Resident Evil 2 (2019): Every Weapon, Ranked

Highlights

• Resident Evil 2‘s remake offers a variety of weapons for Leon and Claire, each with their own unique abilities and uses. The arsenal is extensive and adds to the fun of the game.
• The hand grenade is a powerful weapon that can cause significant damage to zombies and other enemies. It’s great for taking out bosses and groups of enemies, although players should be cautious of its blast zone and radius.
• The Samurai Edge handgun, available to all players, is a sought-after weapon that comes in four different variants, each with its own advantages. It’s a reliable and effective weapon to have in your arsenal.

Resident Evil 2’s remake boasts a large arsenal of weaponry for dual protagonists Leon and Claire. Some weapons are exclusive to each character, and can only be obtained and used within that character’s specific story. Resident Evil 2 doesn’t skimp out on the fun, as the weapons the player can find all have some utility.

Whatever weapon the player has found should be useful against zombies, lickers, or the ever-stalking tyrant of Mister X. They are bound to be a threat depending on how the player uses them, and what they prioritize upgrading. Leon and Claire can turn from hunted to hunter.

Updated on January 17, 2024 by Jake Fillery: With Resident Evil 2 (2019) hitting the Game Pass, many players might be traveling to Raccoon City for the first time. With that, players might want to know the best Resident Evil 2 weapons, and how they can use them to their advantage to stay away from the dreaded flesh-eating horrors. All Resident Evil 2 guns have their own set of skills that make them worth using, but some are exclusive to Claire and others to Leon, so it’s best to know what players can take and if it’s worth the inventory space. Here are all Resident Evil 2 Remake weapons and how to get them.

18 Hand Grenade

How To Get: Limited Finds In Canon Campaigns

A hand grenade is an absolute classic weapon in war, and it meshes very well against zombies. The hand grenade unleashes metal fragments that destroy anything in the surrounding perimeter, making a party of flesh, guts, and limbs for the disgusting zombies that stalk the corridors of Raccoon City’s Police Department.

These weapons can often be dangerous, as the blast zone is rather big, and the throw radius is not the greatest. However, the explosions surely do a lot of damage and are great for eliminating bosses like they are just ordinary enemies in the game.

17 Flash Grenade

How To Get: Limited Finds In Canon Campaigns

Up to three flash grenades can be stocked in the players’ inventory. It’s a greatly effective way to get around enemies or disable them so that players can take advantage of their stunned state. It flashes enemies in the blast radius and can be used in a defensive situation if the player gets grabbed, but remains less effective in a counterattack.

It’s a pretty good RE2 weapon to make the game easier, all things considered, as the flash grenade is effective against all enemies, and none are immune to its grand bright blast. Even the player can be affected by it, and somewhat disorientated, like a sucker punch from Mister X.

16 Chemical Flamethrower

How To Get: Found In The Supplies Storage Room In The Lower Sewers

The chemical flamethrower can be obtained during Leon’s campaign by solving the queen/king puzzle that can be located in the sewers. What makes the chemical flamethrower a worthy tool, is that it can permanently kill the Ivy-type enemies.

The chemical flamethrower isn’t great against other enemies like regular zombies, but can rather quickly take out stronger foes. However, because the flamethrower takes up two inventory slots, and requires a large amount of gunpowder for ammunition, it isn’t the highest-ranking weapon.

15 Matilda

How To Get: Leon’s Starting Weapon

As Leon’s default weapon, the Matilda holds up to 12 handgun bullets. Although the weapon can be upgraded, its potential never reaches the heights of other weapons.

The Matilda is known as a relatively weak weapon, but as a starting pistol, it gets the job done. It can help stagger zombies or tear off limbs with a few shots. Ammo is easy to come by, and it has a range that shotguns would deny. Yet, players should not rely on this weapon for the difficult late game.

14 Samurai Edge

How To Get: Beat The Game With An S Rank On Standard Or Hardcore / Purchase “All In-Game Rewards Unlock” DLC

In Resident Evil 2, all weapons also include the pre-order and DLC bonus, Samurai Edge. It’s a sought-after gun and has a long-standing history with the Resident Evil franchise. With a maximum magazine size of 15, it’s already a weapon to conquer, even without the ability to upgrade it.

However, its magazine size isn’t a test feature of the gun, as the real kicker comes from the fact that there are four variants of the Samurai Edge handgun. Each variant has unique advantages for players to bring into the game on their next run.

13 Spark Shot

How To Get: Found In The Supplies Storage Room In The Sewers (Lower)

The spark shot is a stun gun that can be described as Claire’s campaign version of Leon’s shotgun. It can be found on a wall in the Supplies Storage Room in the lower sewers after the player finds the King Plug.

This weapon needs to charge each shot. However, it can cause a large amount of damage to enemies, and slow them down. The gun can be used to zap enemies and leave them stunned so that the player can ignore them and run past them. Unfortunately, ammo is quite scarce, as the player will need Needle Cartridges, which are only in select locations.

12 Quickdraw Army

How To Get: Found In 2nd Playthrough In The Police Station’s Guardroom

Fans of westerns would be eager to get their hands on this handgun. Sadly, it can only be obtained after completing Claire’s campaign. Players will need to embark on the second scenario, which is more challenging. It can be located in the Guardroom by Claire.

This six-round revolver can fire rapid shots, with low recoil. The moderate damage dealt with each shot makes for an effective tool against the zombie hordes. However, each round needs to be unloaded and reloaded individually, making for a grueling reload time.

11 M19

How To Get: Found In 2nd Playthrough In The Police Station’s Guardroom

Once players complete Leon’s campaign, they can decide to embark on the scary adventure again, with a few differences along the way. One such difference is the inclusion of the M19 handgun, which acts as a replacement for the Matilda handgun. It can be found in the Guardroom in Leon’s second scenario.

This counterpart to Claire’s Quickdraw Army Handgun has its advantages and disadvantages. Each shot packs some power, but since the weapon is not upgradeable, it must be reloaded time and time again due to its 7-round capacity. It does house a better headshot chance than Claire’s weapon though.

10 SLS 60

How To Get: Claire’s Starting Weapon

This stubby revolver can be found in Claire’s inventory at the start of her campaign. It’s a 5-round revolver and has a moderately high chance to kill zombies with a single headshot due to its power. The weapon itself has a rather slow reload time, which can be perfect for the slow-moving zombies at the start.

Fortunately, the SLS can be upgraded to reinforce and quicken the reload time, as well as to fire High-Powered Rounds. It can become quite a lethal weapon, especially since it is one of the first guns available to Claire.

9 MQ 11

How To Get: Within The Weapons Locker In The Armory

As Claire, when the player obtains the USB Dongle Key, they can unlock this weapon in the Armory. With a magazine size of 24 bullets, it can hold a plethora of ammo. However, for new players, it might be difficult to manage this SMG, since it has quite the recoil due to the high firing speed.

Through upgrades, the weapon can be a killing machine, holding up to 50 bullets in a magazine. The weapon of pros, and with the silencer attachments, zombies and especially clickers will be none the wiser.

8 GM 79

How To Get: Open The Weapons Locker In The Safety Deposit Room

The player has two opportunities to obtain the GM79. The first is in the weapons locker at the back of the Safety Deposit Room, after acquiring the Weapons Locker Key Card. The second opportunity is in the Security Room in NEST. This powerful grenade launcher only has one magazine size, but quite the kick.

The GM79 can use different ammo types, such as flame and acid. It’s a great weapon for dealing with a cluster of zombies, and can even hold back the terrifying Tyrant and other bosses with ease. Unfortunately, its low capacity and slow reload speed can be a burden.

7 Anti-Tank Rocket

How To Get: Given To Leon By Ada For The Super Tyrant Boss Fight

This character-exclusive weapon is only available to Leon when he is fighting the Super Tyrant. It’s a gift from Ada during one of the final confrontations of the game. It’s a shame players cannot get their hands on this weapon sooner, as it’s an overpowered monster when it comes to taking down the worst of them all.

The Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher houses four rockets, but ammo cannot be found in the game. It’s a tragedy to restrict such a powerful weapon to a boss fight, but it certainly makes fighting the fashionable coat and hat-wearing Super Tyrant all the easier.

6 LE 5

How To Get: Finish The Game On Hardcore With S Rank / Purchase The “All In-Game Rewards Unlock” DLC

The LE 5 can be found as one of HUNK and Ghost’s weapons in The 4th Survivor and The Ghost Survivors missions list. It’s quite similar to the MQ 11, but lacks a silencer, and also includes a magazine count of 32. Despite its loud shooting, and lack of ammo, it’s still a powerful gun, and pretty effective against those ghastly and gross Resident Evil clickers.

Players can also obtain the infinite ammo version of this weapon if they finish the game on Hardcore with an S rank, meaning that another smooth run is guaranteed with all the bullets a zombie apocalypse survivor could ask for.

5 Minigun

How To Get: Located In The Small Room Next To The Turntable In Laboratory B3

In a small room next to the Turntable, Claire can find the gigantic Minigun. With a magazine capacity of 400, and the weapon already at its maximum, the Minigun is a powerful ally against the zombie hordes. A perfect weapon for protecting Sherry Birkin.

Whilst players won’t be able to find ammo scattered, they can still use it against the powerful bosses found within the game. The weapon can deal with anything thrown in its way, and both Claire and Leon can use a version with infinite ammo, but only after Claire’s scenarios have been completed on Hardcore mode with an S+ rank.

4 W-870

How To Get: Weapons Locker At The Back Of The Safety Deposit Room

With Leon making his way through the RCPD, he can find the shotgun at the back of the Safety Deposit Room. Although it requires the Weapons Locker Key Card, it’s not something players who will explore can miss. Alternatively, it can be found in the Security Room in NEST later in the game.

The shotgun holds great power behind each shot. Upgrading the shotgun will provide the weapon with less spread, a higher ammo count, and a greater fire rate and reload speed. It’s a great weapon that can be used throughout the majority of Leon’s run.

3 Lightning Hawk

How To Get: Found Within The Weapons Locker In The Armory

When Leon uses the USB Dongle Key in the Armory, he can obtain the Lightning Hawk. This 7-round capacity handgun provides ultimate power and accuracy, at the cost of .50 caliber ammunition.

As a semi-automatic magnum pistol, the gun is suited for those always on the move. Its major disadvantage is the high recoil, but its high base damage and a high chance of critical damage make it one of the best weapons in the game, and a great choice of weapon to battle Resident Evil 2‘s terrifying villain.

2 JMB Hp3

How To Get: Found In The Trunk of A Police Car In The Parking Garage

When Claire obtains the Car Key, located in a Tin Storage Box at the Firing Range, she can open the trunk of a police car that is located in the Parking Garage. Here, the player can get their hands on the JMB, a 9mm 13-shot handgun.

This weapon is a marvel of firepower, especially considering how many rounds it contains. Equipped with a laser sight and a high-capacity mag, this weapon can be a warrior. Those infected with the T-Virus or G-Virus do not stand a chance. Similar to the SLS60, it completely overshadows it due to its heightened focus, magazine count, and fast reloads.

1 ATM-4

How To Get: Complete Leon’s Campaign On Hardcore With An S+ / Purchase “All In-Game Rewards Unlock” DLC

Players won’t be able to get their eager hands on the ATM-4 throughout the main game, as this weapon is locked until Leon’s campaign is completed on Hardcore with an S+ ranking. It’s a pretty hard achievement, but it is a grand and rewarding one, as it comes with infinite ammo, and unlocks for Leon and Claire’s stories.

It’s a powerful rocket launcher and greatly improves over the Anti-tank Rocket, considering that this does not harm the player. It will take out the Super Tyrant with ease, and even knock down and burn Ivy Zombies like they are nothing but weeds. However, it’s worth noting that, like all infinite ammo weapon unlocks, using a weapon like this will mean that players cannot get an S+ rank.