There are 42 exotic weapons in 'Destiny 2' right now - and we've ranked them all from best to worst

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Too early to rank since no one has it yet: Izanagi's Burden

Too early to rank since no one has it yet: Izanagi's Burden

Type: Sniper rifle

How to obtain: Unknown - Reward from Black Armory (part of "Destiny 2 Forsaken: Annual Pass")

Exotic perk: “Honed Edge - Holding reload consumes the magazine and loads a round with additional range and damage."

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Too early to rank since no one has it yet: Le Monarque

Too early to rank since no one has it yet: Le Monarque

Type: Combat bow

How to obtain: Unknown - Reward from Black Armory (part of "Destiny 2 Forsaken: Annual Pass")

Exotic perk: “Pestilence Arrows - On a perfect draw, a hit target receives damage over time. On a perfect draw with a precision hit, all enemies in the Void cloud receive damage over time."

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Too early to rank since no one has it yet: Anarchy

Too early to rank since no one has it yet: Anarchy

Type: Grenade launcher

How to obtain: Unknown - Reward from Black Armory (part of "Destiny 2 Forsaken: Annual Pass")

Exotic perk: “Arc Traps - Grenades stick to surfaces and chain Arc bolts to other mines."

42. The Jade Rabbit

42. The Jade Rabbit

Type: Scout rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “The Fate of All Fools - Chain body shots to gain bonus damage on your next precision shot and return ammo to the magazine.”

Two cents: The Jade Rabbit is not a very good exotic option in "Destiny 2." Scout rifles are generally weaker guns in the game right now, but Jade Rabbit also suffers from a slow rate of fire and an exotic perk that's useful in only some situations.

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41. Skyburner’s Oath

41. Skyburner’s Oath

Type: Scout rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Slug Rifle - This weapon fires Solar slugs that get stronger when aiming down sights.”

Two cents: Skyburner's Oath got an update earlier this year to make its projectiles track targets when you fire from the hip, but even with that tweak, it's still a pretty weak, slow-firing gun that's outclassed by many other weapons in the game.

40. Sturm

40. Sturm

Type: Hand cannon

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: "Accomplice - Kills with this weapon fill the magazine of the equipped Energy weapon from reserves."

Two cents: This hand cannon is designed to be used with a legendary gun called Drang, since killing with that gun reloads Sturm's magazines. In theory, it means you may never need to reload when using these two guns. It's a good idea but it's not always viable.

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39. Borealis

39. Borealis

Type: Sniper rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “The Fundamentals - Holding the reload button changes this weapon's damage type, cycling between Solar, Arc and Void.”

Two cents: Borealis is a great option if you need to take out lots of enemy shields, but there are better snipers on this list.

38. Worldline Zero

38. Worldline Zero

Type: Sword

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “Tesseract - Press the trigger after sprinting for a short period to perform a Tesseract.”

Two cents: Swords have limited use in Destiny since so many bosses will knock you back — or out — if you get too close. This is fun for cleaning up mobs of smaller enemies, but not for any serious endgame activities.

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37. Lord of Wolves

37. Lord of Wolves

Type: Shotgun

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Shrapnel Launcher - Fires a powerful short-range burst of Solar damage.”

Two cents: Lord of Wolves is a fun gun to use, and deletes enemies with great ease. But its limited ammo reserves mean limited usage, unfortunately.

36. MIDA Multi-Tool

36. MIDA Multi-Tool

Type: Scout rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “MIDA Multi-Tool - This weapon boosts move speed.”

Two cents: MIDA Multi-Tool was a great gun in the first "Destiny," and now it's simply good in the sequel. It's still fun to use, but it's outclassed by other kinetic exotic guns.

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35. Fighting Lion

35. Fighting Lion

Type: Grenade launcher

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Delayed Gratification - Grenade projectiles will bounce off surfaces. Hold trigger to fire, and release to detonate.”

Two cents: The Fighting Lion takes a great deal of finesse to use, since you need to learn the trajectory of your grenades. In the hands of a pro, it's incredible. But it has a very steep learning curve.

34. Legend of Acrius

34. Legend of Acrius

Type: Shotgun

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “Shock Blast - This weapon fires blasts of high-damage Arc energy that overpenetrates enemies.”

Two cents: The Legend of Acrius is a very good shotgun, but other shotguns can deliver similar damage, and at better range, without using your exotic slot. Limited ammo also hurts.

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33. Cerberus+1

33. Cerberus+1

Type: Auto rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Four-Headed Dog - Shoot erratic bullets from all gun barrels at the same time.”

Two cents: Who doesn't like a gun with a ton of barrels that shoot all at once? It's almost cartoonish, and it's super fun in some casual activities, but it could certainly stand to be more powerful.

32. Hard Light

32. Hard Light

Type: Auto rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Volatile Light - Rounds fired from this weapon have no damage falloff, overpenetrate targets, and ricochet off hard surfaces.”

Two cents: Hard Light can change into any energy type, which is useful for taking down enemy shields. But the bullets themselves do very little damage, and the gun has poor stability as well.

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31. Suros Regime

31. Suros Regime

Type: Kinetic auto rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Suros Legacy - The bottom half of each magazine deals bonus damage and has a chance to return health on kill.”

Two cents: Suros Regime was, for a time, the very best weapon in the first "Destiny" game. It's not nearly as overpowered in "Destiny 2," but it's still a good option if you just want a really stable auto rifle.

30. Sweet Business

30. Sweet Business

Type: Auto rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Payday - Larger magazine. Increased accuracy when firing from the hip.”

Two cents: Sweet Business is an incredible weapon, but it takes several seconds to rev up since it's basically a mini-gun. Once it starts chunking through the magazine, though, it can erase enemies at a lightning-fast clip.

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29. D.A.R.C.I.

29. D.A.R.C.I.

Type: Sniper rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Personal Assistant - Aim at an enemy to view its health and other critical information on the scope.”

Bottom line: D.A.R.C.I. is an extremely stable sniper rifle, which is great for taking down stationary targets. But other exotic power weapons are capable of more damage.

28. Rat King

28. Rat King

Type: Sidearm

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “Rat Pack - This weapon becomes stronger when nearby Fireteam members also have it equipped. Stacks up to 6 times.”

Bottom line: The Rat King is a very good gun by itself, but to get the most out of it, you need your allies to also have the gun on them and be nearby. Still, the fact that kills with this gun make you turn invisible is useful in just about any "Destiny 2" activity.

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27. The Chaperone

27. The Chaperone

Type: Shotgun

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “Precision Slug - Fires a single-slug precision round.”

Two cents: The Chaperone has limited use in world events, but it's downright deadly in player-versus-player battles. It has the best range of any shotgun in the game.

26. The Prospector

26. The Prospector

Type: Grenade launcher

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Excavation - Hold the trigger to fire grenades. Release to detonate all five grenades simultaneously.”

Two cents: The Prospector can be a great tool if you know how to use it, but it requires a good deal of finesse and knowhow about grenade launchers.

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25. Prometheus Lens

25. Prometheus Lens

Type: Trace rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Prismatic Inferno - Fires a Solar trace beam and generates a damaging heat field that grows while the weapon continues to fire.”

Two cents: Prometheus Lens is a great weapon for almost any activity; it's basically a red laser beam that melts enemies. It's not great on large bosses, though.

24. Merciless

24. Merciless

Type: Fusion rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Conserve Momentum - Non-lethal hits with projectiles make this weapon charge faster until its wielder gets a kill.”

Two cents: Merciless was one of the most powerful, sought-after weapons when "Destiny 2" first launched, but other weapons have surpassed it since then in terms of power and time-to-kill. Still, this is a very good gun on bosses.

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23. Vigilance Wing

23. Vigilance Wing

Type: Pulse rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Harsh Truths - This weapon fires a 5-round burst. When a nearby ally is killed, gain health regeneration and increased movement speed.”

Two cents: Vigilance Wing is fun in most world activities, but truly useful in player-versus-player engagements like Crucible. Its high stability and rate of fire makes for easy kills.

22. Coldheart

22. Coldheart

Type: Trace rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Cold Fusion - This weapon shoots a steady cold fusion-powered laser.”

Two cents: This gun is the definition of point and click. Coldheart shoots a blue laser that can wipe out smaller enemies, but it's really best for big bosses.

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21. Trinity Ghoul

21. Trinity Ghoul

Type: Combat bow

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Split Electron - Fires an arrow that splits when released. Aiming down sights and fully drawing the bow both decrease the spread.”

Two cents: Bows are great for precision damage, but Trinity Ghoul is the rare bow that can also take out mobs of enemies, too. Splitting arrows are great for crowd control.

20. Sunshot

20. Sunshot

Type: Hand cannon

How to obtain: Quest / Random reward

Exotic perk: "Sunburn - This weapon fires explosive rounds and highlights targets that take damage from Sunshot."

Two cents: Sunshot shines in world activities as opposed to player-versus-player gun battles, but its limited magazine and ammo reserves hurt this gun's long-term viability, meaning you'll continually need to switch back and forth to other weapons.

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19. Wavesplitter

19. Wavesplitter

Type: Trace rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Harmonic Laser - Laser damage has three power levels that oscillate while the trigger is held down.”

Two cents: Wavesplitter is really fun in activities where you need a void weapon, and it is surprisingly good in player-versus-player activities like Crucible.

18. Polaris Lance

18. Polaris Lance

Type: Scout rifle

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “The Perfect Fifth - Precision hits return ammo to the mag. Landing 4 precision hits loads a delayed Solar explosive round for your next shot.”

Two cents: The quest to get this scout rifle is long, but it's worth it. The gun is great for taking out smaller enemies, but since landing multiple precision shots gives the fifth shot a big explosive blast, it's also shockingly useful at taking out bosses.

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17. The Colony

17. The Colony

Type: Grenade launcher

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Insectoid Robot Grenades - This weapon's grenades are insectoid robots that chase targets and explode close to them.”

Two cents: This is a grenade launcher for people who hate grenade launchers. You shoot little insects that find and destroy enemies, which can be devilishly fun in player-versus-player activities like Crucible.

16. Wish-Ender

16. Wish-Ender

Type: Combat bow

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “Queen’s Wrath - While aiming down sights with a fully-drawn bow, enemies behind walls are highlighted.”

Two cents: Wish-Ender is okay in world activities, but it really shines in competitive player-versus-player battles like Crucible. Being able to see enemy players running around the map at any given moment, or see one coming around a corner, can be a huge advantage.

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15. Malfeasance

15. Malfeasance

Type: Hand cannon

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “Explosive Shadow - Shoot tainted slugs that burrow into the enemy. Stacking enough slugs causes them all to explode.”

Two cents: Getting Malfeasance is well worth the effort. This gun is great on most enemies, but it's really perfect for the Taken race of enemies (which can be annoying to kill sometimes), and killing enemy players in the Gambit game mode.

14. Black Talon

14. Black Talon

Type: Sword

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Crow’s Wings - Press the trigger to fire off a projectile cross combo.”

Two cents: Black Talon is the only sword that's useful at long range. Killing enemies up close in quick succession gives you ammo back, but shooting projectiles from the sword is a great way to take out enemies without getting close.

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13. The Wardcliff Coil

13. The Wardcliff Coil

Type: Rocket launcher

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Mad Scientist - This weapon fires a volley of rockets.”

Two cents: The Wardcliff Coil works well in most activities, unless you need precision damage — like if you're working on a large, single target. Otherwise, you will have fun smoking almost any enemy with this gun, just be careful you don't accidentally kill yourself with it, too.

12. The Huckleberry

12. The Huckleberry

Type: Submachine gun

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: "Ride the Bull - Increased rate of fire and recoil while you're holding down the trigger. Kills with this weapon reload a portion of the magazine."

Two cents: The Huckleberry is one of the best submachine guns in the game. It's perfect for taking out lots of smaller enemies in quick succession, and it has an awesome reload animation.

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11. Two-Tailed Fox

11. Two-Tailed Fox

Type: Rocket launcher

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Twintails - Shoots two rockets, one Void and one Solar, that can track onto the same target.”

Two cents: This is one of the most fun weapons in "Destiny 2." Having two tracking rockets is great for most activities, and it's surprisingly good in player-versus-player activities like Crucible.

10. Riskrunner

10. Riskrunner

Type: Submachine gun

How to obtain: Quest / Random reward

Exotic perk: “Arc Conductor - When taking Arc damage, this weapon becomes more powerful and resists incoming Arc damage. Kills extend the time in this overcharged state.”

Two cents: It's a good submachine gun by itself, but it turns into an otherworldy weapon when you get shot with arc damage. The gun becomes more stable, and vastly more powerful, which is extremely useful for taking out mobs.

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9. Crimson

9. Crimson

Type: Hand cannon

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Banned Weapon - This weapon fires a 3-round burst.”

Two cents: Crimson is great because kills automatically trigger your own health regeneration — so if you're dying, just find something to shoot at. It also has surprisingly good range for a hand cannon, which makes it a good option in player-versus-player activites.

8. Telesto

8. Telesto

Type: Fusion rifle

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Unplanned Reprieve - Fusion projectiles attach and detonate with a delayed Void blast.”

Two cents: Telesto was a great exotic in the first "Destiny," and it's just as good in the sequel. Shooting point blank is still deadly, but it's incredibly fun to lay traps for opponents since your purple blasts of energy can attach to any surface.

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7. Graviton Lance

7. Graviton Lance

Type: Pulse rifle

How to obtain: Quest / Random reward

Exotic perk: “Black Hole - Second shot of a burst rips a hole through spacetime, doing high damage and recoil with no falloff.”

Two cents: Graviton Lance was a laughing-stock when "Destiny 2" launched, but after some software tweaks, it's now one of the best guns in the game. It's great for taking out mobs of enemies in world activities, but it's also a solid choice in the Crucible given its great stability.

6. Tractor Cannon

6. Tractor Cannon

Type: Shotgun

How to obtain: Random reward

Exotic perk: “Repulsor Force - This weapon fires a powerful impulse to push enemies away.”

Two cents: The Tractor Cannon is super fun. Smaller enemies go flying backwards when you shoot them with it, but it also puts a debuff on your target, making them easier to damage. This can be crucial in some endgame activities.

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5. Thunderlord

5. Thunderlord

Type: Machine gun

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “Reign Havoc - Kills with this weapon generate lightning strikes from above.”

Two cents: Thunderlord was the first machine gun introduced to "Destiny 2," and it immediately became one of the best weapons in the game. It's useful in almost every activity, and can do serious damage on large mobs or big bosses.

4. Sleeper Simulant

4. Sleeper Simulant

Type: Linear fusion rifle

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “Dornröschen - The weapon’s laser over penetrates enemies and refracts off hard surfaces.”

Bottom line: The Sleeper Simulant is simply one of the best exotic weapons in the game. It does incredible precision damage, and works like a charm in most endgame activities.

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3. Whisper of the Worm

3. Whisper of the Worm

Type: Sniper rifle

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “White Nail - Higher base precision damage. Rapidly landing three precision hits will refill the magazine.”

Two cents: Whisper of the Worm (formerly "Black Hammer" and "Black Spindle" in the first "Destiny") is one of the best weapons in the game, if you know how to use it. You can have unlimited ammo with this weapon, but only if you can continually land precision shots.

2. One Thousand Voices

2. One Thousand Voices

Type: Fusion rifle

How to obtain: Random reward from the end of the Last Wish raid

Exotic perk: “Ahamkara’s Eye - Unleashes a beam of destruction.”

Two cents: One Thousand Voices will destroy pretty much anything in almost any activity. It lets out a beam of fire that explodes after impact. It's a difficult weapon to get, but worthy of the exotic weapon slot.

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1. Ace of Spades

1. Ace of Spades

Type: Hand cannon

How to obtain: Quest

Exotic perk: “Memento Mori - Reloading after a kill loads magazine with a few extra-damage bullets. Grants radar while aiming down sights.”

Two cents: Possibly the best hand cannon in the game, and the most well-rounded exotic weapon for just about anything. Your radar stays on at all times when using this gun, and killing gives it bullets with extra damage. Shooting enemies in the head also makes them explode, which is excellent for crowd control. It's got great range, stability, and rate of fire. Regardless of the activity, you can't go wrong with Ace.