Java Edition:Invalid Protection Enchantment

Normally, Protection can only be applied to armor items and the maximum Protection that can be applied is Protection IV, with extra Protection enchantments not being able to be applied. However, due to a bug from 18w22b to 18w22c, loading any item outside player's inventory or ender chest with enchantments would convert the enchantments on it to Protection,^[1] allowing the player to get invalid combinations of Protection. This includes Protection V, multiple Protection enchantments on the same item and Protection on an invalid item. After 24w09a, items with more than one Protection enchantment on the same item get reverted back to only one protection. This also works using a feature from April Fools' Snapshot 23w13a_or_b called NBT Crafting, which allows you to craft any NBT.

Obtaining

Updating Enchantments

Warning: Upgrading

This feature uses upgrading and requires specific version paths. Follow the page instructions carefully.

This first requires an item with an enchantment. This can be done with any normally enchantable item such as tools, or an item with invalid enchantments applied using a bug such as the any enchantment on any item bug or Curse of Vanishing on any item bug or invalid enchantments from other methods (see below). The item must be updated to 18w21a. Then, some interaction with the item within an anvil must be performed. This includes adding an enchantment or renaming the item. This will give it an ench tag. If doing this with enchanted books, this step is not necessary to take. Then, the item must be updated to 18w22b or 18w22c. Once the item is updated to 18w22b or 18w22c, any enchantments included in the ench tag will convert to Protection, and override any currently visible enchantments. Since this works for any enchantment, there are many possibilities.

As these versions convert every enchantment to Protection, this also applies to book trades from villagers. Using villagers, you can obtain these in later versions, so long as you loaded them in 18w22b or 18w22c. The tier of Protection is based on the previous tier from beforehand. For example, Power V would convert to Protection V, Mending would convert to Protection I, and so on. If you combine multiple enchantments on a single item then update to 18w22b or 18w22c, all enchantments will convert to Protection, leading to multiple Protection enchantments on a single item, varying from tiers 1-5, depending on what enchantment tiers were on it before.

If an enchanted book was created with Protection V, it cannot be used to create Protection V armor, as the maximum tier allowed for Protection is IV. If you want to create Protection V armor, it can only be done through the initial update to that version.

Any Item From 12w49a

This list includes all the items able to be enchanted with any enchantment in 12w49a. These items are also later able to be enchanted with Curse of Vanishing. Due to this, these items can have a maximum of Protection 6 from two combined enchantments. They can receive a Protection V enchantment from a level 5 enchantment from 12w49a (Power, Sharpness, Bane of Arthropods, Smite, or Efficiency), and Protection I from Curse of Vanishing.

Items Able to Have a Total of Protection 6

Anvil
Apple
Arrow
Awkward Potion
Baked Potato
Beacon
Bedrock
Birch Leaves
Birch Log
Birch Planks
Birch Sapling
Birch Slab
Birch Stairs
Black Wool
Blaze Powder
Blaze Rod
Blue Wool
Bone
Bone Meal
Book
Book and Quill
Bookshelf
Bottle o'Enchanting
Bow
Bowl
Bread
Brewing Stand
Brick
Brick Slab
Brick Stairs
Bricks
Brown Mushroom
Brown Mushroom Block
Brown Wool
Bucket
Cactus
Cake
Carrot
Carrot on a Stick
Cauldron
Charcoal
Chest
Chiseled Sandstone
Chiseled Stone Bricks
Clay
Clay Block
Clock
Coal
Coal Ore
Cobblestone
Cobblestone Slab
Cobblestone Stairs
Cobblestone Wall
Cobweb
Cocoa Beans
Compass
Cooked Chicken
Cooked Porkchop
Cookie
Cracked Stone Bricks
Crafting Table
Cyan Dye
Cyan Wool
Dandelion
Dead Bush
Detector Rail
Diamond
Diamond Block
Diamond Ore
Dirt
Dispenser
Dragon Egg
Egg
Emerald
Emerald Block
Emerald Ore
Empty Map
Enchanted Golden Apple
Enchanting Table
End Portal Frame
End Stone
Ender Chest
Ender Pearl
Eye of Ender
Farmland
Feather
Fermented Spider Eye
Fern
Fire Charge
Firework Rocket
Firework Star
Fishing Rod
Flint
Flint and Steel
Flower Pot
Furnace
Ghast Tear
Glass
Glass Bottle
Glass Pane
Glistering Melon
Glowstone
Glowstone Dust
Gold Block
Gold Ingot
Gold Nugget
Gold Ore
Golden Apple
Golden Carrots
Grass
Grass Block
Gravel
Gray Dye
Gray Wool
Green Dye
Green Wool
Gunpowder
Ice
Infested Stone
Ink Sac
Iron Axe
Iron Bars
Iron Block
Iron Door
Iron Ingot
Iron Ore
Item Frame
Jukebox
Jungle Leaves
Jungle Log
Jungle Planks
Jungle Sapling
Jungle Slab
Jungle Stairs
Ladder
Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli Block
Lapis Lazuli Ore
Lava Bucket
Leather
Lever
Light Blue Dye
Light Blue Wool
Light Gray Dye
Light Gray Wool
Lily Pad
Lime Dye
Lime Wool
Magenta Dye
Magenta Wool
Magma Cream
Map
Melon Block
Melon Seeds
Melon Slice
Milk
Minecart
Minecart with Chest
Minecart with Furnace
Mossy Cobblestone
Mossy Cobblestone Wall
Mossy Stone Bricks
Mundane Potion
Mushroom Stew
Music Disc - 11
Music Disc - 13
Music Disc - blocks
Music Disc - cat
Music Disc - chirp
Music Disc - far
Music Disc - mall
Music Disc - mellohi
Music Disc - stal
Music Disc - strad
Music Disc - wait
Music Disc - ward
Mycelium
Nether Brick Fence
Nether Brick Slab
Nether Brick Stairs
Nether Bricks
Nether Star
Nether Wart
Netherrack
Note Block
Oak Boat
Oak Button
Oak Door
Oak Fence
Oak Fence Gate
Oak Leaves
Oak Log
Oak Planks
Oak Pressure Plate
Oak Sapling
Oak Slab
Oak Stairs
Oak Trapdoor
Obsidian
Orange Dye
Orange Wool
Painting
Paper
Petrified Oak Slab
Pink Dye
Pink Wool
Piston
Poisonous Potato
Poppy
Potato
Potion of Fire Resistance
Potion of Fire Resistance (Extended)
Potion of Harming
Potion of Harming (Strong)
Potion of Healing
Potion of Healing (Strong)
Potion of Invisibility
Potion of Invisibility (Extended)
Potion of Night Vision
Potion of Night Vision (Extended)
Potion of Poison
Potion of Poison (Extended)
Potion of Poison (Strong)
Potion of Regeneration
Potion of Regeneration (Extended)
Potion of Regeneration (Strong)
Potion of Slowness
Potion of Slowness (Extended)
Potion of Strength
Potion of Strength (Extended)
Potion of Strength (Strong)
Potion of Swiftness
Potion of Swiftness (Extended)
Potion of Swiftness (Strong)
Potion of Weakness
Potion of Weakness (Extended)
Powered Rails
Pumpkin
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Seeds
Purple Dye
Purple Wool
Rails
Raw Beef
Raw Chicken
Raw Porkchop
Red Bed
Red Dye
Red Mushroom
Red Mushroom Block
Red Wool
Redstone Dust
Redstone Lamp
Redstone Ore
Redstone Repeater
Redstone Torch
Rotten Flesh
Saddle
Sand
Sandstone
Sandstone Slab
Sandstone Stairs
Seeds
Shears
Slightly Damaged Anvil
Slimeball
Smooth Sandstone
Snow
Snow Block
Snowball
Soul Sand
Spawn Egg
Spawner (Item)
Spider Eye
Splash Awkward Potion
Splash Mundane Potion
Splash Potion of Fire Resistance
Splash Potion of Fire Resistance (Extended)
Splash Potion of Harming
Splash Potion of Harming (Strong)
Splash Potion of Healing
Splash Potion of Healing (Strong)
Splash Potion of Invisibility
Splash Potion of Invisibility (Extended)
Splash Potion of Night Vision
Splash Potion of Night Vision (Extended)
Splash Potion of Poison
Splash Potion of Poison (Extended)
Splash Potion of Poison (Strong)
Splash Potion of Regeneration
Splash Potion of Regeneration (Extended)
Splash Potion of Regeneration (Strong)
Splash Potion of Slowness
Splash Potion of Slowness (Extended)
Splash Potion of Strength
Splash Potion of Strength (Extended)
Splash Potion of Strength (Strong)
Splash Potion of Swiftness
Splash Potion of Swiftness (Extended)
Splash Potion of Swiftness (Strong)
Splash Potion of Weakness
Splash Potion of Weakness (Extended)
Splash Thick Potion
Sponge
Spruce Leaves
Spruce Log
Spruce Planks
Spruce Sapling
Spruce Slab
Spruce Stairs
Steak
Stick
Sticky Piston
Stone
Stone Bricks
Stone Brick Slab
Stone Brick Stairs
Stone Button
Stone Pressure Plate
Stone Slab
String
Sugar
Sugar Cane
TNT
Thick Potion
Torch
Tripwire Hook
Very Damaged Anvil
Vines
Water Bottle
Water Bucket
Wheat
White Wool
Written Book
Yellow Dye
Yellow Wool

Any Item From 16w39a

This list includes all items that are only able to be enchanted with Curse of Vanishing from 16w39a through 1.11-pre1. Therefore, the items listed above are not included. These items can only have one enchantment of Protection I.

Items Able To Have Protection I

Acacia Boat
Acacia Door
Acacia Fence
Acacia Fence Gate
Acacia Leaves
Acacia Log
Acacia Planks
Acacia Sapling
Acacia Slab
Acacia Stairs
Activator Rail
Allium
Andesite
Armor Stand
Azure Bluet
Beetroot
Beetroot Seeds
Beetroot Soup
Birch Boat
Birch Door
Birch Fence
Birch Fence Gate
Black Banner
Black Carpet
Black Shulker Box
Black Stained Glass
Black Stained Glass Pane
Black Terracotta
Block of Quartz
Blue Banner
Blue Carpet
Blue Orchid
Blue Shulker Box
Blue Stained Glass
Blue Stained Glass Pane
Blue Terracotta
Bone Block
Brown Banner
Brown Carpet
Brown Shulker Box
Brown Stained Glass
Brown Stained Glass Pane
Brown Terracotta
Chiseled Quartz Block
Chiseled Red Sandstone
Chorus Flower
Chorus Fruit
Coal Block
Coarse Dirt
Cooked Fish
Cooked Mutton
Cooked Rabbit
Cooked Salmon
Cyan Banner
Cyan Carpet
Cyan Shulker Box
Cyan Stained Glass
Cyan Stained Glass Pane
Cyan Terracotta
Dark Oak Boat
Dark Oak Door
Dark Oak Fence
Dark Oak Fence Gate
Dark Oak Leaves
Dark Oak Log
Dark Oak Planks
Dark Oak Sapling
Dark Oak Slab
Dark Oak Stairs
Dark Prismarine
Daylight Sensor
Diamond Horse Armor
Diorite
Double Tallgrass
Dragon's Breath
Dropper
Enchanted Book
End Crystal
End Rod
End Stone Bricks
Explorer Map (Technically Normal Map + NBT)
Gold Horse Armor
Golden Carrot
Granite
Gray Banner
Gray Carpet
Gray Shulker Box
Gray Stained Glass
Gray Stained Glass Pane
Gray Terracotta
Green Banner
Green Carpet
Green Shulker Box
Green Stained Glass
Green Stained Glass Pane
Green Terracotta
Hay Bale
Heavy Weighted Pressure Plate
Hopper
Infested Chiseled Stone Bricks
Infested Cobblestone
Infested Cracked Stone Bricks
Infested Mossy Stone Bricks
Infested Stone Bricks
Iron Horse Armor
Iron Nugget
Iron Trapdoor
Jungle Boat
Jungle Door
Jungle Fence
Jungle Fence Gate
Lead
Light Blue Banner
Light Blue Carpet
Light Blue Shulker Box
Light Blue Stained Glass
Light Blue Stained Glass Pane
Light Blue Terracotta
Light Gray Banner
Light Gray Carpet
Light Gray Shulker Box
Light Gray Stained Glass
Light Gray Stained Glass Pane
Light Gray Terracotta
Light Weighted Pressure Plate
Lilac
Lime Banner
Lime Carpet
Lime Shulker Box
Lime Stained Glass
Lime Stained Glass Pane
Lime Terracotta
Lingering Potion of Fire Resistance
Lingering Potion of Fire Resistance (Extended)
Lingering Potion of Harming
Lingering Potion of Harming (Strong)
Lingering Potion of Healing
Lingering Potion of Healing (Strong)
Lingering Potion of Invisibility
Lingering Potion of Invisibility (Extended)
Lingering Potion of Leaping
Lingering Potion of Leaping (Extended)
Lingering Potion of Leaping (Strong)
Lingering Potion of Night Vision
Lingering Potion of Night Vision (Extended)
Lingering Potion of Poison
Lingering Potion of Poison (Extended)
Lingering Potion of Poison (Strong)
Lingering Potion of Regeneration
Lingering Potion of Regeneration (Extended)
Lingering Potion of Regeneration (Strong)
Lingering Potion of Slowness
Lingering Potion of Slowness (Extended)
Lingering Potion of Strength
Lingering Potion of Strength (Extended)
Lingering Potion of Strength (Strong)
Lingering Potion of Swiftness
Lingering Potion of Swiftness (Extended)
Lingering Potion of Swiftness (Strong)
Lingering Potion of Water Breathing
Lingering Potion of Water Breathing (Extended)
Lingering Potion of Weakness
Lingering Potion of Weakness (Extended)
Magenta Banner
Magenta Carpet
Magenta Shulker Box
Magenta Stained Glass
Magenta Stained Glass Pane
Magenta Terracotta
Magma Block
Minecart with Hopper
Minecart with TNT
Name Tag
Nether Brick
Nether Quartz
Nether Quartz Ore
Nether Wart Block
Observer
Orange Banner
Orange Carpet
Orange Shulker Box
Orange Stained Glass
Orange Stained Glass Pane
Orange Terracotta
Orange Tulip
Oxeye Daisy
Packed Ice
Peony
Pillar Quartz Block
Pink Banner
Pink Carpet
Pink Shulker Box
Pink Stained Glass
Pink Stained Glass Pane
Pink Terracotta
Pink Tulip
Podzol
Polished Andesite
Polished Diorite
Polished Granite
Popped Chorus Fruit
Potion of Leaping
Potion of Leaping (Extended)
Potion of Leaping (Strong)
Potion of Water Breathing
Potion of Water Breathing (Extended)
Prismarine
Prismarine Bricks
Prismarine Crystals
Prismarine Shard
Pufferfish
Purple Banner
Purple Carpet
Purple Shulker Box
Purple Stained Glass
Purple Stained Glass Pane
Purple Terracotta
Purpur Block
Purpur Pillar
Purpur Slab
Purpur Stairs
Quartz Slab
Quartz Stairs
Rabbit Hide
Rabbit Stew
Rabbit's Foot
Raw Fish
Raw Mutton
Raw Rabbit
Raw Salmon
Red Banner
Red Carpet
Red Nether Brick
Red Sand
Red Sandstone
Red Sandstone Slab
Red Sandstone Stairs
Red Shulker Box
Red Stained Glass
Red Stained Glass Pane
Red Terracotta
Red Tulip
Redstone Block
Redstone Comparator
Rose Bush
Sea Lantern
Shulker Box^[2]
Shulker Shell
Slime Block
Smooth Red Sandstone
Spectral Arrow
Splash Potion of Leaping
Splash Potion of Leaping (Extended)
Splash Potion of Leaping (Strong)
Splash Potion of Water Breathing
Splash Potion of Water Breathing (Extended)
Spruce Boat
Spruce Door
Spruce Fence
Spruce Fence Gate
Stone Axe
Stone Hoe
Stone Pickaxe
Stone Shovel
Stone Sword
Sunflower
Terracotta
Tipped Arrow of Fire Resistance
Tipped Arrow of Fire Resistance (Extended)
Tipped Arrow of Harming
Tipped Arrow of Harming (Strong)
Tipped Arrow of Healing
Tipped Arrow of Healing (Strong)
Tipped Arrow of Invisibility
Tipped Arrow of Invisibility (Extended)
Tipped Arrow of Leaping
Tipped Arrow of Leaping (Extended)
Tipped Arrow of Leaping (Strong)
Tipped Arrow of Night Vision
Tipped Arrow of Night Vision (Extended)
Tipped Arrow of Poison
Tipped Arrow of Poison (Extended)
Tipped Arrow of Poison (Strong)
Tipped Arrow of Regeneration
Tipped Arrow of Regeneration (Extended)
Tipped Arrow of Regeneration (Strong)
Tipped Arrow of Slowness
Tipped Arrow of Slowness (Extended)
Tipped Arrow of Strength
Tipped Arrow of Strength (Extended)
Tipped Arrow of Strength (Strong)
Tipped Arrow of Swiftness
Tipped Arrow of Swiftness (Extended)
Tipped Arrow of Swiftness (Strong)
Tipped Arrow of Water Breathing
Tipped Arrow of Water Breathing (Extended)
Tipped Arrow of Weakness
Tipped Arrow of Weakness (Extended)
Totem of Undying
Trapped Chest
Tropical Fish
Uncraftable Potion
Uncraftable Tipped Arrow
Wet Sponge
White Banner
White Carpet
White Shulker Box
White Stained Glass
White Stained Glass Pane
White Terracotta
White Tulip
Yellow Banner
Yellow Carpet
Yellow Shulker Box
Yellow Stained Glass
Yellow Stained Glass Pane
Yellow Terracotta

Trades

By getting a villager that trades armor or tools, and preferably with more than one enchantment, either in 18w22a or via upgrading or downgrading a villager to 18w22a and then upgrading to 18w22b - 18w22c, you can get a villager that trades tools with protection (such as a sword with protection), or armor with more than one protection enchantment (eg. Protection I + Protection II). If you do this with an enchanted book with a level 5 enchantment, you will also get a Protection V Enchanted Book Trade.

Oak Sign

In the April Fool's version 2.0, Zombie Pigmen would spawn holding oak signs instead of golden swords. The signs would be enchanted with the same enchantments as the golden swords however, allowing for multiple enchantments on the sign. The best sign from this method had Looting III, Fire Aspect II, Knockback II, and Smite V. Additionally, from 16w39a through 1.11-pre1, Curse of Vanishing could be applied to the sign. This comes to a maximum of 5 different Protection enchantments, with a total of Protection 13.

Elytra

Elytra can normally have Curse of Binding, Curse of Vanishing, Unbreaking III, and Mending applied. This means a maximum of Protection 6 from 4 enchantments is possible. However, since these multiple Protection enchantments are mutually exclusive with any other enchantment, the highest possible amount would be Protection III if Mending and/or Unbreaking would be applied.

Mob heads

= Wither Skeleton Skull/Skeleton Skull/Carved Pumpkin/Jack-o-Lantern

These items could be first enchanted with any enchantment in 12w49a.^[3] Later, they can naturally have Curse of Binding and Curse of Vanishing applied. This means a maximum of Protection 7 from 3 enchantments would be possible. Also, this would be incredibly useful, considering mob heads don't use durability.

= Creeper Head/Zombie Head/Dragon Head/Pumpkin

The creeper, zombie, and dragon heads all can normally have Curse of Vanishing and Curse of Binding applied. Due to a bug, the pumpkin could also have Curse of Binding and Curse of Vanishing applied. This comes to a maximum of Protection 2 from two enchantments.

Chestplate/Leggings

Chestplates and leggings can first have Feather Falling applied in Beta 1.9 Prerelease 3. Later, in 12w49a, they can have any enchantment applied, the maximum being a level 5 enchantment (Power, Sharpness, Efficiency, Smite, or Bane of Arthropods). They can also naturally have Mending, Unbreaking III, Thorns III, Curse of Vanishing, Curse of Binding, and one level 4 enchantment (Protection, Fire Protection, Blast Protection, or Projectile Protection). This totals to a maximum of Protection 22 from 8 enchantments on each armor piece. However, since the multiple Protection enchantments are mutually exclusive with other enchantments, Protection V would be the best option if any other enchantments are applied.

Helmet

Helmets can first have Feather Falling applied in Beta 1.9 Prerelease 3. Later, in 12w49a, they can have any enchantment applied, the maximum being a level 5 enchantment (Power, Sharpness, Efficiency, Smite, or Bane of Arthropods). They can also naturally have Mending, Unbreaking III, Thorns III, Respiration III, Aqua Affinity, Curse of Vanishing, Curse of Binding, and one level 4 enchantment (Protection, Fire Protection, Blast Protection, or Projectile Protection). This totals to a maximum of Protection 26 from 10 enchantments on a helmet. However, since the multiple Protection enchantments are mutually exclusive with other enchantments, Protection V would be the best option if any other enchantments are applied.

Turtle Shell

Turtle Shells can be enchanted with Mending, Unbreaking III, Thorns III, Respiration III, Aqua Affinity, Curse of Vanishing, Curse of Binding, and one level 4 enchantment (Protection, Fire Protection, Blast Protection, or Projectile Protection). This totals to a maximum of Protection 17 from 8 enchantments on the turtle shell. The multiple Protection is mutually exclusive with any other enchantments.

Boots

First, in 12w49a, boots can have any enchantment applied, the maximum being a level 5 enchantment (Power, Sharpness, Efficiency, Smite, or Bane of Arthropods). They can also naturally have Mending, Unbreaking III, Thorns III, Feather Falling IV, Curse of Vanishing, Curse of Binding, one level 4 enchantment (Protection, Fire Protection, Blast Protection, or Projectile Protection), and either Depth Strider III or Frost Walker II. This totals to a maximum of Protection 25 from 9 enchantments on boots. However, since the multiple Protection enchantments are mutually exclusive with other enchantments, Protection V would be the best option if any other enchantments are applied.