If you want to really test your upper body strength, the nodachi may be the weapon for you 💪
In the latest instalment of our series on the weapons of Die by the Blade, we’re going to be looking at one of the largest weapons in the game, the mighty nodachi 😤
So what exactly is a nodachi?
What It Is
Also known as the ōdachi, the nodachi is a long sword that was once used by samurai in feudal Japan. Its colossal size is even reflected in its name, as the first character of ō (大) literally translates to mean “big” or “great.”
So how long exactly is this great sword?
Although there is no exact definition of how long a nodachi needs to be, the blade is usually around 91 centimetres (36 in). To put that into perspective, that’s roughly the same length as the average car door!
Where It Came From
Use of the nodachi became popularised during the Kamakura period (1185－1333). This was largely due to the fact that battles on horseback were gradually becoming less common and were replaced by group battles, where the importance of foot soldiers was paramount. For the many warriors who did not have a horse and weren’t trained with a bow, there was a dire need for a powerful weapon they could yield in battle. Alongside being an effective way to fell your enemy, the size of the nodachi meant that it also served as an indicator of the warrior’s strength.
As time went on, however, the sheer length of the nodachi made it less and less effective on the battlefield, so it instead found a home within the shrine. Throughout its history, it was often used as an offering to divine spirits known as kami at Shinto shrines. By the Edo period (1603-1867), its existence on the battlefield was but a memory, and it was solely used as a religious offering.
In Popular Culture
Much like the wakizashi, the nodachi rarely appears in film or television outside of Japanese films about samurai 🗡️
The most prominent example is the Akira Kurosawa classic Seven Samurai, where the character Kikuchiyo wields a nodachi that is nearly as big as he is!
Would you be willing to sacrifice speed for the power of larger weapons like the nodachi? Or do you prefer short and swift blades like the wakizashi? 🤺
Let us know in the comments 💬
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