Knife

Knife
Throw away that chicken shit gun.
Weapon Type	Melee
Weapon	Ka-Bar
Speed	Very fast
Range	Low
Location	Weapon Spawn, Dennis Mask, Mobster, Beard, Level Editor
Unlock	No
Lethal Throw	Yes (HM1) Usually (HM2)
Can Execute?	Yes

The Knife is one of the more common weapons in Hotline Miami. It is unique in that it can be used to kill by striking and to kill by throwing. However, thrown knives do not always kill their target, even with successful hits.

Hotline Miami

The knife has a unique execution animation where the player slits the throat of a downed enemy.

The knife has a relatively short range, but can be swung incredibly fast. Holding down the left mouse button with the knife equipped provides a constant stream of swings. This makes the blade easy to clear small rooms with, but it's short range makes Jacket very vulnerable to firearms and melee weapons with longer reach. It is best utilized when breaking through a door and killing several enemies in close proximity within a timespace of a second at best, or as a makeshift (albeit unreliable) ranged weapon.

Knives can be retrieved from fallen enemies or picked up at at weapon spawns. Choosing the Dennis Mask allows the player to start a chapter with a knife.

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

In Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, the knife is replaced by a different counterpart that functions exactly the same, known as the Butterfly Knife. However, it still makes an appearance in the game, where it is only used by Beard as his source of melee when switching between his chosen gun. Beard also uses it to execute downed Soldiers.

As well as the return of the Dennis Mask, the regular knife also returns in the Level Editor alongside the Butterfly Knife.

Gallery

A Ka-Bar, the real life knife that the one in Hotline Miami appears to be based on.

Jacket wielding a Knife.

Beard wielding his Combat Knife.

Trivia

• Thrown knives that are fatal cannot be retrieved, as they will be stuck inside the corpse. A thrown knife can be retrieved as normal if it does not kill the person that it hits.
• Knives are the only melee weapon that can kill by being thrown without wearing the Jake Mask.
• The knife appears to be based off the Ka-Bar, the combat knife used by the US Military since World War 2, this is supported by the fact that Beard uses it as his secondary weapon.
• In Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, the knife will turn into a butterfly knife if it is thrown or dropped.