Thorns is a defensive armor enchantment in Minecraft that deals retaliatory damage to attackers while increasing armor durability consumption. This unique enchantment gives players a chance to damage enemies that attack them, making it valuable for PvP combat and defensive strategies against hostile mobs.

Players can obtain Thorns through trading with librarian villagers, fishing for enchanted books, or discovering it in structure loot from mineshafts, strongholds, desert pyramids, ocean ruins, end cities, bastion remnants, and various dungeon chests. Thorns III requires anvil combining or specific loot sources, as it cannot be obtained directly from enchanting tables.

Thorns provides a 15% chance per level to deal 1-5 damage to attackers, with Thorns III offering a 45% chance to retaliate against any direct attack including melee, arrows, and projectiles. Multiple armor pieces with Thorns stack independently, capping total damage at 5 hearts per attack. However, the enchantment increases armor durability damage by 2 additional points when activated.

The enchantment works against all attack types except warden sonic boom attacks, making it effective for players seeking aggressive defensive capabilities in combat situations and mob farming operations.