Smite is a melee sword enchantment that adds extra damage only against undead mobs like zombies, skeletons, and the Wither, dealing +2.5 damage (1.25 hearts) per level on a fully-charged hit. If your world is full of the undead, no other damage enchantment comes close.
Below you’ll find the exact Java Edition (26.2) mechanics, which items can carry Smite, how it stacks up against Sharpness, and every way to apply it. For a broader overview, see our All Minecraft Enchantments list.
How Smite Works
Smite adds flat bonus damage to your melee attacks, but that bonus applies only against undead mobs. Against everything else, Smite does nothing at all. The bonus is added on top of your weapon’s base attack damage, and it only lands on a fully-charged attack.
The Java Edition formula is simple: +2.5 damage (1.25 hearts) per level. That scales cleanly all the way to level V:
| Smite Level | Bonus Damage | Hearts |
|---|---|---|
| I | +2.5 | 1.25 |
| II | +5 | 2.5 |
| III | +7.5 | 3.75 |
| IV | +10 | 5 |
| V | +12.5 | 6.25 |
Java Edition uses the exact 2.5 × level value. (Bedrock Edition rounds the per-hit damage down at odd levels, but on Java the numbers are precise.)
Which mobs count as undead? All of these take the Smite bonus: the Wither (yes, the boss itself is undead), wither skeletons, skeletons, strays, bogged, zombies, husks, drowned, zombie villagers, zombified piglins, zoglins, phantoms, skeleton horses, and zombie horses.
Just as important is what is not undead, meaning Smite does nothing against them: the Ender Dragon, spiders and other arthropods, creepers, endermen, piglins, hoglins, players, and passive animals.
What Items Can Get Smite
In Java Edition, Smite is a primary enchantment for swords, so it can appear directly on the enchanting table for that weapon. It is a secondary enchantment for axes and maces, which means you can only add it to those items using an enchanted book on an anvil.
- Swords — via enchanting table or anvil
- Axes — anvil with a Smite enchanted book only
- Maces — anvil with a Smite enchanted book only (mace support was added in Java 1.20.5 / snapshot 24w13a)
Weighing up an axe or mace build? Our best axe enchantments and best mace enchantments guides cover how a damage enchant fits alongside the rest.
Max Level and How to Get It
Smite’s maximum level is V (5), and level V is fully obtainable in survival. Smite has an enchantment weight of 5, which makes it a common result. You can obtain it from:
- The enchanting table
- Enchanted books from fishing
- Monster room (dungeon) chests
- Librarian villager trades
- Non-village structure loot chests
Want to plan the exact level and book combinations before you spend your experience? Run the numbers with our Minecraft Enchantment Calculator.
Is Smite Worth It?
For undead-heavy content, Smite is the strongest melee damage enchantment by a wide margin. It is mutually exclusive with Sharpness and Bane of Arthropods (plus Density and Breach), so a single weapon can only carry one of these damage enchantments at a time. That makes the Smite-versus-Sharpness decision the key one.
Against undead, it isn’t close. On Java, Smite V adds +12.5 damage while Sharpness V adds only +3. That’s a ~9.5 damage per-hit advantage against any undead target, and Smite wins at every matched level (Smite I’s +2.5 beats Sharpness I’s +1, and so on).
The trade-off is that Smite adds zero damage against non-undead mobs, while Sharpness boosts damage against everything. A quick rule of thumb:
- Choose Smite for undead-heavy content — the Wither fight, Nether wither-skeleton and zombified-piglin farming, dungeon and spawner grinding, and zombie/skeleton XP farms.
- Choose Sharpness as your general-purpose, all-mob weapon.
Many players keep a dedicated “undead” sword with Smite alongside a general Sharpness sword. See how it pairs with other picks in our best sword enchantments guide.
How to Apply It
- Enchanting table — place a sword with lapis lazuli; Smite can appear as a table result (weight 5).
- Anvil — combine the weapon with a Smite enchanted book. This is the only way to put Smite on an axe or mace in Java.
- Anvil combining — two items or books of Smite N combine into Smite N+1, capped at V. Note that trying to merge Smite onto a weapon that already holds a conflicting damage enchant (like Sharpness) will fail or void the conflicting enchant.
- Command — use
/enchant, for examplesmite /enchant @p smite 5. The namespaced form/enchant @p minecraft:smite 5also works.
The /enchant command needs cheats or operator access. If you run a Minecraft server for your group, an admin can grant those permissions and dial in enchantments for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Smite work on the Wither?
Yes. The Wither is an undead boss, so it takes the full Smite bonus — making a Smite weapon a strong choice for that fight.
Does Smite work on the Ender Dragon?
No. The Ender Dragon is not undead, so Smite adds no bonus damage against it. Use Sharpness instead for the End.
Can I have both Smite and Sharpness on one sword?
No. Smite, Sharpness, and Bane of Arthropods are mutually exclusive, so a weapon can only carry one of them at a time.
What is the max level of Smite?
Smite goes up to level V, which adds +12.5 damage (6.25 hearts) per hit against undead. Level V is obtainable through normal survival play.
Is Smite better than Sharpness?
Against undead, yes — by a large margin. Against everything else, Sharpness is better because Smite does nothing to non-undead mobs. Pick based on what you fight most.
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