10 Best Minecraft Weapons in 2023 & How to Find Them

Minecraft’s world is massive and filled with plenty of resources and plenty of places that are ripe for exploring. The thing is, the places with the best loot are often guarded with plenty of aggressive mobs ready to take down unwary adventures. This is why you need weapons to protect yourself. The best weapons come only after you’ve mastered the basics; everyone can get their hands on a wooden sword, but true damage dealers are not so easy to come across. This is why we decided to present you with the ten best weapons in Minecraft currently, as well as where to find them.

Editor’s Note: This post was updated in October, 2023 and reflects the current state of the game and the weapons.

1. Crossbow

Crossbow is one of the most efficient ranged weapons in Minecraft, and it’s fairly easy to create one. All you need to do is combine three sticks, two pieces of string, one iron ingot, and one tripwire hook. It can also be found in Bastions, but creating one is far easier.

Once you’ve created a Crossbow, you will have access to a deadly weapon capable of dealing anywhere between 7-11 points of damage. This goes to a whopping 11-18 points if you decide to load your Crossbow with fireworks. Crossbows are especially deadly with piercing and quick charge enchantments.

2. Diamond Sword

Diamond Sword is truly a classic that always ends up on these types of lists. There are a few reasons for this, as it deals high damage (7 points) and it’s relatively easy to craft. Considering the starting investment, the Diamond Sword is a durable and trustworthy weapon. It’s created by combining two diamonds with a mere stick.

3. Netherite Axe

Even though axes are primary tools in Minecraft, if you stumble upon a Netherite Axe, you will surely want to use it as a weapon because it has a relatively high damage output, 10 points of damage per strike.

As well as being incredibly deadly, Netherite Axe is also highly durable. It can be enchanted and relatively easily acquired through upgraded regular Diamond Axe.

4. Trident

If you’re looking for a versatile weapon, look no further than Trident. Although especially hard to come by considering that they are not craftable, they are worth the hassle with the Drowned. And you’ve probably guessed by now, the only way to get them is if you come across a Drowned carrying one.

Tridents have based damage of 9 points when used as a melee weapon and 8 points when thrown or used as a ranged weapon. They are especially effective in underwater combat, where other weapons may have reduced damage. They are also fairly unbreakable when used as a melee weapon. They also look cool as hell.

5. Bow with Power V enchantment

The Power V enchantment significantly increases the damage dealt by arrows fired from the bow. When combined with the Infinity enchantment, a bow can be used with a single arrow indefinitely. This eliminates the need to carry large quantities of arrows, making it more convenient for extended exploration or combat. The damage from Power V further increases with critical hits.

6. Looting-enchanted Sword

Looting enchantment won’t help you much in combat, but it will be a good addition to improving looting. Looting increases the chances of mobs dropping rare and valuable items. This is particularly useful for obtaining rare resources and increasing overall loot yield. When farming resources from mobs, such as Ender Pearls, Blaze Rods, or Wither Skeleton Skulls, a Looting-enchanted sword significantly improves your chances. It’s simply good economic sense to have this enchantment.

7. Diamond Pickaxe (with Sharpness V enchantment)

The Sharpness V enchantment significantly increases the damage dealt by the Diamond Pickaxe. This makes it surprisingly effective as a melee weapon, rivaling the damage output of some traditional weapons, and an additional plus, since many players already carry a Diamond Pickaxe for mining purposes, having it double as a powerful weapon adds to inventory efficiency.

8. Netherite Sword

The Netherite Sword has a base damage of 8 points, making it the weapon with the highest base damage in the game. This high damage output allows players to quickly defeat mobs and other players if it comes to it. Netherite is an upgrade from Diamond, offering additional durability and damage. Players often seek Netherite to enhance their gear, and the Netherite Sword is a significant improvement over the Diamond Sword. Netherite items are also notably resistant to fire and lava, meaning that they are useful in environments where those two things are plentiful and often used as attacks.

9. TNT

TNT is an unconventional weapon, and it’s mostly used (at least in my case) when I need to “remodel” large chunks of terrain quickly and efficiently. Still, it’s relatively easy to acquire. All you need to create TNT are five pieces of gunpowder and four pieces of sand (or red sand). So, what can you do with TNT? Well, it has high explosive power, enough to blow hostile mobs to kingdom come if needed. It’s useful in mining and excavation as well as in creating traps. Also, Redstone enthusiasts often use TNT in combination with redstone mechanisms to create cannons. These cannons can launch TNT projectiles over long distances.

10. Splash Potions (with Harm or Poison)

Splash Potions are usually crafted or found randomly, and they can be utilized in rather harmful but effective ways. Splash Potions have an area of effect damage, meaning they allow players to damage multiple mobs (or players) within a specific area. Harm potions can bypass armor and deal damage to health directly.

You can utilize poisons to deal Damage-over-time effects to the enemies. Potions are highly effective when it comes to mob control, especially when it comes to Enderman farming.

And this is pretty much it. What’s your favorite go-to weapon in Minecraft? Share it with us in the comments below!