Five Keys and Five Swords

Unlock five secret swords in Katana ZERO by collecting the Prism, Master, Prototype, Phoenix, and Savant Keys. Learn their locations and how to obtain them.

Throughout the course of the game, there are five secret keys you can collect, each of which unlock a new sword after you complete the game. Each key also has its own achievement (for platforms with such things) as well as another achievement (_Secret Hunter_) for collecting all five. Here's how to get them!

Prism Key

The Prism key can be found at the very beginning of the first level (Factory). As soon as you have control of your character, jump straight up and then swing your sword up. If you get high enough, you can land on the rooftop to the left. Go to the body on the far left and check it (X button on Switch) to find this key.

Master Key

This key is on your target at the end of the second stage, Hotel. Towards the beginning of the Penthouse zone, you'll need to go out onto a balcony to bypass a laser field. After you get to the end and come back in, you'll have to kill a Greaser. Next to him will be a Bust. Pick it up and hold onto it. Go through the door to the right and kill the Greaser and a Suit.

When you open the next door, you'll be able to step onto the balcony. Open the door, step outside, and throw the Bust to the right. This will kill your target off-screen. If you fail, he'll jump over the railing and you'll miss your opportunity. Once you've killed him, search his body to find this key.

Prototype Key

During the Prison stage, you'll need to clear the entire level without killing anyone. This is a pretty tricky task, so I recommend you check the Prison guide for that level for more information on how to do that. After you complete the stage, you'll return to your apartment and find a box open at the top of the stairs. Check inside of it to find this key.

Phoenix Key

Part way through the Mansion stage, you'll come to a three floor section with a thief in a room in the upper left. Clear the entire area but don't go in this room. Wait outside quietly until he's done digging around in the box. You'll have to wait quite a while before he'll finish, but when you're low on time, he'll finish up and jump out the window. When he does, check the box to find this key and quickly dart out of the room.

Savant Key

This is a tough key to get. On the Slaughter House stage, you'll need to make it through the entire stage without waking Leon, the creepy person on the TV. At any point, if you see a TV come on, immediately restart that section. If you're in a section and a reticle appears on the screen, you'll likely have to restart the entire level as you turned on a TV in an earlier section.

How do you avoid turning on the TVs? In each room with a TV, there will be fairly large bumps sticking straight down from the ceiling. You need to roll past these sections. It's not unlike dodging between lasers, but you can't see the lasers, and if you stumble on it, you won't immediately know unless you're really paying attention.

NOTE: If you kill an enemy and their body crosses by the camera, this will count the same as if YOU crossed in front of it. You may need to lure an enemy back towards you in another room before killing them to avoid this.