Minecraft has 43 enchantments as of Java Edition 26.2 (“Chaos Cubed”), and knowing exactly what each one does — and what it does not do — is the difference between a wasted anvil and gear that carries you through the End. Some of these numbers are surprisingly precise, and a few common assumptions about them are flat wrong.
This guide lists every enchantment with its exact effect, maximum level, and the items it applies to, then walks through the best picks in priority order. All values below reflect Java Edition 26.2, which added sulfur caves and Vulkan rendering but made no enchantment-mechanic changes — only minor bug fixes. The Spear and its Lunge enchantment arrived earlier in 1.21.9 and are present here too.
TL;DR: The Best Enchantments to Chase
- Sword: Sharpness V, Looting III, Sweeping Edge III, Fire Aspect II, Unbreaking III, Mending.
- Mace: Density V or Breach IV (they are mutually exclusive — pick one), plus Wind Burst III (all Trial Chamber loot only).
- Pickaxe/Tools: Efficiency V, Fortune III (or Silk Touch — never both), Unbreaking III, Mending.
- Bow: Power V, Infinity or Mending (mutually exclusive), Flame, Punch II.
- Armor: Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending; Feather Falling IV on boots.
- Universal: Unbreaking III and Mending belong on almost everything with durability.
Want the math done for you? Try our Minecraft Enchantment Calculator to plan combinations and anvil costs before you spend a single level.
Full Enchantment List (26.2)
| Enchantment | Max Level | Effect | Applies To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpness | V | Java: +0.5 x level + 0.5 melee damage (I = +1, V = +3). Bedrock uses 1.25 x level. | Sword, Axe, Spear |
| Smite | V | +2.5 x level damage vs undead (zombies, skeletons, withers, drowned, etc.). | Sword, Axe, Mace, Spear |
| Bane of Arthropods | V | +2.5 x level damage vs arthropods; applies Slowness IV up to 1.5 x level seconds. | Sword, Axe, Mace, Spear |
| Fire Aspect | II | Sets target on fire for 4 x level seconds (I = 4s, II = 8s). | Sword, Mace, Spear |
| Knockback | II | +~2.586 blocks horizontal knockback per level (base ~1.55). | Sword, Spear |
| Looting | III | +1 max common drop per level; +1 percentage point rare-drop chance per level. | Sword, Spear |
| Sweeping Edge | III | Sweep damage = level/(level+1) of main hit (I = 50%, II = 67%, III = 75%). Java only. | Sword |
| Breach | IV | Reduces target armor effectiveness 15% per level (up to 60% at IV) on mace hits. | Mace |
| Density | V | +0.5 smash damage per level for each block fallen (2.5/block at V). | Mace |
| Wind Burst | III | Mace smash bursts a wind charge that launches the attacker upward (higher = taller). | Mace |
| Lunge | III | Spear jab propels wielder forward (I = 0.458, II = 0.916, III = 1.374 blocks/tick). Costs hunger + durability. | Spear |
| Power | V | +25% x (level + 1) arrow damage (I = +50%, V = +150%), rounded to nearest half-heart. | Bow |
| Punch | II | Increases arrow knockback (~3 blocks per level). | Bow |
| Flame | I | Arrows ignite the target (~5 seconds / 5 fire damage) plus impact damage. | Bow |
| Infinity | I | Bow does not consume arrows (needs 1 normal arrow). No tipped/spectral arrows; fired arrows can’t be recovered. | Bow |
| Multishot | I | Fires 3 arrows in a spread for one arrow’s cost; all three deal damage. | Crossbow |
| Piercing | IV | Arrows pierce up to level + 1 entities; pierced arrows recoverable. | Crossbow |
| Quick Charge | III | Reduces reload time by 0.25 seconds per level. | Crossbow |
| Channeling | I | In a thunderstorm, a thrown trident hitting a sky-exposed mob summons lightning. | Trident |
| Impaling | V | +2.5 x level damage vs aquatic mobs (Bedrock: any mob in water or rain). | Trident |
| Loyalty | III | Thrown trident returns to you; higher levels return faster. Lost in the void. | Trident |
| Riptide | III | In water/rain, launches player (6 x level)+3 blocks in rain/open water, (4 x level)+3 underwater. | Trident |
| Efficiency | V | Adds (level^2 + 1) to mining speed (I = +2, V = +26). | Pickaxe, Shovel, Axe, Hoe, Shears |
| Fortune | III | Multiplies ore/crop drops by a weighted random up to level + 1; boosts rare-drop chances. | Pickaxe, Shovel, Axe, Hoe |
| Silk Touch | I | Blocks drop themselves (ore blocks, glass, ice, grass, ender chest, etc.). | Pickaxe, Shovel, Axe, Hoe, Shears |
| Unbreaking | III | Tools/weapons take damage with probability 1/(level+1) (III = 25%). Armor: 0.6 + 0.4/(level+1) (III = 70%). | Any item with durability |
| Mending | I | XP orbs repair the held/worn item (2 durability per 1 XP) instead of adding to your bar. Treasure. | Any item with durability |
| Luck of the Sea | III | Increases treasure-catch chance and reduces junk/fish while fishing. | Fishing Rod |
| Lure | III | Reduces fish-bite wait time by 5 seconds per level. | Fishing Rod |
| Protection | IV | EPF 1 x level (~level x 4% per piece); all protection EPF capped at 20 (80% max reduction). | Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, Boots, Turtle Shell |
| Fire Protection | IV | EPF 2 x level (~level x 8%); reduces fire duration by 15% per level. | Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, Boots, Turtle Shell |
| Blast Protection | IV | Reduces explosion damage and knockback (EPF 2 x level, ~level x 8%). | Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, Boots, Turtle Shell |
| Projectile Protection | IV | Reduces projectile damage (EPF 2 x level, ~level x 8%). | Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, Boots, Turtle Shell |
| Feather Falling | IV | Reduces fall and teleport damage (EPF 3 x level, ~level x 12%). | Boots |
| Depth Strider | III | Cuts water slowdown by one-third per level; III = normal walking speed in water. | Boots |
| Frost Walker | II | Turns nearby water to frosted ice when walked over; prevents magma damage. Treasure. | Boots |
| Soul Speed | III | Faster on soul sand/soil (~0.03 + level x 0.0105); consumes extra boot durability. | Boots |
| Swift Sneak | III | +15% of walking speed per level while sneaking. Treasure. | Leggings |
| Aqua Affinity | I | Removes the underwater mining penalty (5x faster, matching land speed). | Helmet, Turtle Shell |
| Respiration | III | +15s underwater breathing per level; level/(level+1) chance to not lose air; better visibility. | Helmet, Turtle Shell |
| Thorns | III | level x 15% chance to reflect 1-4 damage; increases armor durability loss. | Chestplate (primary); other armor via anvil |
| Curse of Binding | I | Worn item can’t be removed except by death or breaking. Treasure. | Any wearable |
| Curse of Vanishing | I | Item is destroyed on death instead of dropping. Treasure. | Any enchantable item |
Best Melee Enchantments and When to Use Them
Sharpness V is the default damage pick because it adds a flat +3 damage in Java (0.5 x level + 0.5) against everything. It is mutually exclusive with Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Breach, and Density, so you commit to one damage line per weapon. If you spend most fights against undead, Smite V adds +12.5 damage against zombies, skeletons, and withers — far more than Sharpness in those matchups. Bane of Arthropods V does the same +12.5 against spiders and silverfish and stacks Slowness IV. Pair your damage line with Looting III (+1 max common drop and +1 percentage point rare-drop chance per level), Sweeping Edge III for 75% sweep damage, and Fire Aspect II for 8 seconds of burn. See our full best sword enchantments breakdown for exact loadouts.
The Mace runs its own economy, and its two big damage enchantments are mutually exclusive — you pick one per mace. Density V adds 2.5 bonus smash damage per block fallen, so a long drop turns it into the highest single-hit weapon in the game, while Breach IV instead strips up to 60% of a target’s armor (better against heavily-armored players and mobs). Whichever damage line you choose, pair it with Wind Burst III, which relaunches you for a follow-up smash. All of these are Trial Chamber loot only — you cannot roll them at an enchanting table.
Best Tool Enchantments
Efficiency V adds +26 to mining speed (level^2 + 1), which is the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade in the game. Then choose Fortune III to multiply ore, crop, and rare drops by a weighted random up to level + 1, or Silk Touch to collect blocks intact — the two are incompatible, so keep a separate pickaxe for each. Note that stone and diamond tools cap Efficiency at IV via the table itself; you’ll want an anvil and a book for V. Our best pickaxe enchantments guide covers when to carry both.
Best Ranged Enchantments
Power V boosts arrow damage by +150% (25% x level + 1), making the bow a one-shot tool against most mobs. Add Flame for burn and Punch II for spacing. The big decision is Infinity versus Mending — they’re incompatible, so pick unlimited arrows or self-repair, not both. Crossbows split between Multishot (three arrows per shot) and Piercing IV (pierce level + 1 entities), which are also mutually exclusive. More detail lives in our best bow enchantments guide.
Best Armor Enchantments
Protection IV on every piece is the workhorse, but remember the total protection EPF is capped at 20 (80% max reduction), so full Protection IV already maxes generalized defense. Situational swaps — Fire Protection IV, Blast Protection IV, Projectile Protection IV — are mutually exclusive with Protection and each other. On boots, Feather Falling IV (~48% fall-damage reduction) is nearly mandatory. Layer Unbreaking III and Mending on everything, and read the best armor enchantments guide for defensive priorities.
How to Apply These Enchantments
Enchanting table: Place your item plus 1-3 lapis lazuli. Surround the table (leaving a 1-block air gap) with up to 15 bookshelves to unlock the highest-tier level-30 offers. The three offered enchantments depend on the item’s enchantability, the XP-level cost shown, and a random seed. Books can be enchanted here too.
Anvil combining: Combine a tool, weapon, or armor with an enchanted book, or merge two of the same item, to transfer enchantments and repair at once. Two items sharing the same enchantment at the same level produce the next level up (to that enchantment’s max). Incompatible enchantments can’t coexist under normal rules. Every operation costs XP levels, and a “prior work penalty” doubles each time an item passes through an anvil — in Survival, anything costing 40+ levels shows “Too Expensive” and is blocked. Treasure enchantments (Mending, Frost Walker, Soul Speed, Swift Sneak, both Curses, and the mace enchantments) can only be applied this way.
/enchant command: Use /enchant — for example /enchant @p minecraft:sharpness 5. IDs are namespaced (minecraft:protection, minecraft:lunge, minecraft:vanishing_curse). By default it respects applicability and max level; bypass those with /item modify or component data. If you run a server, our Minecraft server hosting makes it easy to hand out commands and test loadouts with friends.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Stacking incompatible enchantments. Sharpness/Smite/Bane conflict with each other and with Breach/Density; the four armor Protections are mutually exclusive; Silk Touch blocks Fortune; Infinity blocks Mending; Multishot blocks Piercing.
- Over-anviling. The prior-work penalty doubles each use — build items in the right order or you’ll hit “Too Expensive” at 40+ levels.
- Trying to table-roll treasure enchantments. Mending, Frost Walker, Soul Speed, Swift Sneak, the Curses, and the mace enchantments only come from loot, trades, fishing, or bartering.
- Grinding off curses. A grindstone removes non-curse enchantments only — Curse of Binding and Curse of Vanishing stay.
- Assuming more Protection = more defense. Total protection EPF caps at 20 (80%).
FAQ
How many enchantments are there in Minecraft 26.2?
There are 43 enchantments total, with IDs confirmed on the wiki data-values page. Version 26.2 added no new enchantments and made no mechanic changes — only bug fixes.
Did 26.2 change any enchantment mechanics?
No. 26.2 (“Chaos Cubed,” released June 16 2026) added sulfur caves, Vulkan rendering, and a Friends List, but only fixed minor bugs — including Fire Aspect weapons not igniting TNT sulfur cubes and enchantment glint not rendering over shield banner patterns.
What is the Spear’s Lunge enchantment?
Lunge (added in 1.21.9, present in 26.2) lets a Spear jab propel you forward — 0.458, 0.916, or 1.374 blocks per tick at levels I-III — at a cost of 1 hunger per level and 1 durability per use.
Should I use Infinity or Mending on my bow?
You can’t have both — they’re incompatible. Infinity gives unlimited arrows (from one normal arrow) but blocks self-repair; Mending repairs the bow from XP orbs at 2 durability per XP point. Pick based on whether you value ammo or longevity.
How do I get the mace enchantments?
Density, Breach, and Wind Burst come from Trial Chamber loot (vaults, including ominous vaults) and are applied via anvil. They cannot be rolled at an enchanting table.
Ready to plan a build? Run the numbers with our Minecraft Enchantment Calculator, or browse the full enchantments list anytime.
Ready to play?
Run your own Minecraft server with XGamingServer
Spin up an always-on Minecraft server your friends can join in minutes — no port-forwarding, no tech headaches.
