The Forest Katana Guide: A Complete Guide

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Arthur Monteclar

Arthur is a writer for Ready Game Survive and is a huge fan of survival titles like Don't Starve and Subnautica. Arthur has been in the writing business for years now, he is also a software programmer, so he understands the craft and effort invested in the gaming medium, and He is also fond of manga and anime.

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When you are stranded on an island teeming with dangerous perils like in The Forest, you need a weapon to defend yourself. The cannibals are fast and vicious, ready to kill any unprepared soul who wanders the vast wilderness. You have your ax, or you can even make a weapon of your own like an upgraded spear.

However, many players like to deal with their enemies quickly. They do not want to block the cannibal attacks using their weapons. Instead, they want to end the battle in a snap with their foes cut in half. The best way to go about it would be the katana found within the game.

The katana is an attractive weapon to have. It makes you feel like you’re a Japanese samurai swinging your sword left and right, ending everything quickly.

Katanas are so iconic that they are even in other games like Left 4 Dead 2. But is the incredible experience of swinging a katana around justifiable? Is the katana worth it? If you are curious where to find it or if you should even get it, read this The Forest Katana guide to find out.

What is the Katana in The Forest?

The katana is a melee weapon you can wield and use to fight. The developers added it in the v0.20 update of the game. You cannot craft it, but you can take it from a particular cave on the island. You cannot permanently upgrade it nor throw it, but you can apply a poison upgrade on it to deal significant poison damage to your enemies.

It is an exceptionally swift swinging weapon, allowing you to swing it more continuously than the other weapons. However, each swing you make with the katana will cost you seven stamina, so using it can be exhausting, especially if you like to swing your sword a lot.

Furthermore, you can barely block using the katana, as the developers intended it to be a weapon purely for attacking. If you are looking for something you can utilize to defend yourself after hitting your opponents, the katana is not for you. You can store it on a wall weapon rack, a ground weapon holder, or a weapon rack.

Katana’s Statistics in The Forest

The katana has a speed stat of 7 and 1/4, a damage stat of 5 and 1/4, and a block stat of zero. It can reach farther than most melee weapons due to its long range. You cannot permanently upgrade a katana; Thus, it will always have these stats.

However, you can temporarily upgrade it with a poison upgrade. Hitting enemies using a katana with a poison upgrade will damage the target over time. Furthermore, the poison slows down their victims, and their attack speed significantly decreases.

Below is a summary of the katana’s properties and statistics.

• Melee weapon added in v0.20
• Can be equipped
• Cannot be upgraded
• Cannot be thrown
• Speed: 7 ¼
• Damage: 5 ¼
• Block: 0
• Range: Very long
• Maximum stack: 1

What Does the Katana Look Like in The Forest?

The katana has a long, steel blade and a red handle with diamond-like patterns lining up from the blade’s edge to the hilt. Killing cannibals and animals using the katana will stain its blade with blood, but the stains will eventually fade away. The bloodstains are purely aesthetic and do not alter the katana’s statistics whatsoever.

Technically, this Japanese sword is not a katana, as they are usually three to four feet tall. This weapon in the game would closely resemble a wakizashi rather than a katana as they are shorter. However, it is understandable how it is labeled a katana since they are more iconic and recognizable.

Katana in The Forest Location

The katana is in a section of the Dead Cave, also known as Cave 1, by the game’s fanbase. It’s in a dead-end where various items and loot are also present, including cash, wristwatches, medicine, food trays, and laptops for circuit boards. It is worth noting that the Dead Cave has three entrances, and it is connected to other cave systems as well.

Morbidly, the katana is sticking out of a dead body kneeling on the ground on both knees. The man seems Asian, which would explain how this sword found its way on this cannibal-filled island. He has arm tattoos that have been cut off and displayed over his head as a banner, further strengthening the theory that he is a Yakuza member. The cannibals may have committed this brutal act.

How to Get the Katana in The Forest

To get the katana, you must do the following:

1. Go to the Dead Cave entrance nearest to the katana
2. Climb down and sneak through the Dead Cave
3. Get the katana from the dead body

I will explain each step in detail. So, if you want to get the katana, read through the steps thoroughly. Note that since you are going in a cave, you should prepare food for your hunger, drinks for your hydration, and meds for your health. It may be unnecessary since the entrance is very close to the katana, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

You must have something to light up your surroundings like your lighter since it can get pretty dark. However, there is a particular part where you need to turn the lights off to not alert hostile entities.

Step One: Go to the Dead Cave Entrance

The Dead Cave has three different entrances, so you must go down through the opening nearest to the katana if you do not want to stumble upon deadly mutants and cannibals. You can find this entrance near the river’s mouth southeast of the gigantic sinkhole. It can be easy to miss as the entrance is just a hole with a rope going down.

Just find the river and follow it towards its end heading southeast. If you found the sinkhole, go southeast from there as well. If you have the map, you can open it (the default key is the M key on PC) and head towards this location marked with the blue circle. Be wary of large stones among the grass as they riddle the entrance.

Step Two: Climb Down and Sneak Through

Once you have found the hole leading to the Dead Cave, go down using the attached yellow rope. Now would be the time to have lights on to not get confused around the dark. When you arrive on the floor, you will find various clothes and skulls among the stalagmites and stalactites. You can also see drawings of Timmy on the wall.

This part of the cave only has one pathway, so find the rope towards it and climb upwards. When you do, turn off the lights and start sneaking because there are mutants and cannibals nearby. However, if you are eager to kill them for their bones, feel free to do the opposite.

When you have climbed up, head to the left, where you can see some wooden planks on the ground and the wall; if you head to the right instead, you will find a body of water and some cannibals lurking around.

It is a straight path towards the room where you can find the katana as you head left. Again, you must sneak your way there as to not alert hostile entities of your presence. You can see a lantern and several strange bones hanging on threads from the rocky ceiling along the path. The path also gets narrower the farther you go.

You can open it and head towards the location marked with the blue circle if you have the map. The red one is your starting position if you go through the entrance in step one.

Step Three: Get the Katana From the Dead Body

When you arrive at the dead-end through the straight path, you will find a lot of loot. The dead body with the katana is hard to miss since it will be in front of you once you enter the room. Go towards the body and find the katana. If you are playing on multiplayer, your friends can also get it. Laptops surround the body, and above its head, there is a gigantic banner of its arm tattoo.

There is an unlit campfire made of sticks and stones in the center of the room. You can also see an enormous case full of cash that you can take. There are two tables; one has another dead body with a lit candle on a skull, while the other has loot, such as food trays, snacks, and meds.

Besides the table with the dead body, you can find another case full of wristwatches. You can break the laptops in this room to collect their circuit boards. If you are low on cloth, you can also gather them here. Nearby the body, you may also find two cans of fuel.

When you finish, you can either go back up through the path you came from or explore the caves if you are prepared and willing to do so.

How to Upgrade the Katana in The Forest

You cannot upgrade the katana permanently like the other melee weapons. However, you can upgrade it temporarily with a poison upgrade. To upgrade the katana with poison, you need to craft it through the inventory using poisonous mushrooms or berries, which are listed down below. Do not eat them as they can poison you when ingested.

• Black Twinberry
• Snowberry
• Amanita Mushroom
• Jack Mushroom

The crafting recipe to get the poisoned katana is as follows:

• Black Twinberries (x4) or Snowberries (x4) or Amanita Mushroom (x1) or Jack Mushroom (x1)
• Katana

When you have the accurate materials, open your inventory and craft it. An option for the katana’s poison upgrade will be available. Below, I will explain what each ingredient looks like and where to find them. Then, I will expand on the effects of the poisoned katana and how long the upgrade will last.

Where to find black twinberries in The Forest

They are two round, dark berries accompanied by a red star-shaped flower. You can harvest them from twinberry bushes which you can find throughout the island. Look for bushes with dark red leaves among the green ones and blackberries.

Where to find snowberries in The Forest

Snowberries are white berries you can harvest from snowberry bushes. You can find these bushes throughout the island, much like twinberry bushes. Look out for green bushes with white berries sticking out.

Where to find amanita mushrooms in The Forest

Amanita mushrooms have a white body and red cap dotted with white dots all over. In the wild, they grow by threes. You can find them on the island and plant them in a garden. However, the grounds must be in a cave system for the mushrooms to spread. You must also plant an amanita mushroom in the garden; it will increase on the empty slots.

Where to find jack mushrooms in The Forest

Jack mushrooms are yellow mushrooms all over from its body to its cap. The cap’s underside appears to have slight, dark wrinkles, but they’re barely noticeable. It is best to look for them when it is daytime so you can quickly identify them by their color. You can find them on the island and grow them in gardens inside cave systems like the amanita mushrooms.

Poisoned Katana Effects in The Forest

When you hit an enemy with a poisoned katana, their health is reduced over time until the effect wears off. Additionally, their movement and attack speed significantly slow down by approximately 25%. It is unsure how much damage the poison deals.

The effect will not fade away from the weapon over time. Instead, it will wear off after a certain amount of hits. Hitting a tree or branches counts as a hit for the poison, so avoid swinging your poisoned katana randomly.

Katana vs. Other Melee Weapons in The Forest

Katana vs. machete in The Forest

The machete has the same speed and damage output as the katana. It cannot even block incoming attacks efficiently, like the katana. They are pretty similar statistically, but they differ in other areas, and each weapon has an edge over the other.

The katana is easier and faster to get, as you can get it pretty quickly through the Dead Cave entrance nearest to it. The machete, on the other hand, is hard to obtain. You can find it at the bottom of the sinkhole and next to the crashed helicopter, where many enemies await. Furthermore, it is tough to reach, especially if you have started a new game. Going down can be pretty suicidal.

The machete excels in an area that the katana cannot achieve, and that is its capability of upgrading. You can permanently upgrade a machete, and considering that you are most likely to obtain it with advanced gear, upgrading it should not be a problem. With upgrades, the machete can overclass the katana by a mile.

Overall, the katana excels in the game’s early stages due to its easy accessibility. Meanwhile, the machete excels in the late stage due to its capability of upgrading. It is also important to note that they vastly differ in terms of range when choosing between these two. The katana is superior in terms of range due to its long blade, but if your machete is more powerful, you can practice your machete.

Katana vs. modern axe in The Forest

The modern axe excels in some areas against the katana, especially somewhere where it matters the most, and that is its capability of upgrading. However, in their most basic aspect, the katana outclasses the modern axe in terms of speed and range. However, the modern axe is superior in damage and blocking capabilities.

The modern axe is in the lead when you add these variables together especially considering its superior blocking capabilities. Furthermore, its stats can be upgraded, making it stronger than the katana. Their difference in range is not that much either, though the katana is still longer than the modern axe.

As for accessibility, the katana is still superior. You can find the modern axe deep inside the Hanging Cave, and to get to the room where you can find it, you would have to face a couple of enemies. You would also need good navigation skills along the cave. You can drop down, head towards the room, and get out as fast as possible

for the katana.

I think the modern axe is superior to the katana during the game’s latter stages like the machete. You can upgrade the modern axe, which is an enormous advantage that diminishes the katana once more. During the early stages, the katana still wins due to how difficult getting the modern axe can get.

Katana vs. upgraded spear in The Forest

At a glance, the upgraded spear is the best weapon between the two. It has better speed and damage output while still having the same long range that the katana excels. Statistically, the upgraded spear is indeed better. However, an aspect that differentiates these weapons can change the gameplay of using them, which is stamina usage.

The katana has arguably better stamina consumption to its speed and damage. Many players prefer to use the katana when fighting against large groups over the upgraded spear, as the latter can exhaust you pretty quickly than the former.

Both weapons suffer from their inability to be upgraded, so their stats remain the same throughout. Coincidentally, you can also temporarily upgrade both of them using poison. As for accessibility, the upgraded spear is easy to obtain because you can craft one by simply having sticks, clothes, and bones.

Overall, I would advise you to keep both weapons in your arsenal. Upgraded spear is better in terms of damage, but if you are low on stamina you can switch to katanas. Also, both of them have different playstyles. For example, spears have three offensive modes. If you find playing with a spear confusing, either practice with it or ditch it for a katana.

Katana vs. club in The Forest

Clubs are on the opposite side of the spectrum from katanas. They are slow yet extremely powerful with every swing. They are significantly slower than the katana but do slightly better damage. Furthermore, you can block using them, which is a major weakness for the Japanese sword. Still, katanas excel in terms of range.

In terms of accessibility, clubs can be considered as more accessible than katanas, since you can get them by killing cannibals. The chance of encountering aggressive cannibals with clubs is not low, so there is a big chance that you can have it at the start of your game. This occurrence eliminates the katana’s advantage of being easily and quickly accessible.

Once more, the club outweighs the katana in terms of upgrade capability. You can upgrade a club to make it even more powerful. But overall, they differ a lot in terms of playstyle, and playstyle is what determines your preference between the two. If you want to hit your enemies hard but slow, the club is the way to go. If you want to hit your enemies fast but weaker, the katana is your zinger.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Can you upgrade the katana in The Forest?

Answer: Yes, although only temporarily. You cannot upgrade the katana permanently. Instead, you can apply poison to it to boost its damage output. The poison can also slow down the target’s movement and attack speed. The upgrade will wear off after a certain amount of hits.

Question: Where do you find the katana in The Forest?

Answer: You can find the katana in the Dead Cave, also known as Cave 1. You can enter it through one of its entrances found southeast of the sinkhole. Climb down the hole and once you are down, climb up to an opening through an attached rope. From there, sneak your way to the left and head straight towards the narrow path. You will eventually find yourself in a dead-end with the katana on a dead body.

Question: Does the katana respawn in The Forest?

Answer: Yes, it does, but only if you leave the cave or exit the game. Once you go back inside, you can find the katana again in the same room.

Question: Can all players get the katana in The Forest multiplayer?

Answer: Yes, everyone can. Certain items like the katana and the plane axe are all on the client-side, meaning there is one available per player. If by some weird bug a player in multiplayer could not get the katana, just leave the cave system and go back in. If that does not work, you can restart the server instead.

Conclusion: Is the Katana Good in The Forest?

The katana is one of the fastest melee weapons in the game, and it can be easily obtained early on. Swinging it against your enemies can prevent them from retaliating against you due to its sheer speed. However, I believe that the katana suffers in three major departments: its stamina consumption, lack of upgrades, and inability to block incoming attacks.

Disadvantages of the Katana in The Forest

The katana deals five and ¼ damage per swing, however, it also takes seven points of stamina from its user. The good thing about this weapon is the ability to swing it as fast as possible after every strike, but its advantage is pulled down due to its stamina consumption. For example, if you swing the katana every second, you would have already lost 70 points of stamina within ten seconds.

Another thing that I think weighs down this weapon in my favor is its lack of upgrades. Sadly, you cannot upgrade the katana to make it more powerful. In comparison, you can make an upgraded spear faster and deal more damage through permanent upgrades.

Lastly, the inability to block is something the katana suffers. Logically speaking, it makes sense considering it is one of the fastest melee weapons with decent damage output in the game without any upgrades whatsoever. Yet if you are someone who is accustomed to blocking the enemy hits, you may need to adjust to the katana.

Advantages of the Katana in The Forest

However, the katana also has some advantages that may even cancel out the disadvantages. It can be a good starting weapon, especially considering that you have limited access to them and the only ones you can craft have abysmal damage and speed. Plus, it is completely viable as a starting weapon because of how near it is to the entrance of the Dead Cave.

Like the spear, the katana also gets the advantage of speed, where the enemy may not be able to retaliate against you. It is best used when fighting against one or two opponents as it can eliminate them quickly without you taking damage. It has a very long range which also gets bonus points because it can help you avoid damage when the enemy has an opportunity to strike back amidst your swings.

Overall, I think the katana is a good weapon to have in your arsenal. I recommend that you get it at the start of the game because of how easy you can take it. However, during the late game, I would advise switching to a weapon with permanent upgrades as it can be more powerful than the katana.