A short blade used for assassinations.
― In-game description
The Sakai Tanto is a short blade which belongs to Jin Sakai as part of the "Sakai Steel" along with the Sakai Katana. The Sakai Tanto was inherited as part of Sakai Steel by Jin at his father's funeral by Lord Shimura.
Use[]
At first, the Tanto is only used to cut the ropes of Mongol hostages. However, during The Warrior's Code Tale of Jin's Journey, the player will gain access to the ability to assassinate enemies, along with being able to upgrade the Tanto at the Swordsmith after the Tale. From there on, the Tanto serves as a weapon of close-range assassination.
To perform an assassination, Jin needs to be undetected by the enemy, as long as their detection bar does not become red. When he gets close enough to the enemy, the player will be prompted to press 
. Once pressed, Jin will assassinate his target. The Chain assassination Techniques allows Jin to assassinate multiple enemies at once by pressing 
. Assassinations can also be performed from above an enemy, and can be more advantageous as enemies are less likely to look upwards when on patrol.
Jin will not be able to assassinate Mongol Commanders before he unlocks the Ghost Stance; until then, assassination moves will instead be "Critical Strikes" which will inflict massive damage on Mongol Leaders instead. Even upon attaining Ghost Stance, Jin needs to be fully undetected to perform an assassination on a Leader (can only perform Critical Strike upon using a Smoke Bomb).
Although slow and risky at the beginning, Sakai Tanto becomes the only assassination weapon that is entirely silent without the use of charms or armor effects when upgraded to its max level. The increasing demand for a stealthy approach as the game progresses demands player to upgrade the Tanto to at least level two (2).
The Tanto shares the same Sword kit customization as the Katana.
Upgrades[]
The Tanto can be upgraded at a Swordsmith. Each upgrade changes the animation of Jin's assassination move, becoming faster and producing less noise.
| Level | Supplies | Iron |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 150 | 30 |
| 3 | 300 | 70 |