Look, we've all been there. You save up 1500 Catfood, wait for the Vajiras Wargod banner to rotate in, and pray to the RNG gods for something that’ll finally delete those annoying Black enemies. Then, out pops Narita Kaihime. You see the massive armor, the floating blades, and the "Legendary Hero" aesthetic. You think you hit the jackpot.
But then you check the forums.
People love to dunk on her. They'll tell you she’s too slow, or that her niche is too narrow. Honestly? They’re kinda right, but they’re also missing the point of how power creep has shifted the meta in The Battle Cats. Kaihime isn't a generalist. If you try to drop her into a random stage like she's Mitama or Phonoa, you're gonna have a bad time. She’s a specialist tool, a sledgehammer meant for two very specific types of walls: Black and Red enemies.
The Weird Reality of Narita Kaihime in Battle Cats
Understanding Kaihime starts with looking at what she actually does versus what people want her to do. She’s a Tank/Mid-ranger hybrid. In her First Form, she’s a cheap, spammable unit, but let's be real—nobody uses that unless they're doing a specific 4-star stage restriction or messing around in early Stories of Legend. You're here for the Evolved and True Forms.
In her evolved state, Kaihime the Brave, she gains the "Tough Vs" ability against Red and Black. This is her bread and butter. It’s not just about raw health; it’s about how she interacts with the frontline. Because she has a decent range (around 400 in her True Form), she sits just behind your meatshields but in front of your super-backliners like Sniper the Cat or Cyberpunk.
Here's the kicker: she has the Strong ability. Or rather, she is strong against those traits. In Battle Cats lingo, "Strong" means she deals 1.5x damage and takes only 0.5x damage from those specific colors. If you’ve invested in the Treasures from Empire of Cats and Into the Future, those numbers get even better. We're talking 1.8x damage dealt and 0.4x damage taken. She becomes a literal brick wall that hits back.
The True Form Glow-up: Is it enough?
When you finally get her to level 30 and shell out the Epic Catfruit for Narita Kaihime CC, things change. Her health pool jumps. Her attack power gets a much-needed bump. Most importantly, she gets a boost to her knockback count.
Wait. Is more knockbacks good for a tank?
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That’s where the community gets into fights. Some players argue that a tank should stay put. They want a unit that stays at the front until it dies, like Kai or Sodom (though, please, don't use Sodom). Kaihime, however, has 5 knockbacks. This means when she takes a certain amount of damage, she flinches and resets her position.
Is this a flaw? Not necessarily. It actually gives her survivability. Against high-damage Red bosses like JK Bun Bun or Shy Boy swarms, those knockbacks act as a safety net, allowing your meatshields to move back into the gap while she resets her attack animation. It keeps her in the fight longer, even if it feels like she's "retreating."
Where Narita Kaihime Actually Shines (And Where She Dies)
Let's talk specific stages. If you’re struggling with XP Colosseum or Merciless XP, Kaihime is a goddess. Black enemies are known for two things: high attack speed and massive numbers. Because Kaihime has that "Strong" ability, she can soak up the hits from Le'Noir and the Gory Blacks while dishing out enough area damage to clear the peons.
But try taking her into a stage with Tackey (that annoying long-range Black seahorse). Tackey has "Long Distance" (LD) and will snipe her from behind the frontline. Since Kaihime doesn't have a fast movement speed, she just walks into the fire and dies before she can even swing her sword. It’s painful to watch.
- Red Enemies: She’s great against Bore. She can take the hits and keep him pinned.
- Black Enemies: She dominates Shadow Boxer K but struggles against Director Kurosawah due to his range.
- Mixed Stages: This is her weakness. If there’s a stray Angel or Alien enemy mixed in, they deal full damage to her. She melts.
You’ve got to be surgical with her. She’s a counter-pick. Think of her like a niche character in a fighting game—absolutely broken in the right matchup, but low-tier if you don't know the frame data.
The "Better Options" Argument
"Why use Kaihime when Yukimura exists?"
I hear this every time I bring her up. Sanada Yukimura is the undisputed king of the Vajiras. He’s a "suicide bomber" unit—fast, hits like a freight train, and dies quickly. He deletes Black enemies.
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But Yukimura and Kaihime serve completely different roles. Yukimura is for speedrunning and burst damage. Kaihime is for stability. If you're a new player who hasn't mastered the art of timing A. Bahamut or Yukimura, Kaihime is actually better for you. She's more forgiving. She stays on the field for three minutes while Yukimura might stay for ten seconds.
Basically, if you can’t keep your frontline stable, Kaihime is your insurance policy.
Stats That Matter (The Nerdy Stuff)
Let's look at the raw numbers for a level 30 Narita Kaihime CC.
She hits for about 34,000 damage per swing. Her attack frequency is roughly every 6 seconds. That gives her a DPS (Damage Per Second) of around 5,000. Against Red and Black, that effective DPS jumps to nearly 9,000.
Her health is where it gets crazy. At level 30, she has about 70,000 HP. But remember that "Strong" ability? Against her target traits, her effective HP is closer to 175,000 to 200,000 depending on your treasure completion. That’s a massive amount of bulk for a unit that isn't even classified as a "Tank" like the Dynamites.
She also has a 100% chance to resist Knockback from enemies. This is huge. It means she only gets knocked back when she takes enough damage (her natural KBs), not because an enemy ability triggered it. This keeps her positioning incredibly consistent against bosses like The Face or Hannya.
Maximizing Her Potential: Talents and Strategy
If you're at the point in the game where you have NP to spend, you might be looking at Kaihime’s talents. Honestly? Most of them are underwhelming.
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- Attack/Defense Buffs: Standard stuff. If you love her, max these.
- Slow Resist: Kinda useless. Most things that slow her aren't Red or Black anyway.
- Cost Reduction: This is actually decent. She’s expensive at 4,200ish to 4,500 deploy cost. Shaving a few hundred off can help in cash-tight stages.
- Target Relic: This is the game-changer. If you give her the Talent to target Relics, she suddenly becomes viable in Uncanny Legends. Relic enemies like Sir Rel are nightmares because of their "Curse" ability, which disables your cats' special abilities (like "Strong"). However, Kaihime's bulk still helps her stay alive long enough to be a nuisance.
But be careful. Spending NP on Kaihime is a luxury. If you haven't maxed out Pizza Cat's wave attack or Can Can's double money, do that first. Kaihime functions perfectly fine at 90% of her capacity without any talents at all.
Common Misconceptions and Pro Tips
I see a lot of people complain that her attack animation is too long. She does this whole wind-up where her blades spin. Yeah, it’s slow. She can get "interrupted" if she gets knocked back mid-swing, which wastes her attack.
To fix this, you need to "lineup" your meatshields. You can't just spam Mohawk Cat. You need Eraser Cat and Manic Eraser Cat at high levels. If the frontline doesn't move, Kaihime doesn't get interrupted. It’s that simple.
Another tip: pair her with Bombercat. If Bombercat freezes the Black enemies, Kaihime can just sit there and blend them without ever taking a hit. It's a disgusting combo for XP stages.
Is she a "Dust Collector"?
In the late game, many players find she sits on the bench. Once you get Jizo (the undisputed god of Black/Angel) or Rost, you might find less use for her. But "late game" in Battle Cats is a long way off for most. For anyone in the mid-game—Stages of Legend, early Uncanny Legends, and the Crazed Cat stages—she is a carry.
She’s also a beast in Heavenly Tower. Specifically, floors with heavy Red/Black presence. She can solo-tank certain waves while you save up money for your heavy hitters.
Final Verdict: Why You Shouldn't Listen to the Haters
Narita Kaihime is a solid B+ or A- tier unit. She isn't broken. She isn't going to cheese every stage in the game. But she is reliable. In a game like The Battle Cats, where a single bad RNG roll can ruin a 10-minute stage run, reliability is worth its weight in gold.
She has a specific job: stand in the way of the scary red and black things and hit them until they disappear. She does that job very well. If you pulled her, don't be disappointed. Level her up, get her True Form, and watch her turn Red Cyclone into a joke.
Next Steps for Kaihime Owners:
- Prioritize Treasures: Ensure all "Red" and "Black" damage/defense treasures from the first three chapters are at 100%. Her viability depends entirely on these multipliers.
- Test Her in XP Stages: Take her into "XP Megablitz." Use her as your primary attacker behind a wall of 4 meatshields. Observe her knockback timing to understand when she resets.
- True Form Grind: If you are at the "Stories of Legend" wall, focus your energy on gathering the 5 Red Catfruit, 5 Purple Catfruit, and 1 Epic Catfruit needed for her evolution. The stat boost is non-negotiable for late-game play.
- Don't Over-Invest NP: Unless she is your only Uber, keep her talents locked until you've upgraded your top-tier Super Rares. Her base True Form is her peak efficiency point.