enchantment
Smite in Minecraft | MinecraftBible
Smite is a level 1-5 weapon enchantment in Minecraft 1.21.4. Adds 2.5 extra damage per level against zombies, skeletons, and other undead. Does nothing to non-undead. 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 Smite do?
Smite is a Minecraft enchantment in the Weapon category with a Uncommon rarity. It scales up to level 5. It is available from the enchanting table with sufficient bookshelves. Villager librarians can trade enchanted books of this enchantment.
Effect: Adds 2.5 extra damage per level against zombies, skeletons, and other undead. Does nothing to non-undead.
Priority: Niche. Wither farms, mob-farm cleanup, and Nether raids. Loses to Sharpness for general combat.
How to get Smite
- 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 Smite book appears. Expected price: 8–32 emeralds at profession level 2+.
XP cost by level for Smite
| Level | Min cost | Max cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 25 |
| 2 | 13 | 33 |
| 3 | 21 | 41 |
| 4 | 29 | 49 |
| 5 | 37 | 57 |
Primary items for Smite
Items whose native enchantment category matches "Weapon":
Synergy enchantments with Smite
These enchantments stack productively on the same item:
Conflicts with
Enchantment properties
- Category: Weapon
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Max level: 5
- Weight: 5
- Min cost formula: 8 × level + -3
- Max cost formula: 8 × level + 17
- Anvil item cost / level: 2×
- Anvil book cost / level: 1×
- Treasure only: No
- Tradeable: Yes
- Discoverable via enchanting table: Yes
- Curse: No
Practical Guide
Smite is an enchantment in Minecraft 1.21.4 with a maximum level of 5, usable on 13+ real item types. Adds 2.5 extra damage per level against zombies, skeletons, and other undead. Does nothing to non-undead.
Practical Steps
- Effect: Adds 2.5 extra damage per level against zombies, skeletons, and other undead. Does nothing to non-undead.
- Obtainable from: Enchanting table; Librarian villager trades; Dungeon chests.
- Level 5 enchanting-table cost lands between 37 and 57 XP — budget your levels before committing.
- Apply to compatible gear such as Wooden Sword, Wooden Axe, Stone 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 8-32 emeralds at profession level 2+.
Pro Tips
- Priority: Niche. Wither farms, mob-farm cleanup, and Nether raids. Loses to Sharpness for general combat.
- 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 Smite do in Minecraft?
Adds 2.5 extra damage per level against zombies, skeletons, and other undead. Does nothing to non-undead. Max level is 5.
What is the max level of Smite?
Smite caps at level 5. At max level the enchanting-table cost formula lands between 37 and 57 XP.
How do I get Smite?
Smite can be obtained from: Enchanting table; Librarian villager trades; Dungeon chests. A librarian villager at profession level 2+ can sell an enchanted book of it for 8-32 emeralds.
Can I trade for Smite 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 Smite book. Expected price is 8-32 emeralds and requires villager level 2+.
What enchantments conflict with Smite?
Smite cannot be combined with: Bane of Arthropods, Breach, Density, Impaling, Sharpness.
What is the anvil cost for Smite?
Applying Smite to a target from an enchanted book costs 1× per level in anvil work units, or 2× per level when combining from another enchanted item. Every anvil use also doubles the prior-work penalty on the target.