Best Sword Enchantments
The best enchantments for a sword in Minecraft Java 1.21 — a sword is your main melee weapon for fighting mobs and players. Here's the top loadout, every available enchantment, and which ones conflict.
Best sword loadout
Sharpness V, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Mending, Knockback II, Fire Aspect II, Sweeping Edge III.
Want to plan a different setup or see conflicts highlighted live? Open the interactive calculator.
All sword enchantments (10)
Item lasts longer (chance to not lose durability).
XP repairs the item instead of going to you.
Item is destroyed on death.
Extra melee damage.
Extra damage to undead.
Extra damage to arthropods.
Knocks targets back.
Sets targets on fire.
More & rarer mob drops.
Stronger sweep attack.
How to apply them
Enchant at an enchanting table surrounded by 15 bookshelves for the level-30 tier, then use an anvil to combine enchanted books for any specific or treasure enchantments. Combine books together first, then onto the sword, to keep the anvil's prior-work penalty low. Add Mending so the sword repairs itself as you earn XP.
FAQ
What are the best sword enchantments?
Sharpness V, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Mending, Knockback II, Fire Aspect II, Sweeping Edge III. These are the strongest non-conflicting enchantments you can stack on a sword in Java 1.21.
How many enchantments can a sword have?
A sword can hold 7 compatible enchantments at once (some options are mutually exclusive, so you must choose between them).
How do I get these enchantments?
Use an enchanting table surrounded by 15 bookshelves, then combine enchanted books on an anvil for any specific or treasure enchantments. Mending comes from books, fishing, trades or loot.