Cyberpunk 2077 Best Katanas: Locations & Crafting

Slash your enemies away with these sharp lethal Katanas. We have listed best Katanas in Cyberpunk 2077 along with their locations.

Katanas are one of the best melee weapons found in Cyberpunk 2077. These Katanas can pack a great punch. They are considered one of the best melee weapons to use in the game. So, in this guide, we will discuss some of the best Katanas in Cyberpunk 2077.

Key Highlights

Here are the Best Cyberpunk 2077 Katanas, and how to get them:

  1. Jinchu-Maru: Fast and obtained in the “Play It Safe” quest.
  2. Satori: Boosts critical damage, found in the Arasaka building during “The Heist.”
  3. Scalpel: An electrical katana, acquired in the “Big In Japan” side job.
  4. Tsumetogi: High damage, found during the “Pisces” side job.
  5. Black Unicorn: Witcher-inspired, available in V’s Stash from GOG.
  6. Cocktail Stick: Enhances decapitation chance, found in the “Automatic Love” quest.
  7. Standard Katana (Legendary Variant): Modifiable for Electrical, Chemical, and Thermal damage, purchased from the Melee Weapon Vendor in Japantown.

Related: Cyberpunk 2077 Best Weapons

Best Katanas in Cyberpunk 2077

There are a total of seven different Katanas to choose from in Cyberpunk 2077. Each one of them has its own specifications. All of them are creatively designed. These Katanas are ranked below, along with their locations. Following is the list of cyberpunk 2077 katanas ranked.

KatanaBest ForMission / QuestUpgrade Requirement (Epic)Upgrade Requirement (Legendary)
Jinchu-MaruBest Katana For High Damage And Fast Speed.Play It Safe-- Edgerunner Artisan
- Epic Jinchu-Maru
- x45 Rare Components
- x40 Epic Components
- x10 Legendary Components
SatoriBest Katana For Enhanced Crit Damage.The Heist- Grease Monkey
- Rare Satori
- x35 Uncommon Components
- x30 Rare Components
- x35 Epic Components
- x2 Legendary Components
- Edgerunner Artisan
- Epic Satori
- x25 Rare Components
- x40 Epic Components
- x3 Legendary Components
ScalpelBest Katana For Agility And Precision.Big (Side Job)- Grease Monkey
- Rare Scalpel
- x25 Uncommon Components
- x40 Rare Components
- x50 Epic Components
- x2 Legendary Components
- Edgerunner Artisan
- Epic Scalpel
- x25 Rare Components
- x40 Epic Components
- x3 Legendary Components
TsumetogiBest Katana For Increased Survivability.Pisces (Side Job)- Grease Monkey
- Rare Tsumetogi
- x25 Uncommon Components
- x40 Rare Components
- x50 Epic Components
- x2 Legendary Components
- Edgerunner Artisan
- Epic Tsumetogi
- x25 Rare Components
- x40 Epic Components
- x3 Legendary Components
Black UnicornBest Easily Accessible High Damaging Katana.Unlocked Automatically - Grease Monkey
- Rare Black Unicorn
- x25 Uncommon Components
- x40 Rare Components
- x50 Epic Components
- x2 Legendary Components
- Edgerunner Artisan
- Epic Black Unicorn
- x25 Rare Components
- x40 Epic Components
- x3 Legendary Components
Cocktail StickBest Katana For High Battle Effectiveness.Automatic Love- Grease Monkey
- Rare Cocktail Stick
- x25 Uncommon Components
- x40 Rare Components
- x50 Epic Components
- x2 Legendary Components
- Edgerunner Artisan
- Epic Cocktail Stick
- x25 Rare Components
- x40 Epic Components
- x3 Legendary Components
Standard KatanaBest Early Game Balanced Katana.Melee Weapon Vendor, Westbrook- Grease Monkey
- x30 Epic Components
- x20 Rare Components
- x20 Uncommon Components
- Crafting level 18
- Edgerunner Artisan
- x25 Rare Components
- x15 Epic Components
- x2 Legendary Components

Jinchu-Maru

Best Katana For High Damage And Fast Speed.
Strong cyberpunk katana
Jinchu-Maru
  • Why I Chose This: One of the fastest katanas in the game and the high damage it deals.

Jinchu-Maru, the katana owned by Sandayu Oda, is among Cyberpunk 2077’s fastest katanas, delivering five hits per second. It excels in damage output, dealing double damage to enemies with twice your health and quadruple damage with the final combo strike. Pairing it with the Kerenzikov cyberware boosts critical chance to 100%, making it a lethal weapon. Its base attack of 260 can be enhanced with mods and perks, making it one of the top katanas in the game.

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Location and crafting

You can obtain Jinchu Maru from the “play it safe” quest. 

You can upgrade it to legendary for more serious damage with the following components:

  • Requires Perk: Edgerunner Artisan
  • Item Required: Jinchu-Maru (Epic)
  • 25 Rare Item Components
  • 40 Epic Item Components
  • 3 Legendary Item Components
  • High speed with 5 hits/sec.
  • High damage and 4x damage with the final combo strike.
  • Pair with Kerenzikov cyberware increases crit chance to 100%.
  • Upgrading to legendary status requires different status components.
  • Optimal performance requires specific cyberware.

Satori

Best Katana For Enhanced Crit Damage.
Cyberpunk 2077 Satori location
Satori
  • Why I Chose This: The significant increase in crit damage it provides on top of the enhancement capabilities.

The Satori is a legendary Katana with a rich history, previously owned by Saburo Arasaka. It boasts a rapid attack speed of 2.50 hits per second and a base damage of 57 with a DPS of 221. What sets the Satori apart is its unique ability to increase critical damage by a staggering 500%, albeit with a 20% reduction in base damage. This feature allows you to deliver unmatched heavy damage to your foes, easily exceeding 1000 points.

To further enhance its potency, consider applying mods like Scourge, White-Knuckled, and Kunai. Complement your playstyle with perks such as Blood Brawl, Too Close for Comfort, Ninjutsu, and Stunning Blows to maximize your melee damage. The Satori is undoubtedly one of the best melee weapons in Cyberpunk 2077.

Location and crafting

You can obtain Satori during the main story mission, “The Heist”.

To enhance Satori to epic you would need:

  • Required Perk: Grease Monkey
  • Required Weapon: Satori (Rare)
  • 35 Uncommon Item Components
  • 30 Rare Item Components
  • 35 Epic Item Components
  • 2 Legendary Item Components

To enhance Satori to legendary rarity you would need:

  • Required Perk: Edgerunner Artisan
  • Required Weapon: Satori (Epic)
  • 25 Rare Item Components
  • 40 Epic Item Components
  • 3 Legendary Item Components
  • Rapid attack speed.
  • Unique ability allowing for 500% increase in crit damage.
  • High base damage.
  • Versatile.
  • 20% decrease in base damage with crit damage increase.
  • Specific perks and component requirement for crafting.

Scalpel

Best Katana For Agility And Precision.
Scalpel quest
Scalpel
  • Why I Chose This: The exceptional agility and precision it provides on top of the electrical damage.

The Scalpel Katana is a highly agile and precise weapon, striking at a rate of 5 hits per second with a base attack of 302 and a DPS of 1513.2. This Electrical Katana amplifies your damage output, adding significant Electrical damage and a 20% increase in the chance to shock your enemies. It’s particularly effective when paired with the Sandevistan cyberware, boosting critical damage and inflicting bleeding damage on foes.

The Scalpel is renowned for its precision and damage potential, making it a top choice among katanas in Cyberpunk 2077, and can be further enhanced with mods and perks.

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Location and crafting

You can obtain Scalpel by completing the side job Big in Japan.

To upgrade scalpel to epic, you would need:

  • Required Perk: Grease Monkey
  • Required Weapon: Scalpel (Rare)
  • 25 Uncommon Item Components
  • 40 Rare Item Components
  • 50 Epic Item Components
  • 2 Legendary Item Components

And for legendary, you would need:

  • Required Perk: Edgerunner Artisan
  • Required Weapon: Scalpel (Epic)
  • 25 Rare Item Components
  • 40 Epic Item Components
  • 3 Legendary Item Components
  • High agility and precision.
  • Significant damage.
  • Deals electrical damage.
  • Crafting and enhancement requirements.
  • Limited availability.

Tsumetogi

Best Katana For Increased Survivability.
Tsumetogi location
Tsumetogi
  • Why I Chose This: The higher damage-dealing capabilities and rapid strike allow for increased survival.

Tsumetogi is a formidable katana with a base attack of 265 and a DPS of 1326.5. As the signature weapon of Hiromi Sato, its stunning design features a golden yellow hilt with a red inscription. This katana delivers rapid attacks at a rate of five hits per second. It provides 10% resistance against electrical attacks and slightly boosts your weapon’s electrical damage, with a chance to inflict the shock status effect on enemies.

Notably, it increases the damage for non-standard attacks, making it highly effective for combo and heavy attacks, establishing Tsumetogi as one of the top katanas in Cyberpunk 2077 for potent offensive capabilities.

Location and crafting

You can obtain this Katana during the Pisces side job

To craft Tsumetogi to epic rarity, you would need:

  • Required Perk: Grease Monkey
  • Required Weapon: Tsumetogi (Rare)
  • 25 Uncommon Item Components
  • 40 Rare Item Components
  • 50 Epic Item Components
  • 2 Legendary Item Components

You might want to upgrade it to legendary with:

  • Required Perk: Edgerunner Artisan
  • Required Weapon: Tsumetogi (Epic)
  • 25 Rare Item Components
  • 40 Epic Item Components
  • 3 Legendary Item Components
  • High damage output.
  • Rapid strike rate.
  • Slight increase in the weapon’s electrical damage.
  • Limited availability.

Black Unicorn

Best Easily Accessible High Damaging Katana.
Black unicorn in rewards
Black unicorn in rewards
  • Why I Chose This: The unique design on top of the high damage-dealing capabilities with easy accessibility.

The black unicorn sword, inspired by The Witcher franchise, is an eye-catching black katana adorned with runestones reminiscent of Witcher 3. This modernized take on a classic Witcher blade has earned acclaim from Witcher 3 players and serves as an excellent early-game katana in Cyberpunk 2077. Boasting a robust base attack of 449 and a high DPS of 2,249.1, it delivers immense damage to adversaries.

With a rapid attack speed of 5 hits per second, it stands out as one of the finest katanas in Cyberpunk 2077 due to its potent offensive capabilities. Additionally, it offers four legendary mod slots, allowing for further enhancement with various mo

Location and crafting

You can obtain this blade easily early on in the game. There are no quest or side job requirements to obtain a Black unicorn.

To upgrade it to epic, you would need:

  • Required Perk: Grease Monkey
  • Required Weapon: Black Unicorn (Rare)
  • 25 Uncommon Item Components
  • 40 Rare Item Components
  • 50 Epic Item Components
  • 2 Legendary Item Components

And to enhance Black Unicorn to legendary rarity, you would require:

  • Required Perk: Edgerunner Artisan
  • Required Weapon: Black Unicorn (Epic)
  • 25 Rare Item Components
  • 40 Epic Item Components
  • 3 Legendary Item Components
  • Immense damage.
  • Eye-catching design.
  • Allows for further enhancements.
  • Specific perks and components require crafting and enhancement.

Cocktail Stick

Best Katana For High Battle Effectiveness.
Cyberpunk 2077 katana list
Cocktail stick
  • Why I Chose This: The effectiveness it provides in battles on top of the massive damage it deals.

A Katana entirely pink in color, It’s a signature weapon of Evelyn Parker. It has a strong base Attack of 260 and a Dps of 1300.9.  This Katana has a high speed of 5 hits per second. This Katana may look like a toy, but it packs a great punch.

It can be highly lethal to the enemies as this Katana can greatly increase your dismemberment and decapitation chances. It can also boost your physical and critical damage.

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Location and crafting

You can find this Katana in the Automatic Love Quest. Go to Evelyn’s dressing room in the clouds. You will find it there. The cloud will open after 7 pm, so wait till that time.

To upgrade it to epic, gather the following materials:

  • Required Perk: Grease Monkey
  • Required Weapon: Cocktail Stick (Rare)
  • 25 Uncommon Item Components
  • 40 Rare Item Components
  • 50 Epic Item Components
  • 2 Legendary Item Components

And to legendary, you would require:

  • Required Perk: Edgerunner Artisan
  • Required Weapon: Cocktail Stick (Epic)
  • 25 Rare Item Components
  • 40 Epic Item Components
  • 3 Legendary Item Components
  • Highly lethal against enemies.
  • Great damage and speed.
  • Physical damage and crit damage increase.
  • Limited availability.

Standard Katana

Best Early Game Balanced Katana.
Cyberpunk 2077 best katana
Standard katana
  • Why I Chose This: The katana offers balanced stats for making it through the early stages of the game.

It’s an early cyberpunk 2077 katana. Standard Katana is the best Katana that you can get at the start of the game.  It’s a rapid attacking katana as it can attack at a speed of 4.75 hits per second. The weapon is also available in epic and legendary variants. The appearance of the katana for each of the three tiers would be different. When you upgrade this Katana to legendary, you can equip modifications to deal with Chemical, Electrical, and Thermal damage.

Location and crafting

You can buy the katana from Melee Weapon Vendor in Westbrook, Japantown. Later you can craft it to increase its tier to epic or legendary. You can buy a legendary Katana from Coach Fred at the Mega building H10 in Little China.

To upgrade it to epic, you would need:

  • Required Perk: Grease Monkey
  • 30 Epic Item Components
  • 20 Rare Item Components
  • 20 Uncommon Item Components

To upgrade it to legendary, gather the following components:

  • Crafting Spec: Unlocked at level 18 Crafting
  • Required Perk: Edgerunner Artisan
  • 25 Rare Item Components
  • 15 Epic Item Components
  • 2 Legendary Item Components
  • Early availability.
  • Rapid attack speed.
  • Is upgradeable.
  • The base version gets outclassed by other katanas.
  • Limited availability.

Conclusion

In this guide, I have provided a list of the best katanas in Cyberpunk 2077. There are a variety of Katanas in Cyberpunk for you to choose from. These Katanas are sharp and can deal massive damage to enemies. So, you should keep a few in your inventory. A complete list of katanas with stats is available here.

Each Katana has its special abilities. Some are sharp and highly lethal, while others will deal Elemental damage. You should pick a katana suitable for your playstyle. It’s recommended to consider the opponent’s weaknesses before choosing a Katana as well.

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Hammad Ijaz is a Guides Writer on eXputer who is into various gaming genres. He has this pure passion for enjoying games and then reflecting that passion back into his writing. Along with a gaming experience of 10+ years, he also has many years of writing experience. Hammad further solidifies his status as a true gamer by showcasing hundreds of hours of game time on Warframe, Witcher 3, and Elden Ring. Feel free to explore his extensive gaming library on Steam.

Experience: 3+ Years || Education: Bachelors in Computer Sciences.

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