The mesmerizing world of anime is filled with powerful weapons our brave heroes use to inflict maximum damage on the evil villains of their universe. However, brute-force attacks are not always the only answer. And here comes the Tanto, a traditional Japanese blade from the 8th century used during espionage operations and self-defense in close combat.
The tanto is a dagger-like sword much smaller than a traditional katana and commonly appears in anime as a weapon for stealthy tactics. It is often depicted as a short katana with a standard katana-size hilt, commonly used for attacking adversaries. The tanto fights mimic real-world combat, emphasizing speed and agility. They symbolize the level of our favorite anime character's skill and dexterity while wielding a much smaller blade.
Just as with any other weapon, a tanto is only as impressive and effective as the skills of the anime character wielding it. So let us look at the top three most popular tanto swords in anime that gained notoriety due to the feats they performed in the hands of their wielders.
Roronoa Zoro’s Seppuku Hiltless Tanto (One Piece)
Roronoa Zoro, our favorite sword master from the chaotic One Piece universe, has wielded numerous potent blades during his thrilling adventures as the fierce crew member of the Straw Hat Pirates. However, the way he hacked and slashed his way out of sure death using a tanto is a tale worthy of being told again and again.
In the Wano Country Arc, unjustly accused of murder, Zoro is forced to execute the deadly Seppuku ritual to restore his honor. Before carrying out this act, armed with a hiltless tanto, he defiantly declared his innocence and announced that he “smells blood.” Then he powerfully struck the building using just his tanto, killing the corrupt magistrate and his henchmen and cutting the building in half with a single blow of the tanto blade infused with his haki.
Although he did not wield any tanto blade again, that one time was enough to leave a lasting impression!!!
