Smite is a weapon enchantment that makes your attacks deal extra damage to undead mobs. That includes zombies, skeletons, drowned, husks, strays, phantoms, wither skeletons, zombified piglins, zoglins, bogged, skeleton horses, zombie horses and the Wither boss. Each level of Smite adds 2.5 damage against those mobs, so Smite V adds 12.5 extra damage, more than six hearts, to every hit. This guide explains what Smite does in Minecraft, how it compares with Sharpness, which weapons can have it, and when it is the right choice.
Quick answer
- What it does: extra damage against undead mobs only.
- Damage: +2.5 per level, up to +12.5 at Smite V.
- Max level: V.
- Weapons: swords and axes (and maces on supported versions); also spears added in Mounts of Mayhem can use damage enchantments where allowed.
- Conflicts with: Sharpness and Bane of Arthropods (and Density and Breach on maces).
Which mobs does Smite affect?
Smite works against every mob in the undead category:
- Zombie, husk, drowned, zombie villager
- Skeleton, stray, bogged, wither skeleton
- Phantom
- Zombified piglin and zoglin
- Skeleton horse and zombie horse
- The Wither
It does not affect creepers, spiders, endermen, blazes, piglins, guardians, the warden or the Ender Dragon. Against those, Smite adds nothing.
Smite vs Sharpness
Sharpness adds damage against every mob, but less of it: on Java, Sharpness V adds 3 damage, while on Bedrock it adds a bit more. Smite V adds 12.5 damage, but only against undead. So Smite is roughly four times stronger than Sharpness against undead, and useless against everything else. Most players keep Sharpness on their main sword because they fight all kinds of mobs, and keep a separate Smite weapon for undead-heavy situations. See the best sword enchantments.
When is Smite the best choice?
- Fighting the Wither: Smite V makes the Wither fight much shorter. Combine it with Strength potions.
- Mob farms: zombie and skeleton spawner farms, drowned farms and zombified piglin gold farms are full of undead.
- Nether fortresses: wither skeletons, which drop wither skeleton skulls, are undead.
- Raids on trial chambers: many mobs there are undead, including bogged and zombies.
- Night exploration: most surface night mobs are zombies and skeletons.
How to get Smite
- Enchanting table: Smite appears regularly when enchanting swords and axes, especially with 15 bookshelves for level 30 enchantments. See how to enchant.
- Enchanted books: from librarian villagers, dungeon and temple chests, or fishing.
- Anvil combining: combine two Smite IV books to make Smite V, then apply it to your weapon at an anvil.
Smite on axes and maces
Axes hit harder than swords but swing more slowly. A Smite V netherite axe deals huge damage to undead and also disables shields, which makes it effective against armored zombies and players holding shields. On maces, Smite competes with Density and Breach, which are usually better choices because they boost smash attacks; read mace enchantments explained.
The best Smite weapon setup
A complete undead-slaying sword looks like this: Smite V, Looting III for more drops, Fire Aspect II to set mobs on fire, Sweeping Edge III on Java for crowd damage, Unbreaking III and Mending. Keep it in your hotbar next to your Sharpness sword and swap based on the mob you face.
Common questions about Smite
What does Smite do in Minecraft?
It increases damage dealt to undead mobs by 2.5 per level.
What is Smite in Minecraft good for?
Killing zombies, skeletons, wither skeletons, phantoms and the Wither quickly.
Can you have Smite and Sharpness together?
No. They are mutually exclusive in normal Survival.
Does Smite work on the Ender Dragon?
No. The Ender Dragon is not undead.
Does Smite work on the warden?
No. The warden is not undead, so Sharpness or Power on a bow is better.
Is Smite better than Sharpness?
Against undead, yes by a wide margin. Against everything else, Sharpness is better.
Related guides
Read how to get Mending, how to make an anvil and how to remove enchantments if you want to change a weapon’s enchantments later.
How much damage does Smite actually add?
A diamond sword deals 7 damage, or three and a half hearts, on Java Edition. With Smite V, it deals 19.5 damage to undead mobs, almost ten hearts. A normal zombie has 20 health, so a fully charged Smite V diamond sword hit leaves it with barely half a heart, and a netherite sword with Smite V kills most zombies and skeletons in a single strike. Against the Wither, which has 300 health on Java, Smite V roughly triples your damage per hit compared with an unenchanted sword. That makes Smite the single most effective enchantment for undead bosses and undead farms. On Bedrock Edition the base damage numbers differ slightly, but Smite still adds 2.5 damage per level.
Smite, Sharpness and Bane of Arthropods compared
These three are the damage enchantments for swords and axes, and you can only choose one. Sharpness adds a smaller bonus against every mob, which makes it the most flexible choice for adventuring. Smite adds a large bonus against undead mobs, which are the most common hostile mobs in the Overworld at night, in the Nether fortress and in trial chambers. Bane of Arthropods adds the same large bonus as Smite but against spiders, cave spiders, silverfish, endermites and bees, and it also slows them. Bane is rarely worth it except for cave spider spawner farms. For most players, the sensible collection is a Sharpness main sword, a Smite sword or axe for undead situations, and no Bane at all.
Using Smite in mob farms
If you build a zombie or skeleton spawner farm, mobs often fall into a kill chamber where you finish them with one hit to collect experience. Smite V makes sure every mob dies in one swing even if it has armor, which speeds up the farm. In zombified piglin gold farms in the Nether, Smite combined with Looting III increases gold nugget and ingot drops. For drowned farms, which provide tridents and copper, Smite helps clear groups quickly. Pair your Smite weapon with Sweeping Edge on Java to hit several mobs at once.
Smite on Bedrock vs Java
Smite works the same way on both editions: +2.5 damage per level against undead, up to level V. The difference is in how other enchantments and attack cooldowns work. Java has an attack cooldown, so you should wait for the indicator to fill before each swing to get the full Smite bonus. Bedrock has no cooldown, so you can attack faster, and Sharpness adds 1.25 damage per level on Bedrock rather than the Java formula, which makes Sharpness relatively stronger there.
Is Smite worth putting on your only sword?
If you can only have one sword, choose Sharpness, because it helps against every enemy, including creepers, spiders, endermen and players. Smite is a specialist enchantment. It becomes worth it once you have the resources for a second weapon, especially an axe, which you probably carry anyway for chopping wood. Putting Smite on that axe gives you a powerful undead-slayer without giving up Sharpness on your sword.
In short, Smite turns any sword or axe into an undead-destroying tool. Use it on a second weapon, keep Sharpness on your main one, and you will be ready for every fight.
Use it wisely, and undead mobs will never be a threat again.