Can you put Loyalty and Riptide on a trident?
No. You can't put Loyalty and Riptide on a trident together. They are incompatible in Java 26.3, so a trident can only have one of them.
Why not
Loyalty and Riptide can each go on a trident, just not together. Here is what a trident can take instead: Curse of Vanishing, Riptide, Channeling, Impaling, Loyalty, Unbreaking, Mending.
What that means in practice
Riptide turns the trident into a travel tool, so you can't throw it. Loyalty only matters for a thrown trident, so the two exclude each other. Riptide also excludes Channeling, while Loyalty and Channeling work together.
Which one to pick
Loyalty for a throwing weapon, Riptide for travelling through water and rain.
- Drowned hunting. Loyalty. You throw, hit and catch the trident again without diving after it.
- Ocean monuments. Loyalty with Impaling. In Java, Impaling adds damage against guardians, which are aquatic.
- Thunderstorms. Loyalty with Channeling. Lightning turns creepers charged, villagers into witches and pigs into zombified piglins.
The Loyalty vs Riptide comparison goes through every situation, with the numbers for both.
Why the game says no
Both enchantments can go on a trident on their own. Each one lists the other as incompatible, though, and that is enough to block the pair. If you try with a single conflicting book, the anvil shows no result at all. Also, the enchanting table never offers both in one roll.
Java reads these rules from each enchantment's data file, which lists the enchantments it can't share an item with. The full list of clashes is on the incompatible enchantments page.
The max build with each
With Loyalty, a max trident has Channeling, Impaling V, Loyalty III, Unbreaking III and Mending. In the cheapest order it costs 33 levels over 5 anvil steps, and no step goes above 10. Open it in the calculator.
With Riptide, a max trident has Riptide III, Impaling V, Unbreaking III and Mending. In the cheapest order it costs 28 levels over 4 anvil steps, and no step goes above 10. Open it in the calculator.
The best trident enchantments page explains every book, and the trident enchant order shows each anvil step.
Where Loyalty and Riptide go
- Loyalty goes on trident. The enchanting table can offer it there directly.
- Riptide goes on trident. The enchanting table can offer it there directly.
Commands and creative mode
The /enchant command refuses the second enchantment, because the pair is incompatible. Only /give with the enchantments component can create an item with both. That is a command-only item, and survival can never make it. The command generator writes the right syntax for your edition.
Java and Bedrock
Impaling, the trident's damage enchantment, only hits aquatic mobs in Java. In Bedrock it hits any mob in water or rain. The anvil also differs: Java charges the full new level of every book. This page follows Java 26.3.
About Loyalty
Loyalty makes a thrown trident fly back to you. Each level makes it return faster.
Loyalty has a max level of III. If you need a book, you can get it from the enchanting table, librarian villagers, trial chamber vaults and enchanted loot from fishing and chests. A librarian sells a Loyalty III book for 11 to 45 emeralds. Before you buy, read everything about Loyalty, including what each level does.
About Riptide
Riptide launches you along with the trident when you throw it in water or rain. You can't throw a Riptide trident normally.
Riptide has a max level of III. If you need a book, you can get it from the enchanting table, librarian villagers, trial chamber vaults and enchanted loot from fishing and chests. A librarian sells a Riptide III book for 11 to 45 emeralds. Before you buy, read everything about Riptide, including what each level does.
What else a trident can take
Besides Loyalty and Riptide, a trident can take Channeling, Impaling, Unbreaking and Mending. Of those, Channeling conflicts with Riptide. Then the best trident enchantments page ranks them and gives the max build.
Related questions: Mending on trident, Sharpness on trident, Looting on trident.
Questions
Can you put Loyalty and Riptide on a trident?
No. You can't put Loyalty and Riptide on a trident together. They are incompatible in Java 26.3, so a trident can only have one of them.
Can a trident have Loyalty and Channeling?
Yes. Only Riptide conflicts with them.
Which should I pick, Loyalty or Riptide?
Loyalty if you fight with the trident, because it comes back after each throw. Riptide if you travel, but only in water or rain.