Banzai Charger

For the multiplayer map in Call of Duty: World at War, see Banzai (map).

"Long live His Majesty the Emperor! (Tennōheika Banzai!)."

— Banzai Chargers

Banzai Chargers are Japanese soldiers in Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: World at War Final Fronts and Call of Duty: Vanguard that will rush at the player with bayonets attached to their weapons during combat or when attempting an ambush, (as in the mission Hard Landing) yelling "Tennōheika banzai!"(“天皇陛下万歳”, "Long live His Majesty the Emperor!") or just simply "Banzai!". Some banzai chargers will not have a weapon with a bayonet however, generally only if they use a Type 100.

Call of Duty: World at War[]

Banzai Chargers will often jump out of tall grass, spider holes, jungles, out of Japanese defenses, or they pretend to be dead (as in the mission "Semper Fi"). They will often attack when least expected, such as when a player is in the middle of reloading or when their back is turned. If a Charger reaches the player, they will knock the player down and impale them with their bayonet. To stop them, the player must press the melee button to stab the Charger when prompted. This results in the player pushing the rifle aside and stabbing the Charger in the neck. Players can also shoot the Chargers, or use their knife if they time the attack right (this often results in the player taking some damage as well). If the player presses the melee button too early, their attack will fail and the Charger will impale them.

When knocked down by the Banzai Charger, even if the player has taken damage, the player's screen will clear and then return to red after the Banzai Charger has been stabbed. This clearing of the screen can actually be a nice relief in the heat of battle and carnage.

Banzai Chargers are similar to dogs in many aspects, their purpose being to knock down the player and quickly kill them. They make no effort to attack the player, although, rarely, they will melee the player if close, rather than knocking the player down. They can be shot and knifed, but this can be a challenge against a fast-moving target.

On the Xbox 360 and PS3 version, players that successfully counter a Banzai Charger for the first time will unlock the trophy/achievement Close Shave worth 10 Gamerscore on the Xbox 360 and a Bronze trophy on the PlayStation 3.

Achievements/Trophies[]

Close Shave (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Survive a Banzai attack.
Snake in the Grass (15 / Bronze Trophy ) - Take out a Japanese soldier while he is lying in wait in the grass.

Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts[]

Banzai Chargers only come out and ambush the player from behind with a Type 99 with a bayonet attached. They do not stab the player to the ground, but instead charge at the player and deplete the player's life rapidly when they come in contact.

Call of Duty: Vanguard[]

Banzai Chargers appears in the level Numa Numa Trail, as guardians of the jungle. Once caught the player, they will start charging. If a Charger reaches the player, they won't knock the player down like World at War but will instantly stab the player to death.

Gallery[]

Call of Duty: World at War[]

Call of Duty: Vanguard[]

Trivia[]

Call of Duty: World at War[]

In "Hard Landing", if the player is knocked down at the beginning, they can sometimes go underwater and the sound will be garbled.
In co-op, the player will not be knocked down.
Sometimes the important non-playable characters will get into fights and will bash the Banzai Charger with their weapon or flip the charger over and shoot them point-blank.
Sometimes, soldiers without bayonets will charge at the player shouting "Banzai!" but when they reach him, they will hit him with the gun, rather than knock him down. Other times, they will just stop next to the player and shoot him until he or she dies.
When knocked down by a Banzai Charger, the player is immune to all damage (excluding his killing stab) until he stands up.
Sometimes, if a Banzai Charger is shot at before he reaches the player, he can be put into Last Stand and will pull out a Nambu pistol, in the same way as normal Japanese soldiers would.

Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts[]

There is no counter-attack animation for the Banzai Chargers.
The bayonets of the Banzai Chargers cannot be used by the player.

Call of Duty: Vanguard[]

There is no counter-attack animation for the Banzai Chargers.
The Chargers will scream when charging, but they won't open their mouths when screaming. Instead, they will open their mouths when approaching the player.
Some Chargers do not have bayonets on their guns, instead they will hit the player with the buttstock of the gun and then fire at the player.