How to Get Best Katana in Cyberpunk & Personal Tier List

Jinchu-Maru – Why It’s Actually the Best

Iconic Mod: Last combo hit guarantees Crit damage. During Optical Camo, all hits are critical and allow leap attacks. Increases damage against Elite enemies.

Jinchu-Maru is the best katana in Cyberpunk 2077 for players who understand positioning. Byakko gets all the attention because it’s forgiving extended combos, smooth flow, works great for beginners still learning dodge timing. But once you know how to control a battlefield, Byakko’s main advantage disappears.

You don’t need endless combos when fights end in two hits. You don’t need extended range when you’re closing gaps with optical camo before enemies know you exist.

Jinchu-Maru guarantees crits on combo finishers. Strong already. But activate optical camo? Every single hit becomes a guaranteed crit. I run an optical camo stealth build, and this synergy deletes health bars instantly. Position perfectly while invisible, leap to the target, land guaranteed crits. Fights end before they start.

The bonus damage against Elites is just extra. This blade rewards skill and precision over button mashing. TBH, Byakko is better if you’re new. It teaches fundamentals while forgiving mistakes. But once you’ve learned combat flow? Jinchu-Maru is where it’s at.

• How to Get: Loot Oda’s body after the “Play It Safe” main quest in Act 2. He’s the Arasaka ninja on the rooftop and can’t miss him.
• Who Should Use: Experienced players running stealth or optical camo builds who understand positioning.
• Strengths: Guaranteed crit finishers, complete crit dominance during optical camo, bonus damage against Elites, leap attacks during stealth.
• Weaknesses: Requires precise positioning, less forgiving than Byakko, needs optical camo to truly shine.
• Interesting Fact: The description calls it “the purest essence of a katana” no add-ons, just razor-sharp steel. That minimalist philosophy extends to its function. It doesn’t need gimmicks.

Byakko – Perfect Choice For Beginners

Iconic Mod: Leap toward enemies. Killing them triggers rapid combo attacks temporarily.

Byakko is the katana everyone recommends because that rapid combo flow feels smooth. Kills trigger uninterrupted attack chains without awkward pauses. Leap attacks close gaps against ranged enemies. It’s forgiving, comfortable, and powerful.

But here’s my take Byakko teaches habits that eventually hold you back. You rely on extended combos instead of learning burst damage windows. You stay in engagements longer than you should because the combo flow makes it easy. It’s a crutch.

Still, for new melee players? Byakko is probably the best teacher. It lets you make mistakes and recover. That’s valuable while learning.

• How to Get: Complete all eight side gigs from fixer Wakako Okada in Japantown. Missions like “Tyger and Vulture,” “We Have Your Wife,” “Olive Branch.” After finishing, check your apartment and stash Byakko’s waiting there.
• Who Should Use: Beginners learning melee combat, players preferring sustained combo playstyles, anyone wanting forgiving weapons.
• Strengths: Smooth combo flow after kills, leap attack mobility, high damage, forgiving mechanics.
• Weaknesses: Teaches habits limiting growth, less effective for burst strategies, no unique tactical advantages beyond combos.
• Interesting Fact: Item description mentions it “spent most of the time collecting dust on Wakako’s desk, except for the occasional heated negotiation.” Nice touch.

Satori – First Iconic Katana You Can Get

Iconic Mod: Leap toward distant enemies. Sheathed quickdraw attack guarantees Bleeding. With Nehan knife bleed active, causes hemorrhaging instead (drains enemy health, regenerates yours).

Satori is special because it’s the earliest iconic katana, but the window is narrow. Miss it during The Heist, it’s gone forever. No vendors, no second chances.

That quickdraw mechanic looks incredible sheath the blade, hold attack, perform lightning-fast draw causing guaranteed bleed. Pair with Nehan knife for hemorrhaging that heals you. Pretty nasty early game.

Problem is Satori falls off hard. 133 damage is lower than most other iconics. Bleeding stays relevant but other blades scale better. Still for those first hours after The Heist? Satori absolutely shreds.

• How to Get: During “The Heist” mission, go to the rooftop instead of exiting. Guards protect Saburo Arasaka’s aircraft. Take them out, board it, grab Satori. Only chance to get it.
• Who Should Use: Early game players wanting strong iconic immediately, collectors, anyone interested in quickdraw mechanics.
• Strengths: Available extremely early, guaranteed bleed on quickdraw, synergizes with Nehan for hemorrhaging, iconic animations.
• Weaknesses: Lower base damage, falls off late game, permanently missable.
• Interesting Fact: Belonged to Saburo Arasaka himself. Forged in the first half of the 20th century. The name refers to sudden enlightenment in Zen Buddhism fitting for iaido sword-drawing technique. Possible Hattori Hanzō reference? 

Errata – For Fire Builds And Pyromaniacs

Iconic Mod: Leap toward enemies. Attacking Burning enemies guarantees Crit Damage.

Errata brings fire damage and guaranteed crits against burning targets. That elemental effect changes fights completely enemies panic, behavior shifts, you’re stacking crits on burn ticks.

The leap attack is standard across most iconic katanas, but it matters more on Errata because you’re using it to quickly close distance on multiple enemies, spread burn effects, then capitalize on those guaranteed crits. Creates aggressive, mobile combat style.

Visually? Stunning. That fiery glow isn’t just aesthetic it makes you feel dangerous running through dark corridors.

Downside fire damage doesn’t scale as well as bleed or pure crit in endgame scenarios. Still effective, just not optimal for min-maxing.

How to Get: Inside Electric Corporation Power Plant during “Disasterpiece” mission (Act 2). Building has locked areas needing technical ability or story progression. Search thoroughly.

• Who Should Use: Fire damage builds, aggressive playstyle fans, anyone wanting visually striking blade.
• Strengths: Fire damage with burn, guaranteed crits on burning enemies, leap mobility, looks incredible.
• Weaknesses: Lower base damage, fire scaling isn’t optimal, requires aggressive positioning.
• Interesting Fact: Description is three words: “It was worth the wait.” Short, cryptic, perfect.

Scalpel – Sandevistan Synergy

Iconic Mod: During Sandevistan, +50% Crit Chance and hits apply Bleeding.

Running Sandevistan cyberware? Scalpel is borderline broken. +50% crit chance during slow-mo plus guaranteed bleeding shreds enemies faster than they can process what’s happening.

This synergy carried me through tough early-to-mid game fights. Pop Sandevistan, close distance, swing away, watch health bars evaporate. Bleed keeps ticking after slow-mo ends too.

Problem Scalpel needs Sandevistan activation to shine. Without it? Just decent 148 base damage. Other blades offer more versatility.

• How to Get: Complete side quest “Big in Japan” (Act 2). Standard side quest, rewards Scalpel.
• Who Should Use: Sandevistan users absolutely, crit/bleed builds, early-to-mid game players.
• Strengths: Massive crit boost during Sandevistan, guaranteed bleeding, high base damage, available relatively early.
• Weaknesses: Heavily Sandevistan-dependent, gets outclassed late game, less versatile.
• Interesting Fact: “It cuts with surgical precision.” On-the-nose naming but fits functionality perfectly.

Cocktail Stick – Style Over Substance I Guess?

Iconic Mod: During Optical Camo, hitting enemies causes Bleeding. This bleed lasts longer than usual.

Cocktail Stick looks incredible with that pink blade. Extended bleed during optical camo is useful for stealth builds.

But by the time you grab it, you have better options. 133 base damage is lower than several iconics. Optical camo synergy is cool but Jinchu-Maru does stealth katana way better with guaranteed crits.

Ends up being more style choice than practical. You use it because you like how it looks. Nothing wrong with that in Night City.

• How to Get: Clouds Club during “Automatic Love” main quest (Act 2). Search thoroughly, it’s there.
• Who Should Use: Players prioritizing aesthetics, collectors, anyone really liking that pink blade.
• Strengths: Visually distinctive, extended bleed during optical camo, fits aesthetic builds.
• Weaknesses: Lower base damage, optical camo synergy outclassed by Jinchu-Maru, limited practical advantages.
• Interesting Fact: “Vivid, beautiful and ideal for skewering.” Description continues: “Looks like a toy, but its lethality is no joke.” That contrast fits Night City perfectly.

Tsumetogi – Electrical Madness

Iconic Mod: Slightly increases Electrical damage, small chance to apply Shock. Non-standard attacks deal more damage.

Intrinsic Mod: +10 Electrical Resistance

Tsumetogi has highest base damage at 163. Electrical damage plus shock application adds different combat flavor enemies get stunned, you get repositioning windows, +10 electrical resistance helps against certain enemies.

Problem is electrical damage doesn’t scale as well as bleed or fire. Shock chance is “small” you’ll proc it but not reliably enough to build around.

Where Tsumetogi shines is “non-standard attacks deal more damage.” Heavy attacks, charged strikes, specific finishers hit harder. Running charged attack builds? This rewards that.

Most players will find better options though. Tsumetogi sits in weird middle ground not bad at anything, not exceptional either.

• How to Get: During side job “Pisces” (Act 2). Near end, you encounter Tyger Claw bosses. Search that room thoroughly after dealing with them.
• Who Should Use: Charged attack builds, players wanting highest base damage, electrical enthusiasts.
• Strengths: Highest base damage (163), electrical resistance useful against specific enemies, non-standard attack bonus, fast speed.
• Weaknesses: Electrical damage doesn’t scale well, small shock chance unreliable, middle-ground effectiveness.
• Interesting Fact: “A custom-made marvel, truly one of a kind.” Signature to character Hiromi Sato, adding personal NPC connection.

Can You Buy Iconic Katanas From Vendors?

Herold Lowe sells iconic weapons including katanas, but only items you’ve already found or could’ve found during quests. Think of him as backup for missed weapons.

He becomes available later, inventory updates based on progression. So if you missed Satori or Cocktail Stick, you might find them in his shop.

That said, some iconics remain permanently missable even with Herold. If you’re worried about missing any of these blades during your playthrough.

My Cyberpunk 2077 Katana Tier List

My rankings based on actual combat effectiveness, build synergy, practical usage across playstyles.

Which Katana Should You Actually Use?

Depends on build and skill level.

• New to melee? Start with Satori from The Heist, transition to Byakko after Wakako’s gigs. Byakko teaches fundamentals while forgiving mistakes.
• Running Sandevistan? Scalpel until late game. That crit boost during slow-mo is too good.
• Running optical camo stealth? Jinchu-Maru. Guaranteed crits during stealth turn you into assassination machine. Make sure you understand positioning first though.
• Want fire damage? Errata is your only option and it’s good. Guaranteed crits on burning enemies create consistent satisfying damage.
• Want highest numbers? Tsumetogi has highest base damage but you need charged attack builds to maximize it.

I’m running Jinchu-Maru currently and can’t see myself switching. Once you learn enemy positioning and engagement timing control, that optical camo synergy is 🤌. Every fight becomes positioning puzzle instead of button mashing. Way more engaging.

But I get Byakko’s popularity. It’s comfortable, safe. For players still learning Night City’s combat rhythm, that comfort matters more than theoretical optimization.

Common Mistakes Related To Using Katanas

1. Not upgrading iconic weapons. These scale with upgrades. Difference between base and fully upgraded Jinchu-Maru is massive. Yeah it costs resources. Do it anyway.
2. Ignoring cyberware synergies. Your katana is half the equation. Sandevistan, Berserk, optical camo pick one, build around it completely.
3. Same combat approach every fight. Some encounters need aggression, others patience. Trying to Byakko combo through everything works until enemies output too much damage.
4. Sleeping on stamina management. Katanas burn stamina fast if you’re button mashing. Leave buffer for emergency dodges. Zero stamina mid-combo is how you die.

This tier list reflects actual combat performance, not what sounds cool or what everyone parrots online. Jinchu-Maru sits at S-tier because it rewards mechanical investment. Byakko at A-tier because it’s genuinely the best teacher even if it holds you back eventually.

Use what works for your playstyle and skill level. But if you’re looking to push melee to the next level? Jinchu-Maru with optical camo is waiting in Act 2. Progress main story till you face Oda, grab that blade, prepare for fights to feel completely different.

In Case You Still Got Questions