5 Kill Bill Swords That You Can Display and Fight With

Whether you’re a Quentin Tarantino fan or not, you’ve certainly heard of Kill Bill. The American martial arts film revolves around Beatrix Kiddo and her quest to kill Bill with a sword made by Hattori Hanzo, a legendary smith who creates one of a kind samurai swords.

The exalted status of the Japanese katana in the Kill Bill movie has left Kill Bill fans wondering if Hattori Hanzo swords are real. Fortunately, they are, in a way.

Kill Bill’s Hattori Hanzo Swords Are (Kind Of) Real

In the Kill Bill movie, Hattori Hanzo is a skilled swordsmith known for making high quality, katana swords. After realizing that all his creations caused people pain and suffering, Hattori Hanzo swore to never make another sword. That is until Beatrix Kiddo showed up and asked him for a Japanese sword that will help her take down Bill, Hanzo’s estranged former apprentice.

The real-life Hattori Hanzo was not a swordsmith but a Japanese samurai warrior who served under Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of the first shogun to unite Japan under the feudal system.  

As for the so-called Hattori Hanzo swords, they’re inspired by real-life samurai katana swords. These swords have a legendary status in their own right for being razor sharp and having millenia of tradition attached to them.

Real Katanas vs. Katana Replicas vs. Battle Ready Katanas

Before you get your own Hattori Hanzo katana, you have to pinpoint what you plan to use the blade for. Some sword buyers only require a sword replica because they intend to display the sword. Others may want a battle ready sword that can be used in a sword fight. A select few look for real katana swords that are forged according to traditional standards.

Real Katanas

Real samurai swords are hand forged blades that come in five size variants. You have the tanto, nodachi, tachi, wakizashi, and katana. No matter which one your sword is though, if it’s an original, it will be made by repeatedly folding and heating the metal. This creates the blade’s iconic hamon line.

True traditional katanas are made with tamahagane steel. Though the forging process makes it look like Damascus steel, it is actually a type of high carbon steel.

Real katanas are expensive and are only worth it if historical accuracy is important to you.

Battle Ready Katanas

You can think of battle-ready katanas as a real katana’s humble, but still functional cousin. These swords are forged through non-traditional means but will still have a carbon steel blade to meet minimum requirements.

They’ll look just like a real katana and can be used for traditional Japanese sword fighting. 

Katana Replicas

Unlike battle ready katanas, katana replicas are not designed for fighting. They are made using similar methods used to create battle ready katanas, however, the blade is stainless steel. Because of this, the most you can do with a replica katana is to use them for a photo shoot or place them on a display stand.

5 Kill Bill Sword Replicas That Would Make Hattori Hanzo Proud

Kill Bill swords and the real katanas that inspired them are all gorgeous blades worth adding to your wishlist. These Kill Bill movie swords can be used to fight or as a display.

Bill’s Hattori Hanzo Sword (Battle Ready)

One of Hattori Hanzo’s blades ended up in the hands of his former apprentice, Bill. The sword doesn’t get a lot of screen time and one of the few scenes it’s used in didn’t make it into the final cut. 

It’s a shame considering that this Kill Bill sword is unbelievably beautiful. This top-notch battle ready replica has some of the finest details you’ll find on a replica sword.

Its blade is made of 1045 High Carbon Steel that looks indistinguishable from tamahagane. The tsuka is wrapped with a faux ray skin ito that gives the sword a more authentic feel. The scabbard is just as intricate as the blade as it features a demon head etching on the front-facing side of the saya.

• Length: 100 cm
• Material: 1045 High Carbon Steel

Bill’s Hattori Hanzo Sword  (Decorative Replica)

If you don’t need a battle-ready copy of Bill’s katana, this replica sword will suit you better. Like the battle ready version, it copies all of the details found on the katana featured in the Kill Bill movie. However, you’ll notice that the materials used aren’t quite as good. 

The scabbard has a more plasticky shine to it instead and the demon head is painted rather than etched into the saya.

• Length: 100 cm
• Material: Stainless steel

The Bride’s Special Edition Hattori Hanzo Sword  (Battle Ready)

For a truly special sword, you need not look further than this battle-ready Hattori Hanzo sword from Ronin Katana. 

The special edition sword features a scabbard made of hand-stitched black leather. It comes with a strap for easy carrying should you ever have to go out and kill Bill yourself.

The matte black blade is made from 1060 high carbon steel that gets its color from a darkened titanium coating. Not only does this make the sword look better but it also protects it from the elements so you can keep fighting with it for years to come. 

• Length: 109 cm
• Material: 1060 High Carbon Steel

The Bride’s Hattori Hanzo Sword (Decorative Replica)

This decorative replica of the Bride’s Hattori Hanzo sword takes a more traditional approach to recreating the movie blade. 

It’s made entirely out of stainless steel and features a cut out tsuba that mimics historical katana designs. Though the tsuka doesn’t have a ray skin wrap, the fabric ito makes for a comfortable grip that won’t slip from your hands while you’re showing it off to your fellow Kill Bill fans.

It comes with a scabbard that’s engraved with Hattori Hanzo’s seal. At the ends, you’ll find bronze-toned hardware that protects the scabbard tip and entrance from scratches and bends.

• Length: 97.79 cm
• Material: Stainless steel

O-Ren Ishii’s Hattori Hanzo Sword  (Decorative Replica)

O-Ren Ishii is an elegant fighter with a no nonsense personality so it’s only fitting that she wields a very streamlined blade that eschews decoration in favor of functionality and simplicity.

This replica sword is meant to mimic an aikuchi-style katana. It’s a special type of mounting used for smaller swords that lets the blade and hilt meet without a tsuba to protect the wielder’s hand from the blade. 

A sword like this would take a lot of skill to handle safely so it’s fortunate that this replica of O-Ren Ishii’s sword is only a decorative one.

Its simple stainless steel blade features a replicated hamon and is mounted directly to a black tsuka that has tiny cherry blossoms painted on it.

• Length: 100 cm
• Material: Stainless steel