Last Of Us Part 1 BEST Weapons [Top 7]

Our Last of Us Part 1 Best Weapons guide breaks down top-tier guns and throwable weapons you should us.

The Last of Us Part I features a number of various weapons that may be employed equally in combat against infected NPCs and humans. Because of this, our Last of Us Part 1 Best Weapons guide includes a list of top-tier firearms that you should have in your arsenal.

Key Takeaways

Some of the best weapons in The Last of Us Part 1 are:

  • Bow: Powerful for stealth and one-shot kills, found in Bill’s town.
  • 9MM Pistol: Good choice with plentiful ammo, effective for headshots, found at The Quarantine Zone.
  • Hunting Rifle: High accuracy, great for one-shot kills on Clickers, found at The Outskirts.
  • El Diablo: One-shot revolver with massive damage and max ammo of 9 bullets, found at Tommy’s Dam.
  • Pump Shotgun: Tremendous stopping power, ideal for close-quarters combat, found in Bill’s town.
  • Revolver: Popular, high damage, and accuracy, found throughout the game.
  • Flamethrower: Quick Bloater eliminator, potent with max ammo of 200 fuels, found at The University.
  • Assault Rifle: High stopping power and heavy damage, suitable for tough enemies.
Quiz Time
Ready to demonstrate your knowledge of Ellie and Joel’s journey or the Cordyceps? Take our extensive quiz based on The Last of Us to see how much you really know!

Here is a brief look at how the best Last of Us Part 1 Weapons compete against each other statistically:

WeaponTypeFire RateReload TimeDamageMax AmmoClip CapacityWeapon Upgrades
HatchetMeleeN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AMelee: Knot, Melee: Techniques
ShivBladeN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AShiv: Sharpening, Shiv: Reinforcement
Pump ShotgunLong GunN/AN/AN/A14 Shells4 ShellsReload speed, Fire rate, Clip capacity, Recoil, Range
El DiabloPistol4.03.06.07 Bullets1 BulletReload speed(2), Fire rate(3), Clip capacity(2), Armor Piercing(2)
Hunting RifleLong Gun2.02.08.07 Bullets1 BulletReload speed(2), Clip capacity(2), Scope(2), Armor Piercing(2), Power(1)
9MM PistolPistol7.06.02.020 Bullets6 BulletsReload speed(3), Fire rate(3), Clip capacity(4)
BowLong Gun3.04.06.09 Arrows1 ArrowReload time(1), Range(3), Draw speed(3)

Also, watch our video and learn about the overall ranking of all weapons in the game.

YouTube video

Hatchet

Weapon type Weapon upgrade(s)
Melee weapon Via crafting:

  • Melee: Knots
  • Melee: Techniques

Hatchet is one of the greatest melee weapons that can be used in The Last of Us Part 1. It is not difficult to get a hatchet, and it is possible to improve it with other materials, such as scissors or tape, that may be found along the way.

Even though the machete and the hatchet deal about the same amount of damage, the hatchet triumphs in this competition because of its superior durability, although each weapon is capable of killing an opponent with a single blow, the hatchet is far more durable.

Shiv

Location Weapon upgrade(s)
Craftable Via crafting:

  • Sharpening
  • Reinforcement

The Shiv is a weapon that serves a variety of purposes. It allows you to sneak up on infected and murder them, particularly powerful against Clickers. Having said that, it does become useless after a certain amount of use, so exercise extreme caution if you plan on depending on it.

When first constructed, a shiv using scissors is only good for one use before it snaps. By amassing a collection of instruction manuals, one may increase the number of functions that a shiv has. Shivs may be used to dispose of foes in a stealthy manner more quickly than by strangling them, or they can be used to open doors referred to as “shiv doors.”

Pump Shotgun

Location Clip capacity Maximum ammo Weapon upgrade(s)
Bill’s Town
  • 4 shells (base)
  • 8 shells (fully upgraded)
  • 14 shells (base)
  • 18 shells (fully upgraded)
  • Reload speed
  • Fire rate
  • Clip capacity
  • Recoil
  • Range

In general, shotguns provide a sense of accomplishment when used in video games, and “The Last of Us Part 1” is not an exception to this norm. Because of its insanely powerful stopping ability, the Pump Shotgun is easily one of the finest weapons in the game, making it one of the strongest overall weapons as well.

The Shotgun is a pump-action shotgun of the basic kind, and it may be obtained from Bill in the Safehouse. It’s a regular pump-action shotgun, so it’s noisy, it’s fun to shoot, and it’s really effective at close quarters. It is quite effective in halting foes in their tracks if they attempt to rush, with the obvious exception of Bloaters.

El Diablo

El Diablo Last of us Part 1 weapon
Location Clip capacity Maximum ammo Weapon upgrade(s)
Tommy’s Dam
  • 1 bullet (base)
  • 3 bullets (upgraded)
  • 7 bullets (base)
  • 9 bullets (upgraded)
  • Reload Speed (2)
  • Fire Rate (3)
  • Clip Capacity (2)
  • Armor Piercing (2)

The El Diablo is a one-shot revolver that, owing to its tremendous damage, may turn you into a lethal killing machine for all hostile human NPCs and Runners. However, you had best not miss it since it takes an excruciatingly long time to reload this weapon, rendering it very useless in most circumstances, similar to how the Hunting Rifle operates.

There is, however, a note of caution that you should be aware of. El Diablo is required to reload his weapon after each and every shot. This can be enhanced with subsequent upgrades, but even without a bigger clip capacity, the pistol deals more damage in a single shot than the majority of the weapons in the game easily. This is because the pistol has a higher damage per clip than the other weapons.

Hunting Rifle

Hunting Rifle Last of us Part 1 weapon
Location Clip capacity Maximum ammo Weapon upgrade(s)
The Outskirts
  • 1 bullet (base)
  • 3 bullets (upgraded)
  • 7 bullets (base)
  • 9 bullets (upgraded)
  • Reload Speed (2)
  • Clip Capacity (2)
  • Scope (2)
  • Armor Piercing (2)
  • Power (1)

The hunting rifle may save your life quite literally, and it packs one heck of a punch when you find it for the first time in the Capitol Building. The hunting rifle is both powerful and precise, making it ideal for eliminating Clickers with only one shot; nevertheless, the magazine capacity of the weapon is somewhat limited. Take caution in your aiming.

However, since it is a bolt action rifle, it takes a very long time to load, despite the fact that it is a highly powerful and accurate weapon. When it was first discovered, there was just one bullet inside, and there was no magazine. On the other hand, this is something that can be improved upon.

9MM Pistol

9mm Pistol Last of us Part 1 weapon
Location Clip capacity Maximum ammo Weapon upgrade(s)
The Quarantine Zone
  • 6 bullets (base)
  • 14 bullets (upgraded)
  • 20 bullets (base)
  • 28 bullets (upgraded)
  • Reload Speed (3)
  • Fire Rate (3)
  • Clip Capacity (4)

When it comes to The Last of Us Part 1, the 9MM Pistol should be your primary weapon of choice. When compared to other types of guns, it has an abundant supply of ammunition and is easy to aim, even for novice shooters. Headshots from this weapon are quite effective against Runners. It can take two or three attempts to defeat an armored foe.

Bow

Bow Last of us Part 1 weapon
Location Clip capacity Maximum ammo Weapon upgrade(s)
Bill’s Town 1 arrow 9 arrows
  • Reload Speed (1)
  • Range (3)
  • Draw Speed (3)

The bow is a by far the best weapon in The Last of Us Part 1 when it comes to stealth, offense, and much more. It is a deceptively simple yet extremely lethal weapon. It is possible to kill most foes with a single shot, frequently without needing to aim for the head, although it takes some effort to do it correctly.

The Bow is an essential tool for survival in any situation where ammunition is in short supply since it may be used to fire reusable projectiles like arrows. However, there is a possibility that the arrows may shatter, leading the player to lose those arrows. When used against foes that are ignorant of the presence of the player, arrows deliver much greater damage.

My Favourite Weapon In Last of Us Part 1

The sound design in The Last of Us Part 1 is immaculate, and handling each gun feels very good. However, nothing fulfills the power fantasy like one-shoting, even the most powerful enemies. El Diablo is the weapon that achieves that in The Last of Us Part 1. Its range and damage are both devastating and have saved me in many unfavorable situations.

Last of Us Part 1
Last of Us Part 1 Sphinx Profile

Additionally, I also personally liked using a mix of melee weapons a lot. Bashing the enemy’s skulls with an upgraded baseball bat, hatchet, and hook pipe also never got old. Shorty and Shotgun are also a great choice for blowing up skulls in close encounters.

Before reading further, consider checking other similar guides:

Did you find this helpful? Leave feedback below.

Thanks! Do share your feedback with us. ⚡

How can we make this post better? Your help would be appreciated. ✍

Subscribe to our newsletter and get up-to-speed gaming updates delivered to your inbox.

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy.


Hamid Ali is a Guides Writer & Editor on eXputer who occasionally covers Game Codes. He is a huge Doom fanatic and loves to melt his stress away in titles such as God of War games and Elden Ring. With a Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Hamid’s been writing and updating about the majority of games for several years. Hamid's gaming experience can be verified on his Steam and PSN profiles.

Experience: 3+ Years || Education: Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.

Related Articles

Join Our Community

Enjoyed this article? Discuss the latest gaming news, get expert help with guides and errors, and chat about all things gaming on eXputer Forums and Discord Server. Connect with fellow gamers who share your passion by becoming a part of eXputer's community.