If there is one constant trope among most sci-fi films, it would be weapons. Without showcasing any futuristic advancements in weaponry, the sci-fi lore would only be half as interesting or as believable. After all, the military gets all the best stuff first. This can be anything from death rays that can destroy planets to even sidearms that can level city blocks, we're here to talk about the latter.

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Whether in film or television, sidearms present an opportunity for sci-fi franchises to showcase how much technology they can cram into a handheld death device. Not only are these futuristic marvels iconic, but they also make for great novelty items. So if you're feeling scientifically lucky, punk, then here are 10 sidearms in science fiction that pack the heaviest punches.

GRISTLE GUN (EXISTENZ)

The Gristle Gun from David Cronenberg's eXistenZ is also famously known as the Bone Gun, which as you might have guessed, is a gun made from rigid organic matter. No, really, Ted Pikul (Jude Law), the film's protagonist, made the Gristle Gun out of the bony leftovers of his Chinese food.

He then slipped his dental crowns in the "magazine" so that the Gristle Gun can shoot his teeth as ammunition. It's downright weird and disgusting-- but hey, the Gristle Gun was powerful enough to kill someone in one shot. Considering it was made from scratch with nothing but bones, that makes the Gristle Gun impressive enough to be here.

DECKARD'S GUN (BLADE RUNNER)

Deckard and his gun in Blade Runner 2049

Deckard's Gun also known as the PKD, or the LAPD 2019 Blaster, is one of the tamest guns in this list. It doesn't use laser or plasma rounds, and is limited to conventional lead projectiles; it also doesn't have any other special functions and can most likely only carry a few rounds.

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Still, this old-fashioned blaster gets the job done and with flying colors, which is to "retire" replicants or androids. You have to remember that these beings aren't the usual sacks of meat that bleed to death when they get bullet poisoning. Replicants are a lot tougher and less organic, and for Deckard's gun to be able to off them in a few shots makes it a formidable weapon - a bane of androids.

DL-44 HEAVY BLASTER PISTOL (STAR WARS)

Han Solo fires at stormtroopers using his blaster pistol in Star Wars

The DL-44 is a rogue's weapon of choice and it's most prominent wielder in the Star Wars universe is none other than Han Solo. It's a blaster that nearly has all the power of a full-sized blaster rifle but with the compactness of a sidearm. In the Star Wars lore, it's often considered as one of the most powerful blaster pistols in the galaxy.

As such, many have used this weapon both in wars and other endeavors that require violence. The only fault with the DL-44 was that it overheated quickly though that's a small price to pay for something with a scope and the functionality of a two-handed firearm. This is the legendary weapon with which Han shot Greedo first.

AUTO 9 (ROBOCOP)

The Auto 9 from the first Robocop movie is quite the looker as far as pistols go. It's even more beautiful than any pistol we have, though the downside is that it's less functional. It does make up for its sci-fi shortcomings by having a 50-round magazine with a rapid auto-fire mode.

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In addition to that, the Auto 9 also interfaces with Robocop's visor and computer to quick draw targeting and elimination. That means fewer bullets wasted and pinpoint accuracy. Of course, the real star component of the Auto 9 is the sweet cybernetic thigh holster located in Robocop's leg, even Clint Eastwood would get jealous of that.

LAWGIVER (DREDD)

Moving on to something more reasonable and more serious, we present you the standard weapon of the Judges of Mega-City One, the Lawgiver pistol from the Judge Dredd franchise. Its latest film iteration came in the form of the Lawgiver MK II which Dredd (Karl Urban) used to full effect in the 2012 film.

The Lawgiver is pretty much a conventional cyberpunk swiss knife version of a firearm. It contains many different firing modes (including silenced) and can accommodate many different rounds like armor-piercing, high-explosive, full metal jacket, and even incendiary which can all be activated with voice commands. Also, the weapon self-destructs when anyone else but a Judge handles it, that's one loyal gun.

THE SAMARITAN (HELLBOY)

The Samaritan, which is Hellboy's choice of projectile weaponry, might look like your regular magnum revolver, but it's more like handheld artillery. The Samaritan is a 4-round revolver with firepower so strong that it can rip or break the arm of a regular human being who fires it; this pretty much means that only Hellboy can wield this beast.

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On top of that, Hellboy can also feed a variety of very high caliber custom bullets that he makes for The Samaritan as a hobby. These bullets each have different intended effects and purposes and you can bet that they are enough for slaying demons or even extradimensional threats.

NOISY CRICKET (MEN IN BLACK)

This just had to be here. It was one of the most comedic devices in the original Men In Black movie, made more hilarious since it was given to J (Will Smith) as his first official "heavy weapon." J's optimism and expectations were suddenly crushed upon receiving this tiny squirt gun instead of getting a chrome cannon like K.

However, looks can be deceiving and J soon found out that that Noisy Cricket can obliterate something as large as a garbage truck in a single round. Oh, and it also sent him flying back from the immense recoil. Without a doubt, the Noisy Cricket is one of the most lethal and devastating sidearms in the MIB compound.

PHASER (STAR TREK)

At first glance, the Phaser from Star Trek appears to be a wimpy pistol. Really, you've seen nerf pistols more intimidating than this glue gun. You can't blame the weapon designer, however, since the Phasers were made at a time of galactic peace where space exploration is the only remaining problem for humanity.

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To that end, Phasers have a non-lethal mode, the iconic set Phasers to "stun" which Star Wars even copied. By no means is the Phaser a slouch, though; if necessary, one can use the Phaser to also heat, kill, or disintegrate and enemy. When not in combat, one can even use Phasers to cut through thick metals and materials like a plasma cutter. That makes it one of the more useful weapons in this list.

L.O.O.K.E.R. GUN (LOOKER)

A gun's purpose is usually to kill, main, or injure someone with bullets, though the most powerful of them all in this list transcend beyond that blunt primal purpose. This brings us to believe that the L.O.O.K.E.R. gun from Michael Crichton's Looker as one of the most powerful and desirable pistols in this list.

L.O.O.K.E.R. which stands for Light Ocular-Oriented Kinetic Emotive Responses is a pistol which instead of shooting bullets, shoots a light pulse that turns the shooter invisible to the eyes of whoever gets hit by the pulse. That's arguably more useful than killing them and practically can make the L.O.O.K.E.R. gun a weapon of mass destruction.

PORTAL GUN (RICK AND MORTY)

Rick and Morty's Portal Gun in action as they run away

Alright, forget about any other sidearm that came before, we have a clear winner here. When your gun is something that can defy time and space and even ruin realities, you don't need anything else. That's the power of Rick's Portal Gun from Rick and Morty.

It's a simple device; you input the coordinates of a specific place, universe, dimension, or reality, fire the portal and off you go there. The device is most likely Rick's magnum opus and it's half of what turns him into a godlike being of his multiverse. Can't say the same about any other gun, sadly.

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