What is Respiration in Minecraft: Enchantment explained

Tyler Constable
An image of underwater ruins in Minecraft where players can use the respiration enchantment.

Players can find many great enchantments in Minecraft that can aid them in different aspects of their journey including Respiration which is great for exploring specific environments. Here’s everything you need to know about the enchantment and how you can acquire it in the sandbox title.

There are a lot of unique environments for players to navigate in Minecraft’s sandbox world and some are easier than others to traverse.

When it comes to navigating underwater areas of the game, you’ll need to carefully monitor your breathing if it runs out you’ll begin to take drowning damage but thankfully the respiration enchantment is extremely helpful in these situations.

Here’s everything you need to know about respiration in Minecraft, including what it’s used for and where you can find it in the game.

An image of the crafting system to create a respiration enchantment in Minecraft.
Respiration can be crafted in Minecraft.

What is respiration in Minecraft

Respiration is a helmet enchantment in Minecraft that increases a player’s breathing time when they’re underwater.

Your breathing is increased by 15 seconds for each level of enchantment. You can enhance respiration up to level 3 and obtain a maximum of 45 seconds of additional breathing time with it. If you want to get even more of a boost to your underwater breathing, you can also equip a turtle shell alongside the enchantment for an extra 10 seconds.

The enchantment also reduces the amount of drowning damage you take, meaning you’ll only receive 1 damage rather than the typical 2.

In short, if you’re planning to explore any underwater areas in the game, having the respiration enchantment equipped on your helmet will be a huge help.

How to get the respiration enchantment in Minecraft

You can obtain the respiration enchantment in Minecraft by simply crafting it at an enchantment table, just make sure you’ve got enough XP and Lapis Lazuli to power up the table first! Any helmet or leather cap can be enchanted with respiration this way. There are also a few other ways you can find respiration in the game:

  • It can be found in chests in dungeons and overworld non-village structures.
  • You may be able to trade with villagers to obtain the enchantment, Libarians will be most likely to have it on hand.
  • There’s a chance you could find a respiration-enchanted item via fishing.

That’s everything you need to know about respiration in Minecraft! For more content on the game, check out our guides below:

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About The Author

Tyler is Dexerto's Gaming Evergreen Specialist. He loves many games but is particularly fond of JRPGs and The Last of Us. When he's not writing about or playing video games, he's probably watching Doctor Who or reading a book. You can contact him at tyler.constable@dexerto.com