The 10 rarest pickaxes in Fortnite

Some will not be available ever again.

Fortnite Rarest Pickaxes
Image via Epic Games

The pickaxe is an essential part of Fortnite, and there is an expansive range of skins to modify the look of your pickaxe. Some of these skins are so rare they may never be seen again. But which are the rarest?

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What makes a Fortnite pickaxe rare comes down to several factors. There has to be a special exclusivity about it, and it has to be offered for a limited time. Although a pickaxe might not be available for long, Epic Games typically rerelease them, but some are only available for a short time. If you’re on the hunt for rare pickaxes, you might want to consider investigating when these ones could reappear. Here are some of the rarest pickaxes you can get in Fortnite.

Rarest pickaxes in Fortnite

Honorable Mention: Reaper pickaxe

Reaper pickaxe in Fortnite, a scythe.
Unleash your inner reaper. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Being one of the first rare skins in the game, the Reaper was thought of by many as the rarest. Since the demand for the skin ramped up, it has appeared in the store several times, becoming more common with every release in Fortnite. The skin is very simple, turning the player’s pickaxe into a scythe. Due to this simplicity, few players purchased it upon its initial release, contributing to its rarity, but it has been offered more frequently lately. It could go along with any of the rare skins you’ve also unlocked.

  • Release Date: Oct. 31, 2017
  • Price: 800 V-Bucks.
  • Last Seen: Oct. 5, 2024

Honorable Mention: Minty Axe pickaxe

Minty Pickaxe in Fortnite, a sharp candy cane wrapped in Christmas lights with a glowing green end.
A haunted holiday. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Another incredibly rare skin upon release, the Minty Pickaxe, has lost its scarcity since it was made available to anyone who purchased licensed Fortnite products from a physical Gamestop store. It’s a recolor of the Candy Axe, and was only available through this limited-time code. Beyond having a code for this product, there’s no way for players to obtain it. It’s an ideal pickaxe for your favorite holiday skin.

  • Release Date: Nov. 6, 2019
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks. Players had to redeem a code from a licensed Fortnite product from a Gamestop store.
  • Last Seen: Never

10) Widow’s Bite

Widows Bite pickaxe in Fortnite, a black rod with an electrified end.
Black Widow’s preferred pickaxe. Image via Epic Games

Although the Marvel collaborations return to the Fortnite shop fairly regularly, one of the Black Widow variants hasn’t made an appearance for more than four years. As a result, this Black Widow’s pickaxe is equally rare. Of all pickaxe skins that can appear in the shop, this is one that we’ve been missing for probably the longest amount of time.

  • Release Date: April 25, 2019
  • Price: 800 V-Bucks.
  • Last Seen: Oct. 17, 2024

9) AC/DC

A two-pronged Tesla coil pickaxe with electricity arcing between the prongs.
Unleash the power of electricity to Fortnite. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The AC/DC pickaxe skin was only available as a battle pass reward from Chapter One, season two. Players had to reach tier 63 of the battle pass to unlock the reward. This skin turns the player’s pickaxe into a forking rod, connecting the two ends by an electrical current. This skin does not belong to its own specific set.

  • Release Date: Dec. 14, 2017
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks. Obtained from the Chapter One, season two battle pass.
  • Last Seen: Never

8) Crowbar

Crowbow pickaxe in Fortnite
The Joker’s favorite pickaxe. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Crowbar was available to players who completed a series of challenges inside The Getaway game mode. Players had to compete in 10 matches of The Getaway, deal 500 damage to jewel-carrying opponents, and pick up a jewel in five matches. Due to The Getaway mode not always being available, getting a hold of the crowbar can be difficult.

  • Release Date: Sept. 6, 2018
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks. Obtained from the High Stakes Challenges.
  • Last Seen: Never

7) Instigator

Instigator Pickaxe in Fortnite, a red climbing axe with a mettalic, sharp end.
A Pickaxe only available to Twitch Prime users. Image via Epic Games.

The Instigator is a fairly slick-looking pickaxe that would’ve cost some money to acquire. Not because you’d have to use V-Bucks to get it, but because it was only available if you had a Twitch Prime account. To get the Instigator, you’d have to link your Twitch Prime account to your Epic Games account, and voila! The instigator would be yours. This promo, however, was only available between Feb. 28, 2018 and May 9, 2018. That brief window of availability makes this a particularly rare pickaxe.

  • Release Date: Feb. 28, 2018
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks. Obtained by linking one’s Twitch Prime account with their Epic Games account.
  • Last Seen: Never

6) Stealth Angular Axe

Stealth Angular Axe in Fortnite, a black axe with red and white markings.
A pickaxe for those who love their graphics cards. Image via Epic Games

In 2018, players could acquire a similar pickaxe and other promotional cosmetics if they had also purchased an NVIDIA graphics card. Later on, Epic Games put it up for sale in the Item Shop, but to not cheat out those who bought the expensive graphics cards, the stealth angular axe was presented in 2019, reintroducing the previous exclusivity of also having to purchase a NVIDIA graphics card.

  • Release Date: April 11, 2019
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks. Obtained through purchasing an NVIDIA graphics card.
  • Last Seen: Never

5) Pointer: (目光锁定 in Chinese)

Pointer Pickaxe in Fortnite, featuring a squiggly orange arrow.
A region-locked Fortnite pickaxe. Image via Epic Games.

This simple promotional skin that turns the player’s pickaxe into an arrow was available exclusively to players in China. There is no way to acquire the skin outside the country, so this skin is one of the rarest in the game today.

  • Release Date: Nov. 7, 2018
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks. Only unlocked by playing in China.
  • Last Seen: Never

4) Power Grip

Power Griper Pickaxe in Fortnite, a pickaxe with an orange, clawlike head.
Lead onward with your Fortnite team using this region-exclusive pickaxe. Image via Epic Games.

Another Chinese exclusive, the Power Grip, turns the player’s pickaxe into an industrial gripping tool painted yellow and orange. Like the Pointer, this skin is extremely rare because it is unavailable outside of China.

  • Release Date: Nov. 7, 2018
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks. Only unlocked by playing in China.
  • Last Seen: Never

3) Raiders Revenge

Raiders Revenge pickaxe in Fortnite, a pickaxe with a fireman's axe head underneath the pickaxe head and several coils of barbed wire around it.
A pickaxe to show how long you’ve been playing Fortnite. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Raider’s Revenge is an item from very early in the game’s lifetime, and is one of the rarest skins in Fortnite. The pickaxe was only available from the season shop after achieving level 35 in the game’s first season. The first season had few cosmetics, and this pickaxe is one of them. The pickaxe looks like an ax with a pickaxe blade screwed into the top covered in barbed wire. The skin is part of the Storm Scavenger set.

  • Release Date: Oct. 26, 2017
  • Price: 1,500 V-Bucks.
  • Last Seen: Dec. 13, 2017

2) Permafrost

Permafrost pickaxe in Fortnite, a blade with ice spikes coming out of it.
Where were you during Ragnarok? Screenshot by Dot Esports

Part of the Harbinger set, Permafrost was only available to players who reached battle pass level 100 and completed the Ragnarok Challenges to unlock stage four of Ragnarok during season five. The medieval-looking pickaxe is partially encased in ice and said to be chiseled from glacial ice. Due to the conditions it would take to unlock, Permafrost is one of the rarest skins in the game.

  • Release Date: July 12, 2018
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks. Obtained from the Chapter One, season five battle pass.
  • Last Seen: Never

1) Rarest pickaxe in Fortnite: FNCS Axe Of Champions

FNCS Axe of Champions in Fortnite, which features a gold color scheme and laurels around the head of the axe.
Are you a real Champion? Image via Epic Games

The rarest pickaxe skin in Fortnite is The FNCS Axe of Champions, a skin that is exclusively available to those who won the Fortnite Championship Series. Even with that prerequisite, it gets rarer because you must be the current champion to hold it. Once another player dethrones you, you will lose access to this one-of-a-kind skin, so only one person can own it at a time. The pickaxe itself is gold with the FNCS logo on the top.

  • Release Date: Feb. 20, 2020
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks: Obtained by winning the Fortnite Champion Series.
  • Last Seen: N/A
Author
Image of Dominique' McClain
Dominique' McClain
Dominique' McClain is a passionate writer on anything Esports and video games. She has 4+ years of experience covering games in the industry and enjoys Overwatch 2, Fortnite, and Elden Ring.
Author
Image of Zack Palm
Zack Palm
Zack Palm has been writing about video games for the past five years. He spends his free time trying to learn about a new board, reading high-fantasy series, or working on his latest DnD character.