Piranha Gun

Type	Weapon
Damage	38 (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) / 33 (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) (Ranged)
Knockback	1 (Extremely weak)
Critical chance	4%
Use time	30 (Average)
Velocity	14
Tooltip	Latches on to enemies for continuous damage
Rarity
Sell	20 GC
Research	1 required
Use	https://terraria.wiki.gg/wiki/File:Item_10.wav

(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) The Piranhas latching onto some Mimics.

The Piranha Gun is a Hardmode, post-Plantera ranged weapon that fires three (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) / a single (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) returning Mechanical Piranha projectile(s) that costs no ammunition. The mechanical piranha will stick onto an enemy to do continuous damage while the ⚒ Use / Attack button is held. Each can target different enemies, or the same one, if there are too few nearby. If the initial target is killed and the button is still held, the projectiles will seek out nearby enemies. It returns to the gun once no other enemies are in the vicinity, when the button is released, or after one minute of continuous use. The Piranha Gun is always found in the Dungeon's Jungle Chest, which can only be unlocked with a Jungle Key after Plantera has been defeated.

The first enemy the piranha attaches to must be in direct line of sight. However, any other nearby enemy besides the first target will not require a line of sight. It hits 7.5 times per second and deals damage in a very small area, meaning that if other enemies get too close they can also be damaged simultaneously.

Its best modifier is Unreal. Because its attack speed is unaffected by modifiers, Godly and Demonic can also be considered the best modifiers for a Piranha Gun.

Notes

The piranha will not latch onto other players in PvP.
When traveling away from the player, the piranha moves at about 71 mph; coming back, it moves at 102 mph.
While the ⚒ Use / Attack button is held and the piranha is attacking enemies, the player can move about without worrying about keeping aim.
(Old-gen console and 3DS versions) The Piranha Gun does not receive a damage bonus from any of the three Shroomite armor headpieces. However, non-specific bonuses to ranged weapons are properly applied to this weapon.
(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) The Piranha Gun receives damage bonuses from the Shroomite Helmet.
The Piranha Gun does approximately 15,000 total damage over the course of one minute, before factoring in enemy defense.
Like other projectiles, the piranha travels slower in liquids.
The piranha's damage is determined at launch and remains in effect until it returns to the gun. Using this weapon while in stealth mode of Shroomite armor/Vortex armor(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) will cause it to deal increased damage even after stealth mode deactivates. The bonus damage remains until the fish flies back to the gun. However, the bonus critical strike chance will be lost upon exiting stealth mode.

Tips

The Piranha Gun is great for eliminating swarms of enemies as the player can hide behind walls while the piranha jumps between enemies in a wide open space. It is especially good for eliminating Paladins and teleporting enemies, since the piranha will lock onto and follow the target with each teleport and pass through solid blocks in the process. Also, since Paladins do not attack without direct line of sight, they will just receive damage and eventually be defeated if the player hides.
Its high attack rate, ability to remain on top of a target, and weak knockback combine to effectively slow or stun-lock many enemies. Certain enemies cannot attack or fire while being damaged, being completely paralyzed as a result.
It can be used to constantly damage bosses without having to focus on aiming or going in close for melee attacks. This can allow the player to focus on dodging and hold out for any debuffs to clear, such as Potion Sickness.
The Piranha Gun can also be used against Dungeon Guardians because of its ability to cause continuous damage while following its target. It also does not consume ammunition, making fights against it less costly (though also slower) compared to using rapid-fire guns with Crystal Bullets.

Trivia

The piranha travels slower in water, despite being based on a fish.
The weapon's sprite seems to squint after it latches on to a target.
The piranha will return to the gun after reaching a certain distance from the player. If the player can keep up with the piranha, and there are no obstacles, it will continue for the duration of its despawn timer.
It shares a color scheme with the Rocket Launcher, another post-Plantera ranged weapon.
Although not a bullet-firing weapon, it does continue the trend of ranged weapons being based off of aquatic life set by the Minishark, Megashark, Gatligator, and S.D.M.G.

History

Desktop version

Desktop 1.4.3.3: The Piranhas should now be much better able to keep up with rapidly moving enemies, assuming that enemy is not teleporting or briefly becoming invulnerable.

Desktop 1.4.0.5: The Mechanical Piranhas fired from the Piranha Gun will now catch up more quickly so you can't outrun them.

Desktop 1.4.0.1:
- Item and projectile sprites updated.
- Now shoots three piranhas instead of one.
- The rate at which the Piranhas can bite has been decreased slightly on an individual basis.