Katana

"Grabbing the ninja sword."

The Katana is a new close combat weapon in Left 4 Dead 2. It kills Common Infected in one hit, the same as the other melee weapons. It has a wider range than any other melee weapon.

The Katana can be used on all Special Infected. It is usefull against Special Infected because it is usually a one hit kill. One slash will free a team mate from a Smoker, kill a Hunter pouncing on your ally, slay a riding Jockey, and with two hits killing a charger. Also, you can kill a Spitter with little effort, simply slash it and jump from the goo, saving you damage taken. However, it is admittedly a bad choice to chase and slash a Boomer open as this will cover you and anyone near you in Bile. Against a tank, it is somewhat usefull if his back is turned or he is throwing a rock, as this does tremendous damage.

Trivia

 * The Katana was the primary weapon of Japanese Soldiers known as Samurai.
 * It is unknown why the katana appears in places like The Highway, being such an antique weapon, unless a survivor brought the katana with him/her to defend his or herself.
 * According to the Game Informer Magazine, the Katana, like the axe, can kill a Witch if you can place a shot to the back of her head.
 * This claim, however, has not yet been proven as it is extremely hard to come that close to a Witch, especially if she is wandering.
 * When picking up the weapon, Nick often calls it a "Ninja sword". In actuality, Ninja's wielded short blades called Ninjato. They are similar to katanas, but shorter in length.