| Damage | 25–75 |
| One hand | 15% faster |
| Two hands | 10% slower |
| Bullet shield | In two hands |
The Katana is a sword in Population: One that also works as a shield. A swing does 25 to 75 damage, and held in both hands it raises a shield that stops bullets.
What the Katana does in Population: One
A blade works differently from a gun. A swing's damage comes from how far the blade travels, not how hard the arm is thrown, and it goes straight to health: a shield or armor does nothing against it. The Katana swings for 25 to 75 damage, so one full 45 cm slash takes 75 of a player's 100 health. There are no headshots with a blade; a hit is a hit.
One hand makes the player 15% faster than empty-handed, two hands 10% slower; the damage is the same either way.
The Katana shield
Held in both hands, the Katana opens a shield about 1 m wide and 1.5 m tall in front of the blade. It never breaks. It stops every bullet except the holder's own and blocks other blades. Whether a blast gets through it is not confirmed.
How a swing works
- 1Swing fast to startA swing begins once the blade moves 4 m/s.
- 2Longer swings hit harder25 once the blade has moved 4.5 cm, up to 75 at 45 cm. Speed adds nothing.
- 3Keep it movingSlower than 2.5 m/s on average and the swing ends.
- 4Pulling back pauses itMoving back toward where the swing started adds nothing, but keeps what it had.
- 5One hit per playerThe same player can't be hit again for 0.2 s.
Playing the Katana
In one hand it makes the player 15% faster on their feet. In two hands it makes them 10% slower and raises the shield. A full swing needs 45 cm of travel.
Katana or Knife, Excalibur and Cyberblade
The Knife: 35 damage on every hit, 15% faster in hand, one hand only. The Excalibur: 25 to 75 damage, 25% faster in hand, one hand or two. The Cyberblade: 25 to 75 damage, 25% faster in hand, one hand or two.