Enchantment
Sharpness
Increases general melee weapon damage.
Quick answer
Increases general melee weapon damage.
Maximum levelV
Applies toSword, axe, and spear
Incompatible withSmite, Bane of Arthropods, Impaling, Density, Breach
Acquisition typeStandard enchantment
Anvil cost1 per level
SupportJava & Bedrock
Current versionJava 26.2
IDminecraft:sharpness
Effect
Increases general melee weapon damage.
Level scaling
In Java Edition, the first level adds 1 damage and each additional level adds 0.5. Sharpness V is the general-purpose maximum.
Practical use
The best choice when enemy type is unknown. Smite and Bane of Arthropods are stronger in their niches.
Compatible items
Sword, axe, and spear
How to obtain
Enchanting table, enchanted books, trading, and chest loot.
Restrictions and compatibility
Cannot be combined with: Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Impaling, Density, Breach. An anvil will not apply conflicting enchantments to one item.
Related articles
Best Sword EnchantmentsGeneral and specialized sword setups for Java 26.2.Sharpness vs Smite: Which Is Better for a Sword?Sharpness covers different enemies. Smite specializes in undead damage, but does not increase damage against every target.Bane of ArthropodsDeals extra damage to arthropods and applies Slowness.
BreachReduces the target armor effectiveness by 15% per level.DensityIncreases the mace smash-damage multiplier while falling.