History Main / KatanasAreJustBetter

* The [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/katanas-are-underpowered-in-d20 Katanas are Underpowered in d20]] meme is based on mocking this. There was a post from a guy (who [[PoesLaw may or may not]] have been {{troll}}ing) who argued that katanas were underpowered in the [=d20=] system, accompanied with some staggeringly bad research on katanas, metalworking, and military history. Among the claims are that katanas are thrice as sharp and hard as European swords (they aren't; really sharp swords are also really brittle swords), that katanas could bisect a fully-armored knight in one slash (it's physically impossible to swing a sword with enough force to do that, and even you could, the knight himself would have a few objections to the idea), and that the medieval Europeans never tried to conquer Japan because they were scared of the katanas (Europeans had no idea Japan existed until Marco Polo's expeditions; even after they were made aware of it, Europe had no reason to conquer Japan, and trying to stretch a medieval supply chain across half the world would haven been outright impossible).

* ''Film/TheCrow'': Eric Draven briefly acquires one from Top Dollar's collection and gets more kills with it than any other weapon (he's supernaturally ImmuneToBullets thanks to the titular crow, so the obvious problem of bringing a sword to a gunfight doesn't apply). Interestingly, the weapon of choice for Top Dollar himself is a rapier.

* ''Film/FistOfFury'': Zig-zagged. The only time the two heads of the Japanese school [[CurbStompCushion pose any serious threat to]] [[Creator/BruceLee Chen]] is when they [[DirtyCoward break out katanas when they're losing]]. Yet the weapons aren't portrayed as particularly awesome, just... they're [[BiggerStick swords in a fist fight]].

* AvertedTrope in ''Dragon'' by Creator/CliveCussler, where [[Literature/DirkPittAdventures Dirk Pitt]] uses a [=19th=] century Italian dueling sabre against the BigBad who's wielding a ''katana''. The ''katana'' is played as being more powerful, but [[CripplingOverspecialization too specialized to match Dirk's defensive tactics]].
-->Kamatori's two-handed ''katana'' strokes cut the air slightly faster and carried more power than the saber in Pitt's single hand. But in the hands of a skilled fencer, the old duelling blade could reverse angle a fraction more quickly. It was also nearly thirty centimetres longer, a benefit Pitt used to keep Kamatori's slashing attack out of range of a mortal injury. The sabre combined the point with the stroke, while the ''katana'' was all slash and cut.

* Subverted in ''Dragon'' by Creator/CliveCussler, where [[Literature/DirkPittAdventures Dirk Pitt]] uses a [=19th=] century Italian dueling sabre against the BigBad who's wielding a ''katana''. The ''katana'' is played as being more powerful, but [[CripplingOverspecialization too specialized to match Dirk's defensive tactics]].

* Surprisingly (and rather hilariously) subverted in ''VideoGame/ConquerorsBlade'': the closest thing the game has to katana are the ''tachi'' swords wielded by Ronin...and Ronin are one of the ''worst'' units in the game (at least at their tier).

It seems possible that this will eventually become a DiscreditedTrope. Since the 2010s or so it has become far less universal in popular culture, and excessive boasts about the katana are frequently debunked or parodied online. However, despite the fact that its physical performance is not exaggerated as frequently, the katana is still pretty widely considered to be especially cool and stylish. See also SuaveSabre which is a western variation on curved swords.

* Deconstructed in ''Webcomic/LatchkeyKingdom'', in the "Crimson Towers" patron-sponsored arc. Holden insists on being the one to take on an ArrogantKungFuGuy swordsman from the [[FantasyCounterpartCulture equivalent]] to Japan purely to prove a point. He [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe blocks with his shield]], which [[https://latchkeykingdom.com/comics/comic/clover-towers-27-p/ cracks the blade]] because it has an eighth inch of pot steel nailed to the edge. Holden then explains the lore of katanas being folded over 10,000 times is actually to compensate for poor quality iron and not heating ore hot enough to fix that. He then pulls away and bends the sword with his axe, splintering it, then offers to help pick out a more durable replacement sword.

* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack''; Jack's katana can cut through any material, be it stone or steel. It helps that it's magical, forged by the gods out of the pureness of his father's soul.

* In ''Webcomic/LatchkeyKingdom'', in the "Crimson Towers" patron-sponsored arc, [[strike:Ba]]''Holden'' insists on being the one to take on a swordsman from the [[FantasyCounterpartCulture equivalent]] to Japan purely to prove a point. He [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe blocks with his shield]], which [[https://latchkeykingdom.com/comics/comic/clover-towers-27-p/ cracks the blade]] because it has an eighth inch of pot steel nailed to the edge. Holden then explains the lore of katanas being folded over 10,000 times is actually to compensate for poor quality iron and not heating ore hot enough to fix that. He then pulls and bends the sword with his axe, splintering it, then offers to help pick out a more durable replacement sword.

A SuperTrope to WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter, in which the ultimate sign of a MasterSwordsman in Japan is being able to defeat a steel katana using a wooden one.