Enchantments decide how strong, durable and versatile your gear is in Minecraft. Armour, sword, pickaxe, bow or mace – the right enchantments get considerably more out of every item.
This article is the lookup reference for Minecraft enchantments, with max levels, effects and incompatibilities. How to build the table and reach level 30 enchantments is covered separately in building a Minecraft enchanting table.
last checked against the official Java Edition documentation, as of August 2026 (version 26.2)
What you will learn
- which Minecraft enchantments exist for armour, weapons, tools and other items
- the maximum level of every enchantment
- which enchantments are mutually exclusive
- when Mending, Infinity, Fortune or Silk Touch are worth it
- how to get enchantments onto an item via the table, an anvil or
/enchant
Table of contents
- How to get enchantments
- Every enchantment at a glance
- Armour
- Melee weapons
- Mace
- Tools
- Bow
- Crossbow
- Trident
- Fishing rod
- Curses in the enchantment list
- Incompatibilities
- The key decisions in practice
- Curses
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently asked questions
- Related articles
- Summary
How to get enchantments
There are three routes onto your gear:
- Enchanting table: the table offers enchantments up to level 30. That needs 15 bookshelves placed one block away. Reaching level 30 takes 825 experience points in total, and the table also consumes lapis lazuli. Layout, recipe and bookshelf placement are covered in building a Minecraft enchanting table.
- Anvil and enchanted book: enchanted books come from librarians, loot or fishing, and an anvil transfers them onto a compatible item.
- Command:
/enchantenchants the item you are holding. It expects the English IDs.
An example for Sharpness V:
/enchant @s sharpness 5/enchant expects it, so you can copy the ID straight into the command.If you later upgrade diamond gear to netherite, existing enchantments are carried over. The process is described in how to make Netherite in Minecraft.
Every enchantment at a glance
The tables below cover the Minecraft enchantments of Java Edition 26.2 with their maximum level and effect.
Armour
Armour enchantments reduce damage or improve mobility in specific situations. Some apply only to particular pieces such as the helmet, boots or leggings.
| Enchantment | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Protection | IV | reduces most types of damage |
| Fire Protection | IV | reduces fire and lava damage |
| Blast Protection | IV | reduces explosion damage |
| Projectile Protection | IV | reduces projectile damage |
| Thorns | III | injures attackers |
| Respiration | III | extends underwater breathing (helmet) |
| Aqua Affinity | I | normal mining speed underwater (helmet) |
| Feather Falling | IV | reduces fall damage (boots) |
| Depth Strider | III | faster movement in water (boots) |
| Frost Walker | II | freezes water underfoot (boots) |
| Soul Speed | III | faster on soul sand and soul soil (boots) |
| Swift Sneak | III | faster sneaking (leggings) |
Melee weapons
Melee weapons take both general damage enchantments and specialised variants, plus effects for knockback, fire, loot and sweep attacks.
| Enchantment | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpness | V | more melee damage |
| Smite | V | more damage against undead |
| Bane of Arthropods | V | more damage against arthropods |
| Knockback | II | knocks enemies back further |
| Fire Aspect | II | sets enemies on fire |
| Looting | III | more loot from mobs |
| Sweeping Edge | III | more damage on sweep attacks |
Mace
The mace has its own enchantments for smash damage, armour penetration and movement after a successful smash attack.
| Enchantment | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Density | V | more smash damage per block fallen |
| Breach | IV | ignores part of the target's armour |
| Wind Burst | III | launches you upward after a smash attack |
Tools
Tool enchantments govern mining speed, drops and durability. On pickaxes in particular, the choice between Fortune and Silk Touch matters.
| Enchantment | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | V | faster mining |
| Silk Touch | I | blocks drop themselves |
| Fortune | III | more drops from ores and plants |
| Unbreaking | III | slower durability loss |
| Mending | I | repairs the item with collected experience |
Bow
Bow enchantments raise damage or knockback and add flaming arrows. For durability you have to choose between Infinity and Mending.
| Enchantment | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Power | V | more arrow damage |
| Punch | II | more arrow knockback |
| Flame | I | flaming arrows |
| Infinity | I | consumes no arrows |
Crossbow
Crossbow enchantments affect reload speed, the number of projectiles and piercing through multiple targets.
| Enchantment | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Charge | III | faster reloading |
| Multishot | I | three arrows per shot |
| Piercing | IV | arrows pierce multiple targets |
Trident
The trident focuses on return, movement, lightning and extra damage against aquatic mobs.
| Enchantment | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Loyalty | III | returns after being thrown |
| Riptide | III | pulls you along when thrown (only in water or rain) |
| Channeling | I | summons lightning during a thunderstorm |
| Impaling | V | more damage against aquatic mobs |
Fishing rod
Two enchantments improve either the chance of treasure or how quickly fish bite.
| Enchantment | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Luck of the Sea | III | better chance of treasure |
| Lure | III | fish bite sooner |
Curses in the enchantment list
Curses bring nothing but drawbacks. They reach items through loot, trading or fishing.
| Enchantment | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Curse of Binding | I | armour can no longer be removed |
| Curse of Vanishing | I | the item disappears on death |
Incompatibilities
Not every Minecraft enchantment combines with every other. When two are incompatible, the anvil refuses the combination.
| Item | Mutually exclusive |
|---|---|
| Armour | the four protection types among themselves (Protection, Fire Protection, Blast Protection, Projectile Protection) |
| Boots | Depth Strider and Frost Walker |
| Melee weapons | Sharpness, Smite and Bane of Arthropods among themselves |
| Mace | Density, Breach, Smite and Bane of Arthropods among themselves |
| Tools | Fortune and Silk Touch |
| Bow | Infinity and Mending |
| Crossbow | Multishot and Piercing |
| Trident | Riptide excludes Loyalty and Channeling |
The key decisions in practice
Mending or Infinity?
Mending is the most valuable enchantment for gear you keep. Together with Unbreaking III it makes equipment practically indestructible, because collected experience repairs the item while Unbreaking slows the wear.
On a bow you have to choose: Mending and Infinity cannot be combined.
- Mending suits a bow you want to keep for the long haul.
- Infinity suits a bow you want to fire without spending arrows.
Fortune or Silk Touch?
On tools, Fortune and Silk Touch exclude each other. For genuinely flexible gear, two pickaxes are the answer.
- Fortune III for more drops from diamonds, redstone and lapis.
- Silk Touch I for glass, ore blocks themselves and beehives.
Sharpness or Smite?
Sharpness, Smite and Bane of Arthropods are mutually exclusive.
Sharpness V raises melee damage across the board and is the versatile pick. Smite V boosts damage specifically against undead. Unless you are building a specialised weapon for one type of enemy, Sharpness is the more flexible choice.
Recommended gear sets
These combinations make a strong standard loadout:
| Item | Recommended enchantments |
|---|---|
| Armour | Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending |
| Boots | Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending, Feather Falling IV |
| Sword | Sharpness V, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Mending |
| Pickaxe | Efficiency V, Fortune III, Unbreaking III, Mending |
For a second pickaxe, swap Fortune III for Silk Touch I.
Curses
Minecraft has two curses: Curse of Binding and Curse of Vanishing. Binding stops equipped armour from being taken off again. Vanishing makes the item disappear when you die.
Curses arrive through loot, trading or fishing and cannot be removed at the enchanting table.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| The enchanting table only offers low levels | Bookshelves are missing or misplaced. Level 30 needs 15 bookshelves one block away. See building a Minecraft enchanting table. |
| An enchantment never appears | The item is not compatible with that enchantment. |
| The anvil refuses the combination | The enchantments are mutually exclusive. Check the incompatibility table. |
| The anvil says "Too Expensive!" | Too many work steps have been applied to the same item. |
/enchant fails | Check that you use the English ID and stay within the maximum level. |
| Mending is not repairing the item | The item has to be held or worn while you collect experience. |
Frequently asked questions
Which enchantment is the best in Minecraft?
For gear you intend to keep, Mending is the most valuable. Combined with Unbreaking III it keeps equipment usable almost indefinitely, because collected experience repairs the item.
How do I get level 30 enchantments?
You need an enchanting table with 15 bookshelves placed one block away, enough experience and lapis lazuli. The exact layout is in building a Minecraft enchanting table.
Fortune or Silk Touch – which is better?
Fortune III is better for more drops, Silk Touch I for blocks you want to keep intact. Fortune pays off on diamonds, redstone and lapis; Silk Touch on glass, ore blocks themselves and beehives. To use both, carry two pickaxes.
Can I combine Mending and Infinity?
No, Mending and Infinity are mutually exclusive on a bow. Pick Mending for a bow you keep long term, or Infinity for one that never runs out of arrows.
How do I remove a curse from an item?
A curse cannot be removed at the enchanting table. Curses reach items through loot, trading or fishing.
Which enchantments does the mace have?
The mace takes Density V, Breach IV and Wind Burst III. Note the incompatibility as well: Density, Breach, Smite and Bane of Arthropods rule each other out.
Do enchantments survive the netherite upgrade?
Yes, all enchantments are kept during the netherite upgrade at the smithing table. The process is described in how to make Netherite in Minecraft.
Related articles
- Building a Minecraft enchanting table – layout, bookshelves and lapis lazuli
- How to make Netherite in Minecraft – upgrade diamond gear and keep the enchantments
- How to create a Minecraft server – start your own world on a server
Summary
This complete Minecraft enchantment list lets you check quickly which enchantment belongs on which item, how high it goes and which combinations cancel each other out. For most long-term gear, Mending and Unbreaking III are the standouts, while Fortune versus Silk Touch and Mending versus Infinity are deliberate either-or decisions.
If you want to play your enchanted world with others, you can rent a Minecraft server or first read up on how to create a Minecraft server.