Katana

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**Tatsu Yamashiro** is a sword-wielding Japanese Human samurai assassin called **Katana** (after her weapon of choice). Her blade is the Soultaker Sword, a mystical relic that steals the essence of those it slays and stores them inside. It was taken in a duel with the man who killed her family, Takeo Yamashiro. Tatsu is a master of swordplay and martial arts, trained to the highest level in the ancient art form. She was eventually recruited by Rick Flag to be member of the government team Task Force X or otherwise called the Suicide Squad during a mission to Midway City, where she volunteered as Flag's personal bodyguard.

## Biography

### Early Life

**Tatsu Yamashiro** was born in Tokyo, Japan, and trained in various martial arts at a young age, a trait encouraged by her parents. When she reached adulthood, her heart became competed for by two brothers, Maseo and Takeo Yamashiro, yet her decision to marry the former drove the latter into joining the Yakuza and be disowned by his family. After the deaths of Tatsu's parents, she and Maseo started a family of their own, and she gave birth to twins girls, Yuki and Reiko. Meanwhile, Takeo rose in the Yakuza's rank, and one of his exotic tastes included ancient weapons. He was presented with a pair of matched swords, one of which Takeo favored due to its mystical properties, which would come to be known as the Soultaker because of its ability to trap the souls of its victims within itself. The young Takuza accociate spent days preparing himself before taking both swords to the Yamashiro residence, demanding his brother duel for the "prize" of Tatsu.

During the course of the struggle, a fire was started and, while Maseo was distracted by his children, Takeo killed him with the Soultaker. Tatsu arose just in time to see her husband die and engaged Takeo, gaining the upper hand and disarming him. Attempting to save her children, she heard her husband's voice coming from the mystical sword telling her they were already lost. Thus, Tatsu instead escaped alone with her life and began training as a samurai under a master called Tadashi. After much time she graduated from his tutorship and left for America where she intended to use her talents to fight for justice. She took the codename **Katana** after the sword that she wielded, possessed for some time by the soul of her deceased husband, to whom she also talks through it. The Japanese script on her pants translates to "I weep when I think of him", as a reference to Maseo himself.

## Abilities

* **Martial Arts**: Training in various Japanese-styled martial arts from an early age, Yamashiro is a master martial artist. Able to combat multiple enemies, fight Meta-Humans and adapt to situations Tatsu has been using her martial arts for years
* **Swordsmanship**: Training under various samurai sensei, Yamashiro is able to use the fabled sword "Soultaker" for justice and adventures despite metahuman odds. She is most proficient with katanas.

## Paraphernalia

### Weapons

* **Soultaker Sword:** The Soultaker is a samurai sword capable of extracting the souls from those that it kills. The wielder can then communicate with the imprisoned spirit. The Soultaker Sword was forged from ten thousand layers of hand-forged steel. The sword was said to be enchanted and caused evil minds to perform evil deeds it is also known that the souls of those slain by the sword are trapped inside the blade. Jealous of Tatsu Yamashiro's love for his brother Maseo, Takeo Yamashiro used the Soultaker to brutally murder his brother, before Tatsu stole the sword in order to enact revenge. Like this, the sword became the most prized possession of Tatsu, who started calling herself Katana.