Cyberpunk 2077: All Katanas, Ranked

Cyberpunk 2077 has plenty of incredible melee weapons, but those looking to hack and slash their way through the many gangs of Night City and even take on MaxTac themselves might want to look for the best Iconic Katanas in Cyberpunk 2077. With 9 Iconic Katanas in Cyberpunk 2077, it’s essential to know where to find them and which of them will offer players the best time.

For the chooms that want to unlock their inner samurai and impress Johnny Silverhand, the best Katanas will be essential for their builds, offering players high-risk and high-reward playstyles that will see them shred the competition with a loyal blade, aided by the special effects that come with Iconic weapons.

9 Black Unicorn

A Hard-Hitting Katana Where Stamina Means Nothing

• How to Get Black Unicorn: Own Cyberpunk 2077 on GOG Galaxy, or link your Cyberpunk 2077 account to GOG.

The Black Unicorn may share a reference with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, but the similarity ends there. It’s a sharp katana that might be useful at the start of the game due to how accessible it is within V’s Stash, but it’s a katana that doesn’t see much use when compared to alternatives. Players can continue to swing the sword when their Stamina runs dry, but swinging wildly and without precision isn’t the mark of a true samurai.

8 Tsumetogi

A Katana That Deals Electrified Attacks

• How to Get Tsumetogi: Found in a display stand in the Pisces mission, or looted from Hiromi Sato.

Tsumetogi is a visually stunning Iconic Katana, but outside of its looks, it doesn’t serve players all that well. It’s a katana that provides bonus Electrical damage and a minuscule chance to apply Shock to enemies, and that’s pretty much it. While players can see 5% more damage from stronger attacks like blocks, sprinting, and jumping, there’s just not enough of a bonus to warrant using this warrior’s blade.

7 Cocktail Stick

Shut Down Enemy Abilities and Make Them Bleed During Optical Camo Attacks

• How to Get Cocktail Stick: Inside the dressing room within Clouds during the Automatic Love mission.

The cocktail stick isn’t the most flattering of weapons visually, and there’s something a tad crude and lewd about its design within Clouds. However, despite its visual style, it’s a weapon that does a great job of impaling targets who are unaware. Cocktail Stick provides a 16-second Bleed effect for enemies attacked while V is using Optical Camo, and this ability will also disable the affected enemies’ abilities to double-jump, dash, and dodge, making for a weapon viable for shutting down certain types of enemies, but also one that’s a tad too situational.

6 Errata

Burn Enemies and Hit Each Burning Target with Crit Damage

• How to Get Errata: Found within Electric Corporation’s Power Plant forge within the Disasterpiece mission.

Errata easily has one of the best visual styles of any katana in Cyberpunk 2077 thanks to its glowing blade, but it’s also one with a rather lacking modifier. Those who use Errata might want to watch the world burn, as it provides aggression like no other by allowing players to leap toward enemies and risk burning them with a 30% chance for every strike. Those affected by Burning will get guaranteed Crit Damage from every Errata strike. It’s aggressive and fiery, but not the best.

5 Satori

An Arasaka Blade that Pairs with Nehan and Inflicts Bleed/Siphon

• How to Get Satori: Found within Saburo Arasaka’s AV on the rooftop during The Heist.

One of the first katanas players can find in Cyberpunk 2077 is a rather important one, as it’s the blade of Saburo Arasaka. Despite the stature and power of this man, his katana isn’t all that special, and players will need to pair it with the Nehan knife for further effects, as using Nehan to provide Bleeding and then using Satori as a main method of attack will provide hemorrhaging, which siphons health from enemies into V. It’s a fun weapon, but there are superior choices.

4 Gwynbleidd

More Damage Against Bosses and Crit Hits for Rapid Kills

• How to Get Gwynbleidd: Own The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty on GOG Galaxy or link your account.

Geralt’s iconic sword from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt goes Cyberpunk with its addition to Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. This katana has a few great sets of modifiers thanks to its ability to deal more damage on the plethora of bosses within Night City and Dogtown. It’s a katana that also sees complimentary styles from killing enemies, as each kill bolsters time where every hit is a Critical Hit for extended damage, but it’s a tad high-risk and high-reward due to the high-damage output, but lacks invested healing.

3 Jinchu-maru

All Attacks Provide Crit Damage in Optical Camo, and So Is the Last Hit

• How to Get Jinch-maru: Loot from Sandayu Oda in the Play It Safe mission.

Jinch-maru provides a classic feel to a razor-sharp katana, and its modifier bolsters that feeling by gifting players the opportunity to strike and kill those most foul. On top of having increased damage against Elite enemies, Jinch-maru also favors a flurry of attacks in a combo, for the last hit provides Crit damage. To those who want further Crit damage, Optical Camo will be their ally, as it provides both stealth and Crit damage on each hit while it’s active.

2 Byakko

Kill One Enemy to Temporarily Have a Speed Boost to Every Attack

• How to Get Byakko: Complete all 8 of Wakako Okada’s Gigs

Byakko is easily one of the best Katanas in Cyberpunk 2077thanks to its unique modifier that allows players to set themselves up as the Grim Reaper. With just one kill, players will see an increase to attack speed by over 17.5%, allowing them to continuously hack and slash at their enemies with unrelenting fury. It’s a katana well worth the grind of Wakako’s missions, and just after one kill, players can easily see an improvement in their fighting style due to their fast attack speed.

1 Scalpel

Activate the Sandevistan to Provide Crit Damage and Bleeding to Every Hit Enemy

• How to Get Scalpel: Complete the Big in Japan Side Job

For players who need something more precise for their builds, Scalpel might be the tool they are looking for. This is a katana that really only works well with Sandevistan, but that’s a Cyberware that everyone should have if they want to use melee weapons due to how it slows time to the point where it practically stops for everyone but V. With Sandevistan active, players are able to attack enemies with unrelenting precision, with each attack being a near-instant Crit Chance and Bleeding Chance to really cut everyone up before they can even register what’s going on.