Impaling enchantment in Minecraft
Impaling adds 2.5 damage per level to a trident against aquatic mobs, so Impaling V adds 12.5 damage per hit. In Java Edition the bonus depends only on the type of mob, not on whether it is wet, and drowned do not count.
Impaling at a glance
- Max level
- V
- Works on
- Trident
- Enchanting table
- Yes
- Incompatible with
- Sharpness, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Density, Breach
- Rarity
- Rare (weight 2)
- Anvil cost
- ×4 on an item, ×2 on a book
What does Impaling do?
Adds 2.5 damage per level to a trident against aquatic mobs such as fish, squid, guardians, dolphins, turtles, axolotls and nautiluses.
Impaling IImpaling IIImpaling IIIImpaling IVImpaling V How to get Impaling
Best wayEnchanting tableAppears on the table for trident. The level depends on the XP you spend and your bookshelves.
RandomLibrarian villagersLibrarians can sell a Impaling book. Reset an unemployed villager’s lectern until the trade appears.
RandomChests and fishingEnchanted books in structure chests, and fishing treasure, can carry Impaling.
CombineAnvilCombine a Impaling book with the item on an anvil.
Items that take Impaling
Primary items show up on the enchanting table; the others only get it through an anvil.
Combining Impaling
Can’t combine withSharpnessMutually exclusive: an item can only carry one of them.
Can’t combine withSmiteMutually exclusive: an item can only carry one of them.
Can’t combine withBane of ArthropodsMutually exclusive: an item can only carry one of them.
Can’t combine withDensityMutually exclusive: an item can only carry one of them.
Can’t combine withBreachMutually exclusive: an item can only carry one of them.
Commands
/enchant @s minecraft:impaling 5/give @s minecraft:enchanted_book[stored_enchantments={"minecraft:impaling":5}]Which mobs take the bonus?
The aquatic group of the game files: the guardian and the elder guardian, squid and glow squid, the dolphin, turtles, axolotls, cod, salmon, pufferfish, tropical fish, tadpoles, the nautilus and the zombie nautilus. Every other mob takes normal trident damage, even when it stands in water or rain.
Drowned: the classic mistake
Drowned live in the water but are zombies, not aquatic mobs, so Impaling does nothing against them. A trident cannot take Smite or Sharpness either, so against drowned it hits with its base damage only.
Where Impaling pays off
The ocean monument is the big one: its guardians and elder guardians are all aquatic, and an Impaling V trident cuts through them, in melee or thrown. It also helps against the zombie nautilus, which counts as aquatic.
Combinations
Impaling is the trident's only damage enchantment. It works with Loyalty or Riptide, with Channeling, Unbreaking and Mending. The best trident enchantments build starts with Impaling V.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 1 November 2026
Impaling — FAQ
Does Impaling work on drowned?
Not in Java Edition. Drowned are zombies, not aquatic mobs, so they take no Impaling bonus.
Does Impaling work on any mob in the rain?
No. In Java Edition, Impaling only checks the type of mob. Land mobs never get the bonus, wet or not.
Does Impaling work when the trident is thrown?
Yes. The bonus applies both to melee hits and to a thrown trident.
Can you get Impaling from an enchanting table?
Yes. Impaling can appear on the enchanting table for trident.
What is the max level of Impaling?
Impaling goes up to level V.