Talk:Zanbatō

A picture (a drawing, I guess, since it seems fictional) of the weapon would be welcome. —Vivacissamamente 09:18, 28 July 2005 (UTC)

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Hmm, the more I try to research this, the more confused I get. Trying to find a Japanese-language resource gets me [1], which uses the word zanbatō and describes it as a "cavalier killer", but the picture looks more like a long katana or nodachi than the crazy thing Sanosuke has. Did Watsuki Nobuhiro just invent a cool weapon and give it the name of a completely different historical sword? It would be nice if someone knowledgeable about feudal Japanese weaponry could help out here. DopefishJustin (・∀・) 03:04, May 26, 2004 (UTC)

Never heard of this type of a sword in Japanese history context. I think this is a fictional weapon. jni 13:16, 24 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Zhanmadao

The Zanbato is the just the Japanese pronounciation of the Zhanmadao which was created by in the Song Dynasty. There are several different versions of the Zhanmadao including the Zanbato but not any that look like Watsuki's version. --Anon

By all means, if you know anything about this, edit the article. I'm just going on what they say in the anime and the little I can scrounge up on the Web and Usenet. DopefishJustin (・∀・) 03:50, 5 Jun 2004 (UTC)

There are two games series entitled Souledge and Soulcalibur. In them is a character named Seung Mina. She wields a weapon that she calls a Zanbato. however, This weapon appears more to be a kind of polearm than a sword. --Anon

Those weapons looked to be naginata to me. --Maru (talk) 17:52, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Possible other explanation

I would like to point out, that in the Manga series "Lone Wolf and Cub" (Kozure Okami) there are numerous situations, when opponents of Ittô Ôgami comment on his fighting stance. In these cases they usually call that Suiô Ry Zanbatô, so that it appears as if it would also be the stance before the beginning of the fight.

My comics are packed up right now, but I recall it bein the stance and the related stroke which he'd use to cut people in half. Don't remember him ever going out of his way to use it only against cavalry. Highlandlord 11:14, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

Another possible fictional occurrence

Would the Banryuu used by Bankotsu be a Zanbato? It certainly looks the part at first glance. The current version of his article describes Banryuu as a "ogon sword". I found no references about that expression. Would it by chance by synonymous with Zanbato?

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Also - didn't one of the Nightstalkers (characters from a fairly old video game which featured Morrigan (a witch) among other light-hearted horror characters) also use a Zanbato? Luis Dantas 05:30, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

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Do you think that Cloud Strife's "Buster Sword" is the perfect addition to the list of fictional characters using these (probably fictional, yet owning) swords? - Gilder

There are plenty of swords in the world that are large but wouldn't be considered a Zanbato. The Buster Sword doesn't need to be added to the list. -- GYC

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In Samurai Warriors, one of the swords used by Ranmaru Mori is called "Zamba", which is short for zambato. However, it is not as thick as weapons described in this article. It's merely a slightly thicker and longer version of his origonal sword-- the No-Dachi. If someone wants to edit this in, go ahead. --209.30.174.157 17:51, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

I think what this article needs is to seperate an anime weapon from a real weapon. Of course that weapon that Sano uses in Kenshin can't be real, the blade is too long and wide to be of any use and couldn't cut anything, plus with the weight the pole would snap. But it looks cool in the anime. Also why are a bunch of unrelated things listed? The Buster sword might be huge but it has never been called a Zanbato by of the proper people. The claim that the weapon from Gundam SEED is even stupider, being a beam weapon. Sounds like alot of original research. Highlandlord 10:55, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

The Bleach link goes to the wrong place. Someone needs to fix it so it directs to the anime/manga.

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i belive it's not a fotsoldiers sword but a riders sword. the reason is that a normal katana is to short. a lance might be more usefull but if it breakes your dead.

Where did you hear that? A sword this big would cut off your own horse's head; two-handed swords of this nature are only usable on foot (and barely, then). A horseman's sword, in Japan, is called a tachi; it's slightly longer than a katana but not this long.

Lack of sources and unverified claims

Main Zanbato article is contradictory simultaneously claiming the item is completely fictional and existed as a ceremonial piece.

Article Fictional Historical Uses. First the title is confusing, as it doesn’t talk about the use of weapons referred to as Zambato{s} in Historical Fiction. Further it is written as if these weapons actually existed; of which no verification has been provided. If there are no historical journals or articles that contain peer reviewed evidence of the existence of Zambato{s} then I suggest that this section (Fictional Historical Uses) be deleted or renamed and edited – so as to prevent the dissemination of false information.

i take my guess back ok.