- For similar weapons, see Axe, Tomahawk and Combat Axe.
The Hell's Retriever is a wonder weapon and a tactical item featured in the Zombies map, Mob of the Dead in Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The Hell's Retriever can be obtained by feeding six zombies to each of the three Cerberus' heads.
The locations of the three Cerberus' heads are as follows:
- In the 'Broadway' cell block, located near the B23R.
- In the infirmary adjacent to the Afterlife power box.
- Near the workbench on the lower level of the docks.
Once the three Cerberus' heads have receded into the wall, and the Cerberus' head icon on the wall is glowing, an area will open up beneath the sign of the three dog heads down in the Citadel Tunnels. In this room will be the Hell's Retriever, awaiting to be picked up.
When thrown, it can pierce through a total of six zombies at once eventually returning to the player. It can also be charged, which adds more damage and distance. This can be done by holding down the tactical button for a maximum of two pulses. If the player throws it towards a power-up, it will retrieve the power-up and bring it back to the player.
Players will lose the Hell's Retriever if they bleed out. Throwing it does not get rid of it, as it simply returns to the player (the only exception being the step 3 of upgrading to Hell's Redeemer), although it takes a while for it to return to them. Additionally, the player has to wait for the 5-second cooldown before it can be thrown again. The Hell's Retriever has the ability to kill zombies instantly (if charged twice) until round 20. It is also very effective when fighting Brutus.
Hell's Redeemer
The Hell's Retriever can be upgraded into the Hell's Redeemer by completing a series of tasks. As long as it is charged once, it is an instant kill weapon. In addition, it can be charged three times as opposed to only twice with the Hell's Retriever, however, it still retains the ability to kill a maximum of six zombies at once. The Hell's Redeemer is only obtainable in Original difficulty.
Steps to obtain the Hell's Redeemer
- After obtaining the regular Hell's Retriever, kill approximately ten to fifteen zombies with the Hell's Retriever. When done, the sound of entering Afterlife and some music should be heard.
- Spend at least a round with ONLY the Hell's Retriever on the Golden Gate Bridge, killing at least 30 zombies within that round. Once done, the player should hear the Afterlife sound when the round is finished. The player should not shoot weapons as this will restart this step. Knifing the air, however, will not.
- Throw the Hell's Retriever into the lava pit underneath Cerberus' head near the B23R. If done correctly, the Hell's Retriever will not be returned to the player and the Afterlife sound will be heard once again.
- On any following round, travel to the Citadel Tunnels where the Hell's Retriever is obtained. If previous steps have been done correctly, the Hell's Retriever should be absent and the aura should be blue rather than red. The Hell's Redeemer can now be picked up in Afterlife.
In co-op, every player can obtain the Hell's Redeemer, but each player has to do the steps themselves. However, multiple players can do the steps simultaneously.
Videos
Achievement/Trophy
Feed the Beast (10 
/ Bronze Trophy 
) - In Mob of the Dead, obtain the Hell's Retriever.
Gallery
Render of the Hell's Retriever model.
The power-up drop for the Hell's Retriever.
The Hell's Retriever in action.
Hell's Retriever spawning room.
Throwing a Hell's Retriever.
Picking up Hell's Retriever.
Weasel throwing Hell's Retriever.
Thrown Hell's Retriever.
The Hell's Redeemer.
Finn throwing the Hell's Redeemer.
Trivia
- The three dog heads may be a reference to Cerberus, Hades' triple-headed dog and guardian of the underworld.
- It also is possibly a reference to '666', the number of the beast (three dogs, each requiring six zombies).
- The Hell's Redeemer is the first upgradable tactical item to appear in Zombies.
- The Hell's Retriever has a fiery appearance whereas the Hell's Redeemer has an ethereal appearance, though it still appears to be composed of molten rock.
- The Hell's Retriever is the first tactical item that can be acquired without the need of the Mystery Box.
- The Hell's Retriever can obtain the power-ups behind the locked cell doors without opening them.
- Kills with the Hell's Retriever count as grenade kills in player stats.
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