Minecraft has all sorts of armor types. For a long time, the game’s armor ranged from its lowest-rated set, Leather armor, to its highest set, Diamond armor.
However, as of the Nether update in June of 2020, developer Mojang added an even better set of armor in Netherite armor. If you’re wondering how to make Netherite armor in Minecraft, as well as how it’s better than every other armor set, this guide is for you.
Updated 12/5/2025
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What Does Armor Do In Minecraft?
If you’re playing Minecraft survival mode and plan to take on some of its more challenging adventures, such as exploring the Nether or taking down the Ender Dragon, you’ll want a set of armor.
Armor pieces come in a few varieties:
- Helmet
- Chestplate
- Leggings
- Boots
Each piece adds a percentage of damage protection, with that percentage increasing as its materials improve. For example, a complete set of Leather armor reduces damage taken by 28%, while a Diamond set reduces damage by 80%.
When armor takes damage, it loses durability. Higher armor tiers have more durability points; once a piece’s durability runs out, it will break.
What’s interesting about Netherite armor in Minecraft is it provides the same protection as its Diamond counterpart, but with higher durability. In fact, Netherite gear is the most durable armor in the game.
You can track your armor durability through the armor bar that appears once it’s equipped.
Minecraft Netherite armor also provides fire and knockback resistance, which is incredibly useful while exploring the Nether dimension for rare materials. You can boost these effects even more through enchantments.
How To Make Netherite Armor In Minecraft
Making Netherite armor in Minecraft takes a few steps. For instance, you’ll need a full set of Diamond armor, as you need to upgrade Diamond armor with a Smithing Table to acquire a Netherite armor set. You’ll also need a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template, among other items. Let’s get into the process.
Diamond armor set
You can’t craft Netherite armor without a Diamond armor set. Fortunately, this isn’t too hard to acquire. You’ll need to explore the world and gather the following amounts of Diamonds:
Five diamonds for the helmet:
Eight diamonds for the chest plate:
Seven diamonds for the leggings:
Four diamonds for the boots:
Once acquired, place the Diamonds in a Crafting Table according to their respective images.
Netherite Ingot
Next, you’ll need to craft Netherite Ingots by finding Ancient Debris in the Nether, smelting it into Netherite Scraps, and turning those Scraps into Ingots.
Ancient Debris only spawns in the Nether and will never generate while facing the air. This means you must dig into Netherrack and other blocks to find it.
Once you’ve acquired a few sets of Ancient Debris — this will take a while — smelt it at a furnace to acquire Netherite Scraps.
Combine the Netherite Scraps with four Gold Ingots at a Crafting Table to acquire a Netherite Ingot.
Smithing Table
Next, you’ll need a Smithing Table to combine all of your ingredients. These are pretty cheap, requiring just four Wooden Planks and two Iron Ingots.
Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template
The last and most frustrating item you must find for the how to make Netherite Armor process is a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template. These items are not craftable, meaning you must find them in the wild.
You must start by entering the Nether and trying to find Bastion Remnants. These are dark structures full of Piglins to fight off, as well as chests that might have the templates we need.
Unfortunately, there are multiple types of Smithing Templates. You may have to go through a few Bastion Remnants to find the Netherite Upgrade one.
Keep in mind that you’ll need one template per Diamond armor piece, so finding just one isn’t going to cut it. That said, you can duplicate Netherite Upgrade Smithing Templates through a Crafting Table by combining it with seven Diamonds and a block of Netherrack.
After the arduous process of gathering all of these materials, you can finally make some Netherite armor.
Approach the Smithing Table with your Netherite Ingots, your Smithing Template, and your Diamond gear. Combine them according to the image below, with the template in the far left slot, your Diamond gear in the middle slot, and one of your Netherite Ingots in the far right slot.
Congratulations on your new Netherite gear! From here, you can repeat these steps with other Diamond pieces to craft the rest of the Netherite armor. This isn’t to mention you can make Netherite tools as well, such as a Netherite pickaxe or Netherite swords.
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Max is a freelance writer with a love for gaming and technology. He’s always looking for the next big game to play and tinkers with tech in his remaining free time.
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