Resident Evil 4 was initially released as a GameCube exclusive, which is funny to think about now as it has since come to virtually every modern system under the sun. The game has also since been considered as not just one of the greatest survival horror games of all time, but one of the greatest games of all time, period.

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Resident Evil 4 has such a large arsenal, that it can be hard to keep track of every weapon and decide what to use during a playthrough. This list should help anybody going through the game for the first time plan ahead on what to use. Knowing what weapons to upgrade is vital to saving money and making sure players have enough resources.

Updated on July 20th, 2022, by Jack Pursey: Following months of rumors and speculation, it has finally been confirmed that the iconic survival horror game Resident Evil 4 is set to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors and receive a modern remake. Many people believe that the horror game holds up well, though it will still be great to play a modern take on the classic game.

For those wanting to replay the game before the remake arrives, we've updated this list of Resident Evil 4's best weapons to include the special guns that are unlocked after beating the game.

19 Shotgun

Resident Evil 4 shotgun
  • Found in a house in the first chapter during the first big attack in the village
  • Costs 20,000 pts from the merchant
  • Final upgrade prevents damage dropoff with range
  • Costs 277,000 pts to complete its upgrade path

The Shotgun is found early on in the adventure during the first stand in the small village. It does not let players down during the first chapter but is better left at the wayside once better shotguns come along. Regardless of power, the Shotgun is always good for staggering enemies.

In a first playthrough of Resident Evil 4, the Shotgun feels like a saving grace during an extremely desperate time. Leon is being attacked by all sides, but after finding the Shotgun, he is able to even the odds.

18 Rocket Launcher

Rocketr launcher RE 4 copy
  • Costs 30,000 pts from the merchant
  • Found in chapter 3-3 in the castle

While it may seem like this weapon is too low on the list, several disadvantages make the Rocket Launcher less than ideal. It only fires once and takes up a lot of inventory space. Only one is found in the environment during the castle chapter. It is better to sell than use.

Leon disposes of Saddler with a special Rocket Launcher. If only he had this before Saddler killed Luis. Rocket launchers are a common motif in the series, with many games ending with the protagonist earning a rocket launcher during a losing battle and destroying the antagonist with it.

17 Rifle

Rifle RE4
  • Costs 7,000 pts
  • Final upgrade increases the attack power
  • Costs 289,000 to complete its upgrade path

Players should definitely buy the Rifle once it becomes available to purchase from the Merchant, but there is no need to upgrade it. The range is nice, but it becomes obsolete once Leon reaches the castle and the semi-automatic Rifle becomes available.

When Leon first gets it, he is able to snipe numerous enemies from where the merchant is, which marks a first for the franchise. Players manually aim for one moment in Code Veronica, but it is only during a boss and not a sniping sequence.

16 The Knife

Resident evil 4 Krauser fight
  • Especially effective against the final Krauser fight
  • Not upgradable

Do not underestimate the Knife. While it is not very powerful, the Knife is vital to saving ammunition, especially early on. In pre-release demos, the knife was a separate item players had to equip before using, as opposed to it being a different command on the controller.

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When an enemy is knocked to the ground, walk up to them and knife them instead of shooting them. Maybe it is just a few shots, but they add up. The knife is also great against Krauser during his boss fight.

15 Matilda

matilda from Resident Evil 4
  • Unlocked after beating the game
  • Costs 70,000 pts
  • Final upgrade provides a 100 Round Magazine

The Matilda is the first weapon on this list that can only be purchased after beating the main campaign. Unfortunately, the gun isn't the greatest of rewards.

The Matilda is a handgun that is unique in the game for its burst fire. In most games, burst-fire is a great benefit, but that's not the case in Resident Evil 4, as ammo is precious, and every shot counts. Thankfully, the other unlockable guns are worth the effort.

14 Mine Thrower

Mine thrower RE4 copy
  • Bought In Chapter 3-1 for 9,800 pts
  • Cost 28,000 pts in the original GameCube release
  • Final upgrade makes the bullets homing and gives them a bigger blast radius
  • Costs 211,000 pts to complete its upgrade path

As cool as the Mine Thrower is, players do not need it. It is good for clearing a crowd, but other weapons fulfill a similar purpose.

The ammunition is also valuable, so one strategy is buying the weapon and selling the ammo Leon collects. At the end of the day, the Mine Thrower is simply a cool weapon.

13 Punisher

Resident evil 4 punisher copy
  • Can also be bought for 20,000 pts
  • Final upgrade pierces through five enemies
  • Costs 276,000 pts to complete its upgrade path

The Punisher is a pistol obtained by shooting at least ten blue medallions in the first chapter. It is relatively easy to find all of these and a good thing to do even if players do not plan on using the gun.

It pierces through enemies, allowing Leon to damage multiple Ganados at once. It is best to use it until Leon gets the Red9. In terms of long-term use, either the Handgun or Red9 are more desirable.

12 Broken Butterfly

Broken butterfly resident evil 4 copy
  • Costs 38,000 pts
  • Found in the castle once Leon finds Ashley again
  • Costs 455,000 pts to complete its upgrade path

This magnum is available to buy from the Merchant, but it is better to collect it during the castle chapter. Of the two magnums Leon gets, it is the worst. All the same, it gets the job done until players can purchase Killer 7.

There is a segment with the monsters in the knight's armor where the Broken Butterfly comes in handy. It also just feels cool to use. Any Resident Evil fan knows to save Magnum ammunition for the bosses.

11 Riot Gun

resident evil 4 garrador
  • Costs 32,000 pts
  • Final upgrade simply increases its firing power
  • Costs 415,000 pts to complete its upgrade path

Taste in shotguns ultimately depends on personal preference. While the Riot Gun is weaker than the Striker, it has a longer range and is easier to aim.

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It ultimately depends on what players value in a shotgun. Its special ability is nothing to write home about either. Regardless of which shotgun the player wants to use, they should always have one in the inventory.

10 Killer 7

Killer 7 Resident Evil 4 copy
  • Costs 77,700 pts
  • No special final upgrade, but it is a supremely powerful weapon
  • Costs 337,700 pts to complete its upgrade path

This magnum should replace the Broken Butterfly immediately after obtaining it. Starting at a base firepower of 25, it eventually goes up to 35, making it an ideal power weapon for any boss fight. The name is obviously an homage to the Capcom game Killer 7.

On a first playthrough, try to buy it before the Salazar boss fight since it can take him out in just several shots. Any Resident Evil fan knows to save the magnum for the boss fights, and the fourth mainline entry is no exception.

9 Striker

  • Costs 43,000 pts
  • Final upgrade makes the magazine hold 100 bullets
  • Smallest shotgun available
  • Cost 392,000 pts to complete its upgrade path

The Striker is the smallest of the shotguns and aims from the hip, making accuracy a challenge. However, the increased power and rate of fire make it a beast of a gun for getting Leon out of a corner. The final upgrade lets Leon put 100 bullets into a magazine, making reloading a non-issue.

8 Handgun

Resident Evil 4, aimiang at the chainsaw weilding enemy
  • Default handgun also costs 8,000 pts from the Merchant
  • Final upgrade makes headshots do critical damage more often
  • Costs 198,000 pts to complete its upgrade path

The Handgun is all Leon has at the start. While its power is nothing compared to other pistols, the final upgrade significantly increases a headshot's chance of critical damage.

It is useless against bosses, but regular enemies are mincemeat with this ability. Some players swear by it, while others opt for a pistol Leon gets later in the game with more firepower.

7 Rifle (Semi-Auto)

Rifle (semi-auto) RE4 copy
  • Costs 35,000 pts
  • Final upgrade significantly improves firing speed
  • Costs 351,000 pts to complete its upgrade path

Replace the normal Rifle the moment Leon can buy this weapon. The Rifle (Semi-Auto) is powerful at both close and long distances. The higher firing rate is also a huge plus.

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Some of the bigger enemies like the Regenerator and Garrador are significantly easier with this rifle in tow. Rifles, in general, are hugely helpful in Resident Evil 4, which has Leon shooting enemies from a distance more often than players might expect.

6 Grenades (Flash, Incendiary)

Hand-grenade RE 4 copy

The three types of Grenades are all great for getting Leon out of a jam. Regular ones send enemies flying, while Incendiary Grenades burn them where they stand. Flash grenades incapacitate most foes for a long time. Flash Grenades also immediately kill the Plagas that sprout from some enemies' exploded heads.

5 TMP

TMP RE 4 copy
  • Costs 10,000 pts
  • In the GameCube original, it costs 15,000 pts
  • Final upgrade improves the attack power
  • Costs 330,000 pts to complete its upgrade path

The only automatic weapon in the game is a must-have. It is also decently powerful when fully upgraded, so it is recommended to increase the firepower as soon as it becomes available. With enough ammunition, several bursts can clear a whole crowd of Ganados.

It is a super small weapon and doesn't take up a lot of space in the inventory. Most guns have a slow rate of fire, which makes the TMP unique during any point in the game.

4 Red9

Red9 Resident Evil 4 copy
  • Costs 14,000 pts
  • Purchasable in chapter 2-2
  • Final upgrade sees a significant damage boost
  • Costs 331,00 pts to complete its upgrade path

The Red9 is the best handgun in Resident Evil 4. Sufficiently powerful and quick to reload, it is the best use of Handgun bullets. When more powerful ammunition runs low against bosses, Red9 is still useful.

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On top of everything else, it is just a cool-looking pistol. It is also earned relatively early in the game and remains a useful friend for the campaign's duration.

3 Chicago Typewriter

chicago typewriter from Resident Evil 4
  • Unlocked in the GameCube version by completing Assignment Ada
  • Unlocked in every other version by completing Separate Ways
  • Costs 1,000,000 pts to use in the main game

The Matilda's shortcomings make many people believe that Resident Evil 4's other unlockable weapons aren't going to be worth the effort. However, that couldn't be further from the truth, as the other three unlockable weapons are the best in the game.

The first one to look at is the Chicago Typewriter. The gun has incredible firepower and unlimited ammo, making it ridiculously overpowered. The Chicago Typewriter, much like the other two weapons that follow on this list, is perfect for those wanting to get revenge on the bosses and enemies that gave them trouble throughout the campaign.

2 Infinite Rocket Launcher

infinite launcher from Resident Evil 4
  • Unlocked after beating the main game
  • Costs 1,000,000 pts

The name alone should be enough of an indication as to why the Infinite Rocket Launcher nearly tops this list. As the name suggests, the game takes the standard Rocket Launcher and gives it unlimited ammo, letting players blast enemies and bosses away with ease.

The only reason the Infinite Rocket Launcher doesn't top this list is that players can quite easily kill themselves with it by mistake.

1 P.R.L. 412

PRL 412 from Resident Evil 4
  • Unlocked after beating the game on Professional difficulty
  • Free to purchase

The P.R.L. 412 isn't just the best weapon in Resident Evil 4; it is genuinely one of the best weapons in gaming history. Many people joke about how Resident Evil 4's story sees one guy with some herbs be solely responsible for saving the President's daughter, though it makes much more sense if you pretend that the P.R.L. 412 is canon.

A single blast from the P.R.L. 412 will eliminate virtually every enemy and boss on the screen in one shot. The only exceptions are El Gigantes and U3, who both need two.

Resident Evil 4 is out now on PC, GameCube, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and Oculus Quest 2.

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