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.
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 |
Items you can enchant with Smite
You can apply Smite at an enchanting table or anvil to any of these items:
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
Overview
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.
Prerequisites and materials
- 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.
Step-by-step walkthrough
- Effect: Adds 2.5 extra damage per level against zombies, skeletons, and other undead. Does nothing to non-undead.
- 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.
Difficulty and time commitment
- Difficulty: Medium
- Estimated time per run: 5-20 min
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.
What items are Smite designed for?
Primary compatible items: Wooden Sword, Wooden Axe, Stone Sword, Stone Axe, Golden Sword, Golden Axe, Iron Sword, Iron Axe, and 5 more.