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EnchantmentsBoth · 26.x

Best Trident Enchantments: Loyalty vs Riptide Builds

Riptide conflicts with Loyalty and Channeling, so tridents get two builds: Loyalty III, Impaling V and Channeling for combat, or Riptide III for travel.

By minecraft.bd Editorial Team·Updated

Tridents have two good builds, because Riptide conflicts with both Loyalty and Channeling:

  • Combat trident: Loyalty III, Impaling V, Channeling, Unbreaking III, Mending
  • Travel trident: Riptide III, Impaling V, Unbreaking III, Mending

If you only have one trident, make it the combat build. Getting the trident itself is covered in how to get a trident; this page is about what to put on it.

The combat trident

Loyalty III brings the trident back at about 50 blocks per second, which turns it into a reusable ranged weapon. One warning: on Java, a Loyalty trident thrown into the void is gone for good. Bedrock brings it back.

Impaling V adds 12.5 damage per hit, but the editions disagree on who takes it. On Java it only hurts aquatic mobs (guardians, squid, dolphins, fish, turtles). On Bedrock it hurts anything standing in water or rain, players included, which makes it much stronger.

Channeling calls lightning on whatever you hit during a thunderstorm. It does nothing in clear weather, but it costs nothing either, and it’s the easiest way to make charged creepers for mob heads.

The travel trident

Riptide III launches you 21 blocks per throw in rain or shallow water and 15 underwater. With elytra in a storm, it’s the fastest way to travel in the game. It’s useless in dry biomes and in clear weather on land, and a Riptide trident can’t be thrown.

Add Impaling for melee damage, though most people use this trident only for movement.

Quick comparison

Enchantment Combat build Travel build
Loyalty III Yes Conflicts
Channeling Yes Conflicts
Riptide III Conflicts Yes
Impaling V Yes Optional
Unbreaking III Yes Yes
Mending Yes Yes

Getting the books

All four trident enchantments come from the enchanting table, fishing and loot chests. Librarians sell them in default trading, but the experimental Villager Trade Rebalance removes trident books from trades. Drowned on Java 1.21.2+ can spawn with Loyalty tridents, so farming them sometimes gives you a head start. Mending still has to come from a librarian, fishing or chests.

Common questions

Which is better, Loyalty or Riptide?

Loyalty if you want a throwing weapon, Riptide if you want fast travel in water and rain. They conflict, so most players eventually keep two tridents.

Is Impaling worth it on Java?

It only boosts damage against aquatic mobs on Java, like guardians and squid. It's still worth having because nothing else competes for the slot. On Bedrock it hits any target in water or rain.

Sources & verification

Facts on this page are checked against these references and in-game behavior for the stated edition(s). how we verify.

Keep reading

enchantmentsLoyalty Enchantment: Trident Return Speed and the Void TrapLoyalty brings a thrown trident back at 16.7, 33.3 or 50 blocks per second by level. How the return works, the Java void trap, and a Loyalty build.enchantmentsRiptide Enchantment: Launch Distances and Elytra TricksRiptide turns a trident into a launcher in water or rain: 9, 15 or 21 blocks per throw by level. Where it fails, the elytra combo, and Riptide vs Loyalty.enchantmentsImpaling Enchantment: Why Java and Bedrock DifferImpaling adds 2.5 trident damage per level. On Java it only hits aquatic mobs; on Bedrock it hits anything in water or rain, players included.enchantmentsChanneling in Minecraft: Summon Lightning With a TridentChanneling calls lightning onto whatever your thrown trident hits in a thunderstorm. What it needs, the mobs it changes, and the lightning rod trick.guidesHow to Get a Trident in Minecraft: Drowned Drop RatesYou can't craft a trident. Kill drowned holding one or open a trial chamber vault. How to get a trident in Minecraft, with drop odds on both editions.