Curse of Binding enchantment in Minecraft
Curse of Binding locks an item in its armor slot: once you put it on, you can't take it off until it breaks or you die. Creative mode is the only exception. As a curse, it never comes from the enchanting table and a Grindstone won't remove it.
Curse of Binding at a glance
- Max level
- I
- Works on
- Boots, Chestplate, Helmet and Leggings…
- Enchanting table
- No (curse)
- Incompatible with
- None
- Rarity
- Very rare (weight 1)
- Anvil cost
- ×8 on an item, ×4 on a book
What does Curse of Binding do?
A curse: once worn, the item can't be taken off until it breaks or you die. Creative mode is the only exception.
How to get Curse of Binding
Best wayLibrarian villagersLibrarians can sell a Curse of Binding book. Reset an unemployed villager’s lectern until the trade appears.
RandomChests and fishingEnchanted books in structure chests, and fishing treasure, can carry Curse of Binding.
CombineAnvilCombine a Curse of Binding book with the item on an anvil.
Not possibleEnchanting tableCurses never appear on the table.
Items that take Curse of Binding
Primary items show up on the enchanting table; the others only get it through an anvil.
Combining Curse of Binding
No incompatibility: it combines with every other enchantment its item can take.
Commands
/enchant @s minecraft:binding_curse/give @s minecraft:enchanted_book[stored_enchantments={"minecraft:binding_curse":1}]Where you run into it
You don't pick Curse of Binding on purpose. It turns up on enchanted books from chests and fishing treasure, and a librarian can offer it as a trade. Mobs never spawn wearing it, and the enchanted armor villagers sell never carries it. The trap is the anvil: always read a book from a chest before applying it to your best armor.
How to get rid of a cursed item
- Let it break. With Unbreaking and Mending on the same piece, that may never happen.
- Die. The item drops with the rest of your inventory, unless it also has Curse of Vanishing, in which case it is gone.
- A Grindstone doesn't help: it strips other enchantments but keeps curses, and you can't take the item off to use it anyway.
A Carved Pumpkin or a mob head has no durability, so a cursed one only comes off when you die.
What it is good for
Its main uses are pranks and map making. A cursed pumpkin on a friend's head limits their view until they die; cursed Elytra forbid wearing a chestplate. Map makers use it to lock a costume or a class kit on players. For real gear, see the best Elytra enchantments page and the other "best by item" pages, which never include curses.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 1 November 2026
Curse of Binding — FAQ
How do you remove Curse of Binding?
In Survival, you can't remove the curse itself. The item comes off when it breaks or when you die. In Creative mode you can take it off freely.
Can a Grindstone remove Curse of Binding?
No. A Grindstone removes every enchantment except curses.
Does Curse of Binding work on Elytra and pumpkins?
Yes. It goes on anything you wear: armor, Elytra, mob heads and Carved Pumpkins.
Can you get Curse of Binding from an enchanting table?
No. Curses never appear on the enchanting table.
What is the max level of Curse of Binding?
Curse of Binding has a single level.