Straight Swords for Samurai?

[Kolsykol]

Japan did have straight blades, particularly early on it's year 1000+ where you started seeing the blades in Japan become more curved as a standard.
But even later swords were sometimes straight too.

I'd actually really like to see them too they were more similar to Chinese swords.
Katanas are cool and all but they're not the only sword-type that existed in Japan.

Obviously the Samurai used Katanas but I mean we have Paladins ( and Samurai ) running around with what might as well be lightsabers.
It's not like we're talking about a historical game.

I have a theory that the reason they seem to do crossover weapons for the tanks (the samurai sword [whose name escapes me] for the DRK; the 'cricket bat' for the PLD, and so on) is to entice people to play those classes more. I, too, would like to see more diversity in weapons - particularly a big broadsword for warriors (because... why not), and a mace for paladins (because YES), but some regular swords for Samurai would be okay, too.

The problem is, I think they - unsurprisingly - hold the Samurai as kind of a culturally sacred class, and thus may be reluctant to meddle with its aesthetic too much. You're right - Endwalker will definitely tell us more.

You say that, but Japanese media is full of teenage schoolgirls who are essentially Samurai lol.
It's not exactly like the swords in the game are historically accurate either to begin with.

On a cultural level I think the more significant part is the values and overall mannerism that matters more than the aesthetic.

[Tsiron]

*cracks knuckles*

[Crowzer]

Not necessarily.
Media may present one shape to the katana, but there are straight blade katanas. The curve is actually something that was added over time, as the Chinese sword the katana evolved from had a straight blade. This does mean that straight blade katana are generally much older, and thus rarer, but they most definitely existed and not just as an oddity.

Either way, the way Ronkans or Allagans make their katana doesn't need to mirror the way they've been made IRL. I agree with OP. Some variety would be good.

Finally someone who knows history.

[Jettinson]

Deepgold blade gotta be my favorite due to the handle, still slightly curved but it makes up for nice glamour choices

[Tsiron]

*cracks knuckles*

Well, ended up submitting 4 designs to the contest, 3 of which are straight swords for Samurai. I don't expect I'll win anything, but hopefully it communicates that there's demand?

Occurred to me just now though, they had the perfect opportunity to diversify Samurai's arsenal with Shadowbringers... The First's equivalent of the East is long gone, so aside from a stray antique or two it makes no sense that there would be "katanas" dropping as loot, while historically a lot of Norvrandt (especially Voeburt) was shown to have been more traditionally "fantasy", with kingdoms and princesses and knights etc. so they could've conceivably come up with and used two-handed longswords. The Crystarium Samurai Blade almost looks like it could've been one, even...

On top of everything, our character is no longer beholden to any teacher at this point in the narrative, so it's not outside the realm of possibility they'd pick up some more unorthodox weaponry along the way, right? The ghost of Musosai isn't going to manifest to slap non-katanas out of their hand.....

[ItMe]

Well, ended up submitting 4 designs to the contest, 3 of which are straight swords for Samurai. I don't expect I'll win anything, but hopefully it communicates that there's demand?

Yay~
I know the contest says you can't (or was it shouldn't) share your entries, but after the results can you post your art here?
I'd love to see them~

[Lanadra]

You're fun.

He's also right.

Anyway.. an arming sword does not fit a Samurai, so I stick with 'nah'.

[Tsiron]

Yay~
I know the contest says you can't (or was it shouldn't) share your entries, but after the results can you post your art here?
I'd love to see them~

The phrasing is weird but I'm assuming what

Please refrain from sharing your artworks publicly until the winners are announced, in order to protect your Entry.

is getting at is don't post it online while the contest is ongoing...? Submissions are closed now, though, and I've seen people post theirs on social media already, so I think it's fine...? Scratch that, looks like they deleted their tweet.

He's also right.

Anyway.. an arming sword does not fit a Samurai, so I stick with 'nah'.

Katanas and longswords are really not as different (in terms of use) as you think, especially in the context of a fantasy game where most everything goes. The odds of them adding a dedicated "longsword" Job is close to none, since it would be superfluous, so I don't think this is too much to ask? They're certainly not shy when it comes to giving others Katana-looking weapons, after all...

[TheMightyMollusk]

Before katanas were invented, samurai did use straight swords, called chokuto. It's not completely out of the realm of possibility.

Of course, they also used a variety of other weapons (spears, various polearms, bows, even rifles), but those are covered by other jobs in the game.

[VelKallor]

"Those samurai have straight swords"

"Straight. Swords."