A trident is a weapon used in both melee and ranged combat and is a rare drop from the drowned. In comparison to the usual sword that can be crafted, the trident is much different. In this article, we are going to showcase Trident vs Sword in Minecraft to see which is the better weapon.

1. Trident vs Sword DPS in Minecraft

  • In Java Edition, tridents have an attack speed of 1.1 and take ~0.91 seconds to recover. Combined with its 9 base dmg, the weapon has a DPS of 9.9, just slightly higher than an Iron Sword. Diamond and Netherite swords deal much more damage than the Trident, as they can attack faster.
  • In Bedrock Edition, both weapons have no attack cooldown. This result in the trident having the same DPS as the highest tier sword, Netherite.

Overall, if you are playing Java, the Sword is probably the better choice - furthermore, its damage can also be increased using enchantments, unlike the Trident. However, if you are in the early game in Bedrock, farming the drowned for a trident is an easy way to get the equivalent of a Netherite sword.

Sword vs Trident in Minecraft, which has the higher DPS?

2. About Trident in Minecraft

Unlike the sword or axe, the trident is a special weapon that can be thrown. A thrown trident deals 8 damage - this damage can be splashed in an area if the players enchant it with the Riptide enchantment.
  • By enchanting the Trident with Channeling, players can summon a lightning bolt on hit. However, this requires a thunderstorm, which rarely ever happens when needed.
  • Tridents enchanted with Riptide launch the player a certain distance when thrown. Upon hit, dealing splash damage to players or mobs deal splash damage within an 8.25×8.25×4.25 cubical area. It stacks with the Impaling enchantment and Strength effect. Critical hits do not increase splash damage.
  • Tridents enchanted with Loyalty return to the thrower after hitting an entity‌.
  • Tridents enchanted with Impaling deal extra damage to all players and mobs in water or rain.
Trident in Minecraft can be enchanted with a lot of buffs.

3. About Sword in Minecraft

If the attack recharge meter is 84.8% or above, and the player is standing or moving no faster than walking speed, the sword performs a "sweeping" attack that can hit nearby enemies. The sword can be enchanted with a large number of enchantments for extra damage and utilities, such as Sweeping Edge, Fire Aspect, Smite, Knockback, Sharpness, Bane of Anthropods... and more.

The various swords in Minecraft

4. Trident vs Sword in Minecraft, which is the better weapon?

While they are both melee weapons, Tridents and Sword are fairly different. Overall, the sword is an easier weapon to use in combat, while the Trident is much more versatile but harder. Players need to practice using the throwing mode of the Trident and enchant it with Loyalty for the weapon to be as effective as the sword.

It is best to get both in order to switch between them when needed. The trident has an edge over the sword in underwater combat via the Impale enchantment.

>>> Read more: 10 Tips To Avoid Wasting Resources In Minecraft Survival