Resident Evil 0 Weapons Guide: Every Gun, Ammo Type, and Unlockable Ranked

Resident Evil 0 weapons are the most awkward arsenal in the classic series, and there's a good reason for it: the game has no item boxes. Instead of a magical storage chest waiting in every safe room, you get a floor, two characters, and six inventory slots each. Every Resident Evil 0 weapon you pick up is a slot you cannot spend on herbs, key items, or ammunition — and a shotgun left three rooms behind is a shotgun you don't have when the Proto Tyrant walks through the door.

That single design decision reshapes the entire game. Understanding which firearms are worth the space, which ammo types deserve hoarding, and how the Partner Zapping System changes weapon handling is the difference between a smooth run and a resource disaster. This guide breaks down every firearm, ranks them, and covers the unlockables that make a second playthrough much easier.

Why Resident Evil 0's Arsenal Plays Differently

In most classic Resident Evil games, you hoard. You fill an item box, come back later, and pull out whatever the situation demands. Resident Evil 0 deletes that safety net.

Items stay exactly where you drop them, permanently, for the whole campaign. A green herb left in the Ecliptic Express dining car stays in the Ecliptic Express dining car. The game even tracks dropped items per room, so "parking" gear is a legitimate strategy rather than a gamble.

Layered on top is the Partner Zapping System. You control Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen simultaneously, switching instantly and handing items back and forth. A weapon doesn't belong to a character — it belongs to whoever is holding it when the next door opens.

Rebecca vs. Billy: Who Should Carry What

Practical rule: give Billy the shotgun and the magnum, since he is the one who can absorb a hit while standing his ground. Rebecca should carry the hunting gun, the grenade launcher, and the herb supply. Community reports consistently back this split, because Billy's extra durability makes close-range trades far less punishing.

Every Weapon in Resident Evil 0 at a Glance

Here is the full roster, minus a few story-only tools. Availability is described in broad strokes because the exact pickup spots shift depending on your route and what you have already dropped.

Two starting handguns exist — one for Rebecca, one for Billy. They behave almost identically, so don't agonize over which one is "better." The real decision is whether the handgun is worth a slot at all once the shotgun and grenade launcher arrive. For most players, it is: handgun ammo is the most common pickup in the game, and a handgun costs you nothing to keep fed.

Ammo Types, Rarity, and What to Save

Ammo is where Resident Evil 0 weapons get genuinely stressful. Every firearm in the game runs on a separate supply line, and the rare rounds are much rarer than newcomers expect.

The rule of thumb that experienced players follow: if a round is "Very rare," it is reserved for a boss. The Giant Bat on the Ecliptic Express, the Proto Tyrant encounters, and the Queen Leech finale are the fights that justify emptying your magnum. Everything in between should be handled with handgun ammo, the knife, and whatever the environment gives you.

Throwable items such as molotov cocktails are a useful middle ground — they hit hard for zero ammo, but they take up a slot and they're limited. Save them for clusters of enemies or for covering a retreat, not for a single shambler.

Ranking the Best Resident Evil 0 Weapons

This ranking weighs raw damage, ammo economy, and how much inventory pressure each weapon creates. Player experience varies, but the tiers below reflect the general community consensus.

The magnum's value is not just damage — it's the ability to end a bad situation in two shots instead of twenty. The grenade launcher's value is flexibility, since swapping between grenade, acid, and flame rounds lets you adapt to whatever the game throws at you without changing weapons.

The shotgun remains the most comfortable weapon in the game. It is forgiving, its ammo shows up regularly, and it solves the cramped hallway fights that define the Umbrella Executive Training School.

Unlockable Weapons and Bonus Content

Beating Resident Evil 0 once unlocks Leech Hunter, a timed collection mode where you sweep the training school for leech charms while fighting off respawning enemies. It is the main route to the game's bonus firepower.

Community reports suggest the Submachine Gun is the single most impactful unlockable, because it turns ordinary hallway encounters into quick, low-risk clears. If you're chasing it, clear Leech Hunter with both characters and prioritize memorizing charm locations before you worry about your time.

The 2016 HD remaster — available on Steam as Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster — is the version most players will encounter today, and it includes both Leech Hunter and Wesker Mode out of the box.

Practical Tips for Managing Resident Evil 0 Weapons

• Never carry more than two firearms per character. A third gun means you're leaving herbs or key items behind.
• Park spare weapons in hub rooms. The main hall of the training school and the central train cars are rooms you will pass through repeatedly.
• Drop ammo next to the weapon it feeds. Splitting a shotgun from its shells across the map is the most common self-inflicted mistake in the game.
• Give Rebecca the herbs, give Billy the mixed results. Billy can't combine, but he can carry and use what Rebecca prepares.
• Use the knife on downed enemies. It costs nothing and saves handgun ammo for threats that are still upright.
• Bank magnum and rifle ammo until a boss room. Rare rounds spent on regular enemies are rounds you won't have for the Proto Tyrant.
• Swap weapons before opening a door, not after. The Zapping System is instant, but a zombie's grab is faster than your menu navigation.
• Treat molotovs as emergency buttons. They're excellent for escaping a surround, less so for routine clearing.

One more habit worth building: whenever you finish a major section, do a quick inventory audit before moving on. Resident Evil 0 weapons are only as good as your ability to find them again, and the game will not remind you what you left behind.

FAQ

What is the best of the Resident Evil 0 weapons?

The magnum is the strongest per shot, and the grenade launcher is the most versatile. For general play, though, the shotgun carries the most weight across the campaign because its ammo is reasonably common and it solves the cramped fights that make up most of the game.

Can both Rebecca and Billy use every weapon in Resident Evil 0?

Yes. Both characters can fire every firearm in the game, including the magnum, grenade launcher, and hunting gun. The differences are durability and utility, not weapon access — Billy can push heavy objects and take more hits, while Rebecca can mix herbs.

How do you unlock the Submachine Gun in Resident Evil 0?

Finish the main campaign to unlock Leech Hunter, then collect all 100 leeches in that mode. Community reports indicate the Submachine Gun then becomes available in the main game, and it feeds on handgun ammo, which makes it very easy to keep running.

Do you need the Hunting Gun to finish Resident Evil 0?

No, but it makes several long-corridor sections much safer. Rifle ammo is extremely rare, so treat the hunting gun as a precision tool for dangerous single targets rather than a primary weapon. If inventory space is tight, it is one of the first guns you can safely park in a hub room.

Get the weapon loadout right and the rest of Resident Evil 0 becomes a much fairer fight — because in a game with no item boxes, your real weapon is planning.