Overview
Curse of Vanishing destroys the item when you die instead of dropping it on the ground. There is no upside, no hidden trade and no compensating bonus — it is a pure loss, and finding it on an otherwise excellent looted sword is one of the more deflating moments in a survival world. A grindstone will not remove it, and combining the item on an anvil does not launder it away either, so a cursed item stays cursed for as long as it exists. What it is genuinely useful for is design. On a server or an adventure map it stops an item leaving the player it was given to: a quest weapon cannot be dropped into a chest for a friend, a rented set cannot be duplicated by dying on purpose, and a marker item cannot be traded. Java Edition also has one small practical use in survival — an item you would rather destroy than hand over cannot be looted from your corpse on a PvP server, which some players prefer to the alternative. Otherwise, check tooltips before you equip looted gear.
Server and map design, where an item must not be transferable — a quest weapon, a rented armour set, or a marker item that should die with the player carrying it.
Destroys the item when you die instead of dropping it. Purely a downside, and it cannot be removed by a grindstone.
The highest level of Curse of Vanishing is I, and it is the only one. It is a curse — grindstones will not remove it, so it is something to avoid rather than chase.
It carries a weight of 1, but no table rolls it. Loot chests, fishing and librarians are where that weight is felt instead.
How to get it
Treasure only: chest loot, fishing and librarian trades. It never appears at an enchanting table, there is 1 level, and a grindstone cannot strip it once it is on the item.
Tips
- Check the red tooltip line on every looted item before you rely on it in a dangerous place.
- A grindstone strips ordinary enchantments but never curses, so a cursed tool is cursed permanently.
- On a PvP server it guarantees nobody loots your gear from your body — some players take that deliberately.
- It is unrelated to Curse of Binding, which locks armour on rather than destroying it.
What each level does
Curse of Vanishing has a single level. Once it is on the item, more books of it change nothing.
Curse of Vanishing has a single level.
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| I | the item is destroyed when you die instead of dropping |
Properties
It is outside the table's offer pool, and a librarian will trade the book for it, so reroll the lectern until that offer comes up.
- Maximum level
- I
- Type
- Curse
- From enchanting table
- No
- Villager trading
- Yes
- Weight
- 1
What it can be applied to
Curse of Vanishing can be applied to Any item.
- Any item
Gear it goes on
How to get it
Treasure only: chest loot or fishing.
No number of bookshelves helps here — it is treasure-only. Loot chests, fishing with Luck of the Sea and librarian trades are the sources.
Command
If cheats are on, use the first line to add Curse of Vanishing I 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:vanishing_curse 1Give an enchanted item
/give @s carved_pumpkin[enchantments={levels:{"minecraft:vanishing_curse":1}}]Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum level of Curse of Vanishing?
Curse of Vanishing has a single level.
How do you get Curse of Vanishing in Minecraft?
Treasure only: chest loot or fishing.
What does Curse of Vanishing I do?
Curse of Vanishing I the item is destroyed when you die instead of dropping.