Bane of Arthropods Minecraft: Everything You Need to Know About This Enchantment

The bane of arthropods in Minecraft (Bane of Arthropods in English) is the most underestimated enchantment in the game. Most players consider it a trash enchantment that wastes a slot on the enchantment table. And in most situations, they are not wrong. But this enchantment has a precise function and real use cases that few players know about. This guide details everything you need to know about the bane of arthropods in Minecraft: exact mechanics, affected mobs, damage calculations, and the rare situations where it surpasses Sharpness.

Bane of Arthropods: Exact Description and Functioning

Bane of Arthropods is a weapon enchantment available in 5 levels (I to V). It applies to the sword and axe. Its main effect is to increase the damage dealt exclusively to mobs classified as arthropods in the game's code. Against all other mobs and players, the enchantment has absolutely no effect.

In addition to the damage bonus, Bane of Arthropods applies a Slowness IV effect on the target hit. The duration of the slowness is random: between 1 and 1.5 seconds at level I, then an additional 0.5 seconds per level. At level V, the Slowness IV effect lasts between 3 and 3.5 seconds. This slowness drastically reduces the arthropod's movement speed, making it easy to finish off or flee from.

Bane of Arthropods is mutually exclusive with Sharpness and Smite. Only one of these three enchantments can be applied to a weapon at a time. This incompatibility explains the bad reputation of Bane of Arthropods: players must choose between an enchantment that works against everything (Sharpness), an enchantment that works against the majority undead (Smite), or an enchantment that works against a handful of arthropod mobs (Bane of Arthropods).

The enchantment is obtained on the enchantment table with 15 bookshelves, via enchanted books in structure chests, by fishing, or from a librarian villager. It frequently appears on the enchantment table, which is often a source of frustration for players hoping to get Sharpness V.

Which Mobs Are Affected? (Spiders, Endermites, Bees, Sand Shrimp)

The list of mobs classified as arthropods in Minecraft is broader than most players imagine. An arthropod in the game corresponds to any mob based on an invertebrate with an exoskeleton.

Spider: the most common arthropod mob. It appears on the surface at night and in caves under a light level of 7. It has 16 health points (8 hearts) and deals 2 to 3 damage depending on the difficulty. It's the mob that makes Bane of Arthropods most useful at the start of the game.

Cave Spider: a smaller and more dangerous version, exclusive to abandoned mines. It has 12 health points (6 hearts) and poisons the player on Normal and Hard difficulty. In groups in an abandoned mine spawner, cave spiders are formidable.

Silverfish: small mob that appears in End fortresses and in infested stone blocks. It has only 8 health points (4 hearts) but often appears in large numbers when an infested block is broken, triggering a chain reaction.

Endermite: rare mob that has a 5% chance of appearing when a player uses an Ender pearl. It has 8 health points (4 hearts) and disappears after 2 minutes if not named. Endermen attack Endermites, which is used in Endermen farms.

Bee: added in 1.15, the bee is classified as an arthropod. It has 10 health points (5 hearts) and only attacks if provoked. Hitting a bee with Bane of Arthropods kills it faster, but killing bees is rarely desirable as they are useful for pollination.

Sand Shrimp (Desert Silverfish / Bogged): since 1.21, Bogged are skeletons (undead, not arthropods). However, the mob variants added in recent updates have not introduced major new arthropods. The list remains centered on spiders, silverfish, endermites, and bees.

In total, arthropods represent about 5 to 10% of hostile mobs encountered in normal survival. It's this low proportion that limits the usefulness of Bane of Arthropods compared to Sharpness or Smite.

Levels I to V: Damage Bonus Calculated by Level

Bane of Arthropods adds 2.5 additional damage per level against arthropods. It's the same ratio as Smite and exactly double the bonus of Sharpness (which adds 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 damage for levels I to V).

Here are the total damages with a Netherite sword (8 base damage) against an arthropod:

Bane of Arthropods I: 8 + 2.5 = 10.5 damage (5.25 hearts) + Slowness IV 1-1.5s.
Bane of Arthropods II: 8 + 5 = 13 damage (6.5 hearts) + Slowness IV 1.5-2s.
Bane of Arthropods III: 8 + 7.5 = 15.5 damage (7.75 hearts) + Slowness IV 2-2.5s.
Bane of Arthropods IV: 8 + 10 = 18 damage (9 hearts) + Slowness IV 2.5-3s.
Bane of Arthropods V: 8 + 12.5 = 20.5 damage (10.25 hearts) + Slowness IV 3-3.5s.

With a Netherite sword Bane of Arthropods V, a single hit deals 20.5 damage to an arthropod. The standard spider (16 HP) dies in one hit. The cave spider (12 HP) dies in one hit. The silverfish (8 HP) dies in one hit. The bee (10 HP) dies in one hit. No arthropod in the game survives a single hit from a Netherite Bane V sword.

On a Netherite axe (10 base damage), Bane of Arthropods V deals 22.5 damage. It's even more devastating, but since all arthropods already die in one hit with the sword, the surplus damage is practically unnecessary.

Bane of Arthropods vs Sharpness vs Smite: Complete Comparison

The comparison between the three damage enchantments is simple but revealing.

Sharpness V adds 3 damage against all mobs and players. It's a fixed, universal bonus, without condition. A Netherite Sharpness V sword deals 11 damage to any target. The versatility of Sharpness is unbeatable: it works against 100% of the game's enemies.

Smite V adds 12.5 damage against undead: zombies (all variants), skeletons, Withers, phantoms, drowned, Wither skeletons. The undead represent about 40 to 50% of hostile mobs in survival. Smite is 4 times more powerful than Sharpness against its category of targets, and this category is large enough to justify a second dedicated sword.

Bane of Arthropods V adds 12.5 damage against arthropods: spiders, cave spiders, silverfish, endermites, bees. The bonus is identical to Smite, but the category of targets represents only 5 to 10% of hostile mobs. Moreover, arthropods are generally weak mobs that die in 1 to 2 hits even with an unenchanted diamond sword.

The fundamental problem with Bane of Arthropods is this: the mobs it targets do not require additional damage to be effectively eliminated. Sharpness V is more than enough to kill any arthropod in 1 to 2 hits, while also working against the rest of the enemies. Bane of Arthropods does not kill arthropods "more dead": it kills them in one hit instead of two, which is not a sufficient difference to justify sacrificing the versatility of Sharpness.

The only argument in favor of Bane of Arthropods is the Slowness IV effect. This effect is not provided by Sharpness or Smite. Against cave spiders that move quickly in the narrow tunnels of abandoned mines, the slowness can really save a player early in the game.

When to Use Bane of Arthropods? (Caves, Hives, Farms)

Despite its limitations, Bane of Arthropods has legitimate use cases.

Clearing Abandoned Mines: abandoned mines contain cave spider spawners. In a narrow corridor with 3 to 5 cave spiders that poison on contact, Bane of Arthropods V kills them in one hit and applies slowness. This is the situation where the enchantment is most useful. A player planning to explore abandoned mines for an entire session can legitimately enchant a sword with Bane V as a dedicated tool.

Infested Silverfish Caves: mountain biomes can generate pockets of infested blocks. Breaking an infested block spawns a silverfish that can trigger a chain reaction by activating adjacent infested blocks. Bane of Arthropods V kills the silverfish before it has time to trigger adjacent blocks, thanks to the one-shot combined with the slowness effect.

Spider Farms: spider spawners are used to farm string and spider eyes. Bane of Arthropods on the farming sword is not necessary (spiders come out of the spawner with full HP and die easily), but the slowness effect facilitates the grouping of spiders in the kill zone.

End Fortress: fortress rooms contain silverfish and silverfish spawners. Bane of Arthropods helps quickly clear these rooms before activating the End portal.

Early Game: if the enchantment table offers Bane of Arthropods III or IV on an iron sword and the player doesn't have the levels or lapis to retry, it's better than no enchantment at all. The slowness effect remains useful against all surface spiders at night.

In summary, Bane of Arthropods is a secondary sword enchantment for specific situations. It should never be on the main weapon. On a Minecraft hosting with custom dungeon plugins or modified spider spawners, Bane of Arthropods can become more relevant depending on the server configuration.

Bane of Arthropods FAQ

Does Bane of Arthropods work in PvP against players?

No. Players are not classified as arthropods. The damage bonus and slowness effect do not apply to players. In PvP, a weapon with Bane of Arthropods behaves like a weapon without a damage enchantment.

Are Creepers arthropods?

No. Despite their four legs and appearance that might suggest an insect, Creepers are not classified as arthropods in the game's code. Bane of Arthropods has no effect against them. Sharpness is the only effective damage enchantment against Creepers.

Does Bane of Arthropods work on the bow?

No. Bane of Arthropods can only be applied to the sword and axe. Ranged weapons (bow, crossbow, trident) do not accept this enchantment.

Does the slowness effect stack with multiple hits?

No. Each hit resets the slowness duration instead of extending it. Hitting an arthropod twice in a row with Bane V applies Slowness IV for 3 to 3.5 seconds from the last hit, without stacking.

Can Bane of Arthropods be transformed into Sharpness with the grindstone?

Not directly. The grindstone removes Bane of Arthropods (and all other non-cursed enchantments) from the weapon, returning XP. The weapon must then be re-enchanted at the enchantment table in hopes of obtaining Sharpness. It's an XP-costly process but it's the only solution.

Are Guardians and Elder Guardians arthropods?

No. Despite their aquatic appearance with legs, Guardians are classified as aquatic hostile mobs, not arthropods. Bane of Arthropods has no effect on them.

Is Bane of Arthropods worth it on Bedrock Edition?

The functionality is identical on Bedrock Edition. The same mobs are affected, the same damages apply. The low proportion of arthropods in the game makes the enchantment as situational on Bedrock as it is on Java.