enchantment
Looting in Minecraft | MinecraftBible
Looting is a level 1-3 sword enchantment in Minecraft 1.21.4. Boosts mob loot: +1 max drop per level and +1% rare-drop chance per level (base 2.5% → 5.5% at III). This enchantment page includes real crafting data, contextual links, and related Minecraft references, with version-aware coverage mapped across the last 11 major updates (1.21, 1.20, 1.19, 1.18, 1.17, 1.16, 1.15, 1.14, 1.13, 1.12, 1.11).
What does Looting do?
Looting is a Minecraft enchantment in the Sword category with a Rare rarity. It scales up to level 3. It is available from the enchanting table with sufficient bookshelves. Villager librarians can trade enchanted books of this enchantment.
Effect: Boosts mob loot: +1 max drop per level and +1% rare-drop chance per level (base 2.5% → 5.5% at III).
Priority: S-tier on any farming sword. Doubles rare mob drops like wither skulls (mid-game gate).
How to get Looting
- Enchanting table
- Librarian villager trades
- Dungeon chests
Librarian trade: Cure or trap a villager, place a lectern to convert them to a librarian, then break and re-place the lectern to reroll trades until a Looting book appears. Expected price: 15–62 emeralds at profession level 3+.
XP cost by level for Looting
| Level | Min cost | Max cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 65 |
| 2 | 24 | 74 |
| 3 | 33 | 83 |
Secondary-compatible items
Items that accept Looting through broader tags (durability, vanishing, equippable):
Compatible items
Synergy enchantments with Looting
These enchantments stack productively on the same item:
Enchantment properties
- Category: Sword
- Rarity: Rare
- Max level: 3
- Weight: 2
- Min cost formula: 9 × level + 6
- Max cost formula: 9 × level + 56
- Anvil item cost / level: 4×
- Anvil book cost / level: 2×
- Treasure only: No
- Tradeable: Yes
- Discoverable via enchanting table: Yes
- Curse: No
Practical Guide
Looting is an enchantment in Minecraft 1.21.4 with a maximum level of 3, usable on 6+ real item types. Boosts mob loot: +1 max drop per level and +1% rare-drop chance per level (base 2.5% → 5.5% at III).
Practical Steps
- Effect: Boosts mob loot: +1 max drop per level and +1% rare-drop chance per level (base 2.5% → 5.5% at III).
- Obtainable from: Enchanting table; Librarian villager trades; Dungeon chests.
- Level 3 enchanting-table cost lands between 33 and 83 XP — budget your levels before committing.
- Apply to compatible gear such as Wooden Sword, Stone Sword, Golden Sword. See the Primary Items section for the full list.
- Librarian route: cure or trap a villager, place a lectern, and reroll trades by breaking + replacing the lectern until you see the book. Expect 15-62 emeralds at profession level 3+.
Pro Tips
- Priority: S-tier on any farming sword. Doubles rare mob drops like wither skulls (mid-game gate).
- Use a grindstone to safely strip this enchantment and reclaim a small XP refund.
- Before an anvil merge, confirm the two enchantments aren't in each other's exclusive list — conflicts turn the merge red and waste XP.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Looting do in Minecraft?
Boosts mob loot: +1 max drop per level and +1% rare-drop chance per level (base 2.5% → 5.5% at III). Max level is 3.
What is the max level of Looting?
Looting caps at level 3. At max level the enchanting-table cost formula lands between 33 and 83 XP.
How do I get Looting?
Looting can be obtained from: Enchanting table; Librarian villager trades; Dungeon chests. A librarian villager at profession level 3+ can sell an enchanted book of it for 15-62 emeralds.
Can I trade for Looting with a villager?
Yes — cure a zombie villager or trap a fresh villager, place a lectern to convert them to a librarian, then break and replace the lectern until they roll a Looting book. Expected price is 15-62 emeralds and requires villager level 3+.
Does Looting conflict with other enchantments?
Looting has no incompatible enchantments and can be freely combined with others.
What is the anvil cost for Looting?
Applying Looting to a target from an enchanted book costs 2× per level in anvil work units, or 4× per level when combining from another enchanted item. Every anvil use also doubles the prior-work penalty on the target.