If you prefer long-ranged weapons, use these best Minecraft bow enchantments to turn your bow into an unstoppable force. From unlimited arrows to knocking back enemies, use these enchantments to start your journey to becoming a master archer.
If you’re looking for a stronger long-range weapon, try reading our best trident enchantments article.
Power
Levels: IV
Incompatibilities: None
Our top choice of the best Minecraft bow enchantments is the Power enchantment. It allows your arrow to deal additional damage to mobs and enemies. With five levels available, each level adds a 25% increase in damage, maxing at 25 (♥ × 12.5 ) when power V is added. Note that these values are for fully charged bows – also known as critical damage.
| Power I | Power II | Power III | Power IV | Power V | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase | +50% (3.0) | +75% (3.5) | +100% (4.0) | +125% (4.5) | +150% (5.0) |
| Critical Damage | 16(♥ × 8) | 19(♥ × 9.5) | 20(♥ × 10) | 23(♥ × 11.5) | 25(♥ × 12.5) |
Mending
Levels: None
Incompatibilities: Infinity
Next, we have mending. This Minecraft bow enchantment repairs your bow using experience orbs you collect, effectively increasing its lifespan. It’s a valuable enchantment, especially for players who use a bow as their go-to weapon. However, it’s important to note that mending isn’t compatible with the infinity enchantment, so it’s a choice of either or.
Unbreaking
Levels: III
Incompatibilities: None
A favorite among many Minecraft players is the unbreaking enchantment. While it may be one step down from mending, it’s still one of the best Minecraft bow enchantments available. It’s a versatile enchantment that increases the durability of your bow by decreasing the chance of wear and tear when using it. There are three levels to unbreaking, with unbreaking III providing 75% chance that your bow won’t consume any durability. This means you’ll have few trips to the anvil for repairs – especially helpful when choosing the infinity enchantment.
Another handy piece of armor that you can apply unbreaking too is a helmet. Check out what other enchantments you can use to enhance your helmet.
| Edition | Normal Durability | Unbreaking I (50%) | Unbreaking II (~66%) | Unbreaking III (75%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Java | 326 | 652 | 978 | 1304 |
| Bedrock | 464 | 928 | 1392 | 1856 |
Punch
Levels: II
Incompatibilities: None
Punch is the best Minecraft bow enchantment to keep enemies at a distance for long-range combat. The enchantment adds knockback to your arrows, pushing mobs and players back. Punch comes in two levels, with punch II providing an even greater knockback effect of 6 blocks.
Another weapon that knockback comes in handy is a sword. Use knockback on a sword to push your enemies away, then swap to a bow and use punch. Interested in other sword enchantments for close-range combat? Check out our sword enchantments article.
| Enchantment Level | Blocks |
|---|---|
| Punch I | 3 Blocks |
| Punch II | 6 Blocks |
Flame
Levels: I
Incompatibilities: None
Set your enemies ablaze with the flame enchantment! When you apply this enchantment to your bow, your arrow will ignite any mob or player they hit. While there aren’t any levels to flame, it’s still the best Minecraft bow enchantment to bring fiery chaos to your foes. This enchantment deals 5 fire damage over five seconds; however, the first damage is ignored.
Infinity
Levels: None
Incompatibilities: Mending
Ever wished you had an endless supply of arrows? The infinity enchantment does just that – making it one of the best Minecraft bow enchantments. With it, you’ll only need a single arrow in your inventory, and you can shoot it infinitely without running out. However, as mentioned above, the infinity enchantment is incompatible with mending.
If we had to choose between infinity and mending, we recommend using the infinity enchantment. This is because crafting more bows to repair your enchanted bow is much easier than crafting more arrows.
How To Enchant A Bow in Minecraft
Enchanting a bow in Minecraft can improve its performance and make you a formidable archer. Here’s a step-by-step guide to enchanting a bow:
Craft a Bow
First, you need to have a bow. Crafting a bow requires three sticks and three strings. Arrange them in the crafting grid in the following pattern:
Row 1: (empty), Stick, String
Row 2: Stick, (empty), String
Row 3: (empty), Stick, String
Gather Experience Points (XP)
To enchant items in Minecraft, you need experience points. You can obtain these by mining ores, killing mobs, breeding animals, cooking food, and doing other in-game activities.
Craft an enchantment table
To enchant your bow, you’ll need an enchantment table. Crafting one requires the following ingredients: 4 obsidian blocks, 2 diamonds, and 1 book. Arrange these items in the crafting grid:
Row 1: (empty), Book, (empty)
Row 2: Diamond, Obsidian, Diamond
Row 3: Obsidian, Obsidian, Obsidian
Collect Lapis Lazuli
Enchanting requires Lapis Lazuli as a consumable resource. You can find it by mining Lapis Lazuli ore blocks, usually deep underground.
Build bookshelves (optional)
To increase the enchantment level options, surround your enchantment table with 15 bookshelves, leaving a one-block gap between the bookshelves and the enchantment table. However, this step isn’t mandatory but will enable access to higher-level enchantments.
Enchant the bow
Now, you’re ready to enchant your bow. Right-click the enchantment table to open the enchanting interface. Place your bow in the left slot and Lapis Lazuli in the right slot. Three enchantment options will appear, each with a different level cost. Hover over each option to see the enchantment offered.
Remember that enchantments are somewhat random, and you may not immediately get the one you want. You can try enchanting books instead and then use an anvil to add the desired enchantment to your bow. Alternatively, you can keep trying with different bows until you get the enchantment you’re after.
Select the enchantment
Choose the enchantment you want and click on it. The enchantment will be applied to your bow, and the required experience levels and Lapis Lazuli will be consumed.
That’s it! Your bow is now enchanted and ready to be used in your Minecraft adventures. You’ll become a legendary archer with the proper enchantments in no time!
