Blade and Katana builds are some of the most fun to play in Cyberpunk 2077, but it can be difficult to create the best one possible. More specifically, it’s hard to find the best Katana in the game needed for said build, as it’s only obtainable very early on so long as you stray from the beaten path. To ensure you don’t miss out on this high-level weapon and character build option, we’ve created this guide detailing its exact location, stats, and the best abilities for it.
Cyberpunk 2077 Best Katana Location: How to Get the Satori Iconic Katana
The best Katana in Cyberpunk 2077 is the Satori, and it’s obtainable during the Heist main story mission; or at least, it is so long as you don’t follow the script to a T.
Following Saburo Arasaka’s murder, T-Bug will open the windows to the room so that you and Jackie can escape. Instead of going through the window leading to the ledge though, head up the stairs in the back left corner of the room.
After you’ve gone up the stairs, a new optional objective will appear telling you to head up to the AV landing pad where Saburo’s helicopter is waiting. Follow it toward a doorway leading to a balcony, and then head up the stairs to the landed helicopter.
Once you get close enough to the AV landing pad, two enemies will come into view. Dispose of them however you wish, and then open up the helicopter. Inside you’ll find the Satori leaning against a seat, and you can collect it to make it your own for the rest of the game.
Satori Stats and Abilities, Explained
It should be noted, however, that the Satori won’t necessarily be a Tier 5++ Iconic weapon as soon as you get it in Cyberpunk 2077.
Instead, it’ll scale to your current level when you find it. Grabbing it while at a low level leads to it being Tier 1 or Tier 2, while nabbing it at a higher level results in it being Tier 3 or Tier 4. It can then be upgraded to a higher tier using the requisite item components, which can be obtained via item chests or by breaking down weapons of the same Tier.
Luckily, the weapon is still the best Katana you can use even if it’s not fully upgraded thanks to its special abilities. In addition to having a 25 percent increase to Armor Penetration and a 17 percent increase to Bleeding Chance, it allows you to leap toward distant enemies.
You can also hold down and then release R2 to perform a quickdraw attack that has a 100 precent chance of inflicting Bleeding. When used against enemies that are already Bleeding, this attack instead causes Hemorrhaging which causes enemy health to drain while yours regenerates.
Best Katana Build for Satori in Cyberpunk 2077
As for what the ideal build is to take full advantage of the best Katana, it’s fairly straight-forward. In addition to the usual Blade Perks from the Reflexes tree, you’ll also want to invest some resources into Body to bolster your regenerative capabilities. We’ve detailed all of the Attribute, Perk, and Skill Progression choices you should make down below.
Best Attribute Distribution
In terms of your Attributes, you’ll want to prioritize Reflexes. Doing so allows you to unlock every Blade-centric Perk as well as several Perks tied to mobility and maneuverability. Each point put into Reflexes also boosts your Crit Chance by .5 percent per point, netting you a 10 percent increase once the Attribute is maxed out.
After that, you’ll want to dump points into Body. Through this, you can get more HP and gain access to Perks tied to Health Regeneration. This pairs perfectly with the Satori’s Hemorrhaging buff, and can turn you into an unkillable typhoon of slashing.
Cool comes in as the third most important stat to upgrade. Though there aren’t any Perks from this tree that are vital to your build, you can boost your Crit Damage for every point put into the Attribute.
Any remaining points can then be put into Technical Abilities and Intelligence however you’d like. We’d personally recommend leaning slightly toward Technical Abilities, as doing so nets you a bit more armor to keep yourself safe with.
Best Perks
Perks-wise, you’ll be spending your points evenly between abilities tied to Blades, Movement, and Health Regeneration. You can find every viable Perk listed down below.
Reflexes
- Slippery: The faster you move, the more difficult it is for enemies to shoot you.
- Dash: Reduce the Stamina cost of dodging and dashing by 20 percent. At Rank 2, gain the ability to Dash.
- Can’t Touch This: Gain a 100 percent Mitigation Chance when you Dash. While active, Mitigation give you the chance to reduce all incoming damage. based on current Mitigation percentage.
- Lead and Steel: At Rank 1, reduce Stamina cost when you use any attacks with blades by 15 percent. At Rank 2, gain the ability to block projectiles with blades in exchange for Stamina.
- Seeing Double: Increases Damage and Stun Chance with Counterattacks.
- Bullet Deflect: When your Stamina is above 33 percent, blocking bullets and other projectiles deflects them toward wherever your reticle is pointed. You can increase the damage of deflected projectiles by blocking just before a projectile hits you.
- Bullet Time: When you block and deflect bullets while time is slowed, Bullet Deflect doesn’t consume Stamina. Any deflected projectiles that hit enemies also deal Crit Damage.
- Finisher: Bladerunner: At Level 1, reduce stamina cost when you use attacks with Blades by 15 percent. At Level 2, attacks with Blades are 30 percent faster. At Rank 3, unlock the ability to use a Finisher on weakened enemies that restores 25 percent of your health.
- Flash of Steel: After Performing a Finisher, your Movement Speed and Attack Speed is increased by 25 percent for 6 seconds.
- Opportunist: Enemies affected by Stagger, Stun, Blinding, and Bleeding are more susceptible to Finishers.
- Going the Distance: Increases your Finisher Range by 100 percent.
- Slaughterhouse: All attacks with Blades now inflict Bleeding, which increases a target’s Dismemberment chance. Bleeding enemies are also more susceptible to Finishers, and you gain 25 Stamina per Dismemberment.
Body
- Painkiller: Unlock slow Health Regen during combat.
- Comeback Kid: Increases Health Regen rate by 1 percent for each percent of Health you’re missing.
- Dorph Head: When you use Blood Pump Cyberware as a Health Item, you increase your Mitigation Chance by 100 percent for 2 seconds.
- Speed Junkie: Increase your Health Regen Rate by 60 percent while sprinting.
- Army of One: Increase your Health Regen Rate by 10 percent for every nearby enemy.
- Adrenaline Rush: Increases your max health by 35 points. At Level 2, Increases your Health Regen Rate from all sources by 20 percent. At Level 3, unlocks the Adrenaline Rush mode, which gives you temporary hit points that decay over time every time you use Blood Pump Cyberware or Health Items.
- Juggernaut: When Adrenaline Rush is active, you deal 10 percent more damage and move 20 percent faster.
- Calm Mind: While Adrenaline Rush is active, you’ll have a 3 second delay before your temporary hit points start to decay.
- Pain to Gain: While Adrenaline Rush is active, you’ll restore 20 percent of your Health Item recharge for every enemy you kill.
Best Skills to Progress
Finally, there are the Skills you’ll want to progress make use of the best Katana in Cyberpunk 2077.
Shinobi is your main focus, and should progress quickly so long as you use the Satori in combat. Solo and Headhunter should also see steady progression when you face combat encounters head-on or take a stealthier approach respectively.
Otherwise, most every other Skill track has at least some abilities and bonuses that can prove useful to you. Delve into all of them a little, and before long your character will be a well-rounded killing machine.
Hopefully this cleared up how to get the Best Katana and create a build for it in Cyberpunk 2077. We’ve got plenty of other helpful guides tied to the game and its DLC Phantom Liberty, and you can peruse several of them down below.
