Best weapon in Minecraft

Minecraft has a dozen or so weapon types, but not every one fits every situation. The netherite sword is the king of DPS, but the trident dominates underwater, and the mace, introduced in 1.21, changed how combat from the air works. This ranking weighs base damage, DPS, enchantment options, and how well each weapon works in PvE and PvP. For the details on combat mechanics (cooldown, critical hits, and shields), start with the first chapter.

1. Netherite sword: the DPS king

The netherite sword deals 8 base damage at an attack speed of 1.6, which gives the highest DPS (12.8) of any melee weapon in the game. With Sharpness V, damage rises to 11, and a critical hit at full cooldown can deal over 16 damage, which is 8 hearts from a single hit.

The sword has several unique advantages. Sweeping Edge lets you deal area damage (Java Edition only), which makes it ideal against groups of mobs. Looting III increases drops from killed mobs, and Fire Aspect II sets the target on fire, adding more fire damage.

The optimal netherite sword build:

• Sharpness V: +3 base damage. Alternatively, Smite V (bonus damage against the undead) or Bane of Arthropods V (bonus damage against spiders)
• Sweeping Edge III: 75% of the main hit's damage to nearby mobs (Java Edition)
• Looting III: more drops from mobs, key for farming
• Fire Aspect II: extra fire damage, useful in PvE
• Unbreaking III + Mending: practically unlimited durability

2. Mace: new in 1.21

The mace, added in update 1.21 (Tricky Trials), is a weapon built around the falling mechanic. The longer you fall before you strike, the more damage it deals. Falling 10 blocks, the mace deals over 30 damage. Falling 50 blocks, over 70. In theory there is no upper limit, though in practice the height of the map caps it.

The mace is crafted from a breeze rod (dropped by breezes in trial chambers) and a heavy core (found in trial chambers). It is the only weapon in the game that negates fall damage on a hit: you strike a mob and land safely, no matter the height.

Unique mace enchantments:

• Density V: adds extra damage for every block you fall. Strong when combined with a wind charge or a Riptide trident to launch yourself into the air
• Breach IV: ignores 60% of the opponent's armor. Excellent in PvP, where players wear full netherite with Protection IV
• Wind Burst III: after a hit, launches you back into the air, which lets you make another attack on the way down. It allows multiple combos from a single jump

The mace is the best weapon for single, powerful hits, and it is ideal for opening a fight by dropping onto an opponent from above. In a long melee fight on flat ground it loses to the netherite sword, because its base DPS without a fall is low (7 damage, attack speed 0.6).

3. Trident: the king of underwater weapons

The trident deals 9 damage in melee and 8 when thrown, at an attack speed of 1.1. It is a solid all-round weapon, but its real strength lies in its unique enchantments. Loyalty III makes the trident return to your hand after a throw, so you have unlimited ranged ammo. Channeling calls down lightning on the target during a thunderstorm, dealing 5 extra damage and turning creepers into charged creepers.

Riptide III turns the trident into a rocket: in rain or underwater, throwing the trident launches you in the direction of the throw. It is the fastest way to get around underwater and one of the fastest ways to travel in the rain. Riptide is also used in PvP for attacks from the air: you launch yourself upward and strike from above, dealing area damage.

The trident's downside is that you can't craft it. The only source is the drowned: each one has an 8.5% chance to drop a trident (11.5% with Looting III). Farming tridents is possible, but time-consuming. The trident also can't take Sharpness or Looting, so its melee DPS without weather effects is lower than the netherite sword's.

4. Bow: the ranged classic

A fully drawn bow deals 6 damage (9-10 with a critical hit) and reaches up to 64 blocks. With Power V, damage rises to 23 on a critical shot, which is more than a full swing of a netherite sword with Sharpness V. A bow with Infinity doesn't use up arrows (you only need one), which makes it ideal for exploration. Alternatively, Mending repairs the bow with XP, but you need to keep arrows in your inventory.

Flame sets a hit target on fire (like Fire Aspect on a sword), and Punch II knocks it back a good distance, which is useful for pushing mobs away from ledges. A bow belongs in every player's inventory, even if your main melee weapon is a sword.

5. Crossbow: battlefield control

A crossbow always deals 9 damage, no matter how long you charge it. Charging affects range, not the strength of the shot. With Quick Charge III the crossbow loads in a flash, and Multishot fires 3 arrows at once (ideal for groups of mobs). Piercing IV lets arrows pass through shields and multiple enemies in a line, a unique ability that no other weapon type has.

The crossbow has one important advantage over the bow: you can load it ahead of time and hold it ready to fire without drawing. In PvP that means an instant shot at the start of a fight. The downside is that the crossbow doesn't support Infinity, so it uses up arrows, and its DPS is lower than a bow with Power V.

6. Netherite axe: a PvP alternative

The netherite axe isn't classified as a weapon, but it deals 10 damage per hit, the highest base damage of any item in the game. An attack speed of 1.0 means a full cooldown every second, so its DPS (10.0) is lower than the sword's. The axe's key advantage in PvP: a hit at full cooldown disables the opponent's shield for 5 seconds. That's why many PvP players carry an axe in the offhand or on the hotbar next to a sword: the axe to knock out shields, the sword to deal the DPS.

The axe doesn't support Looting, Sweeping Edge, or Fire Aspect. You can put Sharpness V, Unbreaking III, and Mending on it, but the lack of weapon-specific offensive enchantments limits its versatility.

Which weapon loadout to carry

The best loadout depends on the situation, but a universal hotbar setup looks like this:

1. Netherite sword (Sharpness V, Sweeping Edge III, Looting III, Mending): main melee weapon
2. Bow (Power V, Infinity or Mending, Flame): ranged weapon
3. Trident with Loyalty III + Channeling: for underwater combat and thunderstorms (optional)
4. Netherite axe: for knocking out shields in PvP and chopping wood

If you have a mace with Wind Burst III, carry it for the moments when you can attack from the air: opening a fight by dropping from a tower or cliff deals huge damage. A crossbow with Multishot is great for village raids and in trial chambers. Pick weapons for the situation, not just for the stats: boss fights call for a completely different approach than PvP or everyday farming.