Hell’s Redeemer BO2: Full Mob of the Dead Guide
The Hell’s Redeemer is the upgraded tomahawk from Mob of the Dead, and no, killing zombies with your bare hands won’t summon it. You must complete the full upgrade chain on Original difficulty, or the game will simply refuse to give it to you. Anyone typing hell’s redeemer bo2 into a search bar hoping for a console command is going to leave disappointed. You earn it by feeding dogs, drowning a weapon in lava, and surviving a bridge full of screaming corpses.
Before the Redeemer exists, its uglier cousin has to. The Hell’s Retriever is a tomahawk wonder weapon that lunges at nearby zombies and chains along them like the Wunderwaffe, killing each one it hits instantly. Skip the Retriever step and the entire quest is dead before it starts.
Step 1: Feed the Dog Heads
This is the part of any mob of the dead dog heads location search that everyone skims past and then complains doesn’t work. Three stone dog heads sit around the map, and each one demands six zombie kills delivered right beside it. The kills must happen next to the head, not somewhere nearby where you feel like it.
| Dog Head | Location |
|---|---|
| Dog 1 | Broadway cell block, near the B23R wall-buy |
| Dog 2 | Cafeteria area |
| Dog 3 | Near the Warden’s Office corridor |
Feed all three and a wall near the Double Tap machine blows open to reveal the tomahawk. The order does not matter, so stop overthinking your black ops 2 zombies wonder weapon guide route.
Step 2: Grab the Hell’s Retriever
Walk into the newly opened tunnel and pick up your prize. The Hell’s Retriever uses the tactical button, and holding it down adds more damage and lets you grab power-ups from further away. It always returns to you when thrown, so losing it mid-throw is not an excuse you get to use.
Now kill 10 to 15 zombies with it. The game rewards you with a haunting audio cue, because subtlety was never Treyarch’s strength.
Bleed out and lose the Retriever mid-quest, and you simply walk back to its spawn point to grab it again. Progress on the actual upgrade quest does not reset, so panic accordingly less than you were about to.
Step 3: The Bridge and the Lava Pit
Head to the Golden Gate Bridge on round 10 or later, arriving via the plane, and use only the Retriever for an entire round. Another audio cue confirms you didn’t waste your time. Then walk back to the Broadway cell block, the one with the first dog head, and throw the tomahawk into the lava pit below. This is the one and only time it does not come back to you. End the round immediately after.
Step 4: Afterlife Mode Pickup
At the start of the new round, trigger afterlife mode bo2 near the Citadel Docks. The Redeemer sits exactly where the Retriever used to live, glowing blue instead of red. You must be in Afterlife specifically to pick it up, and you need to get back into your body before you bleed out for good. Grab a friend to revive you if you’re playing solo is not really an option, so time your run.
What You Actually Get
| Trait | Retriever | Redeemer |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Red | Blue |
| Charges | 2 | 3 |
| Chain length | Standard | Kills a maximum of six zombies at once, longer and faster than before |
| Instant kill | Zombies only | Zombies and Hellhounds guaranteed once charged |
Final Notes
This whole ordeal only counts on Original difficulty. Attempt this on Casual or Hardened and you’re wasting a round count for nothing. If you’re deep enough into a black ops 2 zombies guide to be reading this, you already know the game doesn’t hold your hand, and this weapon is the reward for not needing it to.
- Every player must complete this quest independently, so carrying your squad does not carry their tomahawk.
- The dog heads reset if you leave the game, so finish what you start in one session.
- A full mob of the dead walkthrough treats this weapon as the actual endgame, since the map itself has no traditional main easter egg ending.
What difficulty is required for Hell’s Redeemer?
Original difficulty only, in Mob of the Dead. Any other setting makes the entire quest chain unusable.
How many dog heads do I need to feed?
Three dog heads total, each requiring six zombie kills delivered right beside it, in any order.
Do I lose the Retriever if I throw it in lava?
Yes, that one throw is permanent. Every other throw returns it automatically to your hands.
Can I skip Afterlife mode entirely?
No, Afterlife is mandatory to physically pick up the finished Hell’s Redeemer near Citadel Docks.
Does bleeding out ruin my progress?
No, quest progress stays saved. You just retrieve the tomahawk again from its normal spawn point.
