The Exotic Weapons in Destiny 2 are the franchise’s signature guns, but just because they’re unique doesn’t make them all good. Some define the meta, while others are best left in the depths of your collection.
Exotic weapons have always stood out as some of the most coveted items in Bungie’s looter shooter. Dating back to the very start of the franchise, these unique weapons can be collected by purchasing them from Xur, completing Exotic missions, or even as rare World Drops.
Players can only equip one Exotic at a time, so it’s important to know which are meta to not waste this slot. Otherwise, you could be missing out on powerful Exotic perks, great DPS combinations, or even game-breaking exploits.
What makes a meta Exotic varies with each update, but you can be certain that every weapon on this list will make your life easier, especially for those wanting to take on Destiny’s hardest content.
Best Exotic Kinetic Weapons
These are the best top slot Exotic weapons to use in Echoes Act 3:
Primary Weapons
Dead Man’s Tale
- Weapon Type: Scout Rifle
- Element: Kinetic
- Exotic Perks: Cranial Spike
- Catalyst: Dark-Forged Trigger1
- Debut Season: Season 22 (Reissued)
- Best Use: PvE/PvP
While DMT has been a good option in PvP for years now, its buffs in Season 24 have turned it into a great PvE weapon too. It now melts through adds with ease, dealing over 20,000 damage per shot in dungeon-level content. If you fancy yourself a marksman who enjoys precision weapons, the buffed version of Dead Man’s Tale is one of the best you can use.
Khvostov 7G-0X
- Weapon Type: Auto Rifle
- Element: Kinetic
- Exotic Perks: The Right Choice, Shoot to Loot
- Catalyst: N/A
- Debut Season: Season 24
- Best Use: PvE/PvP
At one point in Act 1, Khvostov 7G-0X became the most dominant PvP weapon since The Craftening. Since then, it has been nerfed, but the Exotic AR remains the most used weapon in The Crucible. It deals a lot of damage, can damage multiple enemies at once, and has practically zero recoil. This iconic gun may have been Destiny’s first, but it remains top-tier even after a decade.
Necrochasm
- Weapon Type: Auto Rifle
- Element: Kinetic
- Exotic Perks: Cursebringer, Desperation
- Catalyst: One For Thrall
- Debut Season: Season 22
- Best Use: PvE
When Necrochasm was first released as the Raid Exotic for Crota’s End, it was decent, but nothing too special. However, it has received a massive buff in The Final Shape, getting a new Catalyst, which is a unique spin on One For All that boosts damage by 35%. It’s easy to trigger too, as Desperation’s explosions can activate it. The result is that Necrochasm is now a top-tier add-clear weapon.
Outbreak Perfected
- Weapon Type: Pulse Rifle
- Element: Kinetic
- Exotic Perks: The Corruption Spreads, Parasitism
- Catalyst: Rewind Rounds, Headseeker, Rapid Hit, or Outlaw
- Debut Season: Season 23 (Reissued)
- Best Use: PvE
Pulse Rifles received a massive buff in The Final Shape, seeing an effective damage increase of over 35% in PvE. Since Outbreak Perfected was strong beforehand, especially with its craftable variant available from Zero Hour, it’s incredible now. This Primary shreds through both Red Bar and Yellow Bar enemies alike, making it as versatile as it is hard-hitting.
Thorn
- Weapon Type: Hand Cannon
- Element: Kinetic
- Exotic Perks: Mark of the Devourer, Soul Devourer
- Catalyst: Refined Soul
- Debut Season: Season 6
- Best Use: PvP
Three things are certain in life: Death, taxes, and Thorn being great in PvP. This iconic Destiny 2 Hand Cannon was already strong, but the addition of a new catalyst in Season 23 took it to another level. It is one of the best primary Exotics in PvP, offering a highly competitive TTK, and the effective range to outgun just about anything.
Wish-Ender
- Weapon Type: Bow
- Element: Kinetic
- Exotic Perks: Queen’s Wrath, Broadhead
- Catalyst: N/A
- Debut Season: Season 4
- Best Use: PvE
Wish-Ender is not only the best way to counter Barrier Champions, but also one of the hardest-hitting Exotic Primary weapons. Its non-existent damage fall-off, and its ability to hit multiple times with each shot make it truly deadly. The Exotic Bow is especially strong in high-end content, where it’s often better to play slow and pick off enemies from a safe distance than run in like a madman.
Special Weapons
Ager’s Sceptre
- Weapon Type: Trace Rifle
- Element: Stasis
- Exotic Perks: Ager’s Call, Rega’s Refrain
- Catalyst: Will Given Form
- Debut Season: Season 15
- Best Use: PvE
The Stasis Rework has given Exotics like Wicked Implement a new chance to shine. However, it’s Ager’s Sceptre that benefited most, with this excellent Trace Rifle becoming a freezing machine. It also received a 20% damage buff against Yellow Bar enemies which applies to Will Given Form. This makes it very effective for wiping out waves of tanky enemies, albeit at the cost of Super energy.
Conditional Finality
- Weapon Type: Shotgun
- Element: Stasis
- Exotic Perks: Split Decision, Paracausal Pellets
- Catalyst: N/A
- Debut Season: Season 20
- Best Use: PvE/PvP
Forget One-Two Punch, Conditional Finality lands a one-two blow like no other. One barrel shoots ice and the other shoots fire. In PvE, this makes it a good utility weapon that can stun Champions and one-shot most regular enemies. In PvP, Conditional Finality is the best shotgun with no exceptions. Its unrivaled consistency gives it a clear edge over the competition.
Euphony
- Weapon Type: Linear Fusion Rifle
- Element: Strand
- Exotic Perks: Unwound, Spindle
- Catalyst: N/A
- Debut Season: Season 24
- Best Use: PvE
Raid Exotics are typically either extremely good or useless. Thankfully, Euphony is the former, giving Guardians plenty of reasons to farm Salvation’s Edge. This Strand Exotic deals incredible single-target DPS, with each shot producing additional Threadlings, and those Threadlings enhancing the weapon itself. It’s a simple gameplay loop that outputs a lot of damage.
Izanagi’s Burden
- Weapon Type: Sniper Rifle
- Element: Kinetic
- Exotic Perks: Honed Edge, No Distractions
- Catalyst: Peerless Edge
- Debut Season: Season 5
- Best Use: PvE
It takes some practice, but Izanagi’s Burden is an elite DPS option when used correctly. By combining the effects of Honed Edge and Peerless Edge, it’s possible to hit several shots for over 150,000 damage each. Weave those into either a Rocket Launcher or Heavy Grenade Launcher rotation, and you’ll be dealing some of the best DPS possible in the current meta.
The Navigator
- Weapon Type: Trace Rifle
- Element: Strand
- Exotic Perks: Protective Weave, Weft Cutter
- Catalyst: Gordian Knot
- Debut Season: Season 21
- Best Use: PvE
Ghosts of the Deep isn’t a popular Dungeon, but those wanting to use The Navigator will have to farm it. The process of getting this Exotic Trace Rifle may not be fun, but the weapon’s incredible power makes it all worthwhile. It can produce Woven Mail on demand, sever targets with ease, and create Grapple Tangles with unmatched consistency. This is an incredible utility weapon worthy of its Exotic status.
Witherhoard
- Weapon Type: Grenade Launcher
- Element: Kinetic
- Exotic Perks: Primeval’s Torment, Break the Bank
- Catalyst: Silent Alarm
- Debut Season: Season 11
- Best Use: PvE/PvP
Witherhoard’s biggest strength is that it has no real weakness. This Grenade Launcher can be used to deal damage over time, blight enemies, and is even a solid add-clear weapon. The addition of a Legendary equivalent has hurt it slightly, but if you find yourself wondering what top slot Exotic to use, there’s still a good chance Witherhoard is the right choice.
Best Exotic Energy Weapons
These are the best Energy slot Exotic weapons to use in Echoes Act 3:
Primary Weapons
Graviton Lance
- Weapon Type: Pulse Rifle
- Element: Void
- Exotic Perks: Block Hole, Cosmology
- Catalyst: Vorpal Weapon, Turnabout
- Debut Season: Season 1
- Best Use: PvE/PvP
At one stage, Graviton Lance was the most used gun in PvP. This led to a much-needed nerf, but even after that, it’s still a magnificent weapon. The main reason to use Graviton Lance is that it’s incredibly easy to use and is extremely consistent. It’s even viable in PvE, where it serves as one of the best Void primaries for both general use and add-clear, especially following the Pulse Rifle buffs in The Final Shape.
Le Monarque
- Weapon Type: Bow
- Element: Void
- Exotic Perks: Poison Arrows, Snapshot Sights
- Catalyst: Unrelenting
- Debut Season: Season 5
- Best Use: PvE/PvP
You know Le Monarque is strong because Bungie keeps trying to nerf it. Its fast handling and overtime poison damage make it the perfect candidate to pair with a Hand Cannon in PvP. Land a precision shot with Le Monarque, and then quickly switch to a Hand Cannon to finish the job. It’s that simple. As for PvE, it is a strong counter against Overload Champions and has great add-clear which is rare for a Bow.
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Polaris Lance
- Weapon Type: Scout Rifle
- Element: Solar
- Exotic Perks: The Perfect Fifth, Zen Moment
- Catalyst: Dragonfly
- Debut Season: Season 3
- Best Use: PvE
Polaris Lance is yet another Exotic that has remained meta even after getting nerfed in Echoes. The main strength of this hard-hitting Scout Rifle is that it is effective at any range and triggers an unholy number of Ignitions. These Ignitions melt even the tankiest of targets, making this one of the few Primary weapons capable of stunning and defeating Champions efficiently.
Red Death Reformed
- Weapon Type: Pulse Rifle
- Element: Solar
- Exotic Perks: Redemption, Inverse Relationship
- Catalyst: Helping Hand
- Debut Season: Season 24
- Best Use: PvE
This Exotic Pulse Rifle is meta. In fact, it is one of the best Pulse Rifles in the sandbox. Redemption is Heal Clip cranked up to 11, providing the same healing bonuses, but without the need to reload. When you do need to reload though, it also speeds up reload speed and even heals nearby allies. Be sure to unlock its catalyst too from the season pass, which makes its already impactful healing even stronger.
Sunshot
- Weapon Type: Hand Cannon
- Element: Solar
- Exotic Perks: Sunburn, Sun Blast
- Catalyst: +20 Stability, +20 Range
- Debut Season: Season 1
- Best Use: PvE
Regardless of what season, act, or episode we’re in, Sunshot is always strong. You can’t go wrong with a Hand Cannon that spreads fire everywhere, especially when all you have to do is get final blows to set enemies ablaze. In Echoes Act 3, Sunshot remains a great choice when using Solar, though a 10% nerf to its splash damage has slightly reduced its effectiveness.
Trinity Ghoul
- Weapon Type: Bow
- Element: Arc
- Exotic Perks: Split Electron, Lightning Rod
- Catalyst: Forked Lightning
- Debut Season: Season 4
- Best Use: PvE
If you need an add-clear Exotic weapon, you should be using Trinity Ghoul. That is at least if you are playing lower to medium-difficulty content. In high-end content, its inability to kill in one shot hurts Trinity Ghoul big time, but if it can do that, there’s simply no better option. For true chaos, consider partnering it with an Arc build and be shocked by its electrifying AOE damage.
Special Weapons
Buried Bloodline
- Weapon Type: Sidearm
- Element: Void
- Exotic Perks: Hungering Quarrel, Violent Reanimation
- Catalyst: Splitvein Lineage
- Debut Season: Season 23
- Best Use: PvE
Buried Bloodline is one of just five Special Sidearms in The Final Shape. While the others focus on damage, this Exotic is all about sustainability. Damaging enemies steals health from them, and stringing kills together with Buried Bloodline grants the Devour buff. Even better, the catalyst weakens enemies when Devour is active, giving this already stacked Exotic even more utility.
Choir of One
- Weapon Type: Auto Rifle
- Element: Void
- Exotic Perks: Command Frame, Fanatical Lance
- Catalyst: Destabilizing Rounds/Onslaught/Subsistence
- Debut Season: Season 25
- Best Use: PvE
What would happen if Bungie took Cerberus+1, merged it with a Wyvern cannon, and cranked its damage up? That’s the premise of Choir of One, a new Exotic in Echoes Act 3 that hits incredibly hard, capable of slaying adds in Auto Rifle mode, and demolishing Champions in Shotgun mode. As long as you are wary of its limited ammo capacity, there’s no doubt that this is a meta-defining gun.
Cloudstrike
- Weapon Type: Sniper Rifle
- Element: Arc
- Exotic Perks: Mortal Polarity, Stormbringer
- Catalyst: Triple Tap
- Debut Season: Season 12
- Best Use: PvP
Most Sniper Rifles don’t see too much use in PvE these days, but they are dominant in PvP. Cloudstrike is certainly no exception, with this Exotic weapon having the potential to produce some crazy plays. After landing a headshot on an enemy Guardian, a lightning bolt will slam the ground, striking anyone nearby. If multiple players are all standing next to one another, it’s your big chance to make a montage-worthy play.
Dead Messenger
- Weapon Type: Grenade Launcher
- Element: Void
- Exotic Perks: Trinary Vision, The Fundamentals
- Catalyst: Enhanced Trinary Vision
- Debut Season: Season 22 (Reissued)
- Best Use: PvE
Dead Messenger is one of the most underrated Exotics on this list. It is effectively a super-powered Wave Frame that can switch between three elements. Its capabilities as an add-clear weapon are incredible, but it often gets overlooked in favor of Forbearance and Undercurrent. With those two getting nerfed in Echoes, there’s room for a new alternative, and Dead Messenger is just that.
Divinity
- Weapon Type: Trace Rifle
- Element: Arc
- Exotic Perks: Judgment, Penance
- Catalyst: N/A
- Debut Season: Season 8
- Best Use: PvE
Divinity is not a complicated weapon. You shoot an enemy with it, and then they take 15% more damage from all sources. Additionally, it makes landing precision hits much easier, helping your teammates be more consistent on damage phases. A big nerf in The Final Shape makes it more difficult to upkeep Judgment, but that alone is nowhere near enough to knock it out of the meta.
Still Hunt
- Weapon Type: Sniper Rifle
- Element: Solar
- Exotic Perks: Cayde’s Retribution
- Catalyst: N/A
- Debut Season: Season 24
- Best Use: PvE
Still Hunt is Golden Gun, but a Sniper Rifle. It’s a simple premise that doesn’t need much more of an explanation, and the result is a fantastic gun for DPS rotations. The best part is that it works with Celestial Nighthawk, dealing a big chunk of damage in one quick blow. Follow that up with a regular Golden Gun, and you’ve just dealt almost one million damage in just a few seconds.
Best Exotic Heavy Weapons
These are the best Heavy slot Exotic weapons to use in Echoes Act 3:
Dragon’s Breath
- Weapon Type: Rocket Launcher
- Element: Solar
- Exotic Perks: Composite Propellant, High Octane
- Catalyst: Pyromancer
- Debut Season: Season 23
- Best Use: PvE
Dragon’s Breath is a true Exotic in every meaning of the word. It’s unique, powerful, and versatile. This Rocket Launcher is both a great add-clear weapon and a strong option for boss DPS. Fire away, switch to another weapon, switch back, and repeat. It’s that easy, yet the overtime damage it produces is some of the best that’s possible in Destiny 2.
Gjallarhorn
- Weapon Type: Rocket Launcher
- Element: Solar
- Exotic Perks: Wolfpack Rounds, Pack Hunter
- Catalyst: More Wolves
- Debut Season: Season 15
- Best Use: PvE/PvP
Before Dragon’s Breath became a thing, Gjallarhorn was all the rage. Even now, it’s still a great weapon that justifies using up your lone Exotic slot. While not a good DPS weapon in its own right, Gjallarhorn empowers your teammate’s Legendary Rocket Launchers, making them deal much more damage. If coordinated properly, this can increase a Raid team’s damage by over 50%.
Leviathan’s Breath
- Weapon Type: Bow
- Element: Void
- Exotic Perks: Big-Game Hunter, Leviathan’s Sigh
- Catalyst: Colossal Quiver, Archer’s Tempo
- Debut Season: Season 8
- Best Use: PvE
This heavy-duty Bow deals great damage and can stagger bosses, leaving them effectively stun-locked. Add in its ability to stun Unstoppable Champions plus its incredible ammo economy. and it becomes obvious why so many players love Leviathan’s Breath. Just be sure to get the catalyst before taking it into high-end content, as Archer’s Tempo is essential.
Thunderlord
- Weapon Type: Machine Gun
- Element: Arc
- Exotic Perks: Reign Havoc, Feeding Frenzy
- Catalyst: Return Stroke
- Debut Season: Season 4
- Best Use: PvE/PvP
Thunderlord is never a bad choice. Although it doesn’t excel at anything, this Arc Machine Gun has decent damage, great add-clear, solid ammo economy, and is stylish as hell. Your teammates probably won’t appreciate you bringing it to DPS in a Raid, but otherwise, you can’t go wrong with this fan-favorite Exotic.
Tractor Cannon
- Weapon Type: Shotgun
- Element: Void
- Exotic Perks: Repulsor Force, The Scientific Method
- Catalyst: Magazine +3, Inventory Size +50
- Debut Season: Season 1
- Best Use: PvE/PvP
Tractor Cannon is used for one reason and one reason only, it makes enemies take 30% more damage from all sources. That is the biggest damage debuff currently available from any Destiny 2 weapon, bettering even Divinity. Against any boss with a large health pool, it’s worth using this to support your teammates.
Whisper of the Worm
- Weapon Type: Sniper Rifle
- Element: Solar
- Exotic Perks: White Nail, Mulligan
- Catalyst: Whispered Breathing
- Debut Season: Season 23 (Reissued)
- Best Use: PvE
It isn’t always the easiest Exotic weapon to use, but in situations where this sniper excels, nothing can beat Whisper of the Worm. If you can land constant precision hits over and over, this is the DPS weapon you should be using. The Sniper Rifle’s buffs that reduced flinch in Echoes Act 3 have made this gun much more consistent too, allowing it to flourish against a wider range of bosses.
Looking for a meta Destiny 2 loadout to pair with these meta Exotic Weapons? Check out the best Hunter builds, Titan builds, and Warlock builds to use in The Final Shape. You’ll also want to keep on top of the current Dungeon and Raid rotation to make sure you don’t miss out on Exotics from those encounters.
