Thorns Enchantment in Minecraft

Thorns is a Minecraft enchantment for armor. Damages mobs that hit you. Its maximum level through normal enchanting is III. This page lists what it does, which items accept it, how to get it and the command to apply it in Java Edition and Bedrock Edition.

Thorns at a glance

How to get Thorns

• Enchanting table: it can appear as one of the offered enchantments when you spend lapis lazuli and levels on a compatible item.
• Enchanted books: find them in chests, trade with librarian villagers or fish them up, then combine the book on an anvil. Our anvil calculator shows the level cost.
• Commands: see below.

Thorns command

Apply it to the item in your main hand:

/enchant @s thorns 3

The /enchant command only accepts levels up to the normal maximum and only on items that can take the enchantment. To make an item with any level, use the give command generator on Java Edition. See the /enchant wiki page for the full syntax.

Tips for Thorns

• Enchantments that conflict cannot be on the same item. Costs extra armor durability when it triggers.
• Combine two books of the same level on an anvil to raise the level by one, up to the maximum.
• Prior work penalty makes each extra anvil step cost more, so plan the order of combinations. See how to use an anvil.

When to use it

Thorns damages attackers but also wears out your armor faster, so it works best on one or two pieces rather than a full set.

Command block guide · All Minecraft commands

Thorns FAQ

What is the maximum level of Thorns?

III with the enchanting table and anvil.

What items can have Thorns?

Armor.

What is the command for Thorns?

/enchant @s thorns 3 while holding a compatible item, with cheats enabled.