Destiny 2 Best Legendary Weapons Today (S23 Meta)

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: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Aggressive 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: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive 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: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: MIDA Synergy 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: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision 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: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Lightweight 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: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive 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: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Aggressive 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: Stasis | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision 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

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: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Precision 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: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Rapid-Fire 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: Kinetic | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Pinpoint Slug 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: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Adaptive 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: Kinetic | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Aggressive 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: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Wave 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: Kinetic | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Adaptive 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: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Adaptive 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: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: High-Impact 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: Strand | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Rapid-Fire 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

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: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive 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: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive 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: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive 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: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive 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: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive 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: Strand | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive 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

Your 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!