Netherite vs Diamond Armor: A Stats Comparison

Key Takeaways

Point	Details
Netherite armor is the	Netherite armor is the strongest tier, upgraded from diamond using a smithing table.
A full netherite set	A full netherite set provides 20 armor points, 12 armor toughness, and 40% knockback resistance.
Diamond armor offers no	Diamond armor offers no innate knockback resistance, making netherite a vital upgrade for combat.
Upgrading costs no experience	Upgrading costs no experience and retains all enchantments from the original diamond gear.
A full set requires	A full set requires 4 netherite ingots and 4 netherite upgrade smithing templates.

If you've spent hours mining diamond deep underground, you might wonder if the trip into the Nether for netherite is worth it. The short answer is yes, but the upgrade comes with specific tradeoffs in cost and preparation.

The Core Differences Between Netherite and Diamond Armor

Netherite armor is the strongest protective gear available in Minecraft. It is obtained by upgrading diamond armor, not by crafting it directly from scratch.

It is the strongest armor, above diamond.

A full set of netherite armor provides significantly better stats across the board. Diamond armor lacks the innate knockback resistance and the raw armor toughness that netherite offers, making netherite the clear winner for pure defense.

How the Upgrade Process Works

You cannot craft netherite armor directly in a crafting table. Instead, you must upgrade your existing diamond armor piece by piece in a smithing table. Each piece of netherite armor requires a netherite ingot and a netherite upgrade smithing template.

The netherite upgrade smithing template is a crucial item found exclusively in bastion remnants.

This item is only found in bastion remnants. Once you have a single template, you can duplicate it using seven diamonds and a block of netherrack. This makes your first template the hardest to obtain.

One major advantage of the smithing table over the anvil is that the upgrade costs no experience points and does not increase the prior work penalty on the item.

Unlike anvils, using a smithing table to upgrade diamond gear to netherite gear costs no experience and does not increase the prior work penalty. This means you can safely enchant your diamond armor with expensive enchantments like those from our Mending guide before upgrading, without worrying about the cost.

Comparing Damage Reduction and Knockback Resistance

The defensive power of armor is determined by two values: armor points and armor toughness. Netherite excels in both.

When a full set of netherite armor is worn, the set provides 20 armor points, 12 armor toughness, and 40% knockback resistance.

When a full set of netherite armor is worn, the set provides 20 ( × 10) armor points, 12 ( × 6) armor toughness, and 40% knockback resistance.

Each netherite armor piece gives a knockback resistance of 10%, which results in a knockback reduction of 40% with a full set.

Each netherite armor piece gives a knockback resistance of 1 (10%), which results in a knockback reduction of 40% with a full set. Diamond armor provides no innate knockback resistance. This makes netherite invaluable when fighting enemies like skeletons, piglins, or ravagers that can push you off cliffs or into hazards.

Durability and Enchantment Retention

When you upgrade diamond armor to netherite, the new piece retains the enchantments, prior work penalty, and number of durability points lost from the original diamond gear.

Netherite armor retains the enchantments, prior work penalty, and number of durability points lost (instead of the remaining durability) from the diamond armor.

This is a critical detail: the game tracks how much durability your diamond armor has lost, not how much it has left. If you upgrade a heavily damaged piece of diamond armor, your new netherite armor will also be heavily damaged. To get the most out of your upgrade, always repair your diamond armor to full durability before upgrading it in the smithing table.

Which Set Should You Invest In?

Diamond armor remains a fantastic and accessible option for most of the game. It requires 24 diamonds to craft a full set and offers strong protection against everyday threats.

However, if you are planning extended expeditions into the Nether, facing off against piglins, or fighting bosses that deal heavy knockback, the investment in netherite armor is well worth the effort. The combination of higher armor toughness, superior damage reduction, and the unique knockback resistance makes netherite the definitive endgame armor choice.

For players who enjoy enchanting their gear, the fact that netherite upgrades retain all enchantments and cost zero experience means you can build your perfect diamond set first and then elevate it to netherite without losing any of your hard work.