What Does Smite Do in Minecraft?

Smite enchantment explained: what is Smite in Minecraft?

Smite is one of the core Minecraft enchantments. When applied to a sword or axe, it increases your attack damage against undead mobs only. It doesn’t work on players or living mobs, but against the right enemy type, it’s one of the strongest enchants in the game.

What Smite actually does

Smite adds bonus damage against undead mobs only. On anything else, it does nothing. When it’s the right matchup though, it hits hard.

• Effect: +2.5 damage per level to undead mobs
• Max level: V
• Applies to: Swords and axes
• Editions: Works in both Java and Bedrock
• Incompatible with: Sharpness and Bane of Arthropods

Undead mobs that Smite affects include:

• Zombies, zombie villagers and husks
• Drowned
• Skeletons, strays and other skeleton variants like bogged
• Wither skeletons
• Zombified piglins and zoglins
• Skeleton horses and zombie horses
• The Wither boss

Quick reminder: Smite does not affect players, Endermen, the Ender Dragon or the Warden. It’s strictly for undead-coded mobs.

What does Smite 1–5 do in Minecraft?

Each level of the Smite enchantment increases your weapon’s damage by +2.5 against undead mobs. Here’s the breakdown:

• Smite I: +2.5 extra damage to undead mobs
• Smite II: +5 extra damage to undead mobs
• Smite III: +7.5 extra damage to undead mobs
• Smite IV: +10 extra damage to undead mobs
• Smite V: +12.5 extra damage to undead mobs

That’s added on top of your weapon’s base damage and any critical hit multipliers. Smite V is the maximum level, and it can make a netherite axe an undead one-shot machine.

How to smite someone in Minecraft

Players often wonder if you can “smite” another player in Minecraft like casting a lightning spell. The short answer: no. The Smite enchantment does not affect players; it only applies bonus damage to undead mobs.

However, in custom servers or with Minecraft commands, some admins will use the /summon lightning_bolt command to simulate “smiting” another player for fun (requires the right permissions).

Smite versus Sharpness and Bane

Picking the right enchant is about matchup. Here’s how Smite stacks up against the two big alternatives.

• Smite: Massive damage against undead, zero elsewhere
• Sharpness: Smaller damage boost to everything, including players
• Bane of Arthropods: Big damage to spiders, cave spiders, bees, silverfish and endermites

In short: If you’re raiding a Nether fortress or farming drowned tridents, Smite is king. If you want one all-purpose weapon for adventuring or PvP, Sharpness wins. Save Bane for spider-heavy runs or when you really want that Slowness effect on arthropods.

Damage math made friendly

Here’s the clean math you can trust during an undead showdown.

• Smite adds +2.5 damage per level to undead mobs
• Smite V adds +12.5 damage on every hit to undead
• That’s on top of your weapon’s base damage and any critical hit

Edition notes to keep in mind:

• Java: Sharpness adds a small flat bonus to everything, so Smite’s bonus outpaces it by a lot vs undead
• Bedrock: Sharpness adds a bigger bonus than in Java, but Smite still crushes it against undead

Real talk: A Smite V netherite axe can one or two shot many undead on most difficulties. It turns Wither skeleton fights from chaos into clean-up duty.

Where Smite shines

Use Smite whenever the undead party shows up. These are prime scenarios.

• Wither prep: Smite V is a top-tier choice for spawning and deleting skulls in soul sand valleys and for the boss fight
• Nether fortress runs: Speed up wither skeleton skull farming with Smite V + Looting III
• Ocean adventures: Pop drowned fast, especially trident hunters
• Village defense: Turn zombie sieges into XP fountains
• Caves and ancient cities: Skeletons melt under Smite, letting you control the room

How to get Smite

You’ve got a few solid routes. Mix and match based on your world and resources.

• Enchanting table: Use an enchantable sword or axe with lapis and levels, reroll books to target Smite
• Enchanted books: Find them in chests, fish them up or trade with librarians
• Librarian villager: Set up a lectern, roll trades until you lock a Smite book, cure zombie villagers for better prices
• Anvil: Combine Smite books to reach higher levels, then apply to your weapon
• Grindstone: De-enchant to reroll options and save levels on misses

Pro tip: If you’re aiming for a perfect Smite V setup, it’s often faster to build it with books on an anvil than praying to RNG at the table.

Best weapons for Smite

Both swords and axes can carry Smite. Your choice depends on your edition and playstyle.

• Java sword: Faster swings, sweeping attacks with Sweeping Edge, great for crowd control
• Java axe: Slower but hits like a truck, Smite V turns undead packs into confetti
• Bedrock sword: Reliable, consistent, pairs well with Fire Aspect and Looting
• Bedrock axe: Still solid with Smite, especially if you favor timing heavy hits

Either way, netherite is the endgame. The base damage boost plus Smite’s scaling makes every hit count.

Enchant combos and conflicts

You can’t stack Smite with Sharpness or Bane, but you can still craft a monster of a weapon.

• Compatible: Unbreaking, Mending, Looting, Knockback, Fire Aspect, Sweeping Edge (Java sword only)
• Incompatible: Sharpness and Bane of Arthropods
• Strategy: Keep a Smite weapon for undead and a Sharpness weapon for everything else

Looting + Smite is a dream for wither skeleton skulls and trident hunts. Add Unbreaking and Mending so your death stick never quits.

Builds for real moments

Want some plug-and-play loadouts? Try these.

• Wither skeleton farmer: Smite V, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Mending, Fire Aspect II
• Ocean raider: Smite V, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Mending, Depth Strider boots, Turtle Master potions
• Village defender: Smite IV or V, Sweeping Edge III (Java), Looting III, Knockback II to keep zombies off doors
• Boss hunter: Smite V on axe, Unbreaking III, Mending, Strength and Regeneration potions

Not sure which to build first? If you’re heading to the Nether, Smite V + Looting III is worth its weight in beacons.

Java and Bedrock differences to remember

Smite’s core effect is the same across editions but a few edges feel different.

• Sharpness math: It’s stronger in Bedrock than Java, but Smite still wins vs undead on both
• Sweeping Edge: Java only, makes swords great for crowds
• Axe meta: Axes hit harder in Java and swing slower, which pairs well with Smite’s burst

Bottom line: If undead are on the menu, Smite belongs in your hotbar, no matter the edition.

Quick tips that feel like cheats

Little habits that make Smite feel legendary.

• Crits count: Jump and hit on the way down to stack crit damage with Smite
• Control the arena: Knockback keeps skeletons at bay while you sweep the line
• Stay topped: Instant Health potions heal undead, so use Harming on them instead
• Know your waves: In raids, keep a Smite weapon tucked for zombie reinforcements at night
• Swap smart: Hotkey a Sharpness sword for mixed fights and swap to Smite when you hear bones rattle

Common Minecraft Smite questions answered

• Does Smite work on players? No.
• Does Smite affect the Wither? Yes, Smite is great for the Wither.
• Does Smite work on Endermen or the Warden? No.
• What’s the max Smite level? V.
• Can I put Smite on an axe? Yes, both swords and axes.
• Can Smite and Sharpness go together? No, they’re incompatible.
• Is Smite better than Sharpness? Against undead, yes. For general use, Sharpness is better.
• Does Smite affect drowned? Yes.
• Does Smite affect phantoms? No. Smite applies only to undead-coded mobs.

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