How to get the Katana in Sons of the Forest

There are few things more useful than weapons when it comes to increasing your chances of survival in Sons of the Forest. While you have an array of weapons to choose from (if you can find them), one of the best Melee options is the Katana. 

It’s not a straightforward journey, though. Prepare for your Sons of the Forest Katana search by grabbing plenty of food, medicine, and water. A torch — made from cloth and stick — will come in handy in the Caves ahead, too.

Katana: Preparation Checklist

The Katana is found within the Residential Bunker, but you’ll need a long list of other items to get there. How quickly you do this is up to you, but the game gets harder as days go by, so bear that in mind. To reach the bunker, you’ll need:

Step one – Rope Gun

The first thing you’ll need is the Rope Gun. This can be found in Cave B, located on the Western half of the map, about halfway between the ocean to the west and the Mountain to the east. Also, in this cave, very close to where you find the Rope Gun, you can find the ‘Missing CEO’ Newspaper Clipping. 

Step two – Rebreather

With the Rope Gun, head towards the northern coast of the island and find Cave A located on the Western side of the large inlet there. Head inside, grab the Air Tank (you’ll need it for the Rebreather), and carry on deeper into the cave. Work your way through the cave and take the left path when the route splits in two. The Rebreather is on the right side of the final room, just watch out for the Shark waiting in the water below.

Step three – Shovel

You’ve got the Rope Gun and the Rebreather, so now you can search for the Shovel, located in Cave C. It’s propped up against a corpse in the last chamber.

Step four – Maintenance Keycard

With the Shovel in possession, follow the river that leads inland from the same inlet from step two. Follow this river until you come to the Maintenance Bunker A Digsite. The bunker holds the Laser Sight, Firefighter Axe, and most importantly, the Maintenance Keycard (located on the desk).

Step five – Guest Keycard

Finally, take the Maintenance Keycard and head to the Recreational Bunker — it’s directly southwest of Maintenance A and west of Cave C, where you found the shovel. Here, use the Maintenance Keycard to gain access to the Recreational Bunker. Inside you’ll find Arnold Crand’s Guest Keycard.

Guest Keycard in hand, head to the Food and Dining Bunker. This leads to a laptop revealing the Residential Bunker Point of Interest on your map. You can, from experience, find the Residential Bunker without unlocking it via the Laptop, so skip this step if you’re familiar with the map. 

Where is the Katana in Sons of the Forest?

To find the Residential Bunker, head east of the Mountain in the middle of the map and go to the eastern shore of the large lake there. The Bunker entrance is concealed within a rock formation here, but before proceeding, stock up on the usual basic resources.

Inside the cave, drop down through the hole and proceed downstairs. Use the Guest Keycard, unlock the doo, and enter the Residential Bunker. 

Unless you’re playing on Peaceful Mode, you’ll face a lot of mutants here, so if you’ve got the resources, lay some traps and lure the Mutants in, while picking off any outliers. After clearing the mutants, explore all of the rooms through the open doors on the right side for a hefty item haul, including the Pistol in the first room, then locate the stairs leading to level 2.

The Katana is behind the second open door on the right side level 2, but before you head there, pick off any mutants to ensure they don’t get the jump on you. Before leaving, find the Surveillance Room and locate the computer. Interacting here unlocks the Final Bunker, where you can venture later after recovering from this arduous adventure.