If you’ve ever seen the Smite enchantment in Minecraft and wondered what it actually does, you’re not alone. Many players are confused about how Smite works, when to use it, and how it compares to other enchantments like Sharpness.

In this guide, we’ll answer the question: What does Smite do in Minecraft? You’ll learn what it’s good for, how to get it, how much extra damage it deals, and whether it’s better than other sword or axe enchantments.

Let’s break it down!

What Is the Smite Enchantment in Minecraft?

Smite is a weapon enchantment that increases your damage against specific types of enemies—undead mobs.

When applied to a sword or axe, Smite boosts your attack power when fighting undead enemies like:

• Zombies
• Skeletons
• Wither Skeletons
• Strays
• Husks
• Drowned
• Phantoms
• Zombified Piglins
• Skeleton Horses
• Zombie Horses
• Wither Boss

✅ In short: Smite helps you kill undead mobs faster.

How Does Smite Work?

The Smite enchantment adds bonus damage to your weapon when attacking undead creatures. The more levels of Smite your weapon has, the more damage it deals to these enemies.

🔢 Smite Damage Formula:

Bonus Damage = 2.5 × Level of Smite

So if you have:

• Smite I → +2.5 extra damage
• Smite II → +5 extra damage
• Smite III → +7.5 extra damage
• Smite IV → +10 extra damage
• Smite V → +12.5 extra damage

🧟 This bonus damage only works against undead mobs. It has no effect on regular mobs like creepers, spiders, endermen, or players.

What Weapons Can Have Smite?

Smite can be applied to the following weapons:

• Swords
• Axes

These can be made from wood, stone, iron, gold, diamond, or netherite.

You can apply Smite using:

• An enchanting table
• An anvil + enchanted book
• A grindstone (to swap out old enchantments first)

🛠️ You can’t apply Smite to bows, crossbows, or tridents.

How to Get Smite in Minecraft

Here are three ways to get the Smite enchantment:

1. Enchanting Table

• Place a sword or axe in the enchanting slot.
• Spend XP and Lapis Lazuli.
• Hover over options to see if Smite is available.
• You may need to reroll the options by enchanting a cheap item first.

2. Enchanted Books

• Use an anvil to combine an enchanted book with Smite and your weapon.
• You can find Smite books in loot chests, from fishing, or by trading with librarian villagers.

3. Librarian Villager Trades

• Librarians can sell enchanted books.
• Keep resetting their trades until they offer a Smite I–V book.

Smite vs. Sharpness: Which Is Better?

Many players ask whether Smite is better than Sharpness. Here’s the comparison:

🔍 Key Point:

• Smite is better if you’re farming undead mobs like zombies or skeletons.
• Sharpness is better for general use, especially in PvP or exploring.

🛑 Smite and Sharpness are mutually exclusive—you can’t have both on the same weapon without using commands or cheats.

Best Situations to Use Smite

If you’re planning to fight a lot of undead enemies, Smite is one of the most powerful enchantments you can use. Here are some situations where Smite is perfect:

🧟‍♂️ Zombie or Skeleton Farms

Smite helps you kill mobs quickly and efficiently, making XP and item farming faster.

🧊 Fighting the Wither Boss

Since the Wither is an undead mob, Smite does serious damage and can help you win the battle faster.

🌌 Exploring the Nether

Zombified Piglins and Wither Skeletons are common in the Nether, making Smite a great choice.

💀 Raids and Night Battles

Phantoms, drowned, and husks are all undead. Smite weapons can help you survive nighttime attacks and raids.

Can Smite Be Combined with Other Enchantments?

Yes, Smite can be combined with several non-damage enchantments, such as:

• Unbreaking
• Mending
• Looting
• Fire Aspect
• Knockback
• Sweeping Edge (for swords only)

🛠️ Just remember, Smite can’t be combined with Sharpness or Bane of Arthropods on the same weapon unless you’re using cheats or command blocks.

Is Smite Worth It?

Smite is very powerful in specific situations, especially when you know you’ll be fighting a lot of undead mobs.

Pros:

• High damage boost (up to +12.5!)
• Perfect for mob farms
• Great against the Wither boss
• Easy to obtain

Cons:

• Useless against non-undead enemies
• Not ideal for PvP or general adventuring
• Can’t be combined with Sharpness

🧠 Final Verdict:
Use Smite on a dedicated undead-slaying weapon. Keep a Sharpness sword or axe for general use, and a Smite weapon in your inventory when needed.

Final Thoughts

So, what does Smite do in Minecraft? In simple terms, it gives you extra power against undead mobs, making it an excellent enchantment for certain fights, mob farms, and boss battles like the Wither.

To recap:

• Smite increases damage against undead mobs only.
• Each level adds +2.5 bonus damage.
• Works on swords and axes.
• Can’t be combined with Sharpness or Bane of Arthropods.
• Best used in zombie farms, the Nether, or Wither fights.

Now that you understand how Smite works, you can enchant your gear smarter and deal massive damage where it counts. Happy hunting—and watch out for zombies!