While Exotics tend to get most of the attention, Legendary weapons are the backbone of the weapons system in Destiny 2.But with hundreds of Legendary weapons in the game, it’s difficult to figure out which ones are worth your attention or the grind.
Today, we cover the absolute best Legendary weapons in Destiny 2 for PvE and PvP, grouped per slot (Kinetic, Energy, and Heavy).
Updated as of Season of the Wish (S23).
Best Legendary weapons: Primary ammo
In this section, we cover the best Legendary weapons that use Primary ammo, including the best Kinetic weapons. Just remember Primary weapons use “normal” ammo, aka, white ammo boxes:
| Weapons | Type | Ammo | Element | Requirements | In loot pool? | Source | Source ❘ DLC | Verdict | Part of? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Igneous Hammer | Hand Cannon | Primary | Solar | Lightfall | No | Trials of Osiris | Trials of Osiris Lightfall | Slot: PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit (also good: Outlaw) + Rampage ► While not as strong as it was a year or so ago, Igneous Hammer boasts the best stats out of all 120 RPM Hand Cannons and comes with some sweet perks. Even though it isn't currently meta, this weapon can excel in any environment you put it in. | PVP |
 Fatebringer | Hand Cannon | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | Vault of Glass Raid | Vault of Glass Raid Free-to-Play | Slot: PvE God Roll: Explosive Payload + Firefly PvP God Roll: Explosive Payload + Eye of the Storm ► One of the most iconic legendary weapons in the game, Fatebringer comes with insane stats and great perks. While it does have some competition, namely Eyasluna, this almost-perfect Hand Cannon holds its ground as an all-time community favorite. | PVE,PVP |
 CALUS Mini-Tool | Submachine Gun | Primary | Solar | Beyond Light | Yes | Presage | Presage Beyond Light | Slot: PvE God Roll: Unrelenting (also good: Moving Target) + Incandescent ► Able to roll with the excellent perk Incandescent, CALUS Mini-Tool immediately cemented itself as a top-tier pick with the release of Solar 3.0. Plus, it's one of the few top-tier craftable SMGs currently in the game, meaning it's one of the easiest to get as well. | PVE |
 Ammit AR2 | Auto Rifle | Primary | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | Gunsmith | Gunsmith Free-to-Play | Slot: PvE God Roll: Stats For All + Incandescent (also good: Adrenaline Junkie) PvP God Roll: Dynamic Sway Reduction + Tap the Trigger ► While the perk pool is solid with standouts such as Incandescence, the range of Ammit AR2 coupled with Arrowhead Brake to reduce recoil will have you shredding opponents in The Crucible and in PvE. | PVP |
 Rose | Hand Cannon | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | Playlist: Crucible | Playlist: Crucible Free-to-Play | Slot: PvP God Rolls: Moving Target + Explosive Payload (also good: Eye of the Storm) ► Rose was a reward from competitive PvP, so it makes sense that it's a monster in The Crucible. The weapon has absurd stats and perks that allow it to rocket past its competition. Sure, it's harder to obtain than other options, but this grind is easily worth it if you're an avid Crucible player. | PVP |
 Epochal Integration | Hand Cannon | Primary | Solar | Season 21 | Yes | Seasonal activity | Seasonal activity Season 21 | Slot: PvE Fixed Roll: Stats for All + Incandescent PvP Fixed Roll: Keep Away + Eye of the Storm ► Epochal Integration is an easy-to-obtain and powerful Solar hand cannon. Because of how strong Solar is right now, a solid Solar weapon like Epochal Integration can easily excel. It beats out the competition mostly due to its ease of access, but also because Stats for All and Incandescent are excellent perks. | PVE |
 No Survivors | Submachine Gun | Primary | Solar | Deluxe Edition | Yes | Ghost of the Deep Dungeon | Ghost of the Deep Dungeon Deluxe Edition | Slot: PvP God Roll: Surplus + Target Lock ► No Survivors is the best energy slot SMG right now. A solid archetype, good stats, and brilliant dueling capabilities, thanks to Target Lock's damage and Surplus's stat-boosting perks, make No Survivors an excellent option in PvP. Pair No Survivors with a powerful Kinetic weapon like Conditional Finality and thank us later. | PVP |
 Unending Tempest | Submachine Gun | Primary | Stasis | Free-to-Play | Yes | Playlist: Crucible | Playlist: Crucible Free-to-Play | Slot: PvE God Rolls: Demolitionist (also good: Perpetual Motion) + Adrenaline Junkie (also good: Headstone) PvP God Roll: Perpetual Motion + Target Lock ► Many call Unending Tempest the king of SMGs. This Precision frame SMG has an excellent TTK, great range, and has all the right perks (Target Lock, anyone?) to compete with The Immortal. If you're a fan of SMGs, you need this weapon. | PVP |
Solar | Ammo: 
Primary | Archetype: Aggressive
Kinetic | Ammo: 
Stasis | Ammo: Best Legendary weapons: Special ammo
In this section, we cover the best Legendary weapons that use Special ammo. Not to be confused with Energy weapons, Special weapons use “Special” green ammo boxes:
| Weapons | Type | Ammo | Element | Requirements | In loot pool? | Source | Source ❘ DLC | Verdict | Part of? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Matador 64 | Shotgun | Special | Arc | 30th Anniversary | Yes | Grasp of Avarice Dungeon | Grasp of Avarice Dungeon 30th Anniversary | Slot: PvP God Roll: Perpetual Motion + Opening Shot (also good: Killing Wind) ► Matador 64 is one of the best Shotguns in the game. Being part of the Precision Frame family gives it a boost, but its excellent perks bring it the extra mile, with Opening Shot and Perpetual Motion both being high-value perks. | PVP |
 Cartesian Coordinate | Fusion Rifle | Special | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | World loot pool | World loot pool Free-to-Play | Slot: PvE God Roll: Lead from Gold + Vorpal Weapon ► As a Solar weapon, Cartesian Coordinate synergizes perfectly with a powerful Solar Heavy weapon to generate lots of Elemental Surges. Plus, featuring solid perks and being part of a competitive weapon frame, Cartesian remains a staple in the energy slot Fusion Rifle meta. | PVE |
 Heritage | Shotgun | Special | Kinetic | Beyond Light | Yes | Deep Stone Crypt Raid | Deep Stone Crypt Raid Beyond Light | Slot: PvE God Roll: Reconstruction (also good: Auto-Loading Holster) + Recombination PvP God Roll:Slideshot + Offhand Strike ► Heritage is an absolute staple in the Kinetic Slot and will forever hold a place as a go-to option in my loadouts. It can hit like a truck with Recombination and can get up to double its regular magazine size. It wastes majors and bosses alike and is an option that we 100% recommend you grind for. | PVE |
 Beloved | Sniper Rifle | Special | Solar | Beyond Light | Yes | Presage | Presage Beyond Light | Slot: PvP God Roll: Snapshot Sights + Moving Target (also good: Quickdraw) ► Arguably the community's favorite legendary sniper in the entire franchise, this "beloved" weapon is back and better than ever before. With low zoom, high aim assist, the ability to be crafted, and Snapshot Sights, it's no wonder Beloved is so popular in PVP. | PVP |
 Imperial Decree | Shotgun | Special | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | Engram Focusing | Engram Focusing Free-to-Play | Slot: God Rolls: Threat Detector (also good: Slideshot) + Opening Shot ► Aggressive shotguns are one of the best options for PvP due to their pellet spread and high damage. Imperial Decree comes with excellent perks, making it a contender for Best Shotgun for the kinetic slot. Plus, it can be crafted, which cuts down on the luck required to get a god roll. | PVP |
 Forbearance | Grenade Launcher | Special | Arc | The Witch Queen | Yes | Vow of the Disciple Raid | Vow of the Disciple Raid Witch Queen | Slot: PvE God Roll: Ambitious Assassin (also good: Unrelenting) + Chain Reaction ► Forbearance is widely regarded as the best Wave Frame in the entire game. With the ability to roll the combo that made Salvager's Salvo famous, this weapon is an ad-clear machine. Not to mention, Wave Frames are extremely fun to use, and the Origin Trait is a nice cherry on top! | PVE |
 Defiance of Yasmin | Sniper Rifle | Special | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | King's Fall Raid | King's Fall Raid Free-to-Play | Slot: PvP God Roll: Snapshot Sights + Opening Shot PvE God Roll: Firefly + Firing Line ► Defiance of Yasmin rarely gets any talk, which is strange given how solid its perk pool and stats are. Individual snipers are better in specific activities, but Defiance is a jack of all trades that's hard to beat in terms of overall potency. | PVP |
 Mercurial Overreach | Sniper Rifle | Special | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | Crucible Competitive | Crucible Competitive Free-to-Play | Slot: PvP God Roll: Snapshot Sights (also good: Discord) + Opening Shot (also good: Moving Target) ► Mercurial Overreach is a beast in The Crucible. With great stats, solid and unique perks, and a clean scope, it's no wonder why Guardians are beginning to prefer this over Beloved. | PVP |
 The Eremite | Fusion Rifle | Special | Solar | Season 22 | Yes | Seasonal activity | Seasonal activity Season 22 | Slot: PvE God Roll: Envious Assassin (also good: Compulsive Reloader) + Reservoir Burst (also good: Controlled Burst) ► A fusion to match Loaded Question, The Eremite quickly became a favorite thanks to it being craftable, and with some solid perks to boot. Like most high-impact fusions, the only real issue you'll have with it is the slower charge time. | PVE |
 Scatter Signal | Fusion Rifle | Special | Strand | Season 23 | Yes | Seasonal activity | Seasonal activity Season 23 | Slot: PvE God Roll: Overflow + Controlled Burst (also good: Slice) PvP God Roll: Perpetual Motion + Under-Over ► Scatter Signal is the Fusion rifle everybody's talking about in Season of the Wish. With amazing PvE perks, including Overflow and Controlled Burst, and the benefits of the Rapid-Fire Frame, it's easy to see why Scatter Signal is one of the most sought-after weapons this season. | PVE,PVP |
Arc | Ammo: 
Special | Archetype: Precision
Strand | Ammo: Best Legendary weapons: Heavy ammo
In this section, we cover the best Legendary weapons that use Heavy ammo. Heavy weapons use “Power” purple ammo boxes:
| Weapons | Type | Ammo | Element | Requirements | In loot pool? | Source | Source ❘ DLC | Verdict | Part of? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Commemoration | Machine Gun | Heavy | Void | Beyond Light | Yes | Deep Stone Crypt Raid | Deep Stone Crypt Raid Beyond Light | Slot: PvE God Roll: Reconstruction + Killing Tally (also good: Rampage) PvP God Roll: Rapid Hit + Killing Tally ►Commemoration remains a top contender amongst machine guns even years after its introduction. Reconstruction paired with the 30% damage buff offered by Killing Tally, makes this a no-brainer option in PvE. Given that Machine Guns are some of the few heavy weapons in PvP that can reasonably get a lot of kills, it's easy to see why players will enjoy using Commemoration. | PVP |
 Apex Predator | Rocket Launcher | Heavy | Solar | Forsaken Pack | Yes | Last Wish Raid | Last Wish Raid Forsaken Pack | Slot: PvE God Roll: Reconstruction (also good: Tracking Module) + Bait and Switch (also good: Explosive Light) ► Possibly the most impactful weapon reissue in Destiny 2's history, Apex Predator went from D-Tier to S-Tier in a single season. This drastic shift is due to Apex's ability to roll with powerful perks never-before-seen on a Rocket Launcher: Reconstruction and Bait and Switch. Get your hands on this beast ASAP, as only a few replacements exist. | PVE |
 The Other Half | Sword | Heavy | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | Dares of Eternity | Dares of Eternity Free-to-Play | Slot: PvE God Roll: Eager Edge + Whirlwind Blade (also good: Frenzy) ► The Other Half is Half-Truth's stronger sibling. With more perk flexibility while also coming with Eager Edge, it is one of the best swords in the game for general play, and every player should look to have The Other Half in their arsenal. | PVP |
 Memory Interdict | Grenade Launcher | Heavy | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | Xûr | Xûr Free-to-Play | Slot: PvP God Roll: Impulse Amplifier (also good: Quickdraw )+ Danger Zone ► Memory Interdict is a fan favourite for PvP. With a perk such as Impulse Amplifier, you can easily take down opponents due to the massively increased velocity. And with Danger Zone, you can ensure you'll deal at least some damage with your shots in case you need to follow-up. | PVP |
 Wendigo GL3 | Grenade Launcher | Heavy | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | Nightfall: The Ordeals | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: PvE God Rolls: Auto-Loading Holster (also good: Field Prep) + Explosive Light (also good: Cascade Point) ► Wendigo GL3's old curated roll is still available, and with spike grenades, it's actually better than its original incarnation for PvE. Try out Cascade Point for a different spin on DPS. For PvP, Grenade Launchers are top-tier, and the Wendigo GL3 is no exception. Impulse Amplifier + Rangefinder allows for a projectile speed of 58m/s, making securing kills remarkably easy with this weapon. | PVP |
 Cataphract GL3 | Grenade Launcher | Heavy | Strand | Lightfall | Yes | Trials of Osiris | Trials of Osiris Lightfall | Slot: PvP God Rolls: Impulse Amplifier + Vorpal Weapon ► Grenade Launchers are reliable options for PvP as they can typically secure very easy kills on multiple targets if you are accurate. On top of that, Cataphract features great stats and all the right perks to excel in high stakes PvP. | PVP |
Void | Ammo: 
Heavy | Archetype: AdaptiveYour turn
This list was created using a combination of usage data (from DestinyTracker and Warmind.io) and the personal experiences of the BlueberriesGG staff when tackling endgame PvE and PvP content.
We are confident that these are the most effective and lethal Legendary weapons in the game right now. You just need to find your favorite Exotic and you can start building top-tier loadouts!
Do you have any other suggestions that you believe should be part of the Top 20? Let us know in the comments section!
Ric Molina
I've been covering gaming since 2012, and some of my work has been featured by large brands, including MSN.com, Forbes, Rock Paper Shotgun, and more. I've been obsessed with Destiny 2 (and now Diablo 4) for years now, and I hope to provide new and returning players with the guides and resources I wish I had when I first started.
