Resident Evil 4 Remake offers a plethora of weapons, a total of 29 weapons are there to be had and unless you plan on playing multiple New Game+ you will have to make a choice on what you upgrade and use. There are three repairable Knives with two consumables for you to look over before deciding what to go for.

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Always improve the durability of any knife you’re using in Resident Evil 4 Remake.

Knives in general should be treated differently from the other weapon types in the game. They’re small enough that you can and should take multiple knives with you as they have a number of useful applications out in the field.

The two consumable knives, Kitchen Knife and Boot Knife, are not listed here as they are consumable and are best used in an emergency if your main knife has broken. Always look to increase the durability of your main knives first.

#1 - Primal Knife¶

It may be an obvious one, but the Primal Knife that you get for hitting all of the Clockwork Castellans (and thus, completing the game once) is our pick for the best Knife in Resident Evil 4 Remake. It’s not the outright strongest of the knives but its Exclusive upgrade makes it indestructible, which is about all you could ask for when it comes to your knives.

Taking the indestructible nature of the Primal Knife out of the question, it’s stronger than the Combat Knife (but much weaker than the Fighting Knife) and also features a faster attack speed than the Fighting Knife. It’s also the most durable of the three knives before you even get the Exclusive upgrade.

The downside to the Primal Knife is of course the fact that you can’t get it until your second playthrough and you won’t be able to use it in any playthroughs that discount the use of Bonus Weapons (as it counts as one). If you use your knives for power, it’s also not as strong as the Fighting Knife.

You can get the Primal Knife by destroying all of the Clockwork Castellans, there is one found in each Chapter.

#2 - Fighting Knife¶

The Fighting Knife is almost a straight upgrade to the Combat Knife, as you would expect, based on how late in the game you get it. It is by far the strongest knife of the three and should you get the Exclusive upgrade for it, brings its damage to a whopping 3.6 which is huge for a knife.

There are a few downsides to the Fighting Knife, not least due to how late in the game you get it (Chapter 14). It also trades its massive power rating for Attack Speed as it can never be raised beyond the standard 1, which is the lowest of all three knives. It also features the lowest durability of the three knives, so definitely bring the Combat Knife or Primal Knife with you.

The Fighting Knife is obtained after the boss battle in Chapter 14.

#3 - Combat Knife¶

The Combat Knife is the first knife that you’ll start the game with, and it will serve you well for your entire first playthrough (keep it with you once you get the Fighting Knife). You’ll want to make sure you get your Durability maxed as soon as you can, as you’ll be relying it on it a lot.

When compared to the other two knives, the Combat Knife has the second-best durability (second to the Primal Knife only) and also features the fastest Attack Speed out of any of the three knives once you get the Exclusive upgrade.

The downside to the Combat Knife is that it is the weakest of the three knives, it’s definitely better to use this as a finisher or for parrying, rather than for damage like you might the Fighting Knife.

The Combat Knife is acquired from the start of any New Game.