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Fortnite Rare Emotes & Pickaxes: The Collector's Guide (2026)
Beyond skins, Fortnite has rare emotes (Take the L, Floss, Orange Justice), pickaxes (Reaper, Raider's Revenge, Axecalibur), and gliders. Full breakdown of rarity tiers and what drives value.
Rare Emotes & Pickaxes Guide · Fortnite 2026
Beyond skins, Fortnite's cosmetic economy includes emotes, pickaxes, gliders, and wraps — many of which are rarer than the skins they pair with. Reaper, Take the L, Axecalibur, and Floss all have significant account-flex value. This guide covers the rarest non-skin cosmetics in Fortnite.
Why Do Non-Skin Cosmetics Matter?
Skins get the headlines but serious Fortnite account collectors track everything — emotes, pickaxes, gliders, loading screens, banners, wraps. Each category has OG exclusives and limited-time releases.
What Are the Rarest Pickaxes in Fortnite?
Tier S: Unobtainable OG Pickaxes
Season 3 Battle Pass
Only available to players who completed Season 3 Battle Pass (2018). Pairs with the John Wick-inspired Reaper skin. Black/red aesthetic with reversible scythe design.
Season 1 Battle Pass
Season 1 Battle Pass exclusive. Red/black axe with explicit 'OG' markers. Pairs well with Renegade Raider / Aerial Assault Trooper.
Season 7 Christmas event
Limited-time Christmas event pickaxe. Medieval sword-axe design. Unobtainable post-event.
Tier A: Common-but-Desirable Pickaxes
Season 1 Battle Pass reward
The 'OG balloon' pickaxe. Unremarkable look but carries OG status markers.
Halloween 2017
Original Halloween 2017 release. Limited re-releases but the 2017 variant has distinct particle effects.
Razor Rider
Season 2 item shop
Season 2 item shop release, briefly available in early 2018. Moderate-rare tier. A staple of Season 2 collector accounts.
What Are the Rarest Emotes in Fortnite?
Tier S: OG Emotes (Unobtainable)
Season 3 Battle Pass
The 'L' emote that became culturally iconic. Available only during Season 3 Battle Pass. Massive meme status in 2018-2019 — remains one of the most-referenced emotes in Fortnite culture.
Season 4 Boogie Down
Community-created emote from the 'Orange Justice' video submission. Permanent cultural marker of Season 4 era.
Season 2 Battle Pass
Battle Pass Tier 49 reward in Season 2. 'The Floss' dance became one of 2018's biggest cultural phenomena — transcended Fortnite to become a pop culture dance.
Tier A: Valuable Emotes
Season 3
'Carlton Dance' emote referencing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Cultural icon from 2018, still available occasionally.
Season 2
PSY 'Gangnam Style' reference dance. One of the earliest emotes; cultural meme.
Season 3
Geometric cleaning-style dance. Not as iconic as Floss or Orange Justice but still Season 3 exclusive.
Season 4
Season 4 Battle Pass reward. Mid-tier rarity.
Want an account with OG Chapter 1-4 emotes like Take the L, Floss, and Orange Justice? Verified Fortnite accounts with rare emote collections are available on account marketplaces. Browse Fortnite accounts with rare emotes →
What Are the Rarest Gliders?
Gliders are generally less valuable than skins/pickaxes but certain Season 1-3 exclusives matter:
Season 1 Battle Pass
The iconic Season 1 glider. Available only during Season 1 — unobtainable since. Shark-shaped design.
Season 2 Battle Pass
Season 2 Battle Pass reward. Snowflake-themed design. OG-tier.
Checkered Flag
Season 3 Battle Pass
Season 3 Battle Pass Tier 30 reward. Racing-themed design. Moderate rarity — Season 3 Battle Pass completion required.
What's the "Complete OG Bundle" Look Like?
A fully stacked OG Chapter 1 account would have:
A fully loaded OG account with these items would be valued $3,000-8,000 on the verified account market in 2026.
Are Wraps and Contrails Rare Too?
Wraps (Weapon/Vehicle Skins)
Wraps were added later in Fortnite. The earliest (Season X, 2019) are now OG-ish but less valuable than pre-2019 skins.
Certain wraps tied to collaborations are more valuable:
- Travis Scott wrap bundle (2020 concert event)
- Marshmello wrap
- Rick and Morty collaboration wraps
Contrails (Trail When Skydiving)
Contrails are the visual trail effect when skydiving. Most are common — a few from Battle Pass tiers are worth noting but not typically high-value.
What About Loading Screens and Banners?
Loading screens (unlocked through Battle Pass challenges) and banners (through early-account progression) are account visual markers but add minimal value. Banners are most interesting for collectors tracking every season 1-3 exclusive icon.
How Do I Check if My Fortnite Cosmetic Is Rare?
In-game:
- Go to your Locker
- Hover over an item to see release date
- If release date was 2017-2018, it's probably rare
- Check community databases (FNBR.co) for release timeline + last-seen date
- FNBR.co — complete release history
- Fortnite Tracker — stats + cosmetic verification
- Fortnite Wiki (fandom.com) — deep history
The release-date tell: Any cosmetic released 2017-2018 is automatically rarer than modern cosmetics. Items released December 2017-April 2018 are the absolute rarest because Fortnite's player base was smallest during that window.
What Are the Worst Rare-Item Investment Mistakes?
Buying a rare item you won't use
Cosmetic investing isn't financial investing
Rare items appreciate only if they're actually seen on accounts that get sold. A rare item sitting in an account you never sell is just digital dust. Only chase rare items you'll actually equip.
Overpaying for 'fake-rare' items
Mid-2019+ exclusives are often less rare than marketed
Skins from Season 8-9 (2019) are described as 'rare' by some sellers, but Fortnite's player base was huge by then. Only Season 1-3 (2017-2018) Chapter 1 exclusives are genuinely rare.
Ignoring Tier 100 Battle Pass rewards
Top-tier battle pass completion is always rare
Only 3-5% of Fortnite players historically reach Tier 100 of a Battle Pass. Tier 100 skins from older seasons are genuinely rare — often more so than Item Shop exclusives because of the time commitment barrier.
Per-Season Exclusive Emote List
Chapter 1 Season 1 Emotes
Season 1 emote exclusives
First-era emotes
Ride the Pony (PSY Gangnam Style reference). Dance Therapy. Flapper. All Season 1 Battle Pass Tier-specific emotes. These established Fortnite's dance emote culture.
Chapter 1 Season 2
Season 2 emote exclusives
Medieval theme + dances
Floss (Season 2 Battle Pass Tier 49). Slow Clap. Smooth Ride. Season 2 emotes are notably rarer than Season 1 — Tier 100 completion required for each.
Chapter 1 Season 3
Season 3 emote exclusives
John Wick / action theme
Take the L (Tier 31). Tidy (Tier 83). Rambunctious. These emotes are locked to Season 3 Battle Pass completers. Take the L specifically became a cultural touchstone.
Chapter 1 Season 4+
Season 4-10 exclusive emotes
Various themes
Orange Justice (Season 4 Boogie Down community contest). Best Mates (Season 4 Tier 70). Subsequent seasons each had exclusive emotes at Tier 100 + key Tier rewards.
Per-Pickaxe Season Deep Dives
Chapter 1 Season 1 Pickaxes
Season 1 pickaxe exclusives
First-era tools
Raider's Revenge (Season 1 Battle Pass reward). Party Animal (Battle Pass). Cutter (Battle Pass). Season 1 pickaxes are tightly tied to Renegade Raider / Aerial Assault Trooper aesthetic.
Chapter 1 Season 3 Pickaxes
Season 3 pickaxe exclusives
Action-themed
Reaper pickaxe — Season 3 Battle Pass exclusive. Paired with the John Wick-inspired Reaper skin. The most iconic OG pickaxe.
Chapter 1 Season 5-7 Pickaxes
Mid-Chapter 1 pickaxes
Variety period
Season 5: Victory Umbrella, Beach Bomber. Season 6: Stabsy (pet-themed pickaxe). Season 7: Axecalibur (Christmas event). These are mid-tier rare — harder than modern pickaxes but not quite Tier S.
Wrap and Contrail Rarity
Wraps
Weapon/vehicle skins
Wraps launched in Season X (2019). Early wraps (Season X Battle Pass + collaboration bundles) are moderately rare. Travis Scott wrap, Marshmello wrap, and specific movie collab wraps are high-value.
Contrails
Skydive effect
Contrail trails during skydiving. Most are common — a handful of Battle Pass Tier 100 contrails are notable. The "Rainbow Contrail" (Season 3 exclusive) is among the rarer trail effects.
Loading Screen Collection
Loading screens
Unlocked via challenges
Each season had ~10-15 unique loading screens unlocked by completing specific Battle Pass challenges. Many contained hidden in-game cosmetics (e.g., the Season 5 loading screen hinted at the Road Trip hidden skin).
Hidden skins via loading screens
Secret Battle Pass rewards
Starting Season 4, each Battle Pass had a secret hidden skin revealed via loading screens. Carbide (S4), Royale Knight (S2), Blockbuster (S4 alt), Road Trip (S5), Ruin (S8), The Prisoner (S7) — all secret-rewarded skins. These are harder to verify on OG accounts because players must have completed specific challenge tiers.
Full OG Bundle Valuation
A fully stacked OG Fortnite account across all cosmetic categories:
Total premium for complete OG bundle: $3,000-6,400 above a standard Chapter 3+ account valuation.
Platform-Specific Exclusives
Samsung Galaxy series
Phone pre-order exclusives
Console promotional
Honor Guard, Eon, Deep Freeze
Honor Guard (Huawei P40 pre-order). Eon (Xbox One S special). Deep Freeze (PlayStation promotional). These require specific device / purchase linkage to unlock.
Epic Games Store exclusives
Gift cards + specific retailers
Certain skins are only available via Epic Gift Cards purchased at specific retailers (Walmart, Target, Best Buy). These rotate and are collectibles as codes expire.
Event Exclusive Rarity
Certain real-world events had Fortnite cosmetic tie-ins:
Related Reading
- Fortnite OG Skins — the skin counterpart to this guide
- Fortnite Account Value Guide — how cosmetics combine into account value
- Fortnite Zero Build vs Build Mode — playstyle overview
- Fortnite Competitive Guide — ranked play and tournaments
