Best Axe Enchantments in Minecraft
Quick answer
- Efficiency V
- Sharpness V
- Unbreaking III
- Mending I
- Fortune III
Cheapest anvil order: 32 levels in 5 steps (Java)
Why each enchantment earns its slot
- VEfficiency
Faster mining. Efficiency V + Haste II instamines many blocks.
- VSharpness
Extra melee damage against every mob (Java: +0.5 × level + 0.5).
- IIIUnbreaking
Chance to skip durability loss; roughly quadruples tool life at level III.
- IMending Treasure
Collected XP repairs the item (2 durability per XP point). Librarian trade or loot only. Get it from librarian villager trades, fishing, or loot chests.
- IIIFortune
More drops from ores and crops (up to 4× diamonds at level III).
Cheapest order to combine the books
Left item goes in the anvil’s first slot. Costs are Java Edition levels for a fresh axe and books straight from the table or a librarian.
- Axe + Fortune book6
- Sharpness book + Mending book2
- Axe (Fortune) + Book (Sharpness + Mending)9
- Efficiency book + Unbreaking book3
- Axe (Fortune + Sharpness + Mending) + Book (Efficiency + Unbreaking)12
Trade-offs to know
Choose Silk Touch instead of Fortune if you want whole mushroom blocks or melons. An axe with Sharpness V deals more damage per hit than a sword but swings slower.
Other enchantments a axe can take: Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Silk Touch.Smite can’t sit with Sharpness.Bane of Arthropods can’t sit with Sharpness.Silk Touch can’t sit with Fortune.
With cheats on (Java 1.21.5+), this command gives the finished axe: /give @p netherite_axe[enchantments={efficiency:5,sharpness:5,unbreaking:3,mending:1,fortune:3}]
Every axe enchantment
| Enchantment | Max | What it does | Conflicts with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpness | V | Extra melee damage against every mob (Java: +0.5 × level + 0.5). | Smite, Bane of Arthropods |
| Smite | V | +2.5 damage per level against undead: zombies, skeletons, withers, phantoms. | Sharpness, Bane of Arthropods, Density, Breach |
| Bane of Arthropods | V | +2.5 damage per level against spiders, silverfish, bees and endermites, plus Slowness. | Sharpness, Smite, Density, Breach |
| Efficiency | V | Faster mining. Efficiency V + Haste II instamines many blocks. | — |
| Silk Touch | I | Blocks drop themselves: ores, glass, grass blocks, bookshelves. | Fortune |
| Fortune | III | More drops from ores and crops (up to 4× diamonds at level III). | Silk Touch |
| Unbreaking | III | Chance to skip durability loss; roughly quadruples tool life at level III. | — |
| Mending Treasure | I | Collected XP repairs the item (2 durability per XP point). Librarian trade or loot only. | Infinity |
| Curse of Vanishing Curse | I | The item is destroyed instead of dropping when you die. | — |
Questions players ask
What are the best axe enchantments in Minecraft?
The strongest all-round set is Efficiency V, Sharpness V, Unbreaking III, Mending I, Fortune III. Choose Silk Touch instead of Fortune if you want whole mushroom blocks or melons. An axe with Sharpness V deals more damage per hit than a sword but swings slower.
How many levels does a max-enchanted axe cost?
Combining the books in the cheapest order costs 32 levels in total over 5 anvil uses in Java Edition, and no single step reaches the 40-level “Too Expensive!” cap. Applying the books one at a time costs more because the axe’s prior-work penalty doubles with every use.
Which axe enchantments can’t be combined?
Smite and Sharpness; Bane of Arthropods and Sharpness; Silk Touch and Fortune are mutually exclusive, so pick one of each pair.
Where do I get Mending?
Mending never appears on an enchanting table; get it from librarian villager trades, fishing, or loot chests.
Is there a command to give a fully enchanted axe?
Yes, with cheats on in Java Edition 1.21.5 or later: /give @p netherite_axe[enchantments={efficiency:5,sharpness:5,unbreaking:3,mending:1,fortune:3}]. Older versions use a different syntax.