The 10 rarest pickaxes in Fortnite

Some will not be available ever again.

A Fortnite rapier pickaxe skin.
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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Lucky for you, we’ve got the answer to that question. Here are the rarest pickaxes in Fortnite.

Rarest pickaxes in Fortnite

Honorable mentions

Reaper

Fortnite pickaxe appearing like a scythe
Screengrab via Epic Games

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. The skin is very simple, turning the player’s pickaxe into a scythe. Due to this simplicity, not many players purchased it upon its initial release, which contributed to its rarity.

  • Release Date: Oct. 31, 2017
  • Price: 800 V-Bucks.
  • Last Seen: Nov 1, 2022 (366 days ago)

Minty Axe

a Fortnite pickaxe looking like a cancy cane wrapped in christmas lights with a bright green light at the top
Screengrab via Epic Games

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 looks very similar to the Candy Axe with its unique green glow.

  • 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

Widow's Bite pickaxe skin in Fortnite.
Screengrab 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: Apr. 25, 2019
  • Price: 800 V-Bucks.
  • Last Seen: May 6, 2019 (1707 days ago)

9) AC/DC

A Fortnite pickaxe that appears to be pure steel with a swirl in the center and two cattle prod like ends with a electricity coursing through them
Screengrab via Epic Games

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 Battlepass.
  • Last Seen: Never

8) Crowbar

a Fortnite pickaxe that appears to be a steel crow bar
Screengrab via Epic Games

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

The Instigator pickaxe from Fortnite.
Screenshot via Fortnite Wiki

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 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 February 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

A black and red metallic fortnite pickaxe with red tips on the sharp ends
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: Apr. 11, 2019
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks: Obtained through purchasing an NVIDIA graphics card.
  • Last Seen: Never

5) Pointer: (目光锁定 in Chinese)

a blue and orange Fortnite pickaxe with an orange pointer arrow at the top
Screengrab 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. 07, 2018
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks: Only unlocked by playing in China.
  • Last Seen: Never

4) Power Grip

a black and orange Fortnite pickaxe with a tool like pincher at the top
Screengrab 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. 07, 2018
  • Price: 0 V-Bucks: Only unlocked by playing in China.
  • Last Seen: Never

3) Raiders Revenge

a Fortnite fire axe pickaxe with a pickaxe like top barbed wired to the top
Screengrab via Epic Games

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: December 13th 2017 (2149 days ago).

2) Permafrost

a Fortnite pickaxe built out of steel with an iced over end
Screengrab via Epic Games

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 Battlepass.
  • Last Seen: Never

1) Rarest pickaxe in Fortnite: FNCS Axe Of Champions

a golden Fortnite pickaxe symbolizing those who won a championship series
Screengrab 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
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Ryan Galloway
Ryan is a Senior Staff Writer for Dot Esports who has been working at GAMURS since 2020. He covers a wide variety of titles from across the gaming space, with a focus on Pokémon. He boasts a degree in Journalism from Murdoch University. Email: ryan@dotesports.com
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