BEST ENCHANTMENTS FOR SWORD
The optimal enchantment setup for your Minecraft sword.10 enchantments are compatible with this item.
Recommended Combination
Recommended
Optional
For general use, Sharpness V is the best damage enchantment. Use Smite V instead if farming undead mobs. Knockback can be counterproductive in PvP since it pushes enemies away.
All Compatible Enchantments (10)
Increases damage dealt to arthropod mobs (spiders, cave spiders, bees, silverfish, endermites).
Causes the item to disappear (be deleted) upon the player's death instead of dropping.
Sets the target on fire when hit, dealing fire damage over time.
Increases the knockback dealt to mobs and players when hit.
Increases the amount and chance of mob drops when killing mobs.
Uses experience orbs to repair the item instead of adding to the player's experience bar.
Increases melee damage dealt to all mobs.
Increases damage dealt to undead mobs (zombies, skeletons, wither, phantoms, etc.).
Increases the damage of sweep attacks (Java Edition only).
Increases item durability by giving a chance to not consume durability on use.
Which sword to enchant
Of these 10, 8 fit on a sword at the same time. The rest of the list is alternatives, not extras.
Which of the 6 swords you enchant changes what the table offers. Golden Sword carries enchantability 22 where Netherite Sword has 15, so gold buys better rolls for the same levels and pays for it in wear: 32 uses against 2,031.
| Item | Durability | Enchantability |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden Sword | 59 | 15 |
| Stone Sword | 131 | 5 |
| Iron Sword | 250 | 14 |
| Golden Sword | 32 | 22 |
| Diamond Sword | 1,561 | 10 |
| Netherite Sword | 2,031 | 15 |
Sharpness V and sweeping on a sword
At the level 30 slot only the golden sword can roll Sharpness V; every other sword stops at Sharpness IV. A netherite sword gets its fifth level at an anvil instead, from a Sharpness V book for 5 levels or from two books of the level below merged first.
A sweep only happens when you are on the ground, not sprinting, with the attack bar charged to at least 84.8%. Sweeping Edge doesn't cause sweeps, it only makes them hurt more, and it exists in Java alone. Looting, Fire Aspect, Knockback and Sweeping Edge exclude neither each other nor the damage enchantment, which makes the sword the only weapon that carries all of them at once.
Enchanting Cost Notes
Anvil Costs: Each time you combine items on an anvil, the prior work penalty increases. Plan your enchantment order to minimize total XP cost.
Order Matters: Combine the most expensive enchantments first, then add cheaper ones. This keeps anvil costs lower overall.
XP Limit: Anvil operations are capped at 39 levels in survival mode. If the cost exceeds this, you need to restructure your combination order.