Within Destiny 2, there are three different weapon types: Kinetic, Energy, and Heavy. Kinetic weapons have unlimited ammo, deal more damage to unshielded enemies, and their icons point to the left. Another quick and easy way to tell is that Kinetic weapons use a white ammo type, whereas Energy uses green ammo bricks and Heavy uses purple ammo bricks.

Thanks to sunsetting, there aren’t as many weapons to wade through when determining the best, but there are still more than a handful for each category. To help determine the best, we’re looking at the user ratings from Light.GG for both PvE and PvP content.

Best Kinetic Weapons by Type in Destiny 2

Auto Rifle

  • Chroma RushPvE Rating: 4.8PvP Rating: 4.2QuickSilver StormPvE Rating: 4.9PvP Rating: 4.1Exotic Perk (Rocket Tracers): Landing multiple hits turns your next shot into a homing micro-rocket.Exotic Perk (Grenade Chaser): Landing multiple rockets loads a grenade. Use the Alternate weapon Action to switch into Grenade Launcher mode.Sweet BusinessPvE Rating: 4.4PvP Rating: 4.3Exotic Perk (Payday): Larger magazine. Increased Accuracy when firing from the hip. Picking up Special or Heavy ammo immediately reloads this weapon.Exotic Perk (Business Time): Sustained fire boosts range and rate of fire.

Bow

  • Wish EnderPvE Rating: 3.7PvP Rating: 3.9Exotic Perk( Queen’s Wrath): While aiming down sights with a fully drawn bow, combatants behind walls are highlighted, and arrows pierce shields. Strong against Barrier Champions.Exotic Perk (Broadhead): Piercing arrowhead that damages the target on entry and exit. One shot can over penetrate multiple targets.Whispering SlabPvE Rating: 4.9PvP Rating: 3.7Fel TaradiddlePvE Rating: 4.9PvP Rating: 3.7

Hand Cannon

  • Ace of SpadesPvE Rating: 4.8PvP Rating: 4.9Exotic Perk (Memento Mori): Reloading after a kill loads the magazine with a few extra-damage bullets. Grants radar while aiming down sights.Exotic Perk (Firefly): Precision kills with this weapon increase reload speed and cause the target to explode, dealing Solar damage to nearby enemies.ThornPvE Rating: 4.4PvP Rating: 4.6Exotic Perk (Mark of the Devourer): Rounds pierce targets and deal damage over time. Kills with this weapon leave behind Remnants.Exotic Perk (Soul Devourer): Absorbing a Remnant strengthens Mark of the Devourer and partially refills the magazine.Fatebringer (Timelost)PvE Rating: 4.9PvP Rating: 4.6

Linear Fusion Rifle

  • ArbalestPvE Rating: 4.7PvP Rating: 3.9Exotic Perk (Compounding Force): Fires slugs that cause massive damage to combatant shields. Strong against Barrier Champions.Exotic Perk (Disruption Break): Breaking an enemy’s shield with this weapon makes them more vulnerable to Kinetic damage for a brief period.

Pulse Rifle

  • Outbreak PerfectedPvE Rating: 4.9PvP Rating: 4.5Exotic Perk (The Corruption Spreads): This weapon creates SIVA nanite swarms on rapid hits and precision kills.Exotic Perk (Parasitism): This weapon does more damage to enemies based on the number of SIVA nanites that attach to them.No Time to ExplainPvE Rating: 4.6PvP Rating: 4.8Exotic Perk (Rewind Again): Precision shots and shots against combatants slowed or frozen by Stasis will return to the magazine.Exotic Perk (Full Auto Trigger System): Holding down the trigger will fire this weapon at full auto.Sacred ProvenancePvE Rating: 4.6PvP Rating: 4.7

Scout Rifle

  • Touch of MalicePvE Rating: 4.4PvP Rating: 4.1Exotic Perk (Touch of Malice): The final round in the magazine deals bonus damage, drawing from the wielder’s life force, and then regenerates itself. Rapidly defeating three targets restores health.Exotic Perk (Charged with Blight): Precision hits drain combatants’ life force and charge up a ball of darkness. Use the Alternate Weapon Action and then fire to unleash the blight projectile, shrouding combatants in darkness and temporarily blinding them.Dead Man’s TalePvE Rating: 4.2PvP Rating: 4.6Exotic Perk (Cranial Spike): Chaining precision hits grants bonus target acquisition and range.Tears of ContritionPvE Rating: 4.7PvP Rating: 4.3

Shotgun

  • Ragnhild-DPvE Rating: 4.8PvP Rating: 3.8HeritagePvE Rating: 4.8PvP Rating: 3.9Wastelander M5PvE Rating: 4.6PvP Rating: 4.5

Sidearm

  • Traveler’s ChosenPvE Rating: 4.6PvP Rating: 4.7Exotic Perk (Gathering Light): Final blows with this weapon grant stacks of Gathering Light. Use the Alternate Weapon Action to consume stacks, granting melee, grenade, and class ability energy based on the number of stacks.Exotic Perk (Gift of the Traveler): Each stack of Gathering Light improves this weapon’s reload, handling, and target acquisition.Rat KingPvE Rating: 4.4PvP Rating: 4.3Exotic Perk (Rat Pack): This fully automatic weapon becomes stronger when nearby allies have it equipped. Stacks up to six times.Exotic Perk (Vermin): Reloading immediately after a kill grants a brief period of invisibility.ForerunnerPvE Rating: 4PvP Rating: 4.7Exotic Perk (Full Stop): Oversized Sidearm with extended range, heavy-caliber rounds. Fires full auto with an increased rate of fire. Deals increased precision damage to unshielded targets.Exotic Perk (Pace Yourself): Tapping the trigger gives this weapon less recoil and improves accuracy.

Sniper Rifle

  • Defiance of YasminPvE Rating: 4.5PvP Rating: 4.6Silicon Neuroma (Adept)PvE Rating: 4.3PvP Rating: 4.5Long ShadowPvE Rating: 4.4PvP Rating: 4

Submachine Gun

  • Osteo StrigaPvE Rating: 4.9PvP Rating: 4.1Exotic Perk (Screaming Swarm): Fires a stream of sentient, toxic projectiles that track the targeted enemy.Exotic Perk (Toxic Overload): Landing a final blow or multiple precision hits triggers a burst that poisons nearby targets.Extraordinary RenditionPvE Rating: 4.9PvP Rating: 3.6SubmissionPvE Rating: 4.8PvP Rating: 3.5

For more Destiny 2 goodies, check out Can’t find a Trials of Osiris match? Destiny 2 Queue issues and fixes on Pro Game Guides.