Lock and load, Leon. Against the horrors that the Los Plagas have unleashed, it’s just you.
Players going into the Resident Evil 4 remake will be taking on a wide variety of different monsters and foes. As such, it’s only fitting that you respond in kind with every weapon and trick possible. I’ve rounded up a list of every weapon in the game, as well as what you’ll need in order to use it. Considering the long list of enemies and bosses in the Resident Evil 4 remake, you’ll need everything you can get.
There’s a total of 29 weapons in Leon’s adventure, though that’s including the different types of grenades and knives, as well as some unlockable weapons that you won’t be able to use on your first playthrough. For these unlockable weapons, once you’ve met the requirements to unlock them, they’ll be available for purchase from The Merchant in subsequent playthroughs.
Buying guns will take a lot of money, and upgrading them is even more expensive, so consult out guide on maximizing treasure value in the Resident Evil 4 remake.
For obvious reasons, there will be mild spoilers in this article. It’s also important to note that the price of these weapons actually fluctuates depending on the chapter you acquire them in and the difficulty you’re playing on.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: SG-O9 R (Handgun)
The basic gun that Leon starts every playthrough with, so you don’t have to do anything to get this. Without upgrades, it’s nothing special, but with a handful of upgrades purchased for the damage and capacity, it will serve as a solid workhorse weapon for a large portion of the game, especially on Standard difficulty or below.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Punisher
The Punisher handgun has solid penetration damage, making it a reasonable alternative to use instead of the starting handgun. It doesn’t cost any money, but instead you’ll need to exchange 5 Spinels at the Merchant. Sometimes you can find Spinels as loot, but the majority will be earned by completing requests for the Merchant through Resident Evil 4 remake.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Red9
Another handgun that can be a fairly reliable precision weapon against the hordes of weaker enemies, you can find the Red9 as early as Chapter 4. When using the motorboat to make your way around the lake and waterways, check the very center of the lake and explore the wrecked boat. The Red9 is found on a chest inside.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Matilda
Another gun that can’t be bought, you’ll have to trade 10 Spinels to the Merchant to get it. It’s a burst-fire handgun, so it can provide heavy damage at the cost of more quickly eating through your ammo supplies.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Blacktail
The final handgun you can get, this is essentially a “replacement” if you are still using the basic starting pistol. You’ll be able to buy it from the Merchant in the final few chapters of the game, but there’s no reason to upgrade if you’re using the Punisher or Red9.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: W-870 (Shotgun)
The first shotgun you can get, and the first gun outside of the starting pistol that you have access to, the W-870 can be found as early as Chapter 1. In the village, check out the northmost building on the map and go up the stairs. You’ll see this shotgun in a rack on the wall.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Riot Gun
A more powerful shotgun that becomes available for purchase after the first third of the game. It essentially replaces the W-870, and will most likely be your main shotgun through the rest of the game once you’ve got it.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Striker
A shotgun with an extremely wide spread, the Striker isn’t great to damaging individual targets, but it does ensure your target will be hit. Don’t use it to aim for weak points, use it to hit entire groups of enemies in a single blast. The Striker becomes available for purchase in the final third of the game.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: TMP
A basic submachine gun, the TMP can easily deal heavy damage to individual targets, as well as quickly damage an entire group of enemies. It’s not super accurate outside of melee range though.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: LE-5
The most advanced submachinegun that can be obtained in a first-time run through the game, the LE-5 is found in Chapter 13 as you’re trying to get through to Ashley. It’s located in the Freezer as you upgrade your keycards. You’ll need to solve a block puzzle to open the door.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Chicago Sweeper
Better known by its colloquial name, the Tommy Gun, this is a strong submachinegun unlocked by beating the main story on Professional difficulty and getting at least an A rank.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: SR M1903 (Rifle)
This basic bolt-action rifle is good for dealing with long-range targets early on in the game, and can be bought from the Merchant as early as Chapter 2. This is just after Leon gets his gear back.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Stingray
A more advanced semi-automatic rifle, the Stingray can be bought from the Merchant starting in Chapter 7 when you first arrive at the castle with Ashley. This will likely be your primary rifle through the remainder of the game, unless you want an automatic gun.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: CQBR Assault Rifle
A fully automatic rifle, the CQBR deals rapid damage and has the largest rifle capacity, making it perfect for quickly softening up a boss or mowing down a group of weaker enemies. The downside is that it also chews through ammunition quickly.
You can find it at any point during the castle after Ashley has been abducted again in Chapter 10. Head to the upstairs section of the south library and open the Square Lock Box.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Broken Butterfly
The first “magnum” type weapon available, it’ll be your heavy damage-dealing gun for a large portion of the game. You can buy it from the Merchant once you reach the castle.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Killer7
The second magnum available in a first-time run through the game, the Killer7 effectively replaces the Broken Butterfly with higher damage and ammo capacity. You can buy it from the Merchant, but you’ll get a discount if you wait until Chapter 15.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Handcannon
A powerful Magnum that’s unlocked by beating a new game in the main story on Professional difficulty without using any bonus weapons.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Bolt Thrower
A one-of-a-kind weapon that fires retrievable bolts, you can buy it from the Merchant early on in the game. You can use it to silently kill enemies, and you can also attach explosives to the bolts in order to set up traps. Clever usage will get a lot out of this weapon.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Rocket Launcher
Available for purchase from the Merchant (at heavy cost) this is a great way for taking out any non-boss foe in a single shot. The downside is that it takes up a large amount of space and will be used the least of any guns, so it may not be the best idea to grab it on your first playthrough.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Kitchen Knife
At the very end of the game, you’ll get a special rocket launcher specifically for fighting the final boss. A variant with infinite ammunition can be purchased in New Game+.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Kitchen Knife
A very basic knife that quickly wears out. When it breaks, it can’t be repaired, so it’s best used for things that can preserve the durability of your main knife. Use it to parry a chainsaw attack only after it’s close to breaking. You can find these early on in the game.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Boot Knife
Another kind of knife that breaks and cannot be repaired, it is very slightly more durable and damaging than the Kitchen Knife. Like the Kitchen Knife, you can maximize its usefulness by only stopping a chainsaw attack after wearing down the durability through stealth kills or other attacks. These can be found all throughout the game.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Combat Knife
Leon starts the game with this knife, and can use it like other knives to do slashing attacks, parry enemies, and stop chainsaw attacks. Unlike the other knives you find scattered throughout the game, the Combat Knife can be improved and repaired after it breaks.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Fighting Knife
Automatically acquired at the end of Chapter 14 after beating that boss fight, the Fighting Knife is like the Combat Knife, in that it can be repaired after breaking. It does higher damage than the Combat Knife, but has lower durability.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Primal Knife
A knife that’s unlocked by destroying all 16 of the Clockwork Castellans in the Resident Evil 4 remake.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Hand Grenade
A basic grenade that deals a blast of damage in a radius. You can find these scattered all throughout the game.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Heavy Grenade
A more powerful grenade that takes up more inventory space, the Heavy Grenade deals even more damage, making it perfect for obliterating a group of enemies or dealing massive trauma to a single target.
Resident Evil 4 remake weapons: Flash Grenade
A flashbang grenade that can be found scattered throughout the entirety of the game. It stuns most enemies, but it can also be used to instantly kill exposed Plagas, meaning that clever usage can instantly end some otherwise difficult fights.
Licensed to kill
Many a monster will come your way in the Resident Evil 4 remake, but that’s why Leon’s arsenal is extensive. Look around, and be sure to solve Merchant requests in order to gain Spinels that can be traded for some guns and upgrades.
Our review of the Resident Evil 4 remake indicates that that it’s one of the best Xbox games available, with managing editor Jez Corden writing that “Without a doubt, Resident Evil 4 is a must-play game. And while I personally prefer the more horror-oriented games, Resident Evil 4’s fun factor and raw quality make it easy to put those preferences aside. It’s also a little refreshing to be able to recommend this to anyone and everyone. If you find other Resident Evil titles to be too overwhelming but still have a fascination with the franchise, Resident Evil 4 might be absolutely ideal for you. “