Best Spear Enchantments in Minecraft 1.21

The spear is one of the most exciting new weapons in Minecraft 1.21. The Minecraft spear is a melee weapon that can perform both jab attacks and charge attacks. Spears have a long reach, hitting targets up to 4.5 blocks away, but they cannot strike things that are too close. Unlike swords, spears cannot do critical hits, sprint attacks, or break blocks.

This guide will show you the best ways to enchant your spear and explain why these enchantments are useful.

Essential Durability Enchantments

First of all, we have two essential enchantments that I would highly recommend putting on your spear regardless of the other ones: Unbreaking and Mending.

• Unbreaking III – Makes it take longer for the spear to lose durability.
• Mending – Lets you repair the spear automatically using XP orbs.

You can apply these using an enchanting table or combine books using an anvil.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, your spear can basically last forever, no matter how many mobs you fight.

Damage Enchantments

Next up, we have the damage enhancers: Sharpness, Smite, and Bane of Arthropods. Bane of Arthropods only works on a handful of mobs, so you can skip it.

• Sharpness V – Increases the spear’s damage to all mobs.
• Smite V – Increases damage specifically to undead mobs like zombies and skeletons.

Here’s the tricky part: Sharpness and Smite are mutually exclusive. Which one should you pick? It depends on your sword:

• If your sword has Sharpness, put Smite V on your spear.
• If your sword has Smite, put Sharpness V on your spear.

This way, you aren’t redundant and get the benefits of both damage types. If you’re just using a spear alone (weird choice, but alright), Smite V is probably the better option since most annoying melee mobs are undead, and the spear’s long reach lets you keep them at bay.

Perk Enchantments

Perk enchantments give your spear special abilities that swords don’t have. The main perks are:

• Looting III – Increases drops from mobs. You might get more bones from skeletons or a higher chance for a wither skeleton skull. This also helps when farming mobs like piglins for loot.
• Knockback II – Pushes enemies back when you hit them, which is really useful because the spear has long reach. It keeps mobs away while you keep attacking.
• Lunge III – A unique spear enchantment. It adds a dash attack when you press your attack button. You can use it to deal extra damage quickly or escape a tight situation.
• Fire Aspect II – Sets enemies on fire for extra damage over time. Free extra damage, basically.

Spear Variants and Stats

Spears come in seven tiers: Wooden, Golden, Stone, Copper, Iron, Diamond, and Netherite. Higher-tier spears hit harder and have a higher charge multiplier, but their jab attacks are slightly slower.

For example, a diamond spear deals serious damage, while a netherite spear hits even harder and lasts much longer.

• Reach: Minimum 2 blocks, Maximum 4.5 blocks
• Jab Attack: Base damage depends on the tier
• Charge Attack: Deals more damage depending on movement speed

These stats are similar across both Java Edition and Bedrock Edition, with small differences in attack timing and cooldowns.

Spears can hit multiple mobs at once and even strike through cobwebs or tall grass, giving them extra versatility in combat.

How to Choose Your Enchantments

Here’s a recap of the best setup for your spear in Minecraft 1.21:

1. Unbreaking III – Keep it from breaking
2. Mending – Repair automatically with XP
3. Sharpness V or Smite V – Opposite of your sword
4. Looting III – More drops from mobs
5. Knockback II – Keep mobs at a safe distance
6. Lunge III – Dash attack for extra versatility
7. Fire Aspect II – Extra damage over time

With this setup, your spear will be durable, versatile, and powerful, ready for any fight in survival or against undead mobs.

Final Tips

• Use Smite against undead mobs to maximize damage.
• Lunge can finish off tough mobs or give you space to retreat.
• Higher-tier spears like the netherite spear hit harder but have slightly slower jab attacks.
• You can enchant your spear using an enchanting table early on, then upgrade it later with an anvil for the best setup.

With these enchantments, your spear is basically unstoppable and perfect for any situation in Minecraft 1.21.