Sharpness enchantment in Minecraft
Sharpness adds damage to every hit with a sword, spear or axe: +1 at level I, then +0.5 per extra level, so Sharpness V adds +3 damage (one and a half hearts). It works against every mob, which makes it the default damage enchantment for a main weapon.
Sharpness at a glance
- Max level
- V
- Works on
- Spear, Sword and Axe
- Enchanting table
- Yes
- Incompatible with
- Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Impaling, Density, Breach
- Rarity
- Common (weight 10)
- Anvil cost
- ×1 on an item, ×1 on a book
What does Sharpness do?
Adds melee damage against every mob: +1 at level I, then +0.5 per extra level. Can't be combined with Smite or Bane of Arthropods.
Sharpness ISharpness IISharpness IIISharpness IVSharpness V How to get Sharpness
Best wayEnchanting tableAppears on the table for spear and sword. The level depends on the XP you spend and your bookshelves.
RandomLibrarian villagersLibrarians can sell a Sharpness book. Reset an unemployed villager’s lectern until the trade appears.
RandomChests and fishingEnchanted books in structure chests, and fishing treasure, can carry Sharpness.
CombineAnvilCombine a Sharpness book with the item on an anvil.
Items that take Sharpness
Primary items show up on the enchanting table; the others only get it through an anvil.
Combining Sharpness
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 withImpalingMutually 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:sharpness 5/give @s minecraft:enchanted_book[stored_enchantments={"minecraft:sharpness":5}]Sharpness, Smite or Bane of Arthropods?
A weapon can carry only one of these. They trade breadth for power:
- Sharpness: a smaller bonus, but against everything, players included.
- Smite: +2.5 damage per level, only against undead mobs such as zombies, skeletons, phantoms and the Wither.
- Bane of Arthropods: the same idea against spiders, cave spiders, silverfish, endermites and bees.
Keep Sharpness on your everyday sword. A second sword with Smite pays off for undead-heavy fights, like a Wither battle or a mob farm.
What to combine it with
On a sword, Sharpness pairs well with Looting, Sweeping Edge, Fire Aspect, Unbreaking and Mending. The best sword enchantments page gives the full set and the cheapest anvil order.
On an axe, Sharpness makes an already strong hit even stronger, at the cost of a slow attack speed. It is a good pick if you fight with an axe, less so on a tool you only use for wood.
Getting Sharpness V
The enchanting table often offers Sharpness, but rarely at level V. The usual route is to combine two Sharpness IV books on an anvil, or to buy a Sharpness V book from a librarian villager, then apply it to the weapon.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 31 October 2026
Sharpness — FAQ
How much damage does Sharpness V add?
+3 damage per hit: +1 for the first level and +0.5 for each of the next four.
Is Smite better than Sharpness?
Only against undead mobs, where Smite adds +2.5 per level. Against everything else, Sharpness is better, so it stays the right choice for a main weapon.
Can you get Sharpness from an enchanting table?
Yes. Sharpness can appear on the enchanting table for spear and sword.
What is the max level of Sharpness?
Sharpness goes up to level V.
What is Sharpness incompatible with?
Sharpness can’t go on the same item as Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Impaling, Density and Breach.