7 Best Melee Weapons in RDR2, Ranked

Image: Rockstar Games via HGG

Human Made

My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.

Reviewed by Ashley Johnson

Red Dead Redemption 2 may be a game all about repeaters, rifles, and revolvers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your hands dirty with some good old-fashioned melee weapons! RDR2 features a diverse array of different melee weapons for players to use. From century-old hatchets to fancy knives, Red Dead has it all!

But out of all these different melee weapons, which ones are the best to use? Which ones are the best-looking? What melee weapons should you consider picking up, and what ones should you leave behind We’ll be going over all these questions and more in this ranked list of the best melee weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2!

Melee Weapons in RDR2 Ranked Worst to Best

Let’s jump right into our list, starting with our least favorite and climbing to our top pick weapon.

7/7

Civil War Knife

Given how close the Civil War was to RDR2’s time period, it is no surprise that players can collect a Civil War Knife in the game. This knife features a rusty metal blade and a very large handguard at its base. It may not look the prettiest, but it’s worth collecting if you love American history.

In order to find this trench knife, you’ll first need to find Fort Brennand in the State of New Hanover. Inside the fort’s overgrown walls, there are several buildings scattered about. In one of them, you can enter a storage room below where the Civil War Knife will be patiently waiting for you!

6/7

Antler Knife

The Antler Knife is a simple yet stylish weapon you can pick up along your travels in Red Dead Redemption 2. It features a clean(ish) metal blade and a handle made from a deer antler.

To acquire this unique melee weapon, first, go to Hanging Dog Ranch, then travel to the northwest. Near Little Creek River, you should find a dead bear resting on top of a dead, bloodied hunter. Forced into the bear’s head will be the special Antler Knife!

5/7

Viking Hatchet

The Viking Hatchet is a beautifully made throwable hatchet. The handle is rough and worn out, and its blade appears rough and jagged, but don’t let its appearance fool you! This weapon is plenty sharp and you can throw it at enemies to cause massive damage.

To get your hands on this ancient weapon, you’ll need to travel to Annesburg before turning north. After traveling a bit, you should come across an ancient tomb containing dozens of skeletons inside. In one of the skulls found there, you’ll find the Viking Hatchet free for the taking!

4/7

Broken Pirate Sword

The Broken Pirate sword is a beautiful weapon with a brown handle and a handguard that is colored gold and fitted with artisan details. It’s a great piece of history, perfect for collectors and outlaws alike.

If you’d like to own an authentic cutlass used by pirates, first go to Saint Denis. Just before entering the city from the west side, you should come across a bridge. Don’t take it — instead travel south. Located on a little island off the coast is an old boat with a skeleton inside. In that skeleton will be the sword you seek.

3/7

Jawbone Knife

The Jawbone Knife is fairly simple, but it’s a personal favorite of mine. The handle is made from bone, and the blade appears to be crafted out of flint. Its appearance fits someone like Arthur Morgan — it’s a rough, wilderness survival-type weapon that anyone like him would use often.

Acquiring the Jawbone Knife is fairly difficult to do, and could take you a long time. First, you must complete your first encounter with Deborah MacGuiness, who you can find excavating in the area around Flatneck Station.

She’ll task you with finding exactly thirty dinosaur bones scattered around the map. Once this is complete, she’ll invite you to her workshop and award you the Jawbone Knife after you watch a brief cutscene.

2/7

Ornate Dagger

This dagger is incredibly beautiful to look at with its fine decorations. The blade looks intricately carved, and the handle is carefully sculpted to show a man surrounded by skeletons and bones. Spooky!

In order to acquire this brilliantly decorated piece of weaponry, you first need to head down to Saint Denis. From here, you’ll have to travel around the city looking at five different mysterious symbols.

After you’ve written them all down in your journal, you’ll get a new location revealed on your map. Head there at night (12:00 to 1:00 PM to be exact), and you will encounter a strange man dressed in dark clothing. Kill him, and he’ll drop the Ornate Dagger!

1/7

Stone Hatchet

For the #1 best melee weapon in Red Dead Redemption 2, have the Stone Hatchet! This Native American-style weapon features a stone blade with a wooden handle decorated with feathers and other beautiful details. It is one of the best-looking weapons in the entire game, and it’s one every player should get.

To collect this rare weapon, you’ll need to own a copy of GTA V. You’ll need to finish at least five bounty hunting missions for the character Maude Eccles, which can only be completed in GTA Online. She’ll give you the location of the weapon in GTA, where you can go collect it.

Once that is done, simply kill at least twenty-five NPCs and it will be available for collection in RDR2. Then just hop into RDR2 and head to Owanjila. From there you can travel north to the Native Burriel site, where the melee weapon will be waiting among a circle of stones laying on the ground.

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We hope you enjoyed this article covering the best melee weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2! Did you agree with our ranking? Did we leave your favorite melee weapon out? Be sure to let us know and subscribe to our weekly newsletter! We offer regular content on all the best games, including Rockstar titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V.

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7 Best Melee Weapons in RDR2, Ranked