Naughty Dog rebuilt the 2013 original on the Part II engine, so Joel and Ellie's trip across a fungal-collapsed United States now runs on modern AI, lighting and animation. The package includes the Left Behind chapter and drops the original Factions multiplayer entirely. The PC port shipped in July 2023 through Iron Galaxy and took several patches before shader compilation and memory use settled down.
Your choice of weapons defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Weapons Rankings
| Weapon | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9mm Pistol | S | Every difficulty from start to finish, especially Survivor runs where 9mm rounds are the ammunition you actually find. | Joel's starting sidearm, cheap on ammo and accurate once the sway upgrade lands. |
| Hunting Rifle | A | Open outdoor encounters and the Winter chapters where Ellie fights David's group across long sightlines. | Bolt action rifle that one-shots Runners and Stalkers at range and staggers Clickers. |
| Pump Shotgun | A | Enclosed rooms, tunnels and any moment a Clicker has already heard you. | The one gun that reliably kills a Clicker with a single close shot and knocks a Bloater back. |
| Bow | B | Stealth clears that thin a group before it detects you, and the low-ammo stretches of the Suburbs and Tommy's Dam. | Silent, and arrows can be pulled back out of corpses and walls, so it costs nothing while your aim holds. |
| Molotov Cocktail | B | Bloater fights and any encounter with three or more Infected clumped together. | Thrown fire that kills Clickers on contact and burns groups packed into a corridor. |
S-Tier: 9mm Pistol
Joel's starting sidearm, cheap on ammo and accurate once the sway upgrade lands. Two headshots drop most human Hunters and one kills a Runner.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Every difficulty from start to finish, especially Survivor runs where 9mm rounds are the ammunition you actually find. |
| Key Mechanic | Listen Mode |
| Recommended Role | Full stealth strangler |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using 9mm Pistol: Pairs naturally with Full stealth strangler thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Hunting Rifle
Bolt action rifle that one-shots Runners and Stalkers at range and staggers Clickers. The scope upgrade turns Pittsburgh rooftops and the University quad into safe firing positions.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Open outdoor encounters and the Winter chapters where Ellie fights David's group across long sightlines. |
| Key Mechanic | Workbench weapon upgrades |
| Recommended Role | Shiv and bottle specialist |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Hunting Rifle: Pairs naturally with Shiv and bottle specialist thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Pump Shotgun
The one gun that reliably kills a Clicker with a single close shot and knocks a Bloater back. Damage and clip upgrades make it the emergency button when stealth collapses.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Enclosed rooms, tunnels and any moment a Clicker has already heard you. |
| Key Mechanic | Crafting from scavenged parts |
| Recommended Role | Molotov crowd control |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Pump Shotgun: Pairs naturally with Molotov crowd control thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Bow
Silent, and arrows can be pulled back out of corpses and walls, so it costs nothing while your aim holds. Headshots kill Runners and Clickers outright without alerting the room.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Stealth clears that thin a group before it detects you, and the low-ammo stretches of the Suburbs and Tommy's Dam. |
| Key Mechanic | Supplement skill upgrades |
| Recommended Role | Long gun marksman |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Bow: Pairs naturally with Long gun marksman thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Molotov Cocktail
Thrown fire that kills Clickers on contact and burns groups packed into a corridor. It also blinds and panics human enemies, who then break cover into your line of fire.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Bloater fights and any encounter with three or more Infected clumped together. |
| Key Mechanic | Infected enemy types |
| Recommended Role | Brawler with melee weapons |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Molotov Cocktail: Pairs naturally with Brawler with melee weapons thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Weapons Progression Path
The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Boston Quarantine Zone
- Hunting Rifle → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Pump Shotgun → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- 9mm Pistol → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Weapons Tips
- Always upgrade your primary weapon before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your weapons to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Parts do not respawn and a single playthrough never funds every upgrade. Pour them into the Hunting Rifle scope and the Shotgun clip first, because those two weapons carry the Fall and Winter encounters where ammunition pressure is worst.
- Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More The Last of Us Part I Guides
- The Last of Us Part I The Last of Us Part I Overview
- The Last of Us Part I Best Builds
- The Last of Us Part I Tier List
- The Last of Us Part I Walkthrough
- The Last of Us Part I Beginner's Guide
- The Last of Us Part I Tips & Tricks
- The Last of Us Part I Combat Guide
- The Last of Us Part I Boss Guide
- The Last of Us Part I Maps & Locations
- The Last of Us Part I Crafting Guide
- The Last of Us Part I Classes & Characters
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