Flame enchantment in Minecraft
Flame sets every arrow shot from a bow alight, and the target catches fire when hit. It has a single level, adds damage over time, and turns the bow into a way to light TNT or campfires from a distance.
Flame at a glance
- Max level
- I
- Works on
- Bow
- Enchanting table
- Yes
- Incompatible with
- None
- Rarity
- Rare (weight 2)
- Anvil cost
- ×4 on an item, ×2 on a book
What does Flame do?
Arrows shot from the bow set targets on fire. With Flame, a bow also lights TNT and campfires it hits.
How to get Flame
Best wayEnchanting tableAppears on the table for bow. The level depends on the XP you spend and your bookshelves.
RandomLibrarian villagersLibrarians can sell a Flame book. Reset an unemployed villager’s lectern until the trade appears.
RandomChests and fishingEnchanted books in structure chests, and fishing treasure, can carry Flame.
CombineAnvilCombine a Flame book with the item on an anvil.
Items that take Flame
Primary items show up on the enchanting table; the others only get it through an anvil.
Combining Flame
No incompatibility: it combines with every other enchantment its item can take.
Commands
/enchant @s minecraft:flame/give @s minecraft:enchanted_book[stored_enchantments={"minecraft:flame":1}]What a flaming arrow does
The target burns after the hit, which adds damage on top of the arrow itself. Animals that die while burning drop cooked meat, just like with Fire Aspect on a sword.
Lighting blocks from afar
A flaming arrow ignites TNT and lights a campfire or a candle it hits. That lets you set off a charge from a safe distance, or light a campfire you cannot reach.
Where it does nothing
Fire-immune mobs ignore the burn: blazes, ghasts, magma cubes, wither skeletons and zombified piglins. In the Nether, Flame is mostly wasted. Water and rain also put the arrow and the target out, so it is weaker in a storm or against mobs in water.
Combinations
Flame has no exclusivity. It sits on a bow next to Power, Punch, Unbreaking and Mending or Infinity. With Infinity, you get an endless supply of fire arrows. Flame is part of the recommended best bow enchantments build. It only goes on bows: a crossbow cannot take it.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 1 November 2026
Flame — FAQ
Can a Flame bow light TNT?
Yes. A flaming arrow ignites TNT when it hits it, which is a safe way to set off a charge from a distance.
Does Flame work on a crossbow?
No. Flame only goes on bows.
Does Flame work in the rain or underwater?
Poorly. Water and rain put out burning arrows and burning mobs, so the extra fire damage is lost.
Can you get Flame from an enchanting table?
Yes. Flame can appear on the enchanting table for bow.
What is the max level of Flame?
Flame has a single level.