Overview
Knockback shoves whatever you hit further than a normal swing would, and whether that is a blessing or a curse depends entirely on the fight you are in. Against a creeper it is close to a defensive enchantment: a hit sends the creeper back out of detonation range and buys you the swing that kills it. Against a skeleton it interrupts the aim. Against a group of zombies pressing into a doorway it buys you the space to stop being surrounded. But the same shove ruins the fights where you wanted the mob to stay put, and it makes a mob farm actively worse by scattering the queue you were funnelling. It also has uses that have nothing to do with survival: shoving mobs off a cliff, into a drop, or into water is a legitimate way to kill something you do not want to trade hits with, and knocking a player off a bridge is the oldest trick in PvP. It goes only on swords, which is worth remembering when you are planning an axe build. Keep it off the sword you take to a farm, and keep it on the sword you take to a cave.
Buying space in a melee — pushing creepers out of blast range, breaking a crowd off a doorway, or shoving a mob into a drop rather than trading hits with it.
Pushes mobs further away on hit. Excellent for keeping creepers at a distance, and for shoving mobs into drops — but it also scatters mobs you were trying to group up.
The highest level of Knockback is II. It is standard, so it sits in the enchanting table's own offer pool.
Its weight of 5 is about 14% of what an enchanting table can roll for an item that accepts it, which is roughly how often a level-30 table will put it in front of you.
How to get it
Enchant a sword at a table with 15 bookshelves, or apply a book; level II is the maximum and 2 level I books combine to reach it. Its weight of 5 makes it a fairly common table offer.
Tips
- Keep it off the sword you use at a mob farm; scattering the queue costs you more than the shove gains.
- Against creepers it is close to armour — a hit that pushes them out of range is a hit that saves you.
- It only goes on swords, so an axe build has no equivalent and relies on raw damage instead.
- Pushing a mob into water or off a ledge kills things you would rather not fight at all.
What each level does
What each level actually gives you. The jump from I to II is where most of the value sits, and an anvil can combine two I books into one II.
Knockback II roughly triples normal knockback distance.
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| I | pushes the target back 3 extra blocks |
| II | pushes the target back 6 extra blocks |
Properties
A table offers it as it stands, and a librarian's book is usually the cheaper route, with a lectern reroll to get the offer.
- Maximum level
- II
- Type
- Standard
- From enchanting table
- Yes
- Villager trading
- Yes
- Weight
- 5 (14%)
What it can be applied to
Knockback can be applied to Sword.
- Sword
Gear it goes on
How to get it
Enchanting table or an enchanted book.
Fifteen bookshelves and the level-30 slot is the fastest route; anything less lowers both the level and the pool you draw from.
Command
With cheats enabled the first line puts Knockback II on the held item, and the second gives you one that is already enchanted. From 1.20.5 onward the item syntax uses the "enchantments" component.
Apply it
/enchant @s minecraft:knockback 2Give an enchanted item
/give @s wooden_sword[enchantments={levels:{"minecraft:knockback":2}}]Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum level of Knockback?
Knockback goes up to level 2. Knockback II roughly triples normal knockback distance.
How do you get Knockback in Minecraft?
Enchanting table or an enchanted book.
What does Knockback II do?
Knockback II pushes the target back 6 extra blocks.
