Best Spear Enchantments in Minecraft
Quick answer
- Sharpness V
- Lunge III
- Looting III
- Unbreaking III
- Mending I
Cheapest anvil order: 30 levels in 5 steps (Java)
Why each enchantment earns its slot
- VSharpness
Extra melee damage against every mob (Java: +0.5 × level + 0.5).
- IIILunge
A spear jab throws you forward, costing hunger and a point of durability.
- IIILooting
More and rarer mob drops.
- 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.
Cheapest order to combine the books
Left item goes in the anvil’s first slot. Costs are Java Edition levels for a fresh spear and books straight from the table or a librarian.
- Spear + Unbreaking book3
- Looting book + Mending book2
- Spear (Unbreaking) + Book (Looting + Mending)10
- Sharpness book + Lunge book3
- Spear (Unbreaking + Looting + Mending) + Book (Sharpness + Lunge)12
Trade-offs to know
Lunge turns jabs into a dash. Test it away from lava and cliffs before relying on it.
Other enchantments a spear can take: Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Knockback, Fire Aspect.Smite can’t sit with Sharpness.Bane of Arthropods can’t sit with Sharpness.
Every spear 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 |
| Lunge | III | A spear jab throws you forward, costing hunger and a point of durability. | — |
| Knockback | II | Pushes targets further away on hit. | — |
| Fire Aspect | II | Sets the target on fire (4 seconds per level); cooked drops from animals. | — |
| Looting | III | More and rarer mob drops. | — |
| 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 spear enchantments in Minecraft?
The strongest all-round set is Sharpness V, Lunge III, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Mending I. Lunge turns jabs into a dash. Test it away from lava and cliffs before relying on it.
How many levels does a max-enchanted spear cost?
Combining the books in the cheapest order costs 30 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 spear’s prior-work penalty doubles with every use.
Which spear enchantments can’t be combined?
Smite and Sharpness; Bane of Arthropods and Sharpness 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.