Best Kinetic Weapons in Destiny 2

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

1. Chroma Rush
   • PvE Rating: 4.8
   • PvP Rating: 4.2
2. QuickSilver Storm
   • PvE Rating: 4.9
   • PvP Rating: 4.1
   • Exotic 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.
3. Sweet Business
   • PvE Rating: 4.4
   • PvP Rating: 4.3
   • Exotic 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

1. Wish Ender
   • PvE Rating: 3.7
   • PvP Rating: 3.9
   • Exotic 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.
2. Whispering Slab
   • PvE Rating: 4.9
   • PvP Rating: 3.7
3. Fel Taradiddle
   • PvE Rating: 4.9
   • PvP Rating: 3.7

Related: How to get Dawn Chorus in Destiny 2 (October 2022)

Hand Cannon

1. Ace of Spades
   • PvE Rating: 4.8
   • PvP Rating: 4.9
   • Exotic 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.
2. Thorn
   • PvE Rating: 4.4
   • PvP Rating: 4.6
   • Exotic 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.
3. Fatebringer (Timelost)
   • PvE Rating: 4.9
   • PvP Rating: 4.6

Linear Fusion Rifle

1. Arbalest
   • PvE Rating: 4.7
   • PvP Rating: 3.9
   • Exotic 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

1. Outbreak Perfected
   • PvE Rating: 4.9
   • PvP Rating: 4.5
   • Exotic 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.
2. No Time to Explain
   • PvE Rating: 4.6
   • PvP Rating: 4.8
   • Exotic 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.
3. Sacred Provenance
   • PvE Rating: 4.6
   • PvP Rating: 4.7

Scout Rifle

1. Touch of Malice
   • PvE Rating: 4.4
   • PvP Rating: 4.1
   • Exotic 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.
2. Dead Man's Tale
   • PvE Rating: 4.2
   • PvP Rating: 4.6
   • Exotic Perk (Cranial Spike): Chaining precision hits grants bonus target acquisition and range.
3. Tears of Contrition
   • PvE Rating: 4.7
   • PvP Rating: 4.3

Shotgun

1. Ragnhild-D
   • PvE Rating: 4.8
   • PvP Rating: 3.8
2. Heritage
   • PvE Rating: 4.8
   • PvP Rating: 3.9
3. Wastelander M5
   • PvE Rating: 4.6
   • PvP Rating: 4.5

Sidearm

1. Traveler's Chosen
   • PvE Rating: 4.6
   • PvP Rating: 4.7
   • Exotic 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.
2. Rat King
   • PvE Rating: 4.4
   • PvP Rating: 4.3
   • Exotic 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.
3. Forerunner
   • PvE Rating: 4
   • PvP Rating: 4.7
   • Exotic 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.

Related: Best loadouts for solo flawless Pit of Heresy in Destiny 2

Sniper Rifle

1. Defiance of Yasmin
   • PvE Rating: 4.5
   • PvP Rating: 4.6
2. Silicon Neuroma (Adept)
   • PvE Rating: 4.3
   • PvP Rating: 4.5
3. Long Shadow
   • PvE Rating: 4.4
   • PvP Rating: 4

Submachine Gun

1. Osteo Striga
   • PvE Rating: 4.9
   • PvP Rating: 4.1
   • Exotic 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.
2. Extraordinary Rendition
   • PvE Rating: 4.9
   • PvP Rating: 3.6
3. Submission
   • PvE Rating: 4.8
   • PvP 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.