Smite is a Minecraft weapon enchantment that adds extra melee damage against undead mobs only: zombies, skeletons, their variants, phantoms and the Wither. It goes up to level V, and in Java Edition each level adds 2.5 damage (1.25 hearts), so Smite V adds 12.5 damage per hit. Against anything that isn’t undead (creepers, spiders, endermen, players) it does nothing at all.
That last part is the whole trade-off. Smite can’t share a weapon with Sharpness, so picking it means you hit undead far harder and everything else a little softer.
What players argue about with Smite
“Is Smite actually worth it over Sharpness?”
For a general-purpose sword, most players say no, and the reasoning is simple. A post on the official Minecraft Feedback site sums up the common view: people would rather have 3 more damage against everything than a big bonus against one mob group. The same post points out that Sharpness, Smite and Bane of Arthropods all block each other, which is why Smite gets skipped on “main” swords. Where it shines is a second, dedicated weapon for undead-heavy jobs, covered below.
“Why is Smite useless in PvP?”
Because players aren’t undead, so the bonus never applies. A Smite rework suggestion on Minecraft Feedback complains about exactly this and proposes tying Smite to low light levels instead. That’s a suggestion, not a change Mojang has made, so as of October 2026 Smite still only counts against undead mobs.
“Can I put Smite and Density on a mace?”
No. Since the 1.21 update, Smite is incompatible with Density and Breach as well as Sharpness. A Feedback thread on mace enchantments argued this pushes nearly everyone toward Density, leaving Smite maces as a niche pick. The rule held: the Minecraft Wiki still lists Density and Breach as conflicts.
How much damage does Smite add?
Smite adds a flat bonus on top of the weapon’s normal damage, but only when the target is undead. Java and Bedrock round the numbers differently, which is why the odd levels don’t match. These figures come from the Minecraft Wiki Smite page and assume a fully charged hit on an unarmored mob.
| Level | Extra damage, Java | Extra damage, Bedrock | Sharpness at same level, Java (for comparison) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smite I | 2.5 | 2 | 1 |
| Smite II | 5 | 5 | 1.5 |
| Smite III | 7.5 | 7 | 2 |
| Smite IV | 10 | 10 | 2.5 |
| Smite V | 12.5 | 12 | 3 |
Damage is in health points; two points make one heart. The Sharpness column uses the Java formula on the Minecraft Wiki Sharpness page (0.5 per level plus 0.5). On Bedrock, Sharpness is stronger, at 1.25 per level rounded down, so Sharpness V adds 6 there. That narrows the gap a lot on Bedrock, though Smite still wins clearly against undead.
To put it in a single hit: the wiki’s example is an iron sword with Smite V, which deals 18.5 damage to an undead mob in Java and 19 in Bedrock, where the iron sword’s base damage is a point higher.
Which mobs does Smite work on?
Smite works on every undead mob in the game. As of October 2026 the Minecraft Wiki lists:
- Zombie family: zombie, husk, drowned, zombie villager, zombified piglin, zoglin, zombie horse, camel husk and zombie nautilus
- Skeleton family: skeleton, stray, bogged, parched, wither skeleton and skeleton horse
- Others: phantom and the Wither boss
Camel husks, parched and zombie nautiluses are recent additions, joining the list in Java 1.21.11. Piglins (the gold-loving kind, not the zombified ones), endermen, creepers, spiders, blazes, guardians and the Ender Dragon are not undead, so Smite gives no bonus against them.
What can you put Smite on?
Swords and spears get Smite from an enchanting table in both editions. Axes and maces differ by edition:
- Bedrock Edition: axes and maces can roll Smite straight from the enchanting table.
- Java Edition: axes and maces need a Smite enchanted book and an anvil.
Tridents, bows and crossbows can only carry Smite through commands or a Creative anvil. Smite can’t be combined with Sharpness, Bane of Arthropods, Density or Breach on the same weapon in Survival.
How to get Smite
The quickest route is an enchanting table, since Smite is a common roll on swords. Its enchantment weight is 5, the same as Sharpness, per the Minecraft Wiki enchanting mechanics page. Other sources the wiki lists:
- Librarian villagers selling Smite books
- Enchanted books from fishing
- Chests in monster rooms (dungeons) and other non-village structures
- Raid mob drops (Bedrock only)
If you’re building a dedicated undead weapon, a Smite V book plus an anvil is the cleanest way to get the max level onto a sword or a Java axe without rerolling the table over and over.
When Smite beats Sharpness
Pick Smite for a second weapon you pull out for specific jobs. It pays off most in these places:
- Fighting the Wither. The Wither and the wither skeletons it summons are both undead, so a Smite sword does a lot more work in that fight.
- Nether fortresses. Wither skeletons are the main threat there, and you’ll be farming them for skulls anyway.
- Mob farms and spawners. Zombie and skeleton spawners, drowned farms and husk-heavy deserts all play to Smite’s strength.
- Night-time and phantoms. Phantoms are undead too, so a Smite weapon cuts them down faster.
For your everyday sword, Sharpness is the safer pick because it helps against every mob, including creepers, endermen and the Ender Dragon. A practical setup is to carry both: a Sharpness sword for general use and a Smite sword (or a Bedrock Smite axe) in the hotbar for undead-heavy areas.
Frequently asked questions
What does Smite do in Minecraft in simple terms?
Smite makes your weapon hit undead mobs harder. At Smite V it adds 12.5 damage per hit in Java Edition and 12 in Bedrock, and it adds nothing against mobs that aren’t undead.
Does Smite work on the Ender Dragon?
No. The Ender Dragon isn’t an undead mob, so Smite gives no bonus against it. Use Sharpness for the dragon fight.
Does Smite work on players?
No. Players aren’t undead, so Smite does nothing extra in PvP. Sharpness is the better choice for player combat.
Can you have Smite and Sharpness on the same sword?
Not in Survival. The two enchantments are mutually exclusive, along with Bane of Arthropods. In Java Edition, commands can force incompatible enchantments onto one item, and their effects then stack.
Does Smite work on piglins?
Only on zombified piglins. Regular piglins and piglin brutes aren’t undead, so Smite doesn’t boost damage against them.
What is the max level of Smite?
Smite’s highest level is V in both Java and Bedrock Edition.
Featured image: Mojang Studios / Microsoft
