What does the Curse of Vanishing do in Minecraft?

Who this is for: Minecraft players wanting to understand enchantments and avoid losing valuable gear permanently.


Ready to jump in? Play minecraft games and test your knowledge of enchantments and survival mechanics firsthand.

Play free games on Playgama.com

What Happens When You Die with Cursed Items

The Curse of Vanishing is an enchantment that makes items completely disappear when you die, instead of dropping them on the ground like normal. This means you can’t retrieve your cursed gear by returning to your death location – it’s gone forever.

How to Get Curse of Vanishing

You can’t deliberately enchant items with this curse at an enchanting table. Instead, you’ll encounter it through:

  • Fishing – Sometimes you’ll reel in cursed items
  • Loot chests – Found in dungeons, temples, and other structures
  • Trading with villagers – Librarians occasionally sell cursed enchanted books
  • Mob drops – Rarely, mobs drop pre-cursed equipment

Which Items Can Be Cursed

The curse works on any item that can be enchanted, including armor pieces, weapons, tools, and even books. It’s particularly frustrating on valuable gear like diamond or netherite equipment.

Strategic Uses and Workarounds

While mostly seen as a nuisance, some players use cursed items strategically in PvP servers where you don’t want opponents looting your gear. You can also remove the curse by combining the item with another identical item in a crafting table, though this only works if both items are repairable.

The curse doesn’t affect items stored in chests, shulker boxes, or your ender chest – only what you’re carrying when you die. Smart players often store cursed valuables safely before risky adventures.

For players looking to master all aspects of the game’s mechanics and enchantments, exploring different Minecraft experiences can deepen your understanding of these complex systems.

TL;DR

Curse of Vanishing makes items disappear forever when you die instead of dropping them. Found through fishing, loot chests, and trading – can’t be applied at enchanting tables.

Author avatar

Joyst1ck

Gaming Writer & HTML5 Developer

Answering gaming questions—from Roblox and Minecraft to the latest indie hits. I write developer‑focused HTML5 articles and share practical tips on game design, monetisation, and scripting.

  • #GamingFAQ
  • #GameDev
  • #HTML5
  • #GameDesign
All posts by Joyst1ck →

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Games categories