15 Best Weapons In Dead Island 2 (& Where to Find Them) (2024)

Weapons are scattered throughout Dead Island 2 for players to find through exploration, killing Zombies, or completing quests. Like many other games, the weapons have different classes and can be modified and upgraded to improve their power and other stats.

However, even though there's the option to customize weapons to a player's liking, knowing which base to start with can be critical, especially with Dead Island 2's durability mechanics and limited inventory space. With all the various ranged and melee weapons available, a few do stand out above the rest. The weapons in this list range from Rare to Legendary, as explained in the table below.

15 Raven

Rare Rifle

This might have the lowest tier of the list, but it is extremely lethal nonetheless. It is found during a quest that has you tracking down a mailman in Bel-Air in a quest called My Mailman Was A Zombie. There is a spawned journal to pick up that will allow you to begin tracking the mailman down. MrReign's YouTube video shows you exactly how to complete the quest to get the Raven.

It has a base damage of Projectile - Sharpshooter, which boosts damage while you are in Aim Mode, and targeting heads and limbs gives Critical Hits. While it only comes with one fixed Perk, it is this Perk that makes the Raven so lethal in the right hands. The Precision Shots Perk gives you a damage boost for landing hits in quick succession, and it can stack multiple times, leading to a bigger combined damage boost.

14 Jade Dragon

Superior Sword

The Jade Dragon can be found as part of a side quest in Dead Island 2. Both parts of the quest can be found in Monarch Studios, the first of which is It Came From Monarch Studios, and the second is The Terror Of Sound Stage 7! You can start these quests after finishing The Red Mist by locating the nearest radio, and completing them will give you the Jade Dragon.

The Jade Dragon comes with the Sharp-maiming base damage, which has the ability that after Maiming, you will regain Stamina. You will get Critical Hits from targeting limbs. It also has the fixed Perk of Guardian, which gives you a toughness boost just for using the weapon. This is an excellent weapon for those who like to vivisect their enemies.

13 Shark Tooth

Superior Sword

While this is also a sword, it has very different effects, and Perks cater to an entirely different playstyle. The Shark Tooth has these three quests to get the sword: The Rav-Ages Of Caustic X, Boz Makes A Bang, and Dez And The Mother Of Satan. You will receive a key at the end of the quest, and upon opening the matching box, you will be rewarded with Shark Tooth.

Shark Tooth comes with the Sharp-Frenzy base damage, which allows rapid attacks to trigger Critical Hits and gives an Attack Speed boost that can stack. The Superior Melee Electrocutor Mod inflicts Shock Damage and significantly boosts damage. Multiple hits will also apply the Electrified effect. The fixed Static Charge Perk will boost any Electrified charge. Repeated hits will also release a Shock explosion that electrifies any nearby zombies.

12 Dead Islands

Superior Mace

This Superior weapon is obtained only after you complete the main campaign for Dead Island 2's Haus DLC, and it has its side quest to unlock it. It is called the Path of the Unworthy, and the quest can be found at the front desk of the Serling Hotel on Ocean Avenue. An invitation should be there, allowing you to start the quest. MrReign on YouTube shows you exactly how to get this Mace.

Once you have completed all the objectives, you will receive the mace. It doesn’t have a mod equipped, but it has Blunt, which allows you to gain extra stamina when maiming a target and does extra damage when targeting limbs. It has a fixed Perk called Special Sauce, which boosts damage, toughness, and resilience when facing Apex variants. This weapon will let you bonk enemies away while enjoying extra stats as you approach the endgame.

11 K-Crossbow

Superior Crossbow

You get the prototype version of this weapon as soon as you enter the Invitation portion of the quest. However, once you finish the DLC campaign, you will automatically be awarded the K-Crossbow in its full glory. You can get the weapon from a storage locker if your inventory was full. This new crossbow version is improved almost every way, making it worth the upgrade.

The main special ability of the K-Crossbow is Projectile-Rupture, which gives you critical hits for targeting heads, and if you get a killing blow to the head, it will trigger an explosion. Its first Perk is Merciless, which gives you a damage boost for reloading after a critical hit. This goes well with the second Perk, Stopping Power, which gives you a moderate force boost.

10 Emma's Wrath

Legendary Sledgehammer

Emma's Wrath is a Bulldozer-style Legendary Sledgehammer weapon that is gifted upon completing the main storyline of Dead Island 2 and entering exploration mode. It is by no means the fastest weapon in the game, but it's got a wide swing and deals large amounts of damage, making it easier to take on a couple of Zombies at a time.

However, it's not recommended if facing large groups of Zombies, as players are likely to take large amounts of damage in exchange for the weapon's slow attack speed.

Since it's a Legendary weapon, it will come with some locked-in upgrades that can't be swapped out as they are just features of that particular weapon. The Mod that comes on this weapon is the Superior Melee Impactor Mod, which gives significant Physical Damage and Force boosts.

In addition to the Mod are two fixed Perks: Overkill and Shockwave, both designed to give off a little bit more of an explosion to help make up for the slower attack speed and take out some extra Zombies nearby.

9 Krakatoa

Legendary Axe

Aside from having an excellent aesthetic and appropriate name, Krakatoa is another great weapon for players to get their hands on as soon as possible. Additionally, it's one of the few Legendary weapons that can be grabbed before finishing the game.

Once reaching the Serling Hotel in the Ocean Avenue area of Dead Island 2, Missing Person quests will become available. The quest that rewards Krakatoa is Missing: Steve, which requires tracking down Steve in Beverly Hills, who is thankfully alive, and killing a couple of specific Zombies for him.

Krakatoa is a Maiming Legendary weapon equipped with the Superior Melee Cremator Mod, which converts this weapon to inflict Fire Damage. Its fixed perks are Tear N' Sear and Reaper, perfectly designed to pair with the weapon's other features.

Tear N' Sear creates a pool of burning fuel under Zombies when maimed, and Reaper is primed by Igniting Zombies, which the Mod can do, and allows Heavy Attacks to cause stackable extra Fire and Limb damage. All of these fixed components make Krakatoa a Fire Damage killing machine.

8 Brutalizer

Legendary Wrench

Brutalizer is also a Maiming Legendary weapon but isn't available until post-game. Fitting to its interesting design, it's given as a reward for completing the Body Art side quest, which is started by speaking to Francesca at the Red House in Beverly Hills.

Unfortunately, Brutalizer is only received after completing six different missions for her in which she will need specific limbs of different Dead Island 2 Zombie types. Despite that this quest can technically be started before the end of the game, the last mission of it won't become available until after the main storyline is completed.

Brutalizer is fixed with the Superior Melee Mutilator Mod, which applies a significant Physical Damage boost and gives Zombies a Weakened status when hit in quick succession. The two associated Perks are Bloodlust and Contagious.

Bloodlust increases limb damage and the weakened status effect when Zombies are hit quickly, which can be stacked on the Mod's benefits. Contagious attacks allow heavy attacks to spread status effects to nearby zombies, meaning that weakening nearby Zombies can be accomplished without touching them.

7 Blood Rage

Legendary Knife

Blood Rage is a Headhunter Legendary weapon that is an excellent choice for those looking to get up close to appreciate Dead Island 2's stunning gore graphics in all their glory. Blood Rage is acquired through completing the Fool's Gold quest, which takes place near the pier of Venice Beach. It's one of the many Lost & Found Weapon quests, which means it will track down various clues to unlock a special weapon.

To trigger Fool's Gold, finish off the Crusher, Dante, at the Lifeguard HQ on the beach. He will drop the first clue, which will lead to the next and eventually to the location of Blood Rage.

Blood Rage is equipped with the Superior Melee Puncturator Mod, which allows this weapon to inflict Bleed damage. Its perks are Puncture Wound and Infectious, which, when combined with the weapon's Mod, will create massive amounts of Bleed damage and allow it to spread to nearby Zombies.

Also, as a headhunter weapon, targeting an enemy's head will land Critical Hits. This weapon is unmatched when it comes to engaging Zombies one-on-one in quick succession, as it can often kill with one direct hit; however, since it requires such proximity, a ranged weapon of similar power tops it.

6 Bodycount

Legendary Assault Rifle

Bodycount is a rapid-fire Legendary Rifle that most players have regarded as the best weapon in Dead Island 2. Aside from its impressive power, it works for those looking to take out zombies individually or at a time. Luckily, even though this weapon isn't available until late-game, players won't have to wait until post-game to find it.

First, find the Zombie named Lt. Ford in the Military Barracks of Venice Beach, who will drop the first clue of the [Redacted] quest. Then, follow each subsequent clue to discover a shipping container holding Bodycount.

Bodycount has the Ranged version of the Superior Puncturator Mod, which gives it the same ability to inflict Bleed damage as the Melee version. With its associated Perks, Exit Wound, and Bloodthirsty, it can spread the Bleed damage to nearby zombies and gain a boost to Damage and Fury.

This weapon is unstoppable, but with the additional two Perk slots, players can make this a truly customized work of art. This weapon deserves a spot reserved for it in every Dead Island 2 weapon inventory.

5 Big Shot

Legendary Boomstick

One of the Legendary guns in Dead Island 2, the Big Shot, can cause significant damage. While it is a pistol, it actually takes shotgun shells. That is due to the kind of explosive power this weapon has. Its main damage is Projectile-Demolition, which gives automatic critical hits against vulnerable zombies and boosts your toughness when reloading.

When your magazine runs low, the Russian Roulette fixed Perk gives you a damage boost. The second Perk, Boomstick, makes each round trigger explosions on impact that can also traumatize zombies. While the magazine only holds three shots, you do not often need many more.

Particularly with the Superior Ranged Impactor Mod, which gives you a Physical Damage and Force boost, makes zombies traumatized, and can send traumatized and vulnerable zombies flying backward as projectile weapons themselves.

4 The One

Legendary Sword

The One is a weapon that cannot be picked up until after completing the main story. You will have to unlock it through the Beacon of Hope side quest near the theater on Hollywood Boulevard, and you can see how to get it in Rodwenn's video. The Sword has the Sharp - Maiming base damage, which allows you to regain Stamina and gives you Critical Hits for limbs.

The Superior Melee Mutilator Fixed Mod gives a major physical damage boost and gives zombies the Weakened effect with successive hits. Hitting a Weakened zombie can also help you regain stamina with this mod. The first fixed Perk, Headhunter, triggers forceful explosions when a zombie is decapitated and lets you regain Health and Stamina. The Swift Blow Fixed Perk also allows Heavy Attacks to charge faster, making decapitations more possible.

3 Party Starter

Legendary Brass Knuckle

The Party Starter is the only Frenzy Legendary weapon in the base game. To get this weapon, complete the Drunk And Disorderly Lost & Found side quest in Dead Island 2, which can be started on Ocean Avenue inside the Staff Only bathroom. It comes with the damage type Blunt-Frenzy, which will give Critical Hits for rapid attacks and an Attack Speed boost that can stack multiple times.

It also comes with the Superior Melee Cremator Mod, which inflicts fire damage and a major damage boost and can Ignite zombies. The Spitting Fire fixed Perk gives you Fire Resilience for knocking down or killing a zombie with Heavy Attacks and Ignites nearby zombies. The Skilled fixed Perk boosts Heavy Attacks, allowing them to charge faster.

2 Sawblade Launcher

Legendary Sawblade Launcher

The Legendary Sawblade Launcher is available with the launch of the SoLA DLC in Dead Island 2. Once you finish the campaign, you will be rewarded with the Sawblade Launcher. The unique part about it is the two firing modes, which can shoot a single projectile or three simultaneously. Both deal high damage to limbs, but the second mode can hit multiple enemies at once.

It comes with the Superior Ranged Mutilator Mod, which boosts physical damage and applies Weakened to regain Stamina. The fixed Perk Threefer gives the weapon the secondary firing mode, and the fixed Perk Top Up allows the weapon to self-reload while it is stowed, saving you precious ammo. It is a monster at mowing through zombies and making them regret targeting you.

1 Ripper

Legendary Mace

The Ripper is a Legendary that works excellent for close combat. It is also in the SoLA DLC and is obtainable from the vending machine in Grace’s hideout, making it easier to get than most other Legendary weapons. However, it costs a pretty penny at $33,000, but you should have plenty of money now.

It is a Maiming weapon, and the fixed Mod Superior Melee Punctuator will cause it to do bleed damage with a major damage boost and apply the bleeding effect. There is a fixed Perk called Revolutionary that increases its speed, which, if stacked high enough, will trigger a supercharged state of increased damage. The Skilled Fixed Perk gives you a boost to heavy attacks, which charge even faster in Dead Island 2.

Video Credit: MrReign/YouTube; Rodwenn/YouTube

Dead Island 2

Action RPG

Franchise

Dead Island

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC

Released

April 21, 2023

Developer(s)

Dambuster Studios

Publisher(s)

Deep Silver