Deadpool, whose real name is Wade Winston Wilson, is a Marvel Comics character portrayed by Ryan Reynolds in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Deadpool (2016), and the upcoming Deadpool 2 (2018). In Deadpool (2016), Wade Wilson is a former Special Forces soldier turned mercenary who becomes romantically involved with Vanessa. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, he breaks up with her and joins the Weapon X program with hopes of being cured. Ajax, one of he scientists for the program, cures Wade’s cancer through a painful process that leaves him disfigured. Wade escapes from Ajax’s laboratory and assumes the identity of the masked vigilante Deadpool. He hunts Ajax in the hope that he might be able to fix his disfigurement.
In the comics, Wade is an assassin and mercenary who served in the U.S. Army Special Forces. He contracts cancer and is recruited as a test subject in the government Weapon X Program. A healing factor derived from Wolverine is implanted in him to cure his cancer. Through the Weapon X experiments he gains enhanced physical strength, agility, stamina, and regenerative powers. But, his mental health is affected and his unstable mental state is exploited for comic relief. As “the Merc with a Mouth,” he talks ceaselessly and cracks jokes while breaking the fourth wall.
Based on his fighting skills, fans have speculated that Wade must have received extensive training in Kenjutsu (swordsmanship) or Kendo, and other martial arts disciplines – such as iaijutsu, iaido and ninjutsu – that teach skills in the use of the katana.
In recognition of Deadpool’s mastery of swordsmanship we present 15 Things Only True Fans Know About Deadpool’s Katanas.
15. Ryan Reynolds Named His Katanas Bea And Arthur
During the production of the Deadpool movie in April 2015, a fan asked Ryan Reynolds on Twitter whether he had named his katanas. Reynolds responded, saying he had named the katanas Bea and Arthur, after The Golden Girls (1985-1992) star. He added that his katana named Bea was a “dedicated performer and a joy to work with,” while the katana named Arthur was “grump-wumpy.”
The actress Bea Arthur had portrayed Dorothy Zbornak in the popular 1980s sitcom. Bea Arthur reportedly had a long-running feud with her co-star Betty White who portrayed Dorothy’s onscreen pal Rose Nylund. Reynold’s characterization of his katana named Arthur as “grumpy-wumpy” might have been based on reports and rumors about Arthur’s character.
Deadpool is known to be a fan of Bea Arthur and in the comics, he once hallucinated the actress as an “angel of God.”
The Deadpool Corps spaceship was also named after the Golden Girls actress. Wade Wilson wore a Bea Arthur shirt in the first Deadpool movie and Deadpool 2 (2018) photos released recently show Deadpool’s katanas engraved with Bea and Arthur. Fans have been told to look out for Golden Girls Easter Eggs in Deadpool 2.
Before he revealed the names of his katanas, Reynolds had released the first set photos showing Deadpool brandishing his dual katanas and another showing him wielding guns in both hands during a highway action scene.
14. Deadpool Charges His Katanas With Energy Field From His Suit To Increase Durability And Cutting Power
Deadpool’s standard twin katanas are made of high-quality, but common materials such as steel and carbon fiber. There are no indications that his regular katana blades are made of exotic materials such as adamantium. Although there is one instance in the comic books where his blade is revealed to be made from carbonadium, a resilient and radioactive metal developed in the USSR that is able to neutralize the activity of mutant healing factors.
Deadpool’s carbonadium katanas are not part of his standard gear.
In Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe, where he is shown wielding a carbonadium blade, he is also shown carrying two sheathed blades on his back which are presumably his standard steel katanas. Deadpool is able to enhance the durability and cutting power of his steel katanas by charging them with an energy field channeled through his suit. The energy field increases the durability and cutting power of his katana blades so that they are able to cut through material as hard as diamond. While the energy field tremendously increases the strength of his katana blades, it is not able to make the blades stronger than adamantium.
The blade strengthening effect of the energy field from his suit could explain seemingly extraordinary feats, such as when he pushed the blade through Ajax’s shoulder and right through solid concrete in the first Deadpool movie.
13. Kidpool’s Lightsaber-like Katanas
Deadpool has used different kinds of katanas in the comics. Some of the katanas were made from high quality steel or carbon steel. He presumably replaced them when they were damaged. However, in Prelude to Deadpool Corps Vol 1, #2 (Marvel Comics), the character Kidpool – the juvenile version of Deadpool – uses two lightsaber-like weapons which he stole from the Danger Room of The Xavier Orphanage for Troubled Boys. He and the juvenile version of Scott Summers (Cyclops) were sent to detention in the Danger Room and banned from attending the school’s first dance, apparently as punishment for disrupting a class session.
Kidpool was a new student at the orphanage at the time and showed disturbing signs of conduct disorder.
He constantly caused trouble and he was not popular with the others. While in the Danger Room, Kidpool learned that Summers had the access codes. So he convinced him to activate the combat mode, then armed himself with two lightsabers and the boys engaged in mock combat. Later, Wade convinced Scott to use the codes to let them out of the Danger Room by suggesting that Wolverine could get together with Jean if he did not attend the school dance.
When they eventually made it to the dance, Kidpool caused a disruption by using the lightsabers to overturn food and drink on the tables. He did it to cause distraction so that Scott would be able to get Jean away from Wolverine. The dance eventually devolved into a brawl.
12. Deadpool’s Adamantium Katanas In X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Many fans were confused about the version of Deadpool that appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). Although the movie somewhat accurately portrayed the character of Wade Wilson, his Deadpool alter ego was unlike the familiar version from the comics. The X-Men Origins Deadpool (also called Weapon XI) had a pair of adamantium katanas surgically implanted into his arms. He had Cyclopean optic blasts and his motor mouth was sewn up. The major differences between the Deadpool in X-Men Origins and the more traditional version later portrayed in Deadpool (2016) led fans to ask whether both characters were the same.
The generally accepted explanation is that in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), when Logan traveled back in time from the post-apocalyptic era of the 2020s to 1973 to prevent the assassination of Trask by Raven (Mystique), he effectively reset the future so that while the events that happened before 1973 – such as the events of X-Men: First Class set in 1962 – remained unchanged, the events after 1973, such as in X-Men (set in 2000), X2 (set in 2003), The Last Stand (2006), The Wolverine (2013-2015), and all events in X-Men Origins that happened after 1973, were annulled.
The annulment also affected Wade Wilson’s history after 1973 when he was recruited for Team X and later got equipped with inbuilt katana blades. This means that the entire X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie is not connected with Deadpool (2016), which features a Deadpool character that is more true to the comic version.
11. How Was Weapon XI Able To Fit His Adamantium Katanas Within His Arms And Still Bend Them?
Just before the fight with Logan in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Deadpool character in the movie is shown releasing a pair of adamantium katana blades from within his arms. The katana blades come out from his arms and go down almost to his feet. After seeing the movie, some fans took to online forums to ask how Deadpool (Weapon XI) was able to bend his arms at the elbows when the adamantium katana blades – about the length of his arms – were retracted. The question turned out to be one of the most difficult questions about the “mutant killer” Weapon XI character that fans ever asked as no one was able to put forward a plausible explanation.
The fact that blades did not appear to have joints and adamanatium has the reputation of being the most inflexible metal alloy ever created, fans remained puzzled.
Unable to propose plausible explanations about how Weapon XI might have bent his arms when his katana blades were retracted, fans resorted to tongue-in-cheek speculation. One creative Reddit fan suggested that when Weapon XI retracts his blades, he teleports them to the mysterious dimension he enters when he teleports his entire body. Fans will recall that the X-Men Origins Deadpool had inbuilt teleportation powers, unlike the Deadpool character from the comic books who sued a teleporter.
10. Deadpool’s Nano-Ceramic Fiber Composite Katana
Deadpool was apparently armed with katanas made out of “nano-ceramic fiber composite materials” in Spider-Man/Deadpool Vol. 1, #1. Spider-Man and Deadpool found themselves prisoners of Dormammu and the Mindless Ones. They were tied up together in Spidey’s unbreakable webbing, hanging upside down, and face-to-face. Spidey was trying to think up an escape plan, but Deadpool kept distracting him by running his mouth ceaseless and making inappropriate jokes. Spidey couldn’t get him to shut up for a moment.
Deadpool then appeared to make an attempt to wiggle out of the webbing, and dislocated his hips. He suggested that Spider-Man should reach over his shoulder and unsheathe one of his katanas, and use it to cut them out of the webbing. But, Spider-Man insisted that the plan wouldn’t work because nothing can cut through his webbing. However, Spider-Man obeyed Deadpool’s instruction. He unsheathed the Katana and usds it cut through the webbing, freeing themselves. Spidey was seriously surprised that the blade was able to cut through his webbing.
He asked Deadpool how he was able to obtain nano-ceramic fiber composite material for his blade. Apparently, only nano-ceramic fiber composite material can cut through Spidey’s webbing, and it was a stroke of luck that Deadpool was carrying katana blades made out of the right material when they needed it to escape.
9. Deadpool’s Carbon Fiber Katanas
In Despicable Deadpool Vol. 1, #287, Deadpool reveals that his katana blade was made out of carbon fiber. In the issue, Cable uses a special device to put Deadpool in a stasis. When the effect of the weapon wears off, Deadpool tries to track Cable down to take him out. He finds Cable in a hospital and they engage in combat. Deadpool reveals that his mission to kill Cable is the first of a series of assassination missions he was hired to perform by Cable’s clone, Stryfe.
Cable and Deadpool brawl right through the hospital, injuring innocent patients. They end up in an MRI room and Deadpool switches on the machine. He fastens Cable’s metal arm to the magnetic component and Cable is unable to move. Deadpool then unsheathes one of his katanas and prepares to kill Cable. As he closes in on Cable, he announces that his katana is not affected by the magnet because it is made out of carbon fiber material. He adds that he prepared the katana specifically to surprise Magneto, but he it turns out that Cable is the one he gets to surprise with the weapon.
Deadpool then proceeds to cut off Cable’s metal arm. As he is about to decapitate him, an officer of the Time Variance Authority from the future arrives and freezes time. The officer arrests Cable, apparently thinking he was Stryfe. The officer thus, inadvertently saves, Cable’s life.
8. Deadpool’s Carbonadium Katana
In Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe Vol 1, #3, an alternative universe (Earth 12101) version of Deadpool is shown armed with katanas made out of carbonadium. In issue 3 of the four issue miniseries, Deadpool continues his mission to eliminate all of the Marvel superheroes and villains. After Psycho-Man messes with his mind, he gets what he thinks is a fresh “clarity of vision.” He becomes convinced that his Marvel Universe is a fictional comic book world, and that all the Marvel characters are being manipulated like puppets by the Marvel Comics writers. To fix the problem, Deadpool goes off on a crazed killing spree. He eliminates the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, including Spider-Man.
After eliminating the Avengers, he turns attention to the X-Men and Punisher. He takes Professor Xavier hostage and tortures him. Wolverine shows up to rescue Xavier, although Deadpool had previously taken out Logan when he was eliminating the Avengers, but apparently he survived. Wolverine recovered with the help of his healing factor and returns to fight Deadpool who is armed with a carbonadium katana. Deadpool defeats Wolverine using his carbonadium katana.
Deadpool then tries to explain his mission to Xavier, hoping he will see reason. He explains to Xavier that the Marvel universe is fictional, and that the characters are only being used to entertain other people. But, Xavier tries to take over Deadpool’s demented mind. When he gets into Deadpool’s mind he is overwhelmed by the intensity of the confusion and insanity inside Deadpool’s brain.
7. Deadpool’s Carbonadium Katana Is His Deadliest Sword So Far
The katana that Deadpool wields in the alternate universe (Earth 12101) of Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe, Vol 1, #3, is made from carbonadium. Carbonadium is a stronger-than-steel radioactive metal that is able to disrupt the healing factor of mutant individuals such as Wolverine. Deadpool used the carbonadium katana to kill Wolverine, when he tried to rescue Professor Xavier. However, the events of Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe occur in an alternate universe and there is no known instance in the main universe were Deadpool is described as being armed with carbonadium katanas.
Carbonadium was developed in the USSR. It is much stronger than any form of steel, but less durable than adamantium. It is cheaper and more malleable (flexible) than adamantium. The higher malleability and cheapness of carbonadium, and its ability to slow down mutant accelerated healing factor, makes it a more attractive choice than adamanatium for use as a katana blade.
The only known device for casting carbonadium is the carbonadium synthesizer. It was claimed that Wolverine dumped the only known synthesizer into a river. This led some fans to speculate that Deadpool might have retrieved it from the river and used it to make his carbondium katana. But it turned out that it was Maverick who came into possession of the synthesizer. It is likely that after the Muramasa Blade, Deadpool’s carbonadium katana is the deadliest sword in the Marvel Universe.
6. Can Deadpool Be Taken Out With His Carbonadium Katana?
Fans have debated whether Deadpool could be killed with his carbonadium katana. Fans who believed that a carbonadium katana could be used to kill Deadpool cite its power to neutralize healing factor, and point to the fact that in Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe. He used a carbonadium katana to kill Wolverine. However, other fans argued that although Deadpool used a carbonadium katana to kill Wolverine, the blade might not kill Deadpool because his healing factor works more efficiently.
The fact that Deadpool’s healing factor makes him able to regenerate even after suffering extreme tissue and organ damage led some fans to speculate that even if he dies after being mortally wounded by a carbonadium blade, he would still recover. Yet, other fans pointed out that it would have been impossible to get rid of Deadpool while he was under the protection of Thanos’ curse of eternal life. But the argument failed to explain whether a carbonadium blade could be used to kill him after Thanos rescinded the curse. Some fans argued that any material or device that is able to neutralize healing factors should take out Deadpool.
In Deadpool Kills Deadpool, an evil version of Deadpool from an alternate reality used a special gun to neutralize healing factors and kill several alternative universe versions of Deadpool. Earth-616 Deadpool – the main continuity of Marvel Comics titles – eventually defeated the evil Deadpool by taking his head off and dissolving his body with acid to ensure he didn’t recover.
5. How Is Deadpool Able To Unsheathe His Katanas From His Back So Easily?
In the Deadpool movies, Deadpool is armed with firearms and a pair of Samurai swords known as a katana, which he uses with deadly effect. While the katana is a reasonable choice for an expert swordsman on a revenge mission, many fans with experience in handling katanas pointed out a flaw in his unsheathing methods. Although Deadpool appears to experience no difficulty sheathing and unsheathing his katanas from his back, he would find it difficult to quickly unsheathe them in real life. This is because the average length of the human arm (about 25 inches) is too short to quickly unsheathe the entire length of a standard katana (>25 inches).
We don’t see Deadpool straining to unsheathe his katanas from his back in the movies because the producers found a clever way around the problem.
A YouTube video titled “Behind The Scenes Of Deadpool,” appears to show (start 2:25) how the movie producers might have avoided the problem. After Deadpool makes a move to draw his katanas from his back, a member of the film crew places two unsheathed katanas in his hands, and removes the pair sheathed in his back before shooting continues.
Historians have also pointed out that despite the common portrayal in Hollywood movies, the ancient Japanese Samurai generally wore their katanas at their sides, close to their waist and not on their backs.
4. Deadpool Also Used Ko Katanas In The Movies
Some fans noticed that Deadpool could have solved the problem of how to unsheathe a pair of standard katana blades from his back quickly and safely by using a ko katana. Ko katanas have shorter blades (<25 inches) than standard katanas. A ko katana with a short blade could be easily unsheathed from the back by a user with average arm length (about 25 inches).
Following the suggestion that Deadpool could have used ko katanas in the movies, some fans scrutinized the fight scenes in Deadpool (2016) and noted that he sometimes appeared to be carrying katanas with relatively short blades, but in other scenes he appeared to be carrying standard katanas. This means that Deadpool might have used katanas with short blades in some shoots to allow him unsheathe the weapon from his back quickly.
It should be noted that the ko katana is only a modern version of the historical katana and that it was never used by the ancient Samurai. The type of short sword used by the Samurai was the wakizashi, which was not the same as the ko katana. Modern ko katana designs have the same length of tsuka (hilt) as the traditional katana, but shorter blades. The traditional short-blade wakizashi had a shorter hilt.
The long hilt of a ko katana adapts it for two-handed use and makes it a potentially deadly weapon in close quarters combat.
3. The Katanas In The First Deadpool Movie Differed Slightly From The Comic Versions
Deadpool’s katanas in the movie Deadpool (2016) differed slightly from the comic book versions, besides the fact that Deadpool is usually armed with standard katanas in the comics, compared with the movies where he is sometimes shown wielding a ko katana. A small, but significant, detail that distinguishes the two is that Deadpool’s katanas in Deadpool (2016) have unwrapped handles, while the comic versions and Wade Wilson’s katanas in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) feature the traditional diamond wrap.
The distinctive style of wrapping the handle of a Samurai sword is called tsukamaki (handle wrapping) in the Japanese language. The most commonly used tsukamaki pattern is the diamond pattern. Many fans and practitioners of Japanese martial arts were surprised to see that the handles of Deadpool’s katanas in the Deadpool movie were unwrapped. It is unclear why the movie producers overlooked this important detail of katanas that is used to secure the sword hilt and provide the user with excellent grip.
Handle wrapping is traditionally done by highly-skilled craftsmen. The wrapping is done over multiple layers of the hilt (tsuka) which include a wooden core that fits around the tang or shank (nakago) of the blade, and a covering of moisture-resistant stingray skin (samegwa).
2. What Were The Katanas In The Deadpool Movie Made Out Of?
There are no indications that the katanas Deadpool used in the Deadpool movie were made out of any special material besides high quality steel. However, scenes in which Deadpool appeared to perform extraordinary feats with his katanas raised questions whether they were made of exotic materials, such as adamantium, vibranium or carbonadium.
The scenes in X-Men Origins: Wolverine where Wade Wilson used his swords to deflect bullets and even slice them into two, sparked speculation that the blades were made from adamantium. But, other fans argued that Wade only needed to use his mutant’s speed, agility and strength to deflect the bullets and split them because steel is harder than lead.
Similarly, based on the scenes from the Deadpool movie in which he pushed his katana through Ajax’s shoulder and right through solid concrete, fans speculated that the katana blades were not ordinary steel. They believe the blades could be made of adamantium, carbonadium or some other unspecified exotic material.
However, the only time that Wade Wilson was confirmed to have used adamantium katanas was in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, when William Stryker transformed him into Weapon XI. But, the adamnatium katanas he used were retractable blades surgically attached to his arms.
1. Cosplay Versions of Deadpool’s Katanas
There are no official Deadpool katanas, but cosplay versions abound. The katanas used by Deadpool in the movies are standard katanas which can be be purchased at shops that stock swords, knives and daggers. Cheap and safe cosplay models – including Deadpool-style pairs of katanas with x-shaped scabbard – made of plastic, foam, and light weight steel, are available. Carbon fiber and hand-forged carbon steel katanas are also available. The superior quality models are more expensive, but most fans prefer short ko katana models that can be drawn easily from the back.
DIY fans can also make their own Deadpool katanas and costumes.
Several websites and video tutorials claim to show enthusiasts how to create authentic and high quality cosplay versions made from durable materials so that they can be used repeatedly by cosplayers. Those who can afford it can go for high quality made-to-order katanas, costumes, and accessories, created by professional designers. There are designers who specialize in making Deadpool costumes and accessories.
Many Deadpool cosplayers and their extremely movie-accurate Deadpool costumes and katana creations have gained attention in recent years. Last year, Critical Hit featured a costume creation by Deadpool fans El Fett and Nguyen, and exhibited at WonderCon2016. The costume was hailed as one of the most movie- accurate Deadpool cosplay ever.
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Have we missed any other important trivia about Deadpool’s katana? Share with us in the comments section.
