15 Best Minecraft Arrows

Minecraft players know that there are a ton of threats lurking around each corner, from skeletons and zombies to creepers ready to explode at any moment. When it comes to survival in Minecraft, players will need to rely on their defense and their attack, and ranged combat has become a fan favorite for many players. But, the type of arrow used can make a massive difference overall.

15 Best Arrows In Minecraft (Ranked)

Arrows are some of the most useful Minecraft items, whether they be special arrow types or unique tipped arrows with awesome effects. Keeping a distance can be one of the safest, most reliable, and most common combat tactics, making arrows a real lifesaver in many situations.

There are numerous arrow variants in Minecraft, and they can be attained by either trading with a villager or by applying an effect to an arrow tip using a potion. Players may need to use a combination of items to make this happen.

Such items include gunpowder, potions, blaze powder, Dragon’s Breath, empty glass bottles, and a Brewing Stand. But, the process can be significantly more straightforward in the Bedrock Edition since players will only need to dunk their arrows into a cauldron filled with the relevant potion.

Below is an outline of the 15 best arrows and arrow tip effects in Minecraft, as well as their primary advantages and potential disadvantages:

Rank No.	Minecraft Arrow Type	Advantages	Disadvantages
15	Arrow of Night Vision	Brightens players’ surroundings in dark areas	Does not last long, and the potion is more practical
14	Arrow of Leaping	Players can jump up to 1.5 blocks high, useful for traveling and building.	Not useful for combat instances, and the potion is more practical
13	Arrow of Decay	Applies Wither effect to enemies	Only available in the Bedrock Edition
12	Arrow of Fire Resistance	Momentarily immune to fire and lava	Only useful in specific on-the-spot situations
11	Arrow of Harming	Deals instant damage upon hits (3 hearts)	No special effects and it heals undead mobs
10	Spectral Arrow	Makes them visible through walls	The effect does not last long
9	Arrow of Slowness	Slows down mobs or PvP enemies for easier kills	Not always useful in PvP, or against projectile enemies
8	Arrow of the Turtle Master	Decreases speed and damage taken	Effectiveness relies on other weapons
7	Arrow of Water Breathing	Allows underwater breathing, can save drowning players	Only useful in specific situations
6	Arrow of Poison	Slowly removes health points	Effects do not stack with multiple hits
5	Arrow of Weakness	Weakens mobs or PvP enemies	Effects do not stack with multiple hits
4	Arrow of Healing	Heals up to 5 hearts of health and increases players’ lifespan	Healing depends on the potion used, and a shot may deal more damage than it heals
3	Arrow of Swiftness	Increase in movement speed	Can miscalculate distances and be put in danger by accident
2	Arrow of Regeneration	Recovers health points passively	Effect costs 1 heart of health
1	Arrow of Strength	Increases attack damage output	Only useful for combat instances

Considering that some players prefer to use other combat styles in Minecraft and every player may have differing playstyles, many of these rankings can be debated. Still, all of these arrows can come in handy in a variety of situations in-game.

They either inflict higher damage and debuffs or help players survive thanks to awesome special effects. Below are the best arrows in Minecraft, with all images thanks to DigMinecraft.

15. Arrow of Night Vision

The Arrow of Night Vision can be useful in some cases, although it is specific for very few situations in-game. The main effect is that it will brighten players’ surroundings, allowing them to gain better vision in darker areas or at night.

It may be useful if you’re struggling to land good hits on mobs spawning at night or if you’re trying to explore underground areas, but the effect does not last long. So, it is generally more useful to stock up on Night Vision potions if needed, rather than go through the trouble of crafting the Night Vision tipped arrows.

14. Arrow of Leaping

Using the Arrow of Leaping can be handy in quite a few instances, although it isn’t really useful for combat and enemy encounters. Players who get hit with the Arrow of Leaping will be able to jump much higher than usual (up to 1.5 blocks higher).

This makes this arrow more useful for activities like traveling or building, and players typically spend a ton of time on these activities in-game. But, it may still be more practical to drink the potion when this buff is needed.

13. Arrow of Decay (Bedrock Edition)

The Arrow of Decay is only available in the Bedrock Edition console variants, and players will need a Lingering Potion of Decay to craft these arrows. However, they can be incredibly deadly in PvP and combat instances.

These arrows will apply a Wither effect to any enemy or player that gets hit, which can amount to some serious damage overall. But, since it is restricted to the Bedrock Edition, it can’t be ranked too high on the list.

12. Arrow of Fire Resistance

Being temporarily resistant to fire can be quite handy in specific in-game situations, especially since fire can kill players within seconds (or instantly in some cases). But, the main reason why the arrow variant is lower on the charts is that it’s typically more effective to drink the potion.

Shooting a fellow player with this arrow to make them immune to fire would only be handy for very specific and in-the-moment circumstances – such as right before they fall into lava areas. As a result, it’s not a great idea to have this as your main equipped arrow type, but it may be worthwhile having a couple ready to go in your inventory.

11. Arrow of Harming

Using the Arrow of Harming would be a good choice for general purposes, as it can come in handy in a wide variety of situations. It will instantly deal more damage to enemies when players land a hit (3 hearts of damage), which can really help clear out mobs and spawns much faster.

However, it is only really useful for increasing the damage output and it does not apply any special or highly unique effect when it’s used. It also does not work on undead mobs – it actually heals them. As a result, it is fairly similar to a regular arrow in Minecraft, apart from it landing more brutal blows and being counterproductive on undead mobs.

10. Spectral Arrow (Java Edition)

The Spectral Arrow, also known as the Arrow of Spectral, is an inclusion in the Java Edition and has a simple but highly useful effect when you land hits on enemies. It is simply a sort of ‘wall-hack’, as it allows players to see enemies through walls.

Being able to see your enemies through walls and from long distances can be extremely handy, especially if you can then switch to a high damage arrow and take them out from afar. However, the effect only lasts for a few seconds and the enemies will no longer be highlighted once it fades.

9. Arrow of Slowness

The Arrow of Slowness applies a very simple debuff or negative effect to those who get hit with it, but it can be incredibly useful in quite a few situations. Slowing enemies down can be really handy when taking on large mobs or faster enemies (like those freaky tiny zombie creatures that seem to gain on you within seconds).

It can also come in handy in PvP instances, as players can create a brief window of opportunity for further damage. But, since many players in PvP may be using projectile combat playstyles, it may not always be as useful as expected in these cases.

8. Arrow of the Turtle Master

The Turtle Master Arrow offers one of the most interesting and unique effects in the game, and it can be significantly useful in a variety of situations. It will slow movement speed by 60% but it will also decrease the damage taken by 60% simultaneously, making those who get hit slower but tougher.

If you’re equipped with high damage arrows or weapons and use the Turtle Master Arrows intermittently, these can be quite effective against mobs and enemies. Since it decreases damage intake, it can also be handy for players using high damage ranged or projectile attacks.

7. Arrow of Water Breathing

The Arrow of Water Breathing can be quite handy in some situations, especially if you’re planning to explore underwater areas. It can make the process of transforming you and your allies into aquatic beings easy and quick, not to mention that it can also be a lifesaver in some cases.

It is tricky but not entirely impossible to shoot arrows underwater, so landing a hit on a drowning ally can actually save them. The effect is incredibly valuable in Minecraft, especially with the addition of so many underwater adventures and regions.

6. Arrow of Poison

The Poison effect is one of the most feared in Minecraft, and it can be extremely dangerous for those who get hit. It’s well-known that some enemies, such as witches, can use Poison on players – often leading to a helpless death.

Using this arrow will slowly remove health points, but it’s only worthwhile to use them intermittently since the effects do not stack. It’s best to apply the debuff and follow up with high-damage arrows to finish off enemies with this method.

5. Arrow of Weakness

The Arrow of Weakness can be a great choice for all-around use, as it’s incredibly beneficial when used on mobs, hard-hitting bosses enemies, or even in PvP. Its effect is rather simple but highly useful as it makes anyone who gets hit weaker than usual

Its effect reduces enemies’ attacks and damage power by 4. The duration will depend on the arrow tier, with the first tier lasting for 11 seconds and the second tier lasting for 20 seconds. Either way, this is still a lot of time to take advantage of.

However, since its effects do not stack with multiple hits, using only this arrow type will not be enough to kill your enemies faster in-game. It’s best to apply the debuff and follow up with high-damage arrows to finish off enemies with this method.

4. Arrow of Healing

The Arrow of Healing is one of the most popular arrow types to have in your inventory at all times, particularly if you’re playing with allies. Shooting an ally with this arrow will restore up to 5 hearts of health depending on the potion used, meaning that it can really be the ultimate difference between life and death.

It’s a great choice to always have this arrow as a backup just in case mobs get out of hand or for PvP instances. The main trouble with this arrow is how it is used by the player, as a fully charged shot can deal more damage than the effect will heal. It’s best to fire these arrows at allies from a close range to be safe.

Players will also become slightly stronger after being shot with this arrow – not in terms of harder hits, but it will increase the player’s lifespan. It’s also a more economical option than using one of these potions since they are quite valuable.

3. Arrow of Swiftness

The Arrow of Swiftness is by far one of the most popular and best arrows for all-around use. Its effect is simple but highly effective and useful, and it can come in handy in just about any scenario whether you’re building, exploring, evading mobs, or taking down enemies in PvP.

Being faster than your enemies will be extremely valuable in Minecraft, as will the benefit of being quick on your feet while traveling. Being able to shoot yourself or an ally to apply the 20% speed buff makes it quick and easy as well.

The swiftness effect will apply to almost all movement speeds in the game. However, calculating distance can be tricky once you’re under its effect. Players will need to keep an eye on their surroundings to make sure they don’t put themselves in danger, such as by running off a cliff by accident.

2. Arrow of Regeneration

The Arrow of Regeneration is one of the best and most valuable arrows in Minecraft to date, as it can come in handy in just about any combat situation. Using this arrow on yourself or on allies will allow health to be recovered quickly, an effect that cannot be underestimated.

Its effects make these arrows highly beneficial when taking on tough mobs, enemies in PvP instances, or even high-tiered enemies and hard-hitting bosses. It’s great to have a generous stack of these arrows in your inventory at all times in case it’s needed. However, this effect does cost 1 heart of health.

1. Arrow of Strength

Having a higher attack and damage output is debatably the best benefit in Minecraft when it comes to weapons. The Arrow of Strength will increase the player’s attack and damage output when they are hit, allowing you and your allies to take out mobs and PvP enemies much faster.

It’s a great choice for a variety of combat situations, especially in situations where it seems mobs are spawning faster than you can kill them. These arrows can really help turn things around if you ever feel overwhelmed by your Minecraft enemies.

Since many of these arrows are only useful for debuffs or buffs, it’s typically best to use a combination of the arrow types that feel most well-fitted to your build and playstyle. Some of these arrows can be relied on, while others can be kept in your inventory for backup plans. Either way, using these arrows will be an amazing way to increase the gameplay experience for all Minecraft ranged lovers.