Thorns Enchantment in Minecraft: Is It Worth the Durability?
Thorns gives each armor piece a 15% chance per level to hit attackers for 1 to 5 damage, but costs 2 extra durability each time. Java vs Bedrock.
Thorns gives each enchanted armor piece a chance to damage whatever hits you: 15% per level, so 45% at Thorns III. When it triggers, the attacker takes 1 to 5 damage. The catch is durability: every time Thorns fires, that armor piece loses 2 extra durability.
How it adds up
| Level | Chance per piece to trigger |
|---|---|
| I | 15% |
| II | 30% |
| III | 45% |
Every piece rolls on its own, so four Thorns III pieces trigger very often. The damage doesn’t stack, though. Because of the hit invulnerability timer, the attacker only takes the highest single roll. More pieces push the average toward the top of the 1 to 5 range, but never past 5.
Thorns works against melee and ranged hits alike, so a skeleton that shoots you can take Thorns damage. It doesn’t trigger on the Warden’s sonic boom on Java.
Thorns on Java vs Bedrock
- Java: the enchanting table only puts Thorns on chestplates. Helmets, leggings and boots need a book on an anvil.
- Bedrock: the table can roll Thorns on any armor piece.
In both editions, Thorns III can’t come from the table at all. Combine two Thorns II, or buy a book. Under the experimental Villager Trade Rebalance, only desert librarians sell Thorns.
Is it worth it?
Our take: put Thorns on your armor only if it already has Mending. With Mending, the extra durability loss gets repaired by normal XP pickup and Thorns is a free trickle of damage, nice against swarms and other players. Without Mending, it chews through your armor for a damage bonus you’ll hardly notice, and Unbreaking helps less on armor than on tools.
It conflicts with nothing, so a typical endgame chestplate is Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending and Thorns III. Leave it off armor you’re trying to keep in good shape for a long time, like a single netherite set you can’t easily replace.
Fun fact: guardians have their own built-in version of this with their spikes, but it only works against melee hits.
Common questions
Is Thorns worth it in Minecraft?
On armor with Mending, it's a small free bonus. Without Mending it wears your armor out faster for a few points of random damage, so most players skip it on their main set.
Does Thorns stack?
Each piece rolls its own chance, so more Thorns pieces make it trigger more often. The damage doesn't add up, though: attackers only take the single highest roll.
Can you get Thorns III from the enchanting table?
No. No armor material has high enough enchantability to roll Thorns III. You get it by combining two Thorns II on an anvil, or from a book.
Sources & verification
Facts on this page are checked against these references and in-game behavior for the stated edition(s). how we verify.
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