Editing Tantō

{{Era|Weapons}}{{WP-REAL|Tantō}}
{{Pre-release|[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]}}
[[File:ACSh Fujibayashi Naoe's tanto.png|thumb|250px|Fujibayashi Naoe's tanto]]
A '''''tantō''''' (短刀, <small>lit.</small> 'short blade') is a [[Japan]]ese sword or [[short blade|dagger]] with a blade shorter than 30 centimeters in length.<ref name="Yumoto">Yumoto, J. M. (2013). ''Samurai Sword: A Handbook''. Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing.</ref><ref name="Weapon dict">Ichikawa Sadaharu [市川定春]. (2023). "Swords" [刀劍]. In ''Dictionary of the Weapon'' [武器事典] (3rd ed.), translated by Lin Tsit-i [林哲逸] and Kao Yin-liang [高胤喨]. Taipei, Taiwan: Cite Publishing Ltd., pp. 7–78.</ref><ref name="Japanese swords">Kapp, Leon and Kapp, Hiroko. (2012). "Rekishi: A Brief History of the Japanese Sword". In ''The Art of the Japanese Sword: The Craft of Swordmaking and its Appreciation''. Tokyo, Japan: Tuttle Publishing, pp. 69–104</ref> It was used as an auxiliary weapon by the [[samurai]] alongside their [[katana]], as well as by women and tradespeople for personal defense during the [[Sengoku period]].<ref name="Deal">Deal, W. E. (2006). ''Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan''. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.</ref>

The [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Fujibayashi Naoe]] often used a ''tantō'' blade,<ref name="ReferenceGuide">{{Ubisoft|url=/J3yJr34U2pZ2Ieem48Dwy9uqj5PNUQTn/3bGKVyFkHiabZ5a2SjO7pi/83bf1e6260dcaac48d453399bd573306/ACRED_CharacterReference_Full_FINAL.pdf|subdomain=staticctf|text=Assassin's Creed Shadows: Character Reference Guide|archivedate=20240601091703}}</ref> and would combine it with her [[Hidden Blade]] in order to perform double [[assassination]]s.<ref name="Premiere trailer">{{Youtube|video=vovkzbtYBC8|text=Assassin's Creed Shadows: Official World Premiere Trailer|channel=@Ubisoft|channelname=Ubisoft}}</ref> [[Mochizuki Chiyome]] also favored the weapon during her tenure as an Assassin.<ref name="ACRPG">''[[Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game]]'' – Animus Training Program Quickstart: The Nanban Trade</ref>

==Description==
The term ''tantō'' literally translates to 'short blade', and the weapon is essentially a Japanese-style dagger. Since the enactment of the {{wiki|Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law}} in 1958<ref name="WP">{{WP|Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law}}</ref> by the Japanese government, the ''tantō'' has been legally defined as any sword with a blade shorter than 30 centimeters, but historically many swords exceeding this length were still classified as a ''tantō''. More precisely, the most typical ''tantō'' has a blade ranging from 24 to 25 cm in length, and these are specifically called ''jōsun-no-tantō'' (定寸の短刀, <small>lit.</small> 'standard-length short blades').<ref name="Japanese swords" />

Although ''tantō'' are sometimes described with a style of moderate curvature called ''uchizori'' (内反り, <small>lit.</small> 'inward-curving'), where the rear surface tapers toward the tip, they have always been forged with a straight back, or ''muzori'' (無反り, <small>lit.</small> 'no curvature'). Because the line between the flat side of the blade and the rear surface is weaker near the point, years of polishing and use will wear down at this spot faster, eventually giving the appearance of a ''uchizori'' blade.<ref name="Japanese swords" />

==Behind the scenes==
The tantō will be a usable weapon in the 2024 video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]''.<ref name="ReferenceGuide"/>

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{ACShadows}}
[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:Short blades]]
[[Category:16th century weapons]]