Kill Bill Swords - The deadly weapons from the film

March 29, 2017

As we are fans of both parts of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, we took a closer look at the Kill Bill swords. Most of them were made by the swordsmith Hattori Hanzo, who, according to the statement in Kill Bill Vol. 1, makes "the best swords in the world". You can find out more about Hattori Hanzo and his real-life counterpart at here read.

How much does an original Hattori Hanzo sword cost?

The swordsmith Hattori Hanzo from the film Kill Bill is a fictional character who never lived. So there is no real Hattori Hanzo sword.
Kill Bill swords are available in many different price ranges. From inexpensive decorative swords to high-quality, hand-forged katanas.

Beatrix Kiddo's Sword - The Sword of the Bride

In the first part, Beatrix Kiddo is only called "the Bride" by everyone, but in the second part her real name is revealed. She was a member of the "Deadly Viper" assassination squad led by Bill and was his girlfriend for a while. When she learns that she is pregnant by Bill, she does not return from an assignment and goes into hiding in order to raise the child in a different, less violent environment. She tries to build a middle-class existence for herself, but after some time she is tracked down and surprised by the assassination squad.

Their sword is the only one made by Hanzo after his retirement, and he himself describes it as the best sword ever forged. Hanzo had actually sworn by blood oath to give up swordsmithing, as his conscience no longer allowed him to make deadly tools. However, he is persuaded by the bride to make one last sword for her, as she was attacked by Bill, a former pupil of Hanzo. Hanzo presents her with the sword in a solemn ceremony, knowing that she wants to kill Bill with it.

Before the sword fulfils its destiny of killing Bill, over 40 people fall victim to it. Among them are O-Ren Ishii, her bodyguards and many members of the Crazy 88. During the first attack on Budd, she loses her sword, but later regains it. However, it only plays a subordinate role in the murder of Bill in Part 2. She only uses her sword to defend herself against Bill's katana.

Budd's sword

Kill Bill Swords: Bud's Sword — Film replica of Budd's sword

Budd's sword is a gift from his brother Bill and was also made by his teacher Hattori Hanzo. The sword is engraved with the words "To My Brother Budd, The Only Man I Ever Loved, - Bill". Budd is also on Kiddo's death list - Kill Bill.

When Bill comes to visit him to warn him of Kiddo's impending revenge, Budd lies to his brother and says he had his sword pawned for 250$. However, Kiddo later finds the sword, which Budd had merely hidden in his caravan.

Kiddo then uses Budd's sword to fight Elle Driver, Bill's new lover, while she possesses Kiddo's sword. After the fight, Kiddo leaves Budd's sword in his caravan and repossesses her own.

Bill's sword

Bill is a master with his sword and his martial arts technique. His sword was also made by his former teacher Hattori Hanzo.

It can only be seen once in the 2nd part of the two films. It is lying on a shelf above Bill's television set. In a scene cut from the final cut, you can see Bill killing 4 armed men with the sword.

The demon engraved on the blade is characteristic of the sword.

O-Ren's sword

O-Ren began her career as a professional killer at an early age after her parents were murdered. She is the boss of all the yakuzas in Tokyo and is also on Kiddo's death list.

Her sword is only shown twice in the two films. The first time is when O-Ren beheads the boss Tanaka during a Yakuza meeting because he talks badly about her Chinese-Japanese-American heritage. The second time it is seen is when O-Ren and Kiddo fight with each other, with Kiddo winning the fight.

Unlike the other characters in the film, she does not use a katana, but rather a sword that can be classified as an aikuchi, as its handle has no parrying element (tsuba). This type of sword or knife was used in particular by the samurai of the 15th century and is considered very noble. This sword is probably intended to emphasise their status as the queen of the Japanese underworld.