Overview
A thrown trident lands where it lands, and without Loyalty that means walking to collect it — across a monument, off a cliff, or into the water you were trying to fight from above. Loyalty returns it to your hand automatically, and higher levels return it faster. That is the whole enchantment, and it is close to mandatory: a trident is a rare weapon, and one that must be retrieved by hand is a weapon you will eventually lose. The return is not unconditional. A trident thrown into the void does not come back, one thrown while you are dying lands as a dropped item, and if your inventory is full when it returns it drops beside you rather than into a slot. It conflicts with Riptide, which is the fork every trident owner faces: Loyalty makes the trident a ranged weapon you can rely on, Riptide makes it a movement tool that launches you through rain and water. You cannot have both, and most players build the Loyalty version first because it is useful in more situations. Pair it with Impaling for ocean work and Channeling for storms.
Keeping a trident usable as a ranged weapon, so that throwing it at a guardian, a ghast or a phantom does not mean fetching it back afterwards.
Returns a thrown trident to your hand. Without it, throwing a trident means walking to pick it up, which is why almost every trident carries Loyalty.
III is as high as Loyalty goes. It is a standard enchantment, which means the enchanting table can roll it for you.
Its weight of 5 is about 33% 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 Trident at a table with 15 bookshelves, or apply books; 2 level II books make level III on an anvil. Weight 5 makes it one of the commoner trident rolls, and it conflicts with Riptide.
Tips
- It does not return from the void, so never throw a trident off an End island edge.
- A full inventory means the returning trident drops at your feet instead of into a slot.
- It conflicts with Riptide — build a thrower and a mobility trident as separate weapons.
- Pair with Impaling V for monument work; the two share a trident without issue.
What each level does
Here is what each level does. III is worth the trip, and you can reach it by combining two II books on an anvil rather than rolling for it.
Loyalty III returns the trident fastest.
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| I | a thrown trident returns after 2.5 seconds |
| II | a thrown trident returns after 2.0 seconds |
| III | a thrown trident returns after 1.5 seconds |
Properties
It sits in the table's own offer pool, and a librarian will trade the book for it, so reroll the lectern until that offer comes up.
- Weight
- 5 (33%)
- Incompatible enchantments
- Riptide
What it can be applied to
Loyalty can be applied to Trident.
- Trident
Gear it goes on
Incompatible enchantments
Loyalty cannot share an item with Riptide.
Try it on an anvil and the clashing enchantment is quietly dropped while the levels are still spent, so check the pair before committing a rare book.
How to get it
Enchanting table or an enchanted book.
At a table with fifteen bookshelves the level-30 slot is where it appears; below level 30 the offer pool is smaller and the levels lower, which is why the bookshelf ring is worth building before you enchant anything you care about.
Command
If cheats are on, use the first line to add Loyalty III to the item you are holding, or the second to be handed one outright — written with the 1.20.5 "enchantments" component.
Apply it
/enchant @s minecraft:loyalty 3Give an enchanted item
/give @s trident[enchantments={levels:{"minecraft:loyalty":3}}]Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum level of Loyalty?
Loyalty goes up to level 3. Loyalty III returns the trident fastest.
How do you get Loyalty in Minecraft?
Enchanting table or an enchanted book.
What does Loyalty conflict with?
Loyalty cannot be combined with Riptide.
What does Loyalty III do?
Loyalty III a thrown trident returns after 1.5 seconds.
