Looking for only the best-in-slot Sidearms to add to your close-combat Loadouts? We have a list of the top Sidearms in Destiny 2 for both PvE and PvP activities.
There is a good variety in Sidearms on this list so be sure to check every entry for the perfect addition to your new build.
Recommended Read: Best Shotguns in Destiny 2
The best Sidearm in Destiny 2 is Trespasser, with Forerunner being the best Special ammo Sidearm.
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Best Sidearm in Destiny 2
Sidearms have always been in a weird spot in Destiny 2, often losing to Primary weapons with more Range, such as Hand Cannons, while being outperformed in close-quarter combat by Shotguns and Submachine Guns.
The best Sidearms are the ones that can break these limitations and create a viable weapon out of what many consider the worst weapon archetype in the game.
While most of the entries on the list are Exotic weapons, there are still a few very powerful Legendary Sidearms both on and off this list that are worth consideration.
The best Sidearm is the one that has the fastest time-to-kill and performs great in both PvE and PvP activities.
Trespasser
In terms of close-quarters combat, Trespasser might be the best Sidearm there is.
This Exotic Sidearm shoots in a three-burst round similar to Omolon Adaptive Frame Sidearms.
Reloading after getting a kill with Trespasser will trigger its Intrinsic Perk Unrepentant, enhancing the next burst with a superburst that quickly fires more bullets that deal additional damage.
Scoring a kill with the Unrepentant superburst will trigger the Be the Danger Perk, automatically reloading the weapon and granting it another Unrepentant superburst.
This means that, after only a single kill with Tresspasser, you can infinitely chain superbursts and Be the Danger to continually fire enhanced burst rounds at enemies.
This Perk combo makes Trespasser a very dangerous weapon inside of The Crucible. After activating Unrepentant, you will be able to kill the next Guardian you see with only a single trigger pull and from a respectable range for a Sidearm.
From there, you can continually chain superburst kills to run entire enemy teams, especially In 6v6 game modes. In 3v3 game modes, this Perk alone is enough to make teams scared of pushing you.
Even without the Unrepentant Perk activation, Trespasser is a very good Sidearm, thanks to its base stats.
The Catalyst for Trespasser gives it Tunnel Vision, granting increased target acquisition and aim down sight speeds after reloading after getting a kill.
Tunnel Vision just makes this weapon much more reliable once you score your first kill and is a great addition to Trespasser.
While this Sidearm is primarily geared toward PvP, it is still an excellent ad-clearing option inside of PvE with virtually infinite ammo that never needs to be reloaded after your first kill.
The Trespasser is part of the Witch Queen Season Pass. You will need to own the Witch Queen Expansion in order to purchase one from the Exotic Kioske in the Tower for 1 Exotic Cipher, 100,000 Glimmer, and an Ascendant Shard.
Forerunner
One of only three Sidearms currently in Destiny 2 that uses Special ammo.
The Forerunner was added as a part of Bungie’sAnniversaryversay Pack, where they added a collection of Halo-themed weapons to the game. The Forerunner is their homage to the Magnum from Halo: Combat Evolved.
In order to stay true to the Halo Magnum, the Forerunner has a set of Perks that makes this weapon handle almost identical to its predecessor.
The Intrinsic Perk Full Stop grants this weapon high-ranged, high-caliber rounds that deal increased precision damage to unshielded enemies.
The weapon can be fired fully automatic, though the Pace Yourself Perk grants the weapon increased accuracy and reduces recoil while tapping the trigger, simulating reticle bloom.
This, combined with the high-caliber rounds and use of Special ammo, gives Forerunner the longest Range out of any Sidearm in the game.
The Firerunner Catalyst gives the weapon a unique Perk, The Rock.
After landing a final blow with Forerunner, you will be able to hold down your reload key to consume six shots from your ammo reserves, converting it into a fragmentation grenade charge.
This grenade acts exactly like the fragmentation grenades from the Halo series, bouncing off of hard surfaces and dealing a good amount of damage to anyone near them.
Also similar to the Halo series is the ability to use these grenades to “grenade boost”, jumping as the grenade explodes to send yourself flying into the air.
In PvE, the extra damage to unshielded targets makes this weapon great for one-tapping minor enemies and dealing a good amount of damage per shot to Majors and Champions.
There are plenty of builds you can slot this weapon into, especially when pairing it with an Energy weapon that has the Disruption Break Perk.
The grenade can be readily available as there is usually an abundance of Special ammo inside of PvE activities.
These grenades are great for wave clearing and can even put out a good amount of damage to Major enemies if needed.
In PvP, Forerually shines and is considered by some to be over-tuned. This weapon can comfortably kill Guardians with three shots to the head from just about any range when pacing your shots.
As this is a 200 RPM weapon, you will outpace any of the meta 140 RPM Hand Cannons and can even compete with Pulse Rifles and some Scout rifles at medium distances if your aim is true.
The only thing keeping this weapon from being the single best weapon inside of PvP is the fact that it relies on Special ammo.
The Rock grenade Perk isn’t as useful inside of The Crucible as you only start the match with four bullets in reserves.
While you pick up a generous amount of shots per Special ammo brick, it is almost never worth it to convert those shots into a grenade unless you are steamrolling the enemy team.
The Forerunner is available to anyone who has purchased the Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack, giving them access to its Exotic Quest, Magnum Opus.
We have a guide on How to Get Forerunner, detailing every step of this quest if you want to go and unlock the Forerunner today.
Drang (Baroque)
While this Sidearm is no longer easily obtainable, it is still one of the best in the game in terms of raw stats and build crafting options.
Drang has been a part of Destiny 2 since reIt’sse. Its unique Together Forever gives it a good stat line and bonus effects when paired with the Sturm Hand Cannon.
Even when not using Sturm, Drang is a powerful Solar Sidearm, with the updated Drang (Baroque) versions synergizing with Solar 3.0 builds. You will have the option of using Incandescent for scorch stacks and ad clearing.
your other Perk options are pretty decent, with a wide variety of Perks for customization. Moving Target and Wellspring are both great Perks for PvE.
For PvP, Drang (Baroque) has always been a great choice. You have Quickdraw, Eye of the Storm, and Moving Target for your first Handling-boosting Perk option.
For damage boosting, you have either Rampage or Swashbuckler in the second column, each providing a much-needed improvement to your time to kill with this weapon.
Drang (Baroque) was originally available as part of The Derelict Leviathan activity. While this activity is no longer available, you may still find this weapon being sold by either Xur or Banshee-44.
It is craftable, so you won’t need to find too many in order to unlock the crafting pattern and begin crafting your perfect god roll.
Traveler’s Chosen
Traveller’s Chosen is back and it is in good shape.
This Exotic Sidearm comes with the Intrinsic Perk Gathering Light, granting stacks of Gathering Light for every final blow.
Holding down your reload key will consume these stacks and grant you Melee, Grenade, and Class ability energy based on the amount of stacks consumed.
Each stack of Gathering Light will grant you 10% ability energy for each of your abilities. Abilities with multiple charges will benefit from overflowing energy building towards the next charge as well.
This weapon is especially good in PvE for ability regen, with a full ability regenerating after killing only 10 enemies. Inside of The Crucible, each Guardian kill will grant you three stacks of Gathering Light.
This Perk is great for builds that rely on ability cooldowns, as you can easily get back any one of your abilities after only a few kills with Traveler’s Chosen.
Alternatively, you can rely on the Gift of the Traveler Perk to enhance the weapon’s reload speed, Handling, and target acquisition for every stack of Gathering Light, giving this weapon some insane stats.
To top it off, the Catalyst for Traveler’s Chosen grants three more rounds in the magazine, along with it two additional Perks.
Osmosis will change Traveler’s Chosen’s damage type to match your subclass after using your grenade ability, while Surplus will increase the weapon’s Handling, reload speed, and Stability for every fully charged ability you have.
This weapon would be great for its ability regeneration Perks alone. The fact that it is a decent 300 RPM Sidearm as well just makes it amazing.
This catalyst synergizes perfectly with the weapon and will transform it into a very potent weapon in both PvE and PvP activities.
This weapon was released with the Shadowkeep Expansion. It can be purchased from the Exotic Kisoke in the Tower for 1 Exotic Cipher, 125,000 Glimmer, 200 Legendary Shards, and 1 Ascendant Shard.
Brigand’s Law
The Legendary version of Traveler’s Chosen.
Brigand’s Law is a Rapid-Fire Frame Arc Sidearm that fulfils two rolls. It has a great ability-regeneration Perk combination and is the Sidearm of choice for Arc 3.0 builds.
Everyone who got this weapon from their Season Pass was excited to see that it can roll with both Pugilist and Demolitionist.
This means that every final blow with Brigand’s Law will give you both Melee and Grenade ability energy, 10% per kill.
This roll is great if you can’t use Traveler’s Chosen as it is Exotic and needs a Legendary replacement. This is a great weapon to have to flesh out your PvE ability-centric Loadouts.
For Arc 3.0 builds, this weapon can roll with Voltshot. Paired with either Feeding Frenzy for fast reloads or Threat Detector for Handling and Stability, this weapon can easily mow down enemies up close with chain lightning shots.
Brigand’s Law is no longer farmable from any activities in the game. If you don’t already have one sitting in your Vault then you will have to wait for Xur or Banshee-44 to sell one.
Liminal Vigil
The Best Aggressive Burst Frame Sidearm in the game.
Liminal Vigil is a Stasis Sidearm with some amazing Perks that are not found on any other Sidearms in the game. It is the first of its kind to roll with Desperado, increasing its fire rate by 30% for 5 seconds after a precision kill.
This turns the already low time to kill of Liminal Vigil into a very competitive kill time that beats out most Sidearms save for Trespasser. This Perk is great for both PvE and PvP rolls of this weapon.
For PvE, Headstone is a must-have Perk that creates Stasis crystals after killing enemies.
These crystals synergize with all of your Stasis abilities, Fragments, and Aspects and can be shot to deal area of effect damage for wave clearing.
For PvP, Perpetual Motion and Tap the Trigger are both great choices to pair with Desperado.
If you are concerned about winning your first engagement, you can skip Desperado in favor of Rangefinder for some additional Range, though this Frame of Sidearm is not the best inside of The Crucible.
Liminal Vigil can be unlocked by completing the Spire of the Watcher Dungeon. There are plenty of great weapons in this Dungeon, so you will be happy with your loot even if you don’t get a Liminal Vigil on your first run.
These are the best Sidearms in Destiny 2. There are plenty of alternative options, though you will be more than happy to pick any of these entries on the list.
Which of these Sidearms have you been using recently? Are there any other contenders that you would like to mention? Let me know in the comments!
