Smite Enchantment in Minecraft: Exact Damage vs. Undead Mobs

Max level

V

Applies to

Sword, Spear, Axe, Mace

Incompatible with

Sharpness, Bane of Arthropods, Breach, Density

Obtained via

Enchanting table, anvil, villager trade

Smite adds bonus melee damage specifically against undead mobs — nothing extra against anything else, but a real step up against the mobs it does cover.

What Smite actually does

Each level adds 2.5 HP × 1.25 (a flat scaled amount) extra damage against undead targets, in both Java and Bedrock Edition — Bedrock rounds the result down to a whole number, which makes Levels I, III, and V come out marginally weaker than the same level on Java, but the underlying formula is the same across editions (unlike Sharpness, which genuinely diverges between them).

The "undead" category is broader than just zombies and skeletons: it covers every zombie variant (zombies, drowned, husks, zombie villagers, zombified piglins, zoglins, zombie horses), every skeleton variant (skeletons, strays, bogged, wither skeletons, skeleton horses), plus phantoms and the wither itself.

How to use it

Smite is one of six mutually-exclusive "damage type" enchantments (alongside Sharpness, Bane of Arthropods, Breach, Density, and Impaling) — only one can be active on a weapon at a time. Against its actual target list, a given level of Smite out-damages the same level of Sharpness; against literally anything else, it does nothing extra. That makes it the wrong default for a main weapon (Sharpness, with no restriction, fills that role better) but the right pick for a sword you keep specifically for a zombie/skeleton XP farm, a wither fight, or a nether trip where husks and strays dominate.

Well-known builds that use it

Smite is the specialist alternative inside the same slot Sharpness normally fills on the "God Sword" build — swap Sharpness for Smite and every other enchantment (Looting, Sweeping Edge, Unbreaking, Mending) carries over unchanged, since none of them conflict with either pick. See Sharpness vs. Smite vs. Bane of Arthropods for the full breakdown of when each specialist actually earns a dedicated weapon.

Build the Undead Farm Sword →

Frequently asked questions

What does Smite do in Minecraft?

It adds bonus melee damage specifically against undead mobs — zombies, skeletons, phantoms, the wither, and their variants — with no effect against anything else.

Is Smite worth it over Sharpness?

Only on a weapon dedicated to undead-heavy content (a zombie/skeleton XP farm, a wither fight). Against its target list, Smite out-damages an equivalent Sharpness level; against everything else, it does nothing extra, which is why Sharpness remains the better default for a single main weapon.

Does Smite work against the wither?

Yes — the wither and wither skeletons both count as undead for this enchantment's purposes.

Does Smite work on a mace?

Yes, Smite is one of the valid damage-type picks on a mace, alongside Bane of Arthropods — though Density and Breach (the mace's own exclusive mechanics) sit in the same exclusion group, so you still only get one.

What's the maximum level of Smite?

V, obtainable from the enchanting table, an anvil, or a villager trade.