Resident Evil 4: Knife Guide and its Durability

Knife List

Knife	Recommended Level/Acquisition Method
Primal Knife	★★★★★Destroy all 16 Clockwork Castellan
Combat Knife	★★★★・Initial equipment
Fighting Knife	★★★・・Defeat Krauser in Chapter 14
Kitchen Knife	★・・・・Found in various places in the Village
Boot Knife	★・・・・Found in various places in the Castle

List of Recommended Weapons

Recommended Knives

Combat Knife is recommended for the first playthrough

For the first playthrough, it is highly recommended to continue using the default weapon, Combat Knife. It has higher durability compared to the Kitchen Knife and Boot Knife that drop along the way. With upgrades, it can be very useful even in the late stages of the game.

How to Obtain Combat Knife and its Stats

Primal Knife is recommended from the second playthrough onwards

From the second playthrough onwards, it is recommended to obtain the Primal Knife by destroying all 16 Clockwork Castellans. It has higher power compared to the Combat Knife. Furthermore, its durability becomes infinite due to the exclusive effect, allowing you to use it without worrying about its durability. Use an Exclusive Upgrade Ticket to make it infinite and make it your companion for replaying the game.

How to Obtain Primal Knife and its Stats

Knife Action List

Close-range Attack 【R2】

Press R2 to swing the knife horizontally for an attack. Although it has lower power compared to shooting, it can attack a wide range without using ammo. This action is useful when you want to eliminate enemies along the way or attack traps and blue medallions.

Thrust Attack 【L1+R2】

Hold L1 and press R2 to perform a Thrust Attack. It has a narrower attack range compared to swinging but it allows for precise targeting. This makes it useful when you want to attack the enemy's head or weak points and follow up with melee attacks.

Knife Parry 【L1 at the Right Timing】

Parry is a new action added in RE4 Remake that allows you to intercept enemy attacks without taking damage. If you parry at the right time, you can follow up with melee attacks. This makes it a crucial action in combat.

Long-range attacks and chainsaw attacks can also be parried

Parrying can not only defend against long-range attacks such as throwing axes and crossbows but also against attacks from chainsaws and large hammers. Depending on your proficiency in parrying, you will be able to overcome various difficult situations.

Stealth Kill 【R2 while Hiding】

If the enemy is unaware of your presence, you can approach while hiding and aim for a Stealth Kill by pressing R2. Although it consumes a significant amount of the knife's durability, it can incapacitate enemies with a single blow. It is a convenient action for reducing the number of enemies.

Escape from Restraints [R2]

When grabbed by an enemy, you can counterattack with the R2 button and immediately escape if you have a Knife. However, be aware that the durability of the Knife will significantly decrease when counterattacking. If there are few enemies around and you can manage to do so in time, it may be wise to shake off the enemy without using the Knife.

Finishing Move [R2]

When an icon appears on a downed enemy, you can approach and press R2 to perform a Finishing Move. This is a powerful action that deals heavy damage to the enemy and prevents them from undergoing a metamorphosis into a parasite. However, activating it will consume a large amount of the Knife's durability.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: Beginner Guide

Knife Repair Method

Can be repaired at the Merchant's shop

If the durability of the Knife decreases, you can have it repaired by paying the repair fee to the Merchant. However, only the upgradable Knives can be repaired, and the Kitchen Knives and Boot Knives that drop along the way are disposable and cannot be repaired.

Merchant Guide

Changes to the Knife

Durability has been added to the Knife itself

As a change from RE4, durability has been added to the Knife in general. The durability decreases when attacking enemies with the Knife or using it for parrying. When the durability reaches zero, the performance of the Knife significantly decreases until it is repaired by the Merchant. Be sure to repair it whenever you come across a Merchant, while carefully considering when to use it.

New actions such as Parrying and Finishing Moves have been added

In RE4 Remake, new actions such as Parrying to counterattack with the Knife and Finishing Moves to deal heavy damage to fallen enemies have been added. These various Knife actions are useful for saving ammo and eliminating enemies, so make sure to actively use them to progress through the story.

Takes up space in the Attache Case

In RE4, the Knife cannot be stored in the Attache Case. However, in RE4 Remake, the Knife can be stored in the Attache Case which takes up space.

New Features in the Remake