Across the long history of the Resident Evil franchise, players have been equipped with an impressive variety of weapons to dispatch their monstrous enemies. They've ranged from conventional handguns and shotguns to outrageous rocket launchers, flame throwers, and energy weapons. The franchise has also constantly renegotiated its relationship towards its weapons, with some titles forcing players to use them sparingly, and others allowing them to fire away at enemies without a second thought.

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All of this abundance has produced some exceptionally fun weapons, as well as others that aren't quite as well remembered. Everyone has their favorites, of course, especially in titles like Resident Evil 4 and 5 that grant the player a high degree of customization and ownership over their arsenal.

Resident Evil 4's Riot Gun

Leon aiming the Riot Gun in Resident Evil 4.

What is the best shotgun in the history of the Resident Evil franchise? It's almost impossible to answer this question with any finality, but one of the most popular answers is without a doubt Resident Evil 4's Riot Gun. Although the game's standard shotgun is fine as is, the Riot Gun's imposing appearance and long range make it the more popular choice.

The main advantage the Riot Gun has over other shotguns in Resident Evil 4 is a substantially tighter spread, allowing for it to deliver reliable damage and score knockdowns at ranges that other weapons of its class cannot.

Resident Evil 5's S&W M500

The most powerful magnum available in Resident Evil 5.

Is the S&W Magnum far too large, unwieldy, and expensive to be practical as a sidearm in Resident Evil 5? Probably, but is it also the most fun that a player can have with a magnum? Most definitely yes. The weapon's outrageous recoil and low magazine capacity force a player to be extremely careful with their aim, usually only affording them enough time to get a handful of shots off before they have to reposition.

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However, those limitations are rapidly forgiven when a single round tears through a crowd of enemies at a damage output second only to a rocket launcher. It might be difficult to use, but killing enemies with it is always worth the effort.

Resident Evil 3's Assault Rifle

The Resident Evil 3 assault rifle as it appears in the inventory screen.

Classic Resident Evil titles didn't feature many fully automatic weapons, but, when they did make an appearance, they were almost always exceptionally powerful. The rapid fire rate of something like Resident Evil 2's submachine gun allowed it to lock even the most dangerous RE monsters into their stun animations while the player drained their health pool with a plentiful magazine.

All of this is to say that Resident Evil fans were beyond pleased with the assault rifle in Resident Evil 3. On easy difficulty, Jill even starts the game with one in her inventory, allowing the player to gun down the game's plentiful enemies with ease—provided that they keep an eye on their ammo.

Resident Evil 5's Hydra

Chris aiming the Hydra in Resident Evil 5.

We've all heard of double-barreled shotguns, but Resident Evil 5 asks an all-important question—how come nobody's ever slapped a third barrel on there before? The result of such philosophical inquiries is the Hydra, a triple-barrel shotgun inspired plainly by Mad Max.

Although it suffers from a slow reload speed, it more than makes up for that shortcoming by sporting the highest damage output of any shotgun in Resident Evil 5. Even outside of its impressive stats, the weapon is worth using on account of its awesome animations alone. When aiming, fan-favorite Resident Evil protagonist Chris Redfield will strike a Mad Max or Terminator-esque pose, holding the shotgun in a single hand.

Resident Evil 4's Chicago Typewriter

Leon strikes a cool pose while reloading the Chicago Typewriter.

Unlimited ammo and a frankly outrageous damage output make the Chicago Typewrite one of Resident Evil 4's most imposing unlockable weapons, but its stats don't tell the entire story. Mowing down crowds of enemies without a care in the world is rewarding,  but it's the weapon's special presentation that really sells the experience.

When Leon equips his Special 2 outfit—the one that makes him look like a Prohibition-era Chicago mobster—the appearance of the weapon changes, as do its reload animations. Reloading a weapon with infinite ammo might seem silly, but, in an RE easter egg that often goes undiscovered, Leon performs stylish hat tricks alongside the weapon's reload animation, making it more than worth the effort.

Resident Evil 2 Remake's Lightning Hawk

The fully upgraded Lightning Hawk.

One of the elements that keeps players coming back to Resident Evil is the way that the games juggle moments of empowerment and disempowerment. A player has limited resources, is weak compared to their enemies, and probably only has a handful of rounds on their most powerful weapons in case of emergencies.

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Using those powerful weapons in such an emergency, however, is always immensely rewarding. One such example is the Lightning Hawk magnum in Resident Evil 2's remake. The player spends most of the game weak and on the run, but it's all worth it when they finally get an excuse to take a zombie's head off with a single round from this powerful handgun.

Resident Evil Village's LZ Answerer

Ethan wielding the LZ Answerer.

It's unclear at what point in the development process Capcom decided that Resident Evil: Village needed a lightsaber, but fans are eternally glad that they did. Resident Evil games are often notably lacking in melee weapon diversity, so it's an unambiguously good thing that Village rectified this shortcoming in meme-worthy style.

Although the LZ Answerer demands that the player complete some pretty intense gameplay challenges to unlock it, it's worth the effort because this weapon, predictably, has the highest damage output of any melee weapon in the game. It can also heal the player, and there's a double-blade mode, as well.

Resident Evil 7's AMG-78

Joe Baker posing with the AMG-78.

Wielded by Joe Baker in the Resident Evil 7 DLC missions, End of Zoe, the AMG-78 is a cybernetic gauntlet that allows the player to punch hard—really hard. A full charge on the AMG-78 is strong enough to vaporize most enemies in the game, making punching out molded an immensely satisfying experience.

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Notably, Joe Baker doesn't find the AMG-78 until some time into the DLC levels, having made his progress up until that point with nothing but his bare fists. That's certainly an admirable—if unadvisable—undertaking, but it serves to make acquiring and wielding the AMG-78 that much more satisfying.

Resident Evil 2's Shotgun

The shotgun from the Resident Evil 2 remake.

 

The shotgun in Resident Evil 2 functions similarly to the shotgun from the original game; a wide spread, reliable knockdown, and impressive damage make it a weapon best reserved for fighting crowds, stronger enemy types, and the ever-present threat of a difficult RE boss encounter. The big difference between Resident Evil 2's shotgun and its predecessor is presentation.

The improved graphical prowess of the second game in the series allowed Capcom to amp up the amount of gore on screen, as well as to introduce more sophisticated hit reactions for zombies. As such, firing the shotgun into a crowd in Resident Evil 2 will result in an amusingly gory spectacle, with bits of zombie scattering across the room as heads, arms, and legs are stripped away.

Resident Evil 4's Red9

Leon's resting stance with the Red9 in Resident Evil 4.

There will always be an ongoing debate about the best weapons in the franchise, especially in Resident Evil 4, but few can claim to inspire as much loyalty as Resident Evil 4's humble Red9 handgun. Purchasable early on in the game, the Red9 is an extensively upgradeable pistol that puts out enough damage to deal with nearly every enemy the game will throw at the player.

Its simple design and reliably high damage output have made it the workhorse pistol of choice for many, if not most Resident Evil 4 fans. Unpretentious and efficient, the Red9 is one of the best generalist weapons the game has to offer.

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