due to the renowned quality of the sword and the mysticism surrounding the relationship between the blade and its wielder, the katana appears in various works of fiction, including film, anime, manga, other forms of literature, and computer games. it is frequently used by non-japanese creators, partly due to its status as an easily recognizable icon of japan and its high reputation as a formidable weapon in skilled hands. four well-known appearances in western culture are bruce willis' weapon of opportunity in quentin tarantino's "pulp fiction", the bride's signature weapon in "kill bill" (a film strongly influenced by japanese samurai movies), the katana used by the main characters in "highlander" and the 1975 tom laughlin action/cult western film "the master gunfighter". other iconic appearances for the western audience include a pair of ninjato carried by the character leonardo in the "teenage mutant ninja turtles" franchise. ulrich stern wields one in the first, second and third seasons of "code lyoko," but gains an additional katana in the fourth season and in "".