Piercing in Minecraft is a crossbow enchantment that lets a shot pass through multiple entities in a straight line, so one arrow can hit more than one mob or player. It can also be useful against shields, depending on the edition and version details.

How it works

  • It only applies to crossbows , not bows.
  • Higher levels let the projectile pass through more targets, up to Piercing IV.
  • The main use is lining up enemies so one shot can damage several of them.

Why players use it

  • Great for crowded mob fights.
  • Handy in narrow corridors or mob farms.
  • Lets you conserve arrows in some situations.

Important note

Piercing is different from Multishot : Multishot fires multiple bolts at once, while Piercing makes one bolt go through targets.

TL;DR: Piercing makes crossbow bolts go through multiple targets, with stronger levels hitting more enemies in a line.