackie to the penthouse and grab any useful items there. Once the window is open use it to head to the roof where the best katana, the Satori, is sitting inside the AV on the landing pad.
It can be upgraded to Epic Status with:
- Grease Monkey Perk
- 25 Uncommon Item Components
- 40 Rare Item Components
- 50 Epic Item Components
- 2 Legendary Item Components
Upgrading it to Legendary requires:
- Edgerunner Artisan Perk
Next: Cyberpunk 2077: Things You Never Knew About Night City