Enemies

Katana Zero is infested with many types of enemies that Zero can cleave his way through. Bosses and major characters are excluded from this list. The majority of these enemies are unnamed, therefore a conjectural name is used for each of them.

Enemies are assisted by traps, but most can be dispatched by projectiles.

A thrown projectile will usually either kill an enemy or block a bullet.

Normal Mode

All enemies have the ability to either melee the player or shove them to the ground before shooting him.

Strong Terries

Strong Terries are the first enemy the player encounters. They are the weakest enemy in the game.

Strong Terries will patrol a room or stand still when unaware of the player. They will investigate noises, and attempt to run and punch the player when the player enters their line of sight.

A variant of Strong Terry that hides behind a stationary machine gun appears in some levels.

Gunmen

Gunmen wield a rifle and continually shoot at the player until they lose sight of them. They'll attempt to shove the player if they get too close, throwing the player away.

They will run in range of the player if they know where they went. Gunmen are technically the second enemy the player faces (at the end of Factory), however, they do not need to be fought directly in their first appearance.

Skinny Rickies

Skinny Rickies are the third enemy the player faces. They are melee enemies like Strong Terries, however their strikes can deflect the player's attacks. Upon being deflected, they will enter a short cooldown before attacking again.

They are first encountered in the Murdower Hotel mission.

Automated Turrets

Automated Turrets are machines that fire once the player is in front of them. After firing, they get a cooldown of a few seconds where they can be dispatched. Despite actively attacking the player, turrets do not count as enemies, and don't have to be destroyed to exit the level.

They are first encountered in the Club Neon mission.

Police Gunmen

A variant of Gunmen, functionally similar, but with a slightly faster reaction time than traditional gunmen.

Shotgunners

Shotgun enemies wield a shotgun that they pump before shooting a volley of pellets. These enemies are unique in that they must be rolled through; the player cannot consistently deflect all of the pellets (except Claymore Prototype).

Shield Officers

The police force deploys an officer with a shield, which will block slashes and projectiles. When run at, they will bash the player to the ground and shoot them. They can be easily killed by sliding to their non-shield side.

They are first encountered in the Chinatown mission.

Drones

The police force also deploys drones that will shoot at the player from above. They can be sent flying from any angle, and explode violently upon impacting any surface or enemy. Despite actively attacking the player, drones do not count as enemies, and don't have to be destroyed to exit the level.

They are first encountered in the Chinatown mission.

Hard Mode

Hard Mode adds new enemy types to the game, including variants of existing enemies. Enemies also have a decreased reaction time and shoot faster.

Karate Rickies

Karate Rickies are a variant of Skinny Rickies that ignore roll invincibility. Karate Rickies will push the player to the ground, then punch them. When pushed to the ground, there is enough time for the player to get up to avoid the punch.

Machinegunners

Machinegunners are a variant of Strong Terries that wield a machine gun that shoots rapidly. Machinegunners will fire continuously at the player, and will continue to do until they run out of ammunition and need to reload. They cannot attack or move while reloading.

Unused enemies

The game contains sprites for a number of different characters, including unused enemies. These include scientists, a Terry variant wearing prison clothing, and others.