How to Get Projectile Protection in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Projectile Protection is an armor enchantment (max level IV) that cuts projectile damage by 8% per level: arrows, thrown tridents, shulker bullets, llama spit, blaze fireballs and wind charges. It does nothing against splash potions, fireworks or the warden's sonic boom, and it cannot combine with Protection, Fire Protection or Blast Protection.

What you need

Armor piece (any tier)
Enchanting table + bookshelves, or anvil + Projectile Protection book
XP levels
A skeleton to not fear anymore

Step by step

Enchant armor at the table. Any armor piece can roll Projectile Protection up to IV with 15 bookshelves.
Or use an anvil. Books come from librarian trades, structure chests and fishing treasure. Combine same-level books up to IV.
Know what it blocks. Skeleton and pillager arrows, drowned tridents, shulker bullets in end cities, llama spit, blaze fireballs and breeze wind charges - 8% less per level, 32% at IV. The direct hit of a ghast fireball or wither skull counts too, but their explosions do not (that is Blast Protection's job).
Know what slips through. Splash potions of Harming, the dragon's fireball breath, firework rockets and the warden's sonic boom are NOT projectile damage - Projectile Protection ignores them completely.
Choose it for ranged metas. It is mutually exclusive with the other protections. Put it on one piece when your server is bow-heavy, when farming skeletons, or before an end city run where shulker bullets rain from every wall.

Java vs Bedrock

Works the same in Java and Bedrock: 8% projectile damage reduction per level, no side effect. It is the only specialized protection with no bonus perk - Blast gets knockback resistance, Fire gets shorter burn time, Projectile gets nothing extra.

Versions: Projectile Protection has existed since enchantments launched in Beta 1.9 Prerelease 3 (2011). Its coverage list grew with new projectiles - shulker bullets in 1.9, wind charges in 1.21.

Frequently asked questions

Projectile Protection or Protection?

Protection covers projectiles too (plus everything else) at 4% per level, so it is the generalist. Projectile Protection doubles that to 8% but ONLY for projectiles - pick it when ranged damage is what actually kills you: skeleton farms, end cities, bow PvP.

Does it work against drowned tridents?

Yes - thrown tridents are projectile damage. Drowned melee slaps are not, so keep your distance and let the enchant work.

Does Projectile Protection block shulker bullets?

Yes - shulker bullets are projectile damage and get reduced by 8% per level. The levitation effect still applies though, so keep an eye on your landing.