Katana () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in 1983, Katana is a samurai warrior whose skill with a sword allows her to fight for justice as a superheroine. Her tragic backstory includes the death of her husband, Maseo, whose soul becomes trapped in her blade, the Soultaker.
Katana has been part of various DC Comics superhero teams, including the Justice League and Birds of Prey, but is most commonly associated with the Outsiders, a team of heroes hand-picked by Batman to act as his personal black ops team, handling riskier missions. Of the character's first appearances, one critic has noted, "The idea that a superhero would wield a sword which caught the souls of the wielder’s victims was not very superhero-y. But Katana was from the start a rough and tumble character happy to use throwing stars as weapons (even if she usually used the flat of her sword otherwise)."
In the 2010s, DC began to feature the character much more extensively in media adaptations of its comic books, including a recurring role in the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold and a starring role in the series Beware the Batman. The character was portrayed by Rila Fukushima in the Arrowverse TV series Arrow and by Karen Fukuhara in the 2016 DC Extended Universe film Suicide Squad. Katana has also been featured in direct-to-video animated films and a number of DC Comics video games.
Creation In a 2015 interview with ComicsAlliance, Mike W. Barr spoke on the character's genesis, stating:
Publication history Katana first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #200 (cover-dated July 1983) and was created by writer Mike W. Barr and artist Jim Aparo. She is frequently a member of "team" publications such as Batman and the Outsiders, Birds of Prey (during the New 52 era), and Suicide Squad (during the DC Rebirth era).
In February 2013, Katana received her own series as part of The New 52, written by Ann Nocenti and with art by Alex Sanchez. Katana lasted for ten issues, with the final issue being released on December 11, 2013.Ching, Albert (October 15, 2013). "'Superman Unchained' Skips January; 'Vibe,' 'Katana' Ending". Comic Book Resources.
Fictional character biography Becoming Katana is an average Japanese girl, save for her proficiency in the martial arts, a trait encouraged by her parents.Batman and the Outsiders #12 (July 1984) Brothers Maseo and Takeo Yamashiro (from whom she gained her current surname) both proclaim their love for her. While she likes both, she chooses Maseo as her husband. Enraged, Takeo refuses to attend the couple's wedding. Maseo disowns his brother, who joins the yakuza and takes their mark of a dragon tattoo across his chest. Tatsu and Maseo, mourning the deaths of Tatsu's parents, start a family of their own. Tatsu gives birth to twins, Yuki and Reiko. Meanwhile, Takeo rises through the yakuza ranks and indulges his "exotic tastes" for ancient weapons. He is presented with twin swords by General Karnz (a henchman of Baron Bedlam), one of which Takeo favors for its mystical properties.
Takeo spends days preparing himself before taking both swords to the Yamashiro residence, demanding his brother to duel for the "prize" of Tatsu. During the course of the struggle, a fire is started, and — while Maseo is distracted by his children — Takeo kills his brother with the sword that later becomes known as "Soultaker". Tatsu arises just in time to see her husband die and engages Takeo, gaining the upper hand and disarming him. Attempting to save her children, she hears her husband's voice coming from the sword, telling her they are already lost.
Dead inside from the loss of her family, Tatsu buries her grief by undergoing months of relentless physical conditioning, combat, and sword training under the master Tadashi. After graduating from his tutelage, she moves to America and creates a mask and costume to wear as the vigilante "Katana". She continues to wield Soultaker, as it contains the last remaining traces of Maseo's soul and voice.
Becoming an Outsider
Eventually Tatsu journeys to Markovia, a small Baltic state, where she tracked down Karnz, and is successful in killing him, inadvertently implicating Black Lightning (coincidentally there with Batman) in her crime.Batman and the Outsiders #1 (August 1983) Attempting to rectify the misunderstanding by freeing Black Lightning, she encounters a young girl named Halo. The two join up to rescue Black Lightning, Batman (himself captured due to a blunder by Halo), and Bruce Wayne's employee Lucius Fox from their captor, Baron Bedlam.Batman and the Outsiders #2 (September 1983)
Batman is himself in Markovia to rescue Lucius Fox, and having sought—and failed to gain—the help of the Justice League of America, resigned his membership in the Justice League. Inspired by the teamwork he encounters between Black Lightning, Katana, Halo, Geo-Force (Prince Brion of Markovia), and Metamorpho (also coincidentally present), Batman decides to form the Outsiders. The team manages to end the Baron's tyranny in Markovia and moves to Gotham City, where they set up their headquarters (a former penthouse of Bruce Wayne / Batman). Tatsu becomes Halo's guardian and the two move into the penthouse.
At the same time, Takeo is still at large and follows Tatsu to Gotham City. He attacks her and Halo at their home, overpowers Tatsu and switches swords with her. He leaves for Tokyo with Tatsu on his tail. The Outsiders follow Tatsu and offer their help, despite her desire to leave them out of it. Takeo takes the sword to Oyabun, the godfather of the yakuza. Performing a specific ritual, the Oyabun and Takeo call forth the souls that inhabit the sword and give them corporeal form.Batman and the Outsiders #11 (June 1984) Among them are legendary mercenaries and assassins, but also Maseo, who is now a slave to the Oyabun. Katana— and the Outsiders— have to fight them all, but she is ultimately able to reclaim the Soultaker from Maseo. She is forced to kill her husband, and then take the opportunity to kill Takeo, finally putting some of her ghosts to rest. Maseo and those killed a second time by Soultaker pass on to their eternal rewards, leaving Takeo trapped in the sword in his place.
At one point the Outsiders split from Batman's leadership and take up residence in Markovia, where they are funded by its royal family. They move to the city of Los Angeles and make their headquarters in the Markovian embassy, while retaining another secret HQ just off the shore. Although Tatsu left her past behind, the Oyabun returns and sends a tengu after her, with which he captures her. This mischievous spirit possesses her, and the Oyabun is able to use her as an assassin. Her teammates Halo and Looker save her using other tengu and the tengu leader, who aids them in battle.Adventures of the Outsiders #34 (June 1986)
Family debt
After various tragic events surrounding Geo-Force's parents and Markovia, the team disbands. Nonetheless, the Outsiders are forced to defend Markovia against the Manhunters. During the fight, Halo is knocked into a coma, saving Katana's life. Bounded by giri-ninjo (a debt of honor even unto death), Tatsu leaves the team to tend to Halo's wounds. During that time, however, she is approached by a family member of her husband, who wishes her to accompany the Suicide Squad on a mission to destroy a large hoard of weapons that is about to be sold to the yakuza. She declines on the basis of her giri-ninjo, but is willing to help if the need is truly desperate. That family member is later killed, and she goes after the killer, the Daichi-Doku's Oyabun (of which her relative is a member), who does not wish to see the weapons destroyed and tries to stop the Suicide Squad. During that adventure, she saves the life of Bronze Tiger and Manhunter (Mark Shaw), making them honor-bound to her by giri-ninjo. Mark Shaw then assists her in taking down the Daichi-Doku's Oyabun. The Oyabun commits seppuku and Katana stands by as his "second", ready to help with a blade strike so he can keep his honor.
Returning to the Outsiders Eventually, the Outsiders re-form and return to Markovia. Instead of a peaceful reunion, however, the team becomes trapped in a web of public relations that brand them outlaws. Although the charges are dropped eventually, the team is fractured. Halo dies from an assassin's blast but is reborn in a new body. This puts an immense strain on Tatsu's relationship with Halo. Katana joins a team with Geo-Force and Technocrat, taking the lead. She develops a mild romantic relationship with Joey Hong, an Asian associate of Guy Gardner.Guy Gardner: Warrior #39 (February 1996) During a lone mission, her old mentor Tadashi sends Lady Shiva to claim Katana's Soultaker sword. Shiva confronts Katana, who is battling a gang of drug dealers. Katana slays many of them, but refuses to kill the youngest member, something Shiva insults her for. Shiva, renowned as the world's greatest assassin and fighter, kills Katana with her own sword. Katana returns to life after a trial by combat within her sword, which includes confronting many of the souls of the people she killed. Afterwards, she finds her old mentor and takes his life. The two splinter teams eventually reunite to take on more supernatural threats focused around the new team member Sebastian Faust. Katana and her friends suffer through the mental and physical tortures that Faust's father, Felix, put them through. Halo eventually frees them by destroying several of Felix's items of power. Soon after, the group breaks apart. After disbanding, Tatsu keeps her association with her old allies among the Outsiders (such as Black Lightning, Geo-Force, and Halo), and although they do not operate as an official team, they are always together during major crises. Her close ties to Batman also see her fighting by his side, several times, notably during the Imperiex crisis and the Day of Judgment incident when Hell invaded Earth. The main battle against the villain, the rogue angel Asmodel, with the power of the Spectre, takes place in New York. Katana personally protects Madame Xanadu who guards the rest of Asmodel's power with a mystical shield. Katana's protection of Xanadu is assisted by Doctor Occult, Phantom Stranger, and Alan Scott. Later, Katana assists Batman when he and Superman are declared outlaws. Katana is also called upon by Black Canary, together with other female mercenaries, to rescue Oracle from Senator Pullman. After Oracle is saved, Katana receives a card, together with the promise of a favor if required. Katana later returns to aid Oracle in issue #108 alongside dozens of other agents.
New Outsiders Later Katana joins a new team of Outsiders after assisting them in defeating a more powerful Sabbac. That team consists of all new members, with the exception of Metamorpho who rejoins the team after Shift's demise. In Outsiders (vol. 3) #42, Katana dons a new costume, as she feels it inappropriate to wear a costume based on Japan's flag, since the country revoked her citizenship due to her membership with the controversial team. Later, Katana summons Sabbac to destroy Doctor Sivana's base with hellfire. Katana remains an active member of the Outsiders following the 2006 "One Year Later" continuity jump. Initially, the team is led by Nightwing, but later leadership transfers to Batman. Batman decides to 'test' Katana and the rest of the initial team to design a better team. Katana is Batman's first official recruit.
"Blackest Night"