Minecraft is full of enchantments and potions that players can use to their advantage. Adding enchantments such as Protection IV or Efficiency IV can significantly boost a player's defense and the speed at which a pickaxe can mine through ore and other blocks, respectively. But some of these enchantments, like Minecraft's Curse of Vanishing, can prove to be a significant issue. This curse has haunted players since 2018, when Mojang originally added it to the Bedrock edition.
The Curse of Vanishing can be attached to more items than any other enchantment in the game. Normally this would be great news, but the emphasis here is on "Curse" in the enchantment name. Items and weapons that are found with this enchantment will function as they normally do. The catch is when the players die and drop all their items. All items with this enchantment in Minecraft will permanently disappear from the world. This includes precious tools such as diamond or netherite pickaxes and swords.
RELATED: Minecraft Two-part Update Will Add 91 New Blocks
Normally players can remove enchantments at a grindstone, but this is not the case with the Curse of Vanishing in Minecraft. Once this has been added to an item or tool, there is no way to remove it. The only exception to this rule is with a pumpkin or mob head that should be free of the curse when placed and then broken.
That being said, there are workarounds when it comes to the Curse of Vanishing. Dropping an affected item before death will keep it from deleting itself. Players can also place the item with the curse in a chest to prevent it from disappearing forever. In Minecraft's hardcore mode, the Curse of Vanishing issue is no longer a problem as players who die in that world die permanently. Therefore inventory retrieval is completely irrelevant.
For those interested in getting this incredibly rare item in Minecraft, there are only a few paths. Players can stumble upon both enchanted books with this curse and items that already have the enchantment attached. As with other enchanted books, players can add the Curse of Vanishing to items through an anvil.
In the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft, enchanted books with the Curse of Vanishing spawn randomly in chests across the world. The only other way to get this book in Bedrock edition is through fishing. It's important to note that the percentage for the latter is tiny. Java edition players have these options and the ability to trade with Librarian villagers to acquire this curse.
Minecraft is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.