Katana (DC Comics)
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Katana () is a superheroine appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
. 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 The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
and
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, but is most commonly associated with the Outsiders, a team of heroes hand-picked by
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
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
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TV series ''
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'' and by Karen Fukuhara in the 2016
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comic ...
film ''
Suicide Squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
''. Katana has also been featured in direct-to-video animated films and a number of DC Comics video games.


Creation

Barr spoke on the character's genesis during an interview stating,
When we created Batman and the Outsiders, we brought in, of course, Black Lightning and Metamorpho, who were pre-existing characters, which we thought would give the series some sort of gravitas and a sense of existing in the DC Universe. Then we needed three new characters, and so far, none of the characters we'd picked for the Outsiders had been women, so I decided that there would be an almost mini-Batman-and-Robin team, Katana and Halo. I'd always been interested in Japanese culture and samurai, so I decided that the character of Katana would be a female
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
.


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 James N. Aparo (; August 24, 1932 – July 19, 2005) was an American comic book artist, best known for his DC Comics work from the late 1960s through the 1990s, including on the characters Batman, Aquaman, and the Spectre (DC Comics character), Sp ...
. 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 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
, 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.


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), pp. 9–15. Reprinted in ''
Showcase Presents ''Showcase Presents'' is a line (comics), line of black-and-white paperback books that were published by DC Comics (from 2005 - 2016) at an average rate of two per month. Much like Marvel Comics' ''Essential Marvel'' volumes, each book usually incl ...
: Batman and the Outsiders, Vol. 1'' (
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
, Sept. 2007, , pp. 319–325).
Two 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 joined the yakuza and took their mark of a dragon
tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...
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 (later henchman to 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 engage 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. Escaping with her life, Tatsu begins training as a samurai under a master called Tadashi. After much time, she graduates from his tutorship and leaves for America where she intends to use her talents to fight for justice. She takes the codename Katana after the sword that she wields, possessed for some time by the soul of her husband.


Becoming an Outsider

Eventually Tatsu journeys to Markovia, a small
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state, where she tracked down Karnz, and is successful in killing him, inadvertently implicating Black Lightning (coincidentally there with
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
) in her crime. Attempting to rectify the misunderstanding by freeing Black Lightning, she encounters a young girl named Halo.''Batman and the Outsiders'' #2 (September 1983), pp. 5–6. 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 is himself in Markovia to rescue Lucius Fox, and having sought—and failed to gain—the help of the
Justice League of America The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived t ...
, resigned his membership in the Justice League. Inspired by the teamwork he encounters between Black Lightning, Katana, Halo,
Geo-Force Geo-Force is a superhero appearing in American comic book, American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo, the character debuted in a DC Comics insert previews, special insert within ''The Brave and the Bold'' ...
(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 Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...
, 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 his master 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), pp. 20–23. 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 the 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 become the official agents of Markovia and move to the city of
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture 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 return and send a
tengu ''Tengu'' ( ; , , ) are a type of legendary creature found in Shinto belief. They are considered a type of ''yōkai'' (supernatural beings) or Shinto ''kami'' (gods or spirits). The ''Tengu'' were originally thought to take the forms of bird of ...
after her, with which he captures her. This mischievous spirit possesses her, and the Obayun 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.


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 The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
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 harakiri and Katana stands by as his "
second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...
", 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 may refer to: * Guy Gardner (astronaut) (born 1948), United States Air Force officer and former astronaut * Guy Gardner (character) Guy Darrin Gardner, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American ...
. During a lone mission, her old mentor Tadashi sends
Lady Shiva Lady Shiva (real name Sandra Woosan or more recently Sandra Wu-San) is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was co-created by Dennis O'Neil and Ric Estrada, and first appeared in ''Richard Dragon, Ku ...
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 Alan Ladd Wellington Scott is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and the first character to bear the name Green Lantern. He fights evil with the aid of his mystical ring, which grants him a variety of powers. H ...
. Later, Katana assists Batman when he and
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
are declared outlaws. Katana is also called upon by
Black Canary Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As one of the earliest female superheroes in the DC Comics universe, the character has made numerous appearances in prominent team-up titles, ...
, together with other female mercenaries, to rescue
Oracle An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination. Descript ...
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 Dr. Sivana's base with his Hellfire. Katana remains an active member of the Outsiders following the 2006 "
One Year Later "One Year Later" is a 2006 comic book storyline running through the books published by DC Comics. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Universe following the events of the "Infinite Crisi ...
" continuity jump. Initially, the team is led by
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero alias used by multiple characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. The most prominent bearer is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, who adopts the Nightwing identity to assert his independence from Batman. ...
, 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"

While escorting Killer Croc to incarceration, the Outsiders' vehicle is demolished by Maseo, Yuki, and Reiko, who have all been revived as Black Lanterns. Katana, believing that she has been reunited with her lost family, lets her guard down, but is saved from death by her teammates. Realising the truth, she draws her sword, preparing to fight her undead husband. When Katana stabs Maseo, Soultaker reveals to her the Black Lanterns' full intentions. Her attacks soon prove to be completely ineffectual against Maseo, who is instead destroyed by an outpouring of light from Halo, who also destroyed Katana's undead children.


New 52

The events of the 2011 " Flashpoint" storyline led to
The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
, a relaunch of all of DC Comics' monthly books, and a reboot to the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...
in-story continuity. In this new continuity, a newly healed Barbara Gordon returns to the
Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. The character Bette Kane, Betty Kane was introduced into publica ...
identity and takes a leave of absence from the Birds of Prey and suggests that Katana take her place full-time on the team. Katana joins
Black Canary Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As one of the earliest female superheroes in the DC Comics universe, the character has made numerous appearances in prominent team-up titles, ...
and Starling as the third member of the
Birds of Prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...
. Katana is described as a lethal fighter who has spent the last year waging war on the yakuza clan that is responsible for the death of her husband. She is rumored to be mentally unstable due to her belief that her husband's soul, whom she often converses with in Japanese, resides in her sword. After a number of adventures with the Birds of Prey, Katana leaves the group to keep an eye on a cult of assassins known as the Daggers. She later accepts membership in Amanda Waller's new
Justice League of America The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived t ...
in exchange for information on her husband's murderers. When DC launched ''Justice League of America'', they also launched the solo series ''Katana'', focusing on Tatsu's abiding mission to track down her husband's killer. The series lasted 10 issues. After this, Katana made an appearance in ''Green Arrow'' (vol. 5) #27 (2014), where she is told by the mysterious blind man Magus that the death of her husband relates to the Outsiders, the society formed of various weapon clans and connected to Green Arrow's new origin story. The Soultaker is worked into the Green Arrow mythology as the totem of the Sword Clan, which has parallels in the Fist, Mask, Shield, Axe, Arrow, and Spear Clans. Representatives from each of these clans make up the Outsiders, a secret society dedicated towards ending global corruption, but which is itself largely corrupt. Katana joins the Outsiders. In ''Green Arrow: Futures End'' #1 (2014), set five years later in one possible future, Tatsu is shown to still be a member of the Outsiders, which has developed a grudging relationship with Green Arrow, who rejected leadership of the Arrow Clan in the main ''Green Arrow'' series five years before.


DC Rebirth

Amanda Waller recruits Katana to be a co-captain of the Suicide Squad. Later, she joins the latest iteration of The Outsiders.


Powers, abilities, and weapons

Katana is a highly proficient hand-to-hand combatant and swordswoman, having studied martial arts as a child and later being trained by the samurai Tadashi. From her time with the Outsiders and Batman, she develops strong tactical skills. Katana's Soultaker sword, along with its non-powered twin, was forged in the 14th century by Muramasa, whose swords are said to be cursed and make those who are evil commit evil acts. It sometimes takes the souls of those it kills, storing them inside the sword, where they can engage in limited communication with whoever wields it. These souls and spirits can be freely reborn/reincarnated by the means of a sacred ritual, under which they serve their summoner, even if it is against their will. Its cutting edge is sharp enough to rend the Dilustel skin of Captain Atom and Major Force. In The New 52, the Soultaker is established as being the 'Sword Totem' of the Outsiders, meaning like the other totems, it supposedly bestows immortality and enlightenment upon its wielder, although some like Green Arrow are skeptical of the literal truths of these statements. In addition to the Soultaker, Katana often carries additional weaponry into battle.


Collected editions


Other versions

An alternate timeline version of Katana appears in '' Flashpoint'' as a member of the
Amazons The Amazons (Ancient Greek: ', singular '; in Latin ', ') were a people in Greek mythology, portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules, Labours of Heracles, the ''Argonautica'' and the ''Iliad''. ...
' Furies.


In other media


Television


Animation

* A character inspired by Katana named Tsukuri appears in the
DC Animated Universe The DC Animated Universe (DCAU, also referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse by fans) is a Shared universe, shared fictional universe based on DC Comics properties and media franchise produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It began with ''Batman ...
(DCAU) series ''
Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
'' and ''
Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is an American superhero animated series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation with DC Comics in season 3 and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Universe, and ...
'', voiced by Karen Maruyama. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. She appears as a member of Aresia's Injustice Gang in the former series and Gorilla Grodd's
Secret Society A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...
in the latter. * A teenage Katana appears in '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', voiced initially by Vyvan Pham and later by Kim Mai Guest. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. This version is a member of the Outsiders whose master Tadashi was killed by an evil samurai named Takeo. As a result, she rarely speaks in honor of his lessons in self-control. * Katana appears in '' Beware the Batman'', voiced by Sumalee Montano. This version is a CIA agent who infiltrated the League of Assassins under the codename Katana and faked her death to steal the Soultaker Sword from them. Through her godfather and friend of her father,
Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle and commonly known simply as Alfred, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Alfred is ...
, she becomes Bruce Wayne's bodyguard and partner in crime-fighting, and later a founding member of the Outsiders. According to producer
Glen Murakami Glen Murakami is an American animator, artist, character designer, director and producer best known for his work on ''Teen Titans'', ''Batman Beyond'', ''Teen Titans Go!'', '' Ben 10: Alien Force'' and '' Ben 10: Ultimate Alien''. Murakami is the ...
, she would have become the series' version of
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero alias used by multiple characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. The most prominent bearer is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, who adopts the Nightwing identity to assert his independence from Batman. ...
had the series been renewed for a second season. * Katana makes non-speaking appearances in '' Young Justice'' as a member of the
Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
. * Katana appears in '' DC Super Hero Girls'' (2019), voiced by Rina Hoshino. This version is initially a ruthless vigilante who uses the Soultaker sword to steal criminals' souls instead of capturing them. In her civilian identity, she enrolls in Metropolis High and befriends
Diana Prince Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
before fighting her and the Super Hero Girls, believing that they are evil for wanting to help supervillains. Upon learning each others' identities, Katana and Prince argue over their respective methods until the latter sacrifices her soul to defend an innocent. Realizing the error of her ways, Katana releases the souls she had taken and vows to pursue justice properly. * Katana makes a non-speaking appearance in the ''
Harley Quinn Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...
'' episode "Harlivy" as a member of the
Suicide Squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
. * Katana appears in '' Suicide Squad Isekai'', voiced by Chika Anzai.


Live-action

* Tatsu and Maseo Yamashiro appears in ''
Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
'', portrayed by Rila Fukushima and Karl Yune respectively. This version of the couple have a son named Akio. In flashbacks, she encountered Oliver Queen while he was working for Amanda Waller in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
. Initially distrusting him, Queen eventually gained Tatsu's trust after saving her and her family from China White, though he was unable to save Akio from the Alpha Omega virus. Due to this, Tatsu went into self-imposed seclusion while Maseo joined the League of Assassins. In the present, the Yamashiros save Queen following his fight with
Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil, and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared ...
before Tatsu joins him in stopping Ra's from releasing the Alpha Omega virus on Starling City. In the process, she battles Maseo in the hopes of convincing him to leave the League, but is forced to kill him. Afterwards, she returns to Japan, joins the Crescent Order, and is tasked with guarding the lotus elixir as of the episode " Unchained", though Nyssa al Ghul convinces Tatsu to let her use it to save Thea Queen's life. As of the episode " Welcome to Hong Kong", Tatsu reveals she was excommunicated from the Crescent Order for failing to protect the lotus elixir and learned of the
Monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, Wes ...
while helping Queen prepare for an impending "
Crisis A crisis (: crises; : critical) is any event or period that will lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affairs, especially when ...
". * Tatsu's
feudal Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC whe ...
ancestor, Masako Yamashiro, appears in the '' Legends of Tomorrow'' episode "Shogun", portrayed by Mei Melançon.


Film

* Katana makes a minor non-speaking appearance in '' Superman/Batman: Public Enemies''. * An alternate universe version of Katana named Sai makes a non-speaking appearance in '' Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths'' as a minor member of the Crime Syndicate. * Katana appears in ''
Suicide Squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
'', portrayed by Karen Fukuhara. This version is Rick Flag's bodyguard who seeks to avenge her husband's death. * Katana makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in '' Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse''. * Katana appears in '' Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths''.


Video games

* Katana appears as a playable DLC character in '' Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes''. * Katana appears as a character summon in '' Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''. * Katana appears as a playable DLC character in '' Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham''. * Katana appears as a playable character in ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...
'', voiced by Kelly Hu. * Katana appears as a playable character in '' Lego DC Super-Villains'', voiced again by Sumalee Montano.


Miscellaneous

* Katana appears in '' Smallville Season 11'' as a member of the Outsiders. * Katana appears in '' DC Super Hero Girls'' (2015) and its tie-in films, voiced by Stephanie Sheh. This version is a student at Super Hero High. * Katana appears in the '' Injustice 2'' prequel comic as a member of the Suicide Squad.'' Injustice 2'' #21. DC Comics.


References


External links


Cosmic Teams: Katana
{{The New 52 Buddhist superheroes Characters created by Jim Aparo Characters created by Mike W. Barr Comics characters introduced in 1983 DC Comics female superheroes DC Comics film characters DC Comics television characters DC Comics martial artists Fictional Japanese people Fictional bodyguards Fictional chauffeurs Fictional immigrants to the United States Fictional samurai Fictional characters with death or rebirth abilities Fictional swordfighters in comics Japanese comics characters Japanese superheroes Suicide Squad members