Greetings and welcome to a new edition of my "Who Would Win" Series and it is going to be Kurome from Akame Ga Kill vs Katana from DC Comics.
For this particular match up, I will be going through the base stats for both Kurome and Katana, their weaponry, skills and trump cards.
Kurome will be composited for this match up. Meaning, I will include her feats from both the anime and the manga of Akame Ga Kill. I will also do a rundown of Kurome's main method of attack with her Yatsufusa.
As for Katana, I will use images of the "Suicide Squad" film but I will use comic book feats to demonstrate Katana's true capabilities in combat.
So, without further ado, let's begin.
Kurome
Kurome is the younger sister of Akame. Both of them were sold to the Empire by their parents at a young age (Some parental care right there XD!!!) and were eventually trained to become two of the deadliest assassins of the world.
Kurome and Akame took on numerous trials that tested both their skill and their mindset. At first, Kurome was afraid of danger, and always relied on Akame for assistance. However, overtime, Kurome eventually overcame her fears and became a much more calm and determined assassin because of it.
Kurome and Akame fighting Revolutionaries |
Eventually, the Empire decided to separate both Akame and Kurome from each other , resulting in Kurome doing multiple assassinations without the help of her sister. It is also revealed that Kurome took multiple drugs and stimulants to improve her physical capabilities (Captain America similarities anyone? XD!!!!)
One day, Kurome learned that Akame had left the Empire and joined the Revolutionary Army, much to the dismay of Kurome, who decided that one day, she will kill Akame for her treachery.
Afterwards, Kurome massacred hundreds of people on her own. Everything changed when the Empire requested that Kurome must join an elite group of enforcers known as "The Jaegers" led by General Esdeath.
After joining the Jaegers, Kurome has undertaken assassinations, protecting the Empire's most powerful figures, clashing with Night Raid multiple times and has sworn to kill Akame.
That is a straightforward backstory of Kurome. Now, let's see what the deadly sister of Akame is capable of.
Strength
Strength wise, Kurome is actually quite impressive despite her small stature. Here is a list of Kurome's Strength Feats.
- Can slice through armored Revolutionaries like butter
- Sliced off Leone's left arm like it was nothing
- Traded blows with Akame. Akame is strong enough to match and block Esdeath's rapier attacks, which are mountain level.
- Has blocked Cosmina's "Heavy Pressure" which is a Microphone Teigu that allows the user to create huge shockwaves with their voice as they sing.
- Scales to Akame, who can destroy Steel and Esdeath's Ice.
Speed
Speed is one of Kurome's amazing assets in combat. Here is a list of Speed Feats for Kurome.
- Has sliced a row of soldiers with a single strike in a time span of two seconds
- Without holding back, Kurome sliced off Esdeath's mask in the Jaeger's first meeting. Esdeath is fast enough to react to lightning level to above lightning levels of speed.
- Has completely dodged Mine's "Pumpkin" Pinch Shot, which is capable of reaching several kilometers with a single shot in a few seconds. This is also very impressive because Kurome was not even looking at the trajectory of the shot.
- Evenly matched with Akame. In the manga, Kurome managed to graze Akame in combat.
- Was quick enough to slice at Leone's Arm before Leone could sense her presence. Leone's Senses are able to track down enemies a few kilometers away from her position.
- Dodged a large building sized Danger Beast's slam attack while helping Akame.
Durability
Durability is particularly high for Kurome. While at first she looks like a fragile combatant, there are a couple of feats for Kurome that make her a durable fighter.
- Was stabbed in the back of her neck by one of Chelsea's needles. The back of the neck has several nerves that when pierced, can result in paralysis or instant death. Kurome eventually revived herself and got back up very quickly afterwards.
- Has taken Cosmina's Heavy Pressure attack.
- Can be scaled to Akame, who has taken a full on punch by Wave that sent her flying towards trees, breaking them in the process.
Imperial Arms/Teigu
Kurome wields the legendary Katana known as "March of the Dead: Yatsufusa". Yatsufusa is an extraordinarily sharp sword, capable of slicing through almost any material, including steel and armor.
Despite it's sharpness, Yatsufusa's real power is the ability to summon fallen enemies/allies and fight for Kurome. These are known as "Puppets" and the most important part to remember is that once they are summoned into the battlefield, they are able to use their abilities as they did when they were alive. Also, the Puppets retain their power levels as they were when they were alive, making them basically "Reincarnated".
It is worth noting that Kurome can only summon a total maximum of 8 puppets from Yatsufusa. Despite this, her collection of Puppets gives Kurome a huge advantage in terms of versatility. While Kurome does have standard Puppets with Yatsufusa, I will mention all of the Puppets she has summoned while wielding the blade.
Natala and Kurome |
Natala: Kurome's most skilled puppet. Natala is armed with a Naginata known as Trisula, which can extend the staff for long range combat.
Doya |
Wall |
Henter |
Apeman |
Rokugoh |
Rokugoh is armed with a long whip, which packs a punch since his lashes can create large cut marks. Rokugoh also uses the whip to grab his enemies and throw them around with tremendous force.
Rokugoh's Lasso in action. |
Kurome and The Kaiser Frog |
Death Tagool |
Death Tagool's Beam Attack |
Run using Mastema |
Abilities wise, Run uses Mastema, which is an Imperial Arms that allows Run to have "Angelic Wings" for flight. It also allows Run to use his wings to fire sharp feathers towards his opponents.
Mastema's Trump Card "God's Wings" |
Two Unamed Danger Beasts: During her attack against Wild Hunt, Kurome summoned Two Danger Beasts as last minute puppets.
Kurome with the Two Danger Beasts under her control |
Kurome's Group of Undead Puppets |
Self Reanimation
In a rather, scary and terrifying state, Kurome, after being mortally wounded or "killed", can reanimate herself, making it a "Second Wind". While in this state, Kurome reveals that she literally cannot be killed unless she has her heart crushed or is decaptiated. It is worth noting that this state does take a massive toll in Kurome's body as it gradually weakens her to the point that it could kill her without any form of treatment.
Skillset
Kurome is also a very strategic combatant, using her puppets to analyze her opponent's attacks and weaknesses. This is evident when she used her puppets to attack Night Raid at the Canyon Battle, which allowed Kurome to sneak attack Leone. This also means Kurome refuses to just sit around and let the Puppets do the dirty work. Kurome will attack out of nowhere when the situation demands it.
Feats for Kurome
Being one of the most powerful member's of the Jaegers, and one of the deadliest assassins in the world, Kurome has a ton of feats that make her a legendary combatant. Here is a list of feats for Kurome.
Kurome protecting her beloved biscuits |
- Has officially, and cleanly, and ruthlessly, killed Chelsea with Doya and Natala
- Single Handedly almost defeated Night Raid with just her puppets and Bols
- Is literally, the only member of the Jaegers to graze Esdeath by slicing at her mask (Esdeath was not harmed in the least however)
- Has officially, and cleanly, grazed a bloodlusted Akame.
- Married Wave (Manga)
- Eaten over thousands of biscuits
- Voiced by Juliet Simmons and Ayaka Ohashi
- Is super adorable!!!!!!
Weaknesses
Despite Kurome being an exceptionally powerful combatant, unfortunately, she is far from invincible.
Firstly, Kurome can only summon a maximum of 8 puppets with Yatsufusa. While this amount does give her greater versatility, there are numerous drawbacks to consider.
- The more Puppets Kurome summons, the weaker she becomes
- Once her Puppets are killed via body destruction or simply decapitation, Kurome can no longer summon them again. Though this also grants Kurome more power.
- Because the Puppets cannot talk, Imperial Arms users such as Run cannot trigger their trump cards. Infact, Run never used the God's Wings again after being reanimated
And also, Kurome can die from two things: Decapitation and her heart being crushed or pierced. In the anime, Kurome dies at the hands of Akame after she jabbed Murasame right into Kurome's heart, killing her instantly. Even in a fight with no prep time, an opponent can exploit this weakness, making Kurome very vulnerable to a killshot should they aim for the head or heart.
And finally, Yatsufusa, while legendary, is unfortunately, not indestructible. In the manga, Wave literally destroyed Yatsufusa in order to end the fight between Kurome and Akame..... Which is odd considering that this never happened in the anime even though Wave was present as well!!!! XD!!!
On a serious not, should Yatsufusa be destroyed, Kurome's puppets will be completely destroyed permanently, and Kurome's combat capabilities are limited to only her hands and feet.
Still, despite her drawbacks, Kurome is a powerhouse. Kurome is badass, cute, and above all, a legendary assassin.
Katana
Tatsu Yamashiro, also known as "Katana" is a highly trained swordswoman who has endured a tragic past.
She once was beloved by two brothers Maseo and Takeo Yamashiro. Of those two, Tatsu chose Maseo despite liking Takeo. Unfortunately, Takeo was angered by this choice, and eventually murdered Maseo and Tatsu's family in the process. However, during that time, Tatsu took one of Takeo's swords. But, one day, Takeo took the sword back and used it to summon Maseo, becoming Takeo's puppet and was ordered to kill his own wife Tatsu. This ultimately led to a battle between the Samurai Squad and The Outsiders, which Tatsu was a member of.
During this time, Tatsu, now officially Katana at this point, fought Takeo and eventually possessed the sword. The name of the sword is "Soultaker", and Katana slayed Takeo with it and thus, Takeo's soul was trapped within the sword for eternity.
Over the course of her lifetime, Katana has undertaken numerous missions involving her time with the Outsiders, the Suicide Squad, The local defense forces of Japan, and even the Justice League to tackle Galactic Threats from far and beyond.
That is a straightforward background of Katana, now, let's see what this badass samurai warrior is capable of.
Strength
Katana's Strength is very high. Though not even close to the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman and other DC powerhouses, Katana's Strength is still superhuman. Here is a list of Strength feats for Katana.
The Crazy Wall Climb |
- Used her bare hands (Yes, her bare hands!!!) to grip against a wall and started climbing
- Has Impaled a guy with her Katana and lifted him above her head
- Once sent a soldier flying with just an elbow strike with little effort
- Has blocked General Zod's attacks. For reference, General Zod is a Kryptonian and is virtually identical to Superman's capabilities.
- Sliced multiple armored soldiers, monsters, and Enchantress' puppets like butter.
- Has traded sword blows with superhuman level beings on a regular basis. Some of her enemies, with swords, can slice through buildings.
Speed
Katana's Badass Bullet Reflection!!! |
Speed is without a doubt, Katana's pride and joy for combat. Her speed alone is a vital part to her fighting style and oh boy, she has a surprising amount of Speed feats that make her a scary opponent. Here is a list of Speed Feats
Katana slicing bullets in thin air |
- Officially fights above the Speed of Sound or even reach Lightning level
- Can use her weapons and even her Gauntlets to deflect attacks
- Once deflected a barrage of bullets shot at her and, with what has to be one of the coolest defensive techniques ever, reflected the bullets backwards and killed the gunman in the process.... But even better, Katana achieved this feat when the bullets were shot behind her..... Is she Bayonetta's relative or what? XD!!!
- Speaking of Bullets, Katana also sliced a barrage of bullets into small pieces.
- Has blocked and reflected energy blasts. Some of these energy blasts are hotter than the surface of the sun.
- Has blocked most of a barrage of wooden projectiles while blindfolded, while Katana did get hit, remember she was blindfolded at the time and was still learning. Eventually, Katana mastered her senses and can now block attacks while Blindfolded efficiently.
- Has reacted to General Zod's attacks, which are Faster than Light.
Durability
Durability wise, Katana actually doesn't have alot of feats. That said, she should be above peak human, comparable to the likes of Green Arrow, Batman, Harley Quinn and Deadshot, all of whom can take multiple building level strikes. Still, Katana should be about building level in terms of Durability.
Weaponry
Weapons, this is where the fun begins. Katana is a Samurai warrior, and what are Samurai famous for? KATANAS!!!! Though surprisingly, Katana doesn't just bring, well, Katanas, she has a couple of back up plans that help her in any situation. Here is a list of Katana's Standard Weapons
Soultaker |
It is also worth mentioning that another version of Soultaker is the "Totem Weapon" of the Sword Clan. It also allows Katana to be immortal and is granted enlightenment as long as she wields it.
Wakizashi: Japanese Short Sword |
Wakizashi: Wakizashi is a Japanese Short Sword, or simply, a Short Katana. While it may look small, the blade itself is still just as deadly in combat as the Katana.
Sais |
Shuriken |
Soul Summoning
Katana's "Trump Card" is Soultaker's ability to summon the souls back into the world of the living. While this requires a ritual to perform and a specific location, it does give her more numbers in combat, as the summoned minions do attack their enemies with deadly efficiency.
Skill set
Skill wise, Katana is deadly, and I mean DEADLY!!!!!. Her mastery of the Katana is one of the finest in the DC universe, and even Batman, the caped crusader who has learned and mastered all forms of martial arts and combat techniques, believes that if he were to face Katana, it would be an interesting match up (And nobody argues with Batman!!!).
Katana is also a very stealthy fighter, though she does tend to go into a fight head on, there are times when stealth became a true asset to her capabilities, and ultimately resulted in very successful assassinations.
It is also worth mentioning that Katana can strike down her enemies by targeting their pressure points (Seriously, is she related to Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star? XD!!!). This allows Katana to deliver instant killing blows efficiently.
Even surprisingly, Katana is a skilled weapon thrower, able to throw even Soultaker in combat, making her very impressive in the long range department
Finally, even without her weapons, Katana is a highly trained martial artist.
With a vast knowledge of hand to hand combat since childhood, Katana literally is a powerhouse in any form of combat.
Feats for Katana
Katana is a scary badass. But her feats alone proves just how dangerous she can be for anyone who dares challenge her in combat. Here is a list of feats for Katana.
Myself meeting Karen Fukuhara (Katana from Suicide Squad) |
- Has officially, and cleanly, killed over thousands of super-powered beings all her life
- Participated in numerous conflicts with the Justice League, The Outsiders and The Suicide Squad.
- Managed to severely damage General Zod in combat
- Killed Takeo as an act of revenge for the murder of her husband Maseo
- Defeated Sabacc, who was amped up with the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man
- Soultaker alone can slice through multiple guns at once, cut through metal bars and even Sivana's Robot, who Shazam once had trouble breaking through (Even though the Robot is inconsistent in terms of power levels, let's give Katana the feat anyway XD!!!)
- Portrayed by Karen Fukuhara, who I personally met!!!!
Weaknesses
Unfortunately, despite being a highly skilled warrior and a deadly foe, Katana is not without her faults.
In terms of Long Range Combat, Katana does have the Shurikens and Sais and even her Katanas. Unfortunately, they lack the versatility of more efficient long ranged weapons such as a bow.
Also, Katana's feats against powerful galactic threats usually resulted with her having help. Especially considering that if she fought most of them on her own, she would be utterly destroyed entirely.
Katana can still die from normal means of attacks. A well placed head shot will kill her for instance, or even decapitation for that matter.
Also worth noting, Katana lacks alot of durability feats that otherwise make her pretty much peak human. This is outrageous, as Katana herself has dealt with super-powered beings before but very rarely got seriously injured in the process.
Still, despite all of those drawbacks, Katana is a deadly badass. Depending on the version you look at, Katana is adorable, efficient and above all, terrifying all at once :D!!!!!!!
Summary
Kurome
Advantages
- Literally destroys Katana via Yatsufusa's ability to summon fallen enemies, which also gives Kurome a huge advantage in terms of numbers
- While Katana can summon puppets with Soultaker, the fact it requires specific circumstances means that it would be utterly useless in a more likely scenario such as in the middle of the desert or in a island
- Is more tactical than Katana, especially considering that Kurome can use her puppets to see the capabilities of Katana overtime.
- Death Tagool will literally one shot Katana should his beam attack reach her. While Katana has blocked energy blasts before, she has never blocked a building wide blast and survived
- While Katana will be kept busy by Kurome's puppets, the fact that Kurome would simply surprise attack Katana in the middle of the fight means that she would dismember Katana out of nowhere, opening a clear killshot.
- Surprisingly, should Kurome lose her puppets, she gradually becomes stronger once more...... XD!!!
- Is much more Adorable than Katana
Disadvantages
- Despite being superhuman, Kurome is outclassed in terms of stats
- Not quite as skilled as Katana
- Not as experienced
- Kurome alone lacks other weapons aside from Yatsufusa
- While summoning her puppets is effective, it also drains Kurome's power substantially. This can actually make Kurome more open to a kill shot for Katana, if she reaches her.
- Should Kurome's Puppets be destroyed by Katana, she cannot summon them again for the rest of the fight
- If it was just Kurome vs Katana, no puppets allowed, Kurome would lose via weaker stats and being less experienced
- Because Katana can slice through Steel and even Dilustel, which is indestructible, with Soultaker, the moment Yatsufusa clashes with Soultaker means that it would be completely shattered, which also destroys both the Puppets and Kurome's main method of attack.
Katana
Advantages
- Superior Stats
- More Skilled
- More Experienced
- More Weapons
- Because Soultaker can cut through Dilustel, which is indestructible, Katana would literally destroy Yatsufusa once the blades are clashed together
- If Katana manages to kill Kurome's puppets, they will be permanently removed from the fight
- If it was just Katana vs Kurome, no puppets allowed, Katana prevails via superior stats and being more skilled and experienced.
- The more puppets Kurome summons, the weaker she actually becomes. This opens a window for Katana to kill a weakened Kurome should she reach her first.
- Can block Doya's Bullets and even deflect them back to the desired target
- Karen Fukuhara is a legit cutie :D!!!
Disadvantages
- Her soul summoning requires specific circumstances in order to be used. While possible, it is very unlikely Katana will pull it off in a more likely scenario such as fighting in the middle of the desert or an island
- Katana will be overwhelmed substantially by Kurome's puppets
- While Katana may be able to kill some of the puppets, Kurome would simply surprise attack Katana out of nowhere, and even dismember Katana entirely, leaving her open to a kill shot.
- While very smart, Katana will be analyzed by Kurome overtime since Katana may be fighting Kurome's puppets for the majority of the fight. Ultimately, this allows Kurome the time and info she needs to exploit Katana and beat her to a pulp
- Death Tagool will literally kill Katana very easily. While Katana has blocked Energy blasts before, she has never in her entire life blocked a building wide blast and survived
- Despite Katana killing Kurome's puppets does give her an easier time, the fact that Kurome gets stronger once again for each puppet being destroyed means that it actually feeds Kurome more power.
- Kurome ultimately trumps Katana in terms of overall cuteness
The Verdict
In one of the closest contests in my "Who Would Win" Series, Kurome vs Katana is a whopper of a fight. Everything about this match up is badass, especially considering that both Kurome and Katana are virtually identical in terms of aesthetic and skills. This is one of the few occasions when similar opponents in a fight make it, well, a very well matched battle. Now, let's look at the overall fight and see who wins this epic, soul crushing match up (No pun intended XD!!!)
Strength wise, Katana clearly has this in the bag. While Kurome is indeed a very powerful sword girl, especially considering she has superhuman capabilities, I believe that Katana is all round better. The fact Katana has done even more superhuman feats than Kurome proves she should be able to have a solid claim for the strength edge such as cutting through indestructible Dilustel..... Pretty much a clear edge for Katana
Speed wise, surprisingly this is super close, though I lean more towards Katana mainly because she has, again, done more feats than Kurome in the speed department. While Kurome's scaling to Akame is going to give her a substantial Speed boost, Katana's feats with energy blasts and bullets meant she can either match, or outright exceed Kurome's Speed. So Speed is a slight edge for Katana
Durability is where things get interesting. Both Kurome and Katana do not necessarily have alot of Durability feats that other wise make themselves at least building level. So I believe this stat is virtually a tie.
In terms of Skills and Experience, Katana edges out Kurome again. While Kurome has indeed trained all her life as an assassin, Katana is all round much older and has trained all of her life also. It is worth noting that Batman did state that Katana would be an interesting combatant to fight against, and Batman has mastered all forms of martial arts.
Now, we go into the cool part of the fight, which is the Weapons and Abilities.
In terms of weapons, this is where the fight ultimately boils down to. Yatsufusa is able to summon fallen enemies to fight the opponent, and these puppets are superhuman in terms of capabilities such as strength, speed and of course, durability. Kurome can summon a total of 8 puppets at once though this also weakens Kurome substantially with each puppet being summoned.
Soultaker on the other hand is a super sharp Katana, capable of cutting through virtually anything. It can also contain the souls of her enemies and allows Katana to communicate with them..... See the theme here? "Souls" XD!!!!
Now, which weapon is better? Well, this is entirely up for debate. Personally, Yatsufusa does have a substantial edge over Soultaker with the simple fact that it can summon the puppets without any specific circumstances. Unfortunately for Soultaker, while it too can do the same process, a ritual and a specific location must be present in order to achieve this. This makes it that Yatsufusa is more reliable for Soul Summoning than Soultaker.
HOWEVER!!!!! Soultaker is much, MUCH Sharper. I will say that if it does indeed clash with Yatsufusa, it will cut right through it entirely, leaving Kurome open to a kill shot, and destroying all of the puppets entirely......... But will this happen??
Remember, Kurome, once the fight starts, would summon her puppets and order them to attack Katana. Now, this is where things reach the tipping point.
Because Katana will be busy with the Puppets, Kurome would simply sit back and analyze Katana's capabilities in combat. Should this happen overtime, Kurome would have more than enough time to eventually exploit Katana and finally bring her down..... But there is one problem.
Should Katana destroy the Puppets, they would be gone permanently. Meaning, the fact that Katana will get a much easier time to reach Kurome and even kill her. However, Kurome actually gets stronger the more puppets being destroyed, so Katana is also feeding Kurome more power the more puppets she slays.
So, this is where the fine line is crossed..... Who is more likely going to take home the victory. Well, the winner of the this brutal fight will be.......
So if Katana is virtually superior to Kurome in terms of Stats, Experience and Skills, why did I choose Kurome to win this fight? Well, simple, Kurome's Puppets ALL have a different style of fighting. Remember, Rokugoh would simply grab Katana in place with his whip, which can do two things
- Allow Kurome to decapitate a tied up Katana
- Allow Death Tagool to obliterate Katana with his beam attack.
So realistically, because Kurome summons her puppets immediately when the fight starts, Katana is going to have a very hard time in keeping up with not 1, not 2, but 8 of them all at once!!!!
While Katana has indeed taken multiple foes at once, never has she taken anything that are as varied, destructive and versatile on her own like Kurome's Puppets. Run for instance would simply be untouched by Katana because of his mobility with flight, and also, Run can also use his Wings to project feathers at Katana and while they will be deflected back at him, Run is quick enough to dodge them entirely. This also presents one of Kurome's puppets the opportunity to grab, attack or even kill Katana effectively. This is a scenario compared to real life combat, when one guy takes a group of people all at once and eventually gets overwhelmed.
Simply put, Katana literally must also kill each puppet individually in order to get an easier time. Which is possible but unfortunately, the fact that she has to dodge all of their attacks at once, she will need time to react and prepare..... which is not going to happen.
And finally, once Kurome has indeed seen Katana's capabilities via recon and observation, she will surprise attack Katana while she is fighting her own puppets. This also means that Kurome can slice off Katana's arms, disarming her effectively and ultimately, allows Kurome to decapitate Katana, ending the fight in bloody fashion.
But wait, you might be thinking "What about Katana vs Kurome without the Puppets". Then yes, Katana realistically wins that scenario due to Soultaker being able to cut through Yatsufusa. Unfortunately, this is denying Kurome's main method of attacking her opponents. I always give combatants their arsenal for any situation. But, if this was the case indeed, Katana does beat Kurome (So there is actually two endings now right? XD!!!)
So, thanks to Yatsufusa's Summoning being more reliable, The Puppets, Kurome's analytical observation, her tactics and her love for her own cookies, I believe that Kurome will eventually prevail over Katana in one of the closest match ups to date.
The Winner is Kurome
Next time on Who Would Win.......
Gollum (The Lord of the Rings) vs Dobby (Harry Potter)