Any gamer who wants to seriously excel at Minecraft also has to learn about enchantments in the game. The art of enchanting first requires an enchanting table and 15 bookshelves surrounding it. When you have access to the best enchantments, you can use them on your tools to make the best out of your game.

The already good tools will become even more powerful with the help of enchanting. The axe is often overlooked among all Minecraft tools, but with the most suitable spells, it will turn into a staple for not just collecting wood but also slaying enemies. What are the best enchantments for axe in Minecraft in 2025, with the latest 1.21 updates?

What are the best enchantments for a Netherite axe and normal axe in 2025?

Below is the top 7 you can take some references from. Note: In Minecraft 1.21, axes can now be enchanted with a variety of options, including experimental combat features in Java snapshots, but we've focused on stable, vanilla enchantments available in the main release.

Table of Contents

7. Smite

Any object that you enchant Smite with will become an undead-creature slayer. Namely zombies, skeletons, and wither skeletons, you can kill them much faster. As undead mobs are extremely common in the game—especially in dark forests, caves, and the Nether—Smite is a cool enchantment to use on a weapon, although not too essential for general use.

However, this enchantment is more oriented to combat while axes are primarily harvesting tools. That’s why it does not rank high in our list of best enchantments for axe PvP. In 1.21, Smite V adds up to 25 extra damage against undead, making it great for Nether farming.

Tip: Pair Smite with Looting III on your axe for more drops from undead mobs, like bones and arrows. Use a grindstone to remove conflicting enchantments before applying.

Smite does well but not best against non-undead mobs.

6. Silk Touch

This is one of the best enchantments for axes if you aspire to spare your resources in survival. Silk Touch basically lets players mine a block without changing its form or shape, preserving things like mushroom blocks, concrete powder, or infested stone.

Nevertheless, this enchantment is somewhat niche for axes since they're mainly used on wood, which already drops logs intact. However, it's invaluable for transporting entire bookshelves or glass panes without crafting tables nearby. In 2025's 1.21 world generation, Silk Touch helps with trial chamber redstone contraptions.

Trick: Use Silk Touch on an axe to harvest leaves without them decaying prematurely—great for collecting saplings in bulk. Trade with librarian villagers for the book; aim for level 30 enchants.

Silk Touch lets you get the exact block that you are breaking without changing it.

5. Fortune

Fortune is a fantastic upgrade for resource gathering, increasing the number of items dropped from blocks like melons, nether wart, and—importantly—wood-related items like apples from leaves. For axes, Fortune III can yield up to 4 items per block instead of 1, making it a top pick for efficient farming.

While not as combat-focused, it's essential for builders and farmers in 1.21's expanded biomes. Note: Fortune and Silk Touch are mutually exclusive, so choose based on your playstyle—Fortune for quantity, Silk Touch for quality.

Tip: Enchant a spare axe with Fortune for leaf farming to get more sticks and apples early-game. Combine with Efficiency on an anvil for a supercharged wood chopper that also boosts yields.
Fortune boosts your drops—perfect for mega-farms!

4. Sharpness

Is Sharpness V good for axes? Absolutely, if you want to make the axe a versatile combat tool. Sharpness is equally effective on axes as on swords, enhancing damage against all mobs by up to 6.25 hearts at level V.

In fact, Sharpness of any level is recommended for axes, and Sharpness V is among the best enchantments for swords in Minecraft. In 2025 PvP metas, axes with Sharpness shine in close-quarters due to their faster attack speed than swords.

Trick: In PvP, switch to your Sharpness axe for quick shield breaks—axes disable shields faster than swords. Avoid combining with Smite for general use; use books from raids for high-level Sharpness.

Is Sharpness 5 good for axe? Surely yes—boosts damage across the board.

3. Unbreaking

Unbreaking has created a niche as the most versatile enchantment for tools in Minecraft. It may not ramp up the efficiency of your tool or transform it into a powerhouse, but you'll want it for any trusty device you want to bring around for a long while.

As one of the best enchantments for a Netherite axe, Unbreaking III reduces the chance of durability loss by up to 75%. If you have a perfect axe but haven't gotten Mending yet, Unbreaking is a great substitute. In 1.21, it's even more crucial with expanded exploration.

Tip: Always enchant Unbreaking on your base axe first—it's cheap and stacks multiplicatively with Mending. Use the enchanting table's level 1 slot for reliable low-cost Unbreaking books.
Unbreaking is very popular among Minecraft players for longevity.

2. Mending

Mending is undoubtedly the most valued enchantment to own as it guarantees the immortality of your piece of gear. As long as you can keep stacking up experience points, your Mending-enchanted tools would never wear off. That's why Mending also ranks in the best enchantments for tridents and many other tools, armor, or items in Minecraft.

Axes are a great match with Mending because it lets you have a well-functioning axe without needing to invest diamonds into a new tool. Meanwhile, it's necessary to farm effectively to maintain a complete set of Mending gear. In 2025, villager trading halls make Mending books more accessible than ever.

Trick: Prioritize Mending on Netherite axes—XP from mob grinders repairs it passively. If anvil costs get high, use a grindstone to reset and re-enchant selectively.
Minecraft players can use Mending on weapons and armor to increase their durability indefinitely.

1. Efficiency

And the top choice among the best enchantments for axe and for any tool in Minecraft is Efficiency. The enchantment grants a huge quality-of-life boost as it saves time collecting resources. What normally takes you half a day to do will now reduce to half of that—or less at Efficiency V.

Essentially, Efficiency lets a tool break the target block more quickly. It is even more ideal to use it on diamond or Netherite axes. However, remember that the Efficiency tool will make the withering happen faster due to the increased block-breaking speed. That means you’d better also have Unbreaking or Mending as a necessity. In 1.21's vast worlds, Efficiency V turns tree-felling into seconds.

Tip: For mega-builds, combine Efficiency V with Fortune III on one axe and Silk Touch on another. Use beacons with Haste II for even faster chopping in group farms.

Bonus: Tips and Tricks for Axe Enchanting in 2025

  • Optimal Combinations: For wood farming: Efficiency V + Fortune III + Unbreaking III + Mending. For combat: Sharpness V + Smite V + Looting III + Unbreaking III + Mending.
  • Villager Trading: Set up a zombie villager curing station for discounted Mending and Efficiency books from librarians. In 1.21, trial chambers offer emeralds for faster trades.
  • Anvil Management: Keep anvil repair costs low by enchanting books separately and combining them. If costs exceed 39 levels, grindstone and restart.
  • Experimental Note: In Java Combat Tests, try Cleaving for enhanced shield-breaking in PvP—adds damage and stun time, but it's not in vanilla 1.21 yet.
  • Netherite Upgrade: Always upgrade to Netherite for +1 damage and knockback resistance; enchant the diamond version first to save lava risks.

>>> Related post: How To Get Full Netherite Armor In Minecraft From Villagers (2025 Update)