is a Japanese light novel

Light novel

A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...

 series written by Nisio Isin

Nisio Isin

, frequently written as NisiOisiN to emphasize that his pen name is a palindrome, is a Japanese novelist and manga writer. He attended and left Ritsumeikan University without graduating. In 2002, he debuted with the novel , which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age...

 and illustrated by Take. The series is published by Kodansha

Kodansha

, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...

 under the Kodansha Box

Kodansha Box

Kodansha Box is a publishing line from the major Japanese publishing house, Kodansha. Each book is packaged in a silver cardboard slip cover. Single-handedly edited by Katsushi Ōta who describes the lines as: "A collection of works on the theme of the adolescent mind...

imprint

Imprint

In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...

. An anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 adaptation by White Fox

White Fox

, is a Japanese animation studio founded in April 2007. They are a relatively new anime studio spun off from OLM.-Other animation works:*Kiddy Girl-and: Key Animation*Mobile Suit Gundam 00: In-Between Animation...

 began airing on January 25, 2010 and consisted of 12 episodes. The story revolves around the collection of twelve weapons that were created by a fictional swordsmith. A single episode of the series was aired each month. NIS America announced that they have licensed the series. They will release the series in Blu-ray/DVD

DVD

A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

 combo sets in July 2011. Volume two will be released on September 20th, 2011.

Plot and settings

Katanagatari is the story of Yasuri Shichika, a swordsman that fights without a sword, and Togame, an ambitious strategist that seeks to collect twelve legendary swords for the shogunate. The son of an exiled war hero, Yasuri Shichika is the seventh head of the Kyotoryuu school of fighting and lives on isolated Fushou Island with his sister. At a request from the female general Togame, Shichika and Togame set out on a journey across Edo-era Japan to collect the twelve Deviant Blades.

Characters

The seventh head of the Kyotōryū school of Japanese sword martial arts. Shichika was raised on an isolated island in the country of Tamba

Tamba Province

was an old province of Japan. The ambit of its borders encompassed both the central part of modern Kyoto Prefecture and the east-central part of Hyōgo Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Tango Province...

. He is twenty-four when he is sought out and employed by Togame with a mission to find twelve legendary swords. As a practitioner of the legendary Kyotōryū school of swordsmanship, he does not use a literal sword when fighting. In place of a sword, he uses his hands and legs as weapons; the Yasuri family has historically been incapable of handling actual swords. As Shichika knows nothing of the outside world, he is often confused by simple customs and even has trouble telling people apart. He was raised as a weapon, and as such, is bad at expressing emotion, though he does regard Togame as his wielder. He states that he is in love with her, following her orders even when finding them to be a hassle. After defeating Hakuhei Sabi and retrieving the Deviant Blade he carried, Shichika also inherits the title of strongest swordsman in Japan. After Togame's death, Shichika does not follow her final orders to live on and forget everything about her. He instead resolves to die at the hands of Emonzaemon. The grief he feels leads to Shichika fulfilling his role as the strongest Deviant Blade, and he singlehandedly storms the shogunate's castle. At the series' conclusion, Shichika is seen still alive, taking up Togame's wish to create a complete map of Japan.

A self-titled strategist working for the shogunate. She travels to the island where Shichika resides to seek his help with finding the twelve "Deviant Blade" swords forged by Kiki Shikizaki. As she had been betrayed on the same mission before, she promptly asks him to fall in love with her as she feels that love surpasses all other temptations of the quest. Her real name is , the daughter of Takahito Hida. Hida was a feudal lord that led the last rebellion and was killed by Mutsue Yasuri. This makes Shichika the son of Togame's father's killer. Togame has a strong will and intellect, but she is not immune to clumsiness or bad judgment. Her hair turned white after she witnessed the murder of her father, and the eye that witnessed it takes on a snake-like appearance when she is being manipulative. She calculates brutal schemes that surprise even Shichika. Despite this, Togame is a cheery girl that still handles herself as royalty, as shown with her habit of wearing extravagant clothing. She also enjoys saying "Cheerio!" while striking Shichika. At the conclusion of their journey, Togame is fatally wounded by Emonzaemon. As she lays dying, Togame confesses that everything was a means toward obtaining revenge, even the part of her that fell in love with Shichika. She announces that she'd intended to kill him once her sword collection was complete and is relieved to die because it means that she would not have to do it. With her final breath, she says that she is happy and asks Shichika if it is okay for her to fall for him.

The Wielders of the Twelve Deviant Blades

A member of the Beast Squad, he is one of the heads of the Maniwa Corps, a group of ninja that have interest in seeking out the Deviant Blades. He is the first opponent in the series Shichika fights for said swords. He wields Kanna, a straight blade designed to never bend nor break that he stores inside his body. He is able to shoot kunai

Kunai

A is a Japanese tool possibly derived from the masonry trowel. Two variations are the and the . It is a good example of a very basic tool which, in the hands of a martial arts expert, could be used as a multi-functional weapon...

 from his mouth and transform into an exact physical copy of any being. He is killed by Shichika while copying Shichika's appearance and wearing Togame's outfit. His name Kōmori means 'bat'.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Kotsuniku Zaiku - This technique allows Kōmori to shape-shift into any person he wants.
• Ultimate technique:

A swordsman who lives in a vast desert in the country of Inaba

Inaba Province

was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Inaba bordered on Harima, Hōki, Mimasaka, and Tajima Provinces.-History:The ancient capital, and the castle town, were at Tottori city...

, he is the second opponent Shichika fights for the Deviant Blades. He wields Namakura, the katana that had been handed down from his family, and is unwilling to surrender it to anyone. He has lived in the desert guarding the palace; as he says, "a warrior must live to protect something". His fighting style is solely based on a sword-drawing technique called Zerosen, which can kill his opponent with one strike, and his katana allows him to do it perfectly. His sword-draw speed is so great that Shichika is never able to see the blade, and he can further increase it by using his own blood. His preferred fighting ground is the very room he stays inside, located within the palace he lives in. He's a depressing figure who wishes to see the land he resides in return to its former beauty when it had once flourished with life, an impossibility according to Togame. He is killed by Shichika after the latter exploits the one weakness in the former's technique, the blind spot directly above his head.

• Ultimate technique:

The head of the Sanzu shrine located in Izumo

Izumo Province

was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province is in the Chūgoku Region.- History :It was one of the regions of ancient Japan where major political powers arose...

, she is the third opponent Shichika fights for the Deviant Blades. She wields Tsurugi, a thousand exact copies of one sword of Shikizaki's doing. She claims that her real name had been long forgotten. Her current name had been taken from a priest she had killed. She was the daughter of a powerful kendo master who was also a commander of Izumo's defense corps and had died alongside all of his followers. She had later become a bandit leader, inheriting Tsurugi from them. Her killing spree had come to an end after meeting and killing the original Meisai Tsuruga, and she now takes care of a group of mikos that have been abused by men to the point of killing almost any man. The thousand Tsurugi copies are used by her mikos and two bodyguards, and she hopes that the blades' supposed magical properties could cure the abused girls of their dangerous nature, which had worked to a small degree. Despite her willingness to surrender Tsurugi to Togame, she duels Shichika for the sake of the girls. Her fighting style is called Sentouryū, which revolves around using many blades at her disposal, and Tsurugi provides those means. She is killed by Shichika in one last stand after he tells her that she is wielding the real Tsurugi out of the thousand, and that it was fate that had brought her and her sword together. Before dying, she asks Togame a favor: protection from the shogunate over the shrine and the girls, to which Togame agrees.

• Ultimate technique:

Renowned as one of Japan's strongest swordsmen, he is the fourth opponent Shichika fights for the Deviant Blades. He wields Hakutou Hari, one of the Twelve Blades he had been sent to retrieve, but had ended up keeping for himself. He proves to be a much more powerful opponent than the others Shichika had fought although their battle is never shown. His catchphrase is "I'll have you fall for me".

• Ultimate technique:

A rather tall pirate who rules a small port town in Satsuma

Satsuma Province

was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...

, he is the fifth opponent Shichika fights for the Deviant Blades. He wields Yoroi, a suit of armor that he covers his appearance with most of the time and challenges fairly well known individuals with often. He had a younger sister that, when he was younger, was killed along with the other crewmen on the ship they were on by pirates, and was taken in by her killers as a slave. During his stay with them, he was ordered to clean Yoroi, which they had happened to possess at the time. Five years later, he was urged to try on the armor, and used it to turn on his sister's killers. When Shichika and Togame arrived at Kyushu, Kanara saw that Togame resembled his younger sister and strikes a bargain with her: if he dueled Shichika and won, she would be his woman. During his fight against Shichika, the latter has difficulty finding a weak point in Yoroi as it blocks all his attacks. However, he is defeated after Shichika throws him up into the air, and he consequently crashes into the ground, which makes him the first survivor of Shichika's battles over one of the Twelve Blades. Out of spite for his defeat, he secretly has the ship Shichika and Togame board change its course.

• Ultimate technique:

A small eleven-year-old girl who's the last of the Itezora clan located on Mount Odori in the Ezo

Ezo

is a Japanese name which historically referred to the lands to the north of Japan. It was used in various senses, sometimes meaning the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō, and sometimes meaning lands and waters further north in the Sea of Okhotsk, like Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands...

 region, she is the sixth opponent Shichika fights for the Deviant Blades. After meeting a lost and freezing Shichika and Togame and taking them to her makeshift home, Konayuki helps them find, and later wields, Kanazuchi, a sword that is too heavy for Shichika to lift and that she recalls was owned by the village mayor's son. Her appearance is that of a cute young girl with long white hair, a tooth missing, and, despite being the weakest of her entire village even amongst the children, enough strength to effortlessly wield Kanazuchi. She claims that an avalanche had claimed her clan, but they are revealed to have been killed off by Nanami in the latter's search for the Twelve Blades. She also claims that, as per her clan's instructions, she has to be dueled for Kanazuchi. Unwilling to kill her, Shichika goes easy on Konayuki, but she, with Kanazuchi and her amateur status, manages to break his left arm during the fight, ending the duel and thus being the first to hand Shichika defeat in the search for the Twelve Blades. While Shichika was recovering, Konayuki attacks Kyōken Maniwa, who later possesses her and uses her body to fight Shichika and Togame, but Shichika manages to kill the spirit rather than Konayuki, which knocks Konayuki out. She apologizes to Shichika and Togame for lying to them about dueling her for Kanazuchi, agrees to take it to the mainland and afterward live in the Sanzu shrine, and tells them that she had fun with them and won't feel lonely anymore.

• Ultimate technique:

Shichika's older sister, she is the seventh opponent Shichika fights for the Deviant Blades. She's depicted as gentle and weak; however, she can be frightening and intimidating to face during a fight. Despite not learning her family's fighting style, she has keen senses, fast reflexes, and the ability to think ahead, as she had observed her brother during his training and is shown to have used Kyotō when attacked by three ninjas. Her primary fighting ability is to, by simply observing any fighting technique, learn it, then master it on second observation. She also has an unnatural ability to recover from serious injuries and poisons. Although her brother leaves the island with Togame, Nanami eventually follows them. She had fought Shichika only once, which ended in a draw because of her body's condition, and is stated by Shichika to be even stronger than Hakuhei. During her travels, she killed off the Itezora clan in search of Kanazuchi, but she did not take it because the sword is not useful to her. She comes into possession of Bita after killing off the people in Shireizan. The katana is later seen stabbed into her chest, which over comes her physical weakness. She later confronts her brother and asks him to kill her so she could die normally, which is impossible due to her unnatural superhuman strength. In the end, she's killed by her brother, granting her the death she always wanted.

• Ultimate technique:

The name given to the katana Kanzashi, it fights Shichika in Volume 8 and Episode 8. It resides in an abandoned lake, attacking all that seem to threaten it. It's frightfully fast, flexible, and armed with numerous blades, and it also has a blade hidden in its mouth. Throughout the episode Togame tries to study its behavior as it only roams about through the deserted lake area. Despite their traps its fast thinking kicks in and is unaffected. Later confrontation, Shichika fights it, but proves to be a hassle as it blocks his attacks and surprises him with its unusual attack patterns. In one final attempt it uses its legs to propel itself into the air and attacks them from the sky. But Togame, foreseeing the lack of sunlight forces Biyorigō to shut down and is rescued by Shichika before crashing down onto the ground. The doll is later sent to Princess Hitei.

• Ultimate technique:

A girl with black hair and a distinct lock on the left side of her face that has the appearance of a katana edge who runs a dojo. She's a calm, serious individual and a shogi

Shogi

, also known as Japanese chess, is a two-player board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, and Chinese Xiangqi, and is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan...

 player. She wields Nokogiri, a wooden sword also known as the King Sword. When first encountered she's dueled for control over Nokogiri, but she wins against Shichika. She later attempts to train Shichika in kendo, an activity he is unskilled in due to his family's inherent inability to wield a sword of any kind. While training with her they get caught up in a series of misunderstandings from Togame who comes to see progress, suggesting something sexual. Near the end of his training, Shichika is still unable to fight with a sword, but Togame outflanks her by reciting moves in shogi distracting her long enough to have Shichika land a hit. In the end she hands over Nokogiri admitting her lose and revealing a more feminine side before Shichika and Togame depart.

• Ultimate technique:

A saint resembling a girl with long greenish, black hair who wears a long scarf-like cloth as clothing. In reality he gains the appearance and personality of those who see him and resembles those which they don't wish to remember. His appearance comes from Shichika and is a collaboration of those who he regrets losing to and his personality comes from Togame's memories. Rinne has lived for more than 300 years and was a friend of Kiki Shikizaki as he received Hakari through him. But fearing that the blade's poisonous nature will affect him, he buried it. He rather enjoys tormenting his company as they learn a little bit more about themselves through illusions until they eventually get Hakari.

• Ultimate technique:

The acclaimed leader of the Maniwa Ninja Corps and the leader of its Bird Squad. As his name suggests, he wears a phoenix-like uniform. His personality is quite different from his fellow ninja heads, claiming he has a little more common sense then the others. He has the ability to decapitate anyone with a swing of his arm, as shown when he severs his own left arm to form an alliance with Togame, though he regains the use of said lost arm shortly after from Kawauso's corpse. He finds Mekki inside of a cave and claims it. Shortly after claiming it they are caught by Emonzaemon who's out to kill him. But he and Penguin escape leaving Oshidori to fight him. In the end Hōō was possessed by the spirit of Kiki Shikizaki, being Shichika's real opponent.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Danzaien - This technique allows Hōō to slice through anyone with a swing of his arm. This ability was originally called Namagoroshi, by the Aioi Corps.
• Ultimate technique:

A faithful follower of Princess Hitei, he's been informing her about Togame's adventures for some time. He is seen spying on Togame and Shichika after they recovered Kanazuchi. A rather quiet person who sits in on Princess Hitei's boastful conversations. He shows little emotion and does not get along well with Togame. He has long red hair that's bound in a ponytail and a tall height and wears a tuxedo-like uniform. His face is covered by a mask that was given to him by Princess Hitei and is written with the kanji for "unconcealed". He used to be a ninja

Ninja

A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...

 under the Aioi Corps, a group that was eliminated by the Maniwa Corps over 170 years ago during the Sengoku Period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

. His ninjutsu

Ninjutsu

or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...

 revolves around the darkness of his surroundings. His ninja style was overpowered by the early Maniwa ninjas and claims only Hōō is the sole person who knows about the Aioi Corps ways out of the present Maniwa Corps ninjas. He is the only person who has knowledge of Aioi Kempou. He wields Jū, a pair of pistols. In the end, he kills Togame and later fights Shichika who wishes to be killed by the same man that killed her. He dies at the hands of Shichika and, with his last breath, asks the princess to forgive him for dying for her sake. His mask is currently in the possession of the princess.

• Ninpō: Shinobazukō Ikasazukorosazu - This ability is the same as Maniwa Hōō's as he is able to cut through anything. This ability was also known as Namagoroshi.
• Ultimate technique:

Maniwa Ninja Corps Heads

A clan of ninja that are also looking for the Deviant Blades, each member's name is that of an animal (bird, beast, insect, and fish.) and is reflected on their clothing, and all members wear a chain somewhere on their uniform. The clan is split into four different groups based on the wildlife their members, in turn, are based on: Bird Squad, Beast Squad, Fish Squad, and Insect Squad. Both Shichika and Nanami have called the group by the nickname Maniwani, thinking that it made them sound cute.

A member of the Bird Squad, not much is known about him except what has been heard of him. He speaks everything backwards. As his name suggests, he wears a white heron-like uniform. He is killed by Ginkaku before he has the chance to take any action.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Gekirin Sagashi

A member of the Fish Squad, he wields a pair of chains, a sword attached to each one. After overhearing Meisai asking Shichika about what the latter fought for, Kuizame admits proudly that he himself fights for money and nothing else. He is killed by Meisai after she bypasses his Ninpō. He is later revealed to have respected Kamakiri despite being practically a murderer in a ninja outfit, according to Chōchō.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Uzugatana - This technique allows Kuizame to swing his sword-tipped chains around him effortlessly.

The leader of the Insect Squad, he is a serious highly experienced and feared warrior. As his name suggests, he wears a praying mantis-like uniform. He and the rest of the Insect Squad go to the island of the Yasuri family in order to kidnap Nanami and find out what happened to Kōmori. He acts not only as the leader, but also as an older brother and good friend for his Insect Squad comrades. While stalking Nanami, Kamakiri confesses to himself that if she weren't a target/enemy, Mitsubachi would probably fall for her. He is the first to attack Nanami in hopes of using her as a hostage/bargaining piece, but is quickly defeated. He is subsequently killed by Nanami shoving his own large nails, which she tore off his fingers, through his mouth after he refused to tell her any info about his fellow ninja.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Tsume Awase - This technique allows Kamakiri to lengthen and strengthen his nails into powerful claws.

A member of the Insect Squad, he is a little hotheaded and quick to lose his patience especially when it comes to games, accusing others of cheating. As his name suggests, he wears a butterfly-like uniform. Chōchō admires Kamakiri as a great leader and considers both Kamakiri and Mitsubachi as very good friends. He was a heavy smoker and gave up smoking for the sake of Oshidori, who he is going to marry at some point, but he is killed before he could confess his love for her. He is the second person who fights Nanami after Kamakiri, using his Ninpō both to gain the advantage and to experience the thrill of fighting that the respective founders of both his and Nanami's styles had experienced long ago, but is killed by her after she copied his Ninpō, used both his and Kamakiri's Ninpōs against him, pinned him to the ground, and broke his neck. In the light novel he was originally called Maniwa Tefutefu, the kanjis used for his name can be pronounced either way.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Ashigaru - This technique allows Chōchō to make his body weightless, thus increasing his speed and rendering him unhittable. He can also use it to skate on water even with the additional weight of both Kamakiri and Mitsubachi on his shoulders.

A member of the Insect Squad, he is the most gentle, fair, and calm of its three members, preferring to avoid conflicts with his friends. As his name suggests, he wears a honey bee-like uniform. Besides being the tallest of the squad, he is also the youngest among them and is the only member among them that carries and uses man-made weapons. After witnessing Nanami killing Chōchō, Mitsubachi is the third person who fights Nanami, attacking her from behind and at a distance using his Ninpō in order to weaken and subsequently capture her or finish her off. His own Ninpō is also used against him after he realized too late that her body can survive from non-lethal poison, and he allowed her to see, then copy his Ninpō. By using Ashigaru and Tsume Awase, she was able to dig out the caltrops and quickly attack him. He asks her to kill him with his own sword so that he wouldn't die in shame by the poison she found in Kamakiri's molar and used in her counterattack, and bury his corpse alongside his fellow ninja, both of which she fulfills.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Makibishi Shidan - This technique allows him to launch small caltrops that are hook-tipped to make pulling them out impossible and poison-tipped to immobilize his enemy so that he can get in close and kill them with his katana.

A member of the Beast Squad, she despises Togame for the deaths of her fellow ninja and the mess they've caused within the Maniwa village. As her name suggests, she wears a wolf-like uniform. Hōō reveals that the current Kyōken is actually the spirit of the first Kyōken Maniwa that had died long ago. She is initially defeated by Konayuki, but she later takes over Konayuki, reads her memories, and uses her body to fight Shichika and Togame, stating that she has had over 2000 hosts in her lifetime, most of them being female ninja, and a vast amount of fighting experience. She is defeated by Shichika and loses control over Konayuki's body after he realizes that Kyōken's fighting experience is the reason he can now read the movements of Konayuki's body, in sharp contrast to Konayuki's amateur status.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Kyōken Hatsudou - This technique, secretive to the point that even the leader of the Beast Squad, Kawauso didn't know, allows Kyōken to take control, and read the memories of any host. Hōō reveals that the new host must be female.

The leader of the Beast Squad, he is invaluable to the Maniwa Corps as he can ascertain the locations of the Deviant Blades. As his name suggests, he wears an otter-like uniform. He is willingly killed by Hōō in order to maintain the alliance between the Maniwa Corps and Togame.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Kiroku Tadori - This technique is a form of psychometry that allows Kawauso to read the past of almost any inanimate object. However, he admits that his reading skills don't allow him to read other people's memories due to his shyness.

The leader of the Fish Squad, as his name suggests, he wears a turtle-like uniform. He wields a rapier. He fights Emonzaemon and is killed.

• Nickname:

A member of the Bird Squad, she is first mentioned as the object of Chōchō's affection. As her name suggests, she wears a duck-like uniform. She fights Emonzaemon while letting her leader and Penguin flee. Her Ninpō proves to be a hassle for him as he cannot sneak up on her. But she's later gunned down by Jū, which were in Emonzaemon's possession at the time.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Eigouben - This technique allows her to swing her whips freely, and control them with freedom, form either a defense mechanism, or offense.

A member of the Fish Squad, he is the group's informant and its youngest head. As his name suggests, he wears a penguin-like uniform. A shy and soft-spoken boy, he stutters when trying to bring something up. He's later killed by Emonzaemon in pursuit of Shichika and Togame.

• Nickname:
• Ninpō: Fate Ruination - This increases the "luck" he has, to the extent of defying logical standards.

The Eleven Retainers of the Yanari Shogunate

A group of eleven individuals under direct command of the Yanari Shogun who joined Emonzaemon forming a gauntlet to prevent Shichika from reaching the Shogun himself, each armed with one of the twelve deviant blades.

The first warrior encountered by Shichika. He is a strangely keen-eyed man, who wears his bangs tied up, and has a mask representing something of demonic mouth. He wields Zettō Kanna.

The second encounter on the ascent, he is a bald man with triangular patterns tattooed to his jaw. He holds his hand up in a form of prayer. He wields Zantō Namakura.

The third retainer, a girl with tied up black hair and an eye-patch. By stabbing all of Sentō Tsurugi's blades onto the floor, she illuminated the entire room. However, she is defeated by Shichika using the same technique he used on Tsuruga Meisai.

Fourth retainer, he was a rival to Hakuhei Sabi, and had always failed to surpass him, A man with white pulled back hair. He had large, red eyes. He wields Hakutō Hari and he is rather arrogant thinking he can surpass Shichika, for killing Hakuhei Sabi. He is defeated due to Hakutō Hari's flaw of being easily breakable when not swing at a perfect arc.

The fifth retainer. A former ninja who was from the same group as Emonzaemon who used a muscle ninjutsu to use Zokutō Yoroi, he was defeated by being lifted off the ground, and hit again, to destroy him and his armor, by Shichika.

Sixth retainer. His ancestors defected from the Maniwa Ninja Corps 200 years ago. He uses a variant of Ashigaru that allows him to negate the weight of Kanazuchi thus enabling him to spin it around his finger freely. This also negates the strength of Kanazuchi, however, allowing Shichika to block its swings with ease.

Seventh retainer. A man who wears western glasses. He claims to be an immortal warrior, but is killed 272 times within 5 seconds by Shichika, the same technique his sister Nanami used. He wields Akutō Bita.

Eighth retainer. A tall woman who has long greenish-black hair and uses a claw for a weapon. She claims to be able to unleash the full power of Biyorigō, but dies due to her blocking Biyorigō's path.

Ninth retainer. A man with a stern look on his face. He was commonly known as the Owari Savage. He tried to explain the pointlessness of war to Shichika, but fails to do so. He wields Outō Nokogiri.

Tenth retainer. A small girl with a looks of depression, she admits her sword - Seitō Hakari - is useless, and Shichika suggests to throw it at him, which he deflects, knocking her out. She is the only survivor of the eleven retainers.

The eleventh retainer. He was a man who lost all ego, and was consumed by the poison of Mekki. A well-built man with long red hair bound into a ponytail and grey skin.

Other characters

The leader of the last rebellion and Togame's late father. He was killed in front of a young Togame by Mutsue inside Hida Castle, which turned her hair white, and inspired her to collect the deviant blades. He as a person, realized the plan of Kiki Shikizaki, which was to alter history, so he spent his life trying to restore it, thus the creation of the rebellion. In the end however, he failed, resulting his death. His very last words to Togame was that he loved her very much.

The sixth head of the Kyotō school of Japanese sword martial arts, he was the late father of Shichika and Nanami and the person Togame is initially seeking for the mission to find the Deviant Blades. After killing Takahito, Mutsue and his family were exiled to a uninhabited island in the country of Tamba

Tamba Province

was an old province of Japan. The ambit of its borders encompassed both the central part of modern Kyoto Prefecture and the east-central part of Hyōgo Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Tango Province...

. He is later revealed to have attempted to restrain Nanami's power and denied her succession to the Kyotō art despite his willingness to- not because of her gender or frailty, but because he was simply unable to raise such an exceptionally powerful individual, also noting that she had the same eyes as those of his father. After training Shichika in the Kyotō art to become his successor, Mutsue requested Shichika to kill him, which Shichika fulfilled.

A master swordsmith, and soothsayer

Soothsayer

Soothsayer may refer to:* One practicing divination, including:** Fortune-teller** Oracle* The Soothsayer, an album by Wayne Shorter* "Soothsayer", a song by Buckethead from Crime Slunk Scene...

 of the Sengoku period who was reclusive, belonged to no house nor country, and is renowned by many of the other characters, his work was regarded so highly that during said period, 1000 of his swords were distributed over 25 countries and that the country with the most of his swords during that time dominated it. Of those 1000 swords, the first 988 he had created are believed to have been practice for the last twelve: the Deviant Blades, making use of alchemy

Alchemy

Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...

 and the occult, inspired by his ability to peer into the future, seeing the methods he implied to his latest creations. He also was friends with Shichika's ancestor, Kazune Yasuri, and helped him to establish the Kyotōryū style.

In episode 11 of the anime, it was revealed that Shikizaki's true intentions of creating the 12 Deviant Blades and Kyotōryū, were to falsify history; a history that wasn't supposed to be. It was later revealed that he was doing this for the sake of Japan, as one of his ancestors had a vision that Japan will perish at the hands of foreigners. It was also revealed that the final purpose of the Deviant Blades was to help Shichika perfect the Kyotōryū style and forge himself as the Ultimate Deviant Blade.

A princess residing in Owari who has recently come back into power. She's a beautiful lady who's well endowed, with long blonde hair and bluish-green eyes. She has a shinobi, Emonzaemon under her control whom she looks down on and demoralizes even though he appears unfazed by it. Her role in the story is unknown as of yet, but she actively plots against Togame. Also, she has Jū under her possession. It has been hinted that she may secretly be a descendant of Kiki Shikizaki. It is revealed that she does not actually dislike Togame, but just finds her unpleasant. At the conclusion of the series, she has cut her hair short, and taken it upon herself to follow Shichika and support him financially as he travels around Japan.

The Deviant Blades

The main focus of the story is the gathering of twelve distinct katanas that were crafted by Kiki Shikizaki, a reclusive swordsmith. His bladework had been widely popular during the last war, but only twelve out of the many he had done are rumored to have been specially crafted via alchemy, the occult, and other magical means. Although they are supposedly "katana", not all of them are such, for they have different forms, such as a suit of armor, a dagger, and a pair of guns. The reason for the "Deviant" label is that the people wielding them are prone to their "poison" and will do anything to keep it to themselves, which is the case of most of their current wielders. Each of the blades has a distinct feature or ability that makes them the strongest. In the end, all of them are destroyed by Shichika.

The first blade retrieved by Shichika and Togame, it is in the possession of Koumori. The blade is straight unlike most katanas, and it is the hardest blade with the ability to never break or bend. The hilt is neatly decorated with plum flower designs. This blade is strongly based on the real life Dotanuki

Dotanuki

Dōtanuki is a name assumed by a number of Japanese swordsmiths from the Eiroku period onwards, originally named for their place of origin in Kikuchi, old Higo province...

.

The second blade recovered, it is in the possession of Ginkaku. It is the sharpest blade with the ability to cut through anything, in sharp contrast to its ironic name, meaning "blunt". It was made for unsheathing at an incredible speed. The katana has triangular patterns around its hilt guard and a black sheath.

Comprising 1000 swords, with the last 999 being copies of the first, all 1000 of them are in the possession of Meisai. Even though there are 1000 swords, all of them together are considered to be one sword. It is the most numerous blade with the ability to overwhelm its enemy with its numbers. What makes them stand out is their red sheaths. Only Shichika is able to identify the original sword.

An extremely thin blade as per its namesake, meaning "needle", it is in the possession of Hakuhei. It is the brittlest blade as the blade itself is made of glass

Glass

Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...

, which gives it its light weight, but it is rather fragile if used incorrectly. The sheath and hilt are white and decorated with floral patterns.

A massive full set of armor, it is in the possession of Kanara. It is the most defense-oriented blade with the ability to protect the user from any damage, especially against attacks that have armor-piercing properties. Its design was based on Western armor

Plate armour

Plate armour is a historical type of personal armour made from iron or steel plates.While there are early predecessors such the Roman-era lorica segmentata, full plate armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, especially in the context of the Hundred Years' War, from the coat of...

, and it has numerous blades around it if observed carefully, both according to Togame. The armor is decorated with many references to the ocean, such as shells and a helmet that's based on a whale.

A large, blunt-looking, stone sword, it comes into the possession of Konayuki. The blade is extremely heavy, capable of leaving a crater even when it is simply dropped, and only Konayuki is capable of wielding it with ease. It is the heaviest blade with the ability to crush the enemy with its weight. The sword can also be held by its tip, and used as a hammer instead, hence its "twin" title.

A small yellow kunai

Kunai

A is a Japanese tool possibly derived from the masonry trowel. Two variations are the and the . It is a good example of a very basic tool which, in the hands of a martial arts expert, could be used as a multi-functional weapon...

-like weapon, it comes into the possession of Nanami. It holds electricity within it and was designed similar to a lightning bolt. It is the evilest blade with the ability to rejuvenate

Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation may refer to:*Rejuvenation , reversing the aging process*Rejuvenation , when the base level that a river is flowing down to is lowered*Rejuvenation , 1974*Rejuvenation , 2009...

 the user's body.

A four-armed, four-legged, solar power

Solar power

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...

ed clockwork

Clockwork

A clockwork is the inner workings of either a mechanical clock or a device that operates in a similar fashion. Specifically, the term refers to a mechanical device utilizing a complex series of gears....

 mechanical doll that seems to function on its own. It is the most human-like blade with the ability to think by itself and adapt to any situation. It wears a kimono and tall black shoes. Each of its arms hold a sword, and an extra one is hidden in its mouth. Its appearance, made in the image of its creator's love, changes according to the situation, becoming more menacing.

A wooden sword

Bokken

A bokken , "wood", and ken, "sword") , is a Japanese wooden sword used for training. It is usually the size and shape of a katana, but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tantō...

 that sharply contrasts its title as "King of Swords", it is in the possession of Zanki. Unlike the other Deviant Blades, it doesn't have any of the poison found in Kiki's blades. It is the purest blade with the ability to cure the poison the other swords have on their owners. A small floral mark and yellowish streak on the sword identifies it as Nokogiri.

A sword with no blade, it is in the possession of Rinne. The blade itself is not meant to "cut" anyone other than its owner. The sheath is black and decorated with orange floral patterns, and a wreath of those flowers encircle the top part of the sheath. It is the most trustworthy blade with the ability to weight the user's heart.

A black jagged and bladed katana decorated with iridescent designs, it is now in the possession of Houou. The blade also gives off a dark cloudy aura. This blade originally has no owner as it was found inside of a crystal-like spire. It is the most poisonous blade with the ability to corrupt the user. The blade itself contains a part of the spirit of its creator within.

A pair of pistols, one a blue six-chambered revolver

Revolver

A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...

 and the other a red semi-automatic that holds eleven bullets, both are in the possession of Princess Hitei and used by her retainer, Emonzaemon. Each is decorated with a long flowing mane with a bead on its end. It is the most automatic blade with the ability to consecutively shoot down enemies from a distance.

External links

• Official Katanagatari anime website
• Fuji TV Katanagatari webpage
• ANN vol 2 review