How to Get Impaling in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Impaling, maximum V, adds 2.5 HP per level against qualifying targets: 12.5 HP at V in Java, 12 HP after rounding in Bedrock. Java targets aquatic mobs, not drowned; Bedrock targets mobs and players touching water or rain. 2 HP equals one heart.

What you need

Trident (from drowned)
Enchanting table, or anvil + Impaling enchanted book
XP levels
Loyalty or Riptide partner enchant (separate slots - they stack with Impaling)

Step by step

Get a trident. Drowned with tridents spawn in rivers and oceans; Looting III improves the drop chance.
Enchant it. Enchanting table roll, or an anvil plus an Impaling book from a librarian, loot chest or fishing treasure. Combine same-level books to reach Impaling V.
Know your edition. Java: the bonus only applies to aquatic mobs - guardians, elder guardians, all fish, squids, glow squids, turtles, dolphins, axolotls, tadpoles and nautiluses. Drowned count as pure undead and take nothing extra. Bedrock: ANY mob touching water or rain takes the bonus - players included.
Use it against qualifying targets. Bonus damage applies to melee and thrown hits. Armor, attack charge and target health affect the number of hits needed; do not assume every monument mob dies in a fixed number.
Mind the incompatibilities. Impaling cannot combine with Sharpness, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Density or Breach - though in survival you would never fit those on a trident anyway, since they belong to swords, axes and maces.

Java vs Bedrock

Java applies the bonus to aquatic mobs but not drowned. Bedrock applies it to wet mobs and players and rounds the 2.5 HP per-level bonus down, giving 2/5/7/10/12 HP at I/II/III/IV/V. HP are damage points, with 2 per heart.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note for differences.

Frequently asked questions

Does Impaling work on drowned?

In Java, no - drowned are classified as undead, not aquatic, and the bug report was closed as intended behavior. In Bedrock, yes if they are in water or rain. For Java drowned hunting, Smite on a sword does the job.

Is Impaling worth it in Java?

For ocean content, absolutely: guardian farms, monument raids and warm-ocean loot runs. For general combat in Java it does nothing - it is a specialist enchant, unlike the Bedrock version which is a mini-Sharpness in the rain.

Impaling plus Loyalty - do they stack?

Yes, they are on different tracks and combine fine: Loyalty brings it back, Impaling makes it hit harder. That is the classic ocean-hunter trident build.