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Revision as of 17:12, 30 October 2025

Fujibayashi Naoe's tantō

A tantō (短刀, lit. 'short blade') is a Japanese sword or dagger with a blade shorter than 30 centimeters in length.[1][2][3] It was utilized as an auxiliary weapon by the samurai alongside their katana, as well as by women and tradespeople for personal defense during the Sengoku period.[4] Ninja such as the Assassin Fujibayashi Naoe also used it prolifically in their operations.

Description

The term tantō literally translates to 'short blade', and the weapon is essentially a Japanese-style dagger. Since the enactment of the Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law in 1958[5] by the Japanese government, the tantō has been legally defined as any sword with a blade shorter than 30 centimeters, but historically many short swords exceeding this length were still classified as 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, lit. 'standard-length short blades').[3]

Although tantō are sometimes described with a style of moderate curvature called uchizori (内反り, lit. 'inward-curving'), where the rear surface tapers toward the tip, they have always been forged with a straight back, or muzori (無反り, lit. '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 an uchizori blade.[3]

History

The history of the tantō goes as far back as the 3rd century BCE. Among its antecedents are ancient tōsu (刀子) and the Kamakura era sasuga (刺剣). Positive appraisal of the sasuga as a side-arm for spearmen in the chaos of battle led to the widespread adoption of the shorter tantō. It subsequently became a regular auxiliary weapon for warriors throughout the Sengoku period.[2] Iga shinobi were trained to utilize it to pierce through weak points in enemy armor,[6] and the Iga Assassin Fujibayashi Naoe wielded both a tantō[7] and a Pivot Blade in the design of a tantō.[7][8] Its popularity did not ebb even in the peaceful Edo period because nobles and women alike found it useful as a concealable self-defense weapon.[2]

Behind the scenes

The tantō is featured in the 2025 video game Assassin's Creed: Shadows, used by player character Naoe.[7][8] Her Hidden Blade is also forged in the style of a tanto, and can pivot to be held in an icepick grip.

Naoe uses both weapons together to deliver quick slashes against her enemies. She can attack while leaping towards or away from her target, and throw the tanto at an enemy to follow up with an armor-piercing attack. While equipped with the tanto, Naoe can also enter a state which enables her to automatically dodge any attack at close range, for a limited period of time. Using both weapons, Naoe can perform double assassinations, instantly killing two enemies close to each other.

The tanto and Hidden Blade combination has one of the highest damage outputs per second in-game, but also has the shortest reach, forcing Naoe to get up close to her opponents to deal damage.


In Game Options

Icon ▾ Name Rarity Type Character How to Get Perk Name Perk
Artist's Tear Legendary Tanto Naoe Stored in Takagi Otsuka Fort in Harima Massive Damage on Consecutive Hits +6% damage with consecutive hits
Call of the Void Legendary Tanto Naoe Assassinate the Godia of Void from the Godai Shinobi Damage to Tagged Enemy +30% damage on Tagged enemies
Cerulean Flux Legendary Tanto Naoe Reach Rank 4 on the Awakening Project Instant Posture after Ability Instantly charge Posture attacks after using Abilities
Cindersteel Epic Tanto Naoe Assassinate the Godai of Fire from the Godai Shinobi
Hidden Pleat Common Tanto Naoe Assassinate Mucho from the Butterfly Collector Organization
Igan Sunset Legendary Tanto Naoe Found in a Legendary Chest at Tozuku's Lair in Settsu Slow Time on Escape Strike Slow down time on Escape Strike
Ink Spiller Epic Tanto Naoe Assassinate Shucho from the Butterfly Collector
Iron Dispute Epic Tanto Naoe Assassinate the Godai of Wind from the Godai Shinobi
Masamune's Thorn Legendary Tanto Naoe Stored in Nochiseyama Castle in Wakasa Greatly Improved Double Assassinate +2 Health Segments removed with Double Assassinate
Rooted Thrust Epic Tanto Naoe Assassinate the Godai of Earth from the Godai Shinobi
Scarlet Fate Legendary Tanto Naoe Hidden inside Chasuriyama Kofun in Tamba Impactful Attacks Increased Impact with all attacks
Shinobi's Fury Legendary Tanto Naoe Obtained by completing Drive the Point Home (Assassinate Wakasa) Weakpoints Make Enemies Vulnerable Twice Weakpoint attacks make enemies Vulnerable a second time
The Dog-Ear Epic Tanto Naoe Assassinate Richo from the Butterfly Collector
Traitor's Bargain Epic Tanto Naoe Assassinate Shishi-o, one of the Hunters of Kyonyo
Typhoon Tanto Epic Tanto Naoe Assassinate the Godai of Water from the Godai Shinobi
Warrior's Garden Legendary Tanto Naoe Assassinate the Betrayer Masatoshi Nakahara Assassination on Shadow Piercer Shadow Piercer now removes 2 Health Segments on hit
Yukimitsu's Revenge Legendary Tanto Naoe Hidden inside the Ancient Tomb of Nanjo in Yamashiro Vulnerable to Affliction Afflicted enemies are Vulnerable

Appearances

References

  1. ↑ Yumoto, J. M. (2013). Samurai Sword: A Handbook. Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ichikawa Sadaharu [市川定春]. (2023). "Daggers" [匕首]. 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. 79–111.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Kapp, Leon; Kapp, Hiroko; and Yoshihara Yoshindo. (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.
  4. ↑ Deal, W. E. (2006). Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
  5. ↑ Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law on Wikipedia
  6. ↑ Turnbull, Stephen. (2019). "Ninja Weapons and How to Use Them". In Ninja: The (Unofficial) Secret Manual. London, UK: Thames & Hudson Ltd, pp. 112–131.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2  Assassin's Creed Shadows: Character Reference Guide on Ubisoft's official website (backup link)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Assassin's Creed Shadows Explained – Samurai, Shinobi, and Feudal Japan on the Ubisoft YouTube channel

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zh:短刀

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