This guide will give you an explanation and walk-through of the best enchantments you can apply to everything that can be enchanted in the game.
For your armor, the following enchantments cannot be combined: Protection, Projectile Protection, Blast Protection, and Fire Protection. Protection protects you from all other three, but in exchange, half the protection. In General, Protection is better, but in certain situations it could be useful to have something else. If you fall often in lava in the Nether and you already made a golden peace of armor to protect you from Piglins, it could be better to put Fire Protection on that peace of armor. If you have lost a lot of hardcore worlds due to creeper explosions put that Blast Protection armour on, you know, you still can die with a full health bar, having full Netherite Armor and altogether 14 levels of Protection from a creeper explosion (in hard mode). With 15 levels you survive the explosion, but make sure you have Feather Falling to not die after.
Note: More than 20 Enchantment Protection Factor (EPF) is useless. 1 Level of Protection = 1 EPF, 1 Level of specific type of Protection = 2 EPF. For example, two pieces of armor with Blast Protection IV (EPF 8 each) and a single piece with Protection IV (EPF 4) would give a total EPF of 20 versus explosions. Any additional EPF would be wasted against explosions (but might be useful against other types of damage, if applicable).
The enchantment Thorns uses up durability of armor, that could mean, if you value the material your armor is made of and you avoid being hit without the use of the shield, then Thorns could be useless or even bad for you. If you choose to use it, then make it your least priority.
For your sword and axe, enchantments cannot be combined: Sharpness, Smite, Bane of Arthropods. Depending on what you want to do with the sword or axe, you can choose the most suitable. Sharpness is useful for general use, Smite is useful against undead mobs, Bane of Arthropods is useful against spiders. Each level of Smite and Bane of Arthropods deals 2.5 extra damage to the specific group of mobs. Sharpness deals 1.25 extra damage in Bedrock edition and 0.5 * level + 0.5 extra damage in Java edition. This means, to deal the most amount of damage, if you are going to hit undead Mobs (with the same sword or axe) more then every third[Bedrock edition] / fourth[Java edition, level I to II] / fifth[Java edition, level III to V] time then choose Smite; The same rule is valid for choosing Bane of Arthropods hitting Arthropods; Otherwise choose Sharpness.
For any other tools, there aren't any enchantments the player should avoid, aside from curses.
Enchantments For items
Helmet
- Protection IV (any protection, plain, fire, projectile or blast)
- Aqua Affinity
- Respiration III
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
Note: Do not attempt to add "Thorns III" it will only result "Too Expensive" upon putting all of the enchantments on helmet unless you are in Creative Mode.[verify]
Chestplate
- Protection IV (any protection, plain, fire, projectile or blast)
- Thorns III (does use the durability up too)
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
Leggings
- Protection IV
- Thorns III (does use the durability up too)
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
Boots
- Protection IV
- Feather Falling IV
- Depth Strider III or Frost Walker II
- Soul Speed III
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
- Thorns III
Sword
- Sweeping Edge III (Java Edition only)
- Unbreaking III
- Looting III
- Fire Aspect II
- Mending
- Knockback II
- Sharpness V (applies more damage for everything) or Smite V (applies more damage to undead mobs)
Axe
- Sharpness V (applies more damage for everything) or Smite V (allows 1-hit killing of most undead mobs)
- Efficiency V
- Silk Touch
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
Pickaxe
- Efficiency V
- Fortune III (useful for ores) or Silk Touch (useful for ice, stone...)
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
Shovel
- Efficiency V
- Unbreaking III
- Silk Touch or Fortune III
- Mending
Hoe
Bow
Crossbow
- Multishot or Piercing IV
- Quick Charge III
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
Trident
- Channeling and Loyalty III or only Riptide III
- Impaling V
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
Fishing Rod
- Luck of the Sea III
- Lure III
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
Shears
- Unbreaking III
- Efficiency V
- Mending
Flint and Steel
- Unbreaking III (Only Enchanted Book)
- Mending (Only Enchanted Book)
Shield
- Unbreaking III (Only Enchanted Book)
- Mending (Only Enchanted Book)
Carrot on a Stick
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
Warped Fungus on a Stick
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
Elytra
- Unbreaking III
- Mending