Zombie axe

“A rusty yet powerful axe.”

The Zombie axe is a one-handed melee weapon that requires 65 Attack to wield. Despite being a budget item, it punches well above its price: it has the highest strength bonus and slash attack of any one-handed weapon in the game, and its crush bonus is beaten only by the dragon warhammer and inquisitor's mace (excluding PvP-only weapons). You don't buy it as a finished item — you repair a broken zombie axe, dropped by the armoured zombies from the Defender of Varrock quest, at an anvil. It makes a strong, cheap Attack-training and Slayer weapon, especially for mid-game ironmen.

Equipment bonuses

The Zombie axe is built around one job — slash and crush damage. Its strength bonus and slash attack are the highest on any one-handed weapon, and its crush attack is bettered only by the dragon warhammer and inquisitor's mace (PvP weapons aside). The table below shows the worn bonuses in full; everything that makes the axe worth using is in those two numbers and its fast attack speed.

Attack bonuses
−3
+105
+90
0
0
Defence bonuses
−1
0
0
0
−1
Other bonuses
+107
+0
+0%
+0
Slot
Weapon

Requires 65 Attack to wield · one-handed · attack speed 5t / 3.0s · attack range 1 · members. Its standout figures are the class-leading one-handed strength and slash bonuses shown above.

Grand Exchange price history

Current guide price Live
1,064K
90-day high—
90-day low—
90-day change—
Live Grand Exchange history, refreshed every few minutes (source: prices.runescape.wiki) · tap the chart for any day’s price.

How to get the Zombie axe

The Zombie axe isn't dropped ready to use. Instead you obtain a broken zombie axe and repair it. The broken axe drops from the armoured zombies tied to the Defender of Varrock quest — in Zemouregal's Base, and from their higher-level variants in Zemouregal's Fort. You don't need to finish the quest for the drop to be possible.

Broken zombie axe drop rate
SourceRate per kill
Armoured zombie (Zemouregal's Base)~1 in 800
Armoured zombie (Zemouregal's Fort)Also drops it (higher-level variant)
The Base armoured zombies drop the broken axe at roughly 1 in 800. The Fort variants drop it too. Source: OSRS Wiki.

Once you have a broken zombie axe, take it to an anvil with a hammer in your inventory and repair it. This needs 70 Smithing (boostable) and grants 500 Smithing XP. Because both the broken and the finished axe are tradeable, most players skip the grind entirely and buy one off the Grand Exchange.

Two different levels: you need 70 Smithing to repair the axe, but only 65 Attack to wield it. If you buy a finished axe on the GE you skip the Smithing requirement completely.

Zombie axe FAQ

What level do you need for the Zombie axe?
65 Attack to wield it. Note that's separate from the 70 Smithing you need to repair the broken zombie axe into the usable weapon — the Smithing level is only for creating it, not for using it.
How do you get the Zombie axe?
You don't get the finished axe as a drop. You get a broken zombie axe — dropped by the armoured zombies from the Defender of Varrock quest (1 in 800 in Zemouregal's Base) — then repair it at an anvil with a hammer and 70 Smithing, which gives 500 Smithing XP. Both the broken and repaired axe are tradeable, so most players just buy one off the Grand Exchange.
Does the Zombie axe have a special attack?
No. The Zombie axe has no special attack — it's a straightforward melee weapon. Its value comes entirely from its class-leading one-handed strength and slash bonuses, not from a spec.
Is the Zombie axe good for training Attack?
Yes — it's one of the best budget melee weapons for the job. With the highest strength bonus of any one-handed weapon and a fast 3-second attack, it trains efficiently at a low price, and you can pair it with a shield or defender since it's one-handed.
Is the Zombie axe better than the Abyssal whip?
It depends on the target. The whip is faster (2.4s vs 3.0s) and great as an all-rounder, but the Zombie axe hits harder per swing. Against enemies that are weak to crush or have high defence — like gargoyles — the Zombie axe can out-damage the whip. Against low-defence targets the faster whip usually edges ahead. It needs only 65 Attack versus the whip's 70, and no Slayer level.
Why is the Zombie axe good for ironmen?
It's a cheap, self-obtainable upgrade. Mid-game ironmen who don't yet have 85 Slayer (needed for the Abyssal whip) can repair a Zombie axe instead and get strong crush/slash damage. Its +105 slash also always cuts through webs, which makes it a convenient weapon for slaying Sarachnis.
How much is the Zombie axe worth?
See the live Grand Exchange price and history chart above — both the repaired axe and the broken version trade on the GE, and the price moves with armoured-zombie supply. It's an affordable, low-tier melee weapon.
Is the Zombie axe one-handed or two-handed?
One-handed. Even though it's a battleaxe in style, it occupies only the weapon slot, so you can equip a shield or defender alongside it — part of why it's such a flexible budget melee option.