How to Get Sharpness in Minecraft (Sharpness V)

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Sharpness goes on swords, spears and axes (axes need an anvil): roll it at a level-30 enchanting table, trade with librarians, fish, or loot monster rooms and structures. Sharpness V is the max, and it can't mix with Smite or Bane of Arthropods.

What you need

Sword or spear (axe needs an anvil instead)
Enchanting table + 15 bookshelves
Librarian + lectern for targeted books
Anvil and XP levels for combining

Step by step

Enchant a sword at a full table: 15 bookshelves unlock level-30 rolls, where Sharpness can appear up to level IV on most weapon tiers. Only golden weapons can roll Sharpness V directly; other tiers reach V through an anvil or structure loot. Spears accept Sharpness the same way.
Axes are the exception: they only receive Sharpness through an anvil (book + axe), not the enchanting table.
Trade with librarians: reroll a lectern until a Sharpness book appears and lock it - the reliable route to Sharpness V by combining books.
Fish, loot, raid: enchanted books from fishing, monster room chests and non-village structure loot can carry Sharpness; Bedrock raid mobs drop books too.
Combine to V on an anvil: Sharpness III + III = IV, IV + IV = V. Compare the preview costs of different book-and-weapon combination orders; no fixed order is always cheapest.
Know the math: in Java, Sharpness adds 1 damage at level I and 0.5 per level after (Sharpness V = +3). In Bedrock it's 1.25 per level rounded down (Sharpness V = +6) - Bedrock sharp is nearly twice as strong.
Respect the rivals: Sharpness is mutually exclusive with Smite and Bane of Arthropods. Pick Sharpness for general use; Smite only wins against undead, Bane only against arthropods.
Java quirk: off-hand spear charge attacks don't apply Sharpness due to an unresolved bug - charge with the spear in your main hand.

Java vs Bedrock

The big edition split: Java Sharpness adds 0.5 × level + 0.5 damage (+3 at V), while Bedrock adds 1.25 × level rounded down (+6 at V). Sources match otherwise, plus the usual Bedrock extras of raid-dropped books. Java-only bug: off-hand spear charges ignore Sharpness.

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you get Sharpness 5?

Two reliable ways: a level-30 enchanting table can offer Sharpness up to IV on most tiers (only golden weapons roll V directly), then combine two IV books in an anvil; or lock a librarian's Sharpness trade and combine books up to V. Axes always need the anvil route.

Is Sharpness better than Smite?

For general use, yes - Sharpness boosts damage against everything. Smite adds more damage per level but only against undead (zombies, skeletons, the Wither...). They're mutually exclusive, so most players run Sharpness on the main sword and a Smite backup for undead farms.

Does Sharpness work on axes?

Yes, but only through an anvil: combine the axe with a Sharpness book. The enchanting table doesn't offer Sharpness for axes - that was a brief 1.20.5 snapshot bug, quickly reverted.