How the Curse of Binding enchantment works in Minecraft

Curse of Binding is an enchantment in Minecraft that prevents players from taking off a piece of gear that has the enchantment once the cursed item has been equipped.

A carved pumpkin that has been enchanted with Curse of Binding. (Image via u/JTheBlockBreaker/reddit.com)

Curse enchantments can be rather nasty, leaving a negative effect on the piece of gear that has the curse. Pieces of armor with Curse of Binding prevent players from unequipping them once they have been put on.

This means that no matter how hard a player tries, the cursed item will remain equipped until the player dies, the item breaks, or the player enters creative mode.

Curse of Binding can be a nightmare for uninformed players, allowing malevolent players to do some trolling on unsuspecting or naive ones.

This article breaks down how the Curse of Binding enchantment works in Minecraft and explains how to obtain it.

How the Curse of Binding enchantment works in Minecraft

Items that have been enchanted with Curse of Binding are darn near impossible to remove unless the item breaks or the player that has it equipped dies. Hence, the Curse of Binding enchantment is pretty useful for Minecraft players.

Minecraft players who are able to quickly swap into creative mode can remove the item. However, if this is not possible, the best thing to do is to place all other valuable items safely into a chest.

Minecraft players will then need to get themselves killed for the item to finally be removed.

Clever Minecraft players may think they can use a grindstone to remove the curse from the item by disenchanting it. If a player attempts to do this, they will simply have the item returned to them with the curse still fully intact.

Using Curse of Binding enchantment to Troll other Minecraft players

What vision looks like with a carved pumpkin equipped in Minecraft. (Image via Mojang Studios)

Curse of Binding isn't all bad, as it allows players to perform a trick upon others. Carved pumpkins drastically reduce how much a player can see when they have been equipped, as can be seen above.

A carved pumpkin can be enchanted with Curse of Binding by using an anvil and a corresponding enchantment book.

Minecraft players can then take that cursed carved pumpkin and try to convince another player to put it on. The item can also be forcibly equipped onto another player with the use of a dispenser.

Once the item has been equipped, the player will then be stuck with a carved pumpkin on their head. The only way to remove it is by utilizing one of the methods listed earlier. Out of all the enchantments, Curse of Binding should always be one of the priority ones to select in Minecraft.

Realistically, the other player is likely going to have to die to get the cursed carved pumpkin off their head.

This is a nasty troll, so consider this information a warning of what those with malicious intent can do.

How to Remove the Curse of Binding

Minecraft players who can quickly swap into creative mode can remove the item. However, if this is not possible, the best thing to do is to place all other valuable items safely into a chest.

When playing survival Minecraft, to remove an equipped Curse of Binding item, Minecraft players will need to get themselves killed for the item to finally be removed. It is best to set up a safe spot near your spawn point when using this method.

Special Uses for the Curse of Binding

As mentioned above, the Curse of Binding can be used to enchant a carved pumpkin, and it can also enchant mob heads. While you cannot equip mob heads, and the purple enchantment effect does not appear while the head is placed, it can still be a unique effect to put on display. A mob head with the Curse of Binding will still flash purple in an item frame.

How to get the Curse of Binding enchantment

Placing Curse of Binding on a carved pumpkin with an enchanted book and anvil in Minecraft (Image via Mojang Studios)

Minecraft players who want to obtain this specific enchantment will need to do a little extra work, as opposed to many other enchantments.

Curse of Binding is a treasure enchantment, which means that it can only be acquired from chest loot, fishing, raid rewards, or buying it from a librarian villager with emeralds. Curse of Binding is one of the most important enchantments in Minecraft and can be used by almost every player.

Note: There is a known bug in Bedrock Edition that is preventing players from obtaining a cursed enchantment book from villagers. This means that Bedrock players will need to use one of the other methods to obtain it.