Katana’s role in Suicide Squad came as pleasant surprise to many fans who anticipated actress Karen Fukuhara would portray Plastique. The relentlessly determined samurai vigilante may not be vicious enough to deserve time behind bars like the rest of the squad, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t just as deadly.
Fukuhara caught up with Comic Book Resources to talk about how her character’s dark, mystical past means Deadshot, Harley, Boomerang, Diablo, Killer Croc and Enchantress should never rub her the wrong way.
“She is the deadliest,” Fukuhara explained. “She's not into fighting for herself. It's for someone else. And when someone doesn't care about her own well-being -- to kill someone else and to protect someone -- that makes her the scariest one. Try fighting someone that doesn't care about what the outcome is for them, you know? You're going against someone who's going to give it their all no matter how many times you shoot at them. That's why she's so badass.”
Katana serves at Rick Flag’s protector, so it’ll be interesting to see the nature of their relationship and find out why they’re so close. In the comics, Katana isn’t known to be villainous like the rest of the squad, but her traumatic past is something she has in common with other team members. While she may be standoffish at the start of the film, Fukuhara said she’ll eventually warm up to everyone.
“She's the protector of Rick Flag, so I'd like to think she's still one of the only characters that are so-called "good," or, you know, "heroic." She has her own moral code. Her oath is to give back to who she owes it to. And I think for this movie it's Rick Flag, along with Amanda Waller,” Fukuhara said. “In the beginning it's not so friendly. She's her own person, she's a lone wolf. I think by the end of it she finds her family, and that's her story, and her journey to overcome trust issues as well and becoming part of a team and the Squad.”
Katan’s tactical and hand-to-hand combat skills are no joke. Her presence is definitely an asset to the team’s mission and her intimidating aura will keep the squad members in check. Her Soultaker sword is quite literally a force to be reckoned with. It has the ability to capture the soul of the person it kills. Once the souls are inside, Katana has access to all knowledge inside.
Suicide Squad arrives in theatres Aug. 5.
