Villages have been a part of the Minecraft universe since its beta days and they’ve evolved quite a bit since their addition. At first, these civilizations were home to brainless villagers and a limited source of materials such as farm food and items in a blacksmith’s chest.
Since then, villages have evolved to include new styles per biome, a lot more chests, and even enemies that villagers have to deal with called Illagers. Probably the most important update villages have ever gotten is villager trades, with each villager taking on a job that could provide users with plenty of the best materials.
Updated July 25, 2022 By Ben Jessey: Every Minecraft world is filled with all sorts of resources. However, each world is also very large, meaning you might not be willing to search every part of it for the thing you want. Thankfully, trading villagers exist, and they sometimes have the best supplies - or, at least, some of them do.
The quality of their goods varies based on the trader. In the original version of this list, we shone a light on the best villagers for trading. Yet, we’ve now changed things a bit to rank them all from worst to best.
14 Leatherworker - They, Unfortunately, Live Up To Their Name
The Leatherworker is easily the least useful villager for trading in the game. This is because, as the name suggests, their offerings are leather-based. For instance, they offer leather armor in exchange for emeralds.
Since that’s the weakest armor in the game, you don’t want to trade your valuable green gems for it. On the flip side, you can give this trader some leather for an emerald, which isn’t a bad trade. However, the villager standing next to the cauldron is still not worth seeking out.
13 Butcher - More Of A Emeralds Trader Than A Food One
The problem with Butchers in Minecraft is they don’t offer many unique items. Beyond rabbit stew, some cooked porkchops, and a bunch of cooked chicken, they only have emeralds for sale. In exchange for those green gems, they typically want raw food items.
If you happen to have plenty of food, it may be worth trading them for an emerald or two at times. However, food is a valuable resource that you’re always going to need, so getting the emeralds off one of the best villagers is probably the right move. These Butchers are found next to smokers.
12 Wandering Trader - Emeralds Required For Trade
Some types of villagers spawn randomly separate from the villages themselves. Sometimes, you have to deal with a horde of Pillagers randomly showing up and attacking. Other times, you will discover the Wandering Trader and their two llama friends.
All trades with this merchant will be offers of items in exchange for emeralds. Many of the items offered include various fauna and other farming materials. Some of the more expensive items include slime balls (four emeralds), Nautilus Shells (five emeralds), and Blue Ice (six emeralds).
11 Fisherman - Gives Emeralds In Trade
Want to know one of the best villager trades for emeralds? Find a Fisherman in the village as they will offer an emerald for every ten pieces of coal you bring them. In addition, getting a fishing pole and getting some raw fish can also up the emerald totals, as the Fisherman will offer one for raw cod, raw salmon, or clownfish.
Possibly the best trade out of the group, though, is the biome-specific boat for an emerald. The biome of the boat depends on where the village is, so you can find a tree nearby to chop. Essentially, that’s five wooden blocks for one emerald.
10 Shepherd - Trade Wool For Emeralds
For those looking to make some emeralds, setting up a sheep farm and finding a Shepherd in a village is a good way to earn some of the primary currency needed for trading. These villagers tend to offer wool trades that would convert 18 wool into one emerald.
Evolving them will allow you to then start trading dyes for emeralds as well, which can be easily found by looking for flowers. you could also trade the green gems for beds and banners, but those may not be worth it. Villagers take on the Shepherd role when there is a loom nearby.
9 Cartographer - Pair Sugar Cane With Paper
An explorer at heart will be interested in visiting the local Cartographer. This villager will take the role when next to a fittingly-named cartography table. The villager offers paper to be traded in for emeralds which could be useful with the help of a sugar cane farm.
Leveling up the villager, however, can really kickstart an adventure. Some Cartographers may offer an explorer map in exchange for a compass and a little more than a dozen emeralds. These maps can lead a you to a nearby Ocean Monument or the rather-rare Woodland Mansion.
8 Toolsmith - Tools Vs. Emeralds
If there’s one villager equipped to provide you with the instruments necessary to survive, it is, of course, the Toolsmith. These traders may offer emeralds in exchange for coal, iron, or flint. These gems could then be used to trade back to the Toolsmith in exchange for some tools.
Of course, you could simply craft some of the tools they offer. That said, you could trade a good chunk of their emeralds to have an enchanted iron or diamond tool. Shovels, pickaxes, and axes could be provided. The Toolsmith can be found near a smithing table.
7 Fletcher - Trade Ranged Weapons And More
Ranged weapons in Minecraft have become more diverse and useful as the game has evolved over the years, so a villager dedicated to arrows and the weapons used to shoot them is perfect for those looking to get better in this department.
Two potential novice trades that are important to look out for are an emerald in exchange for 32 sticks, and 16 arrows in exchange for one emerald. Later trades include regular and enchanted bows or crossbows in exchange for up to 21-22 emeralds. Fletchers may also accept flint, string, or feathers in exchange for the green gems. Villagers will take on this role while next to a fletching table.
6 Mason - Emeralds And Great Blocks
Those who enjoy building blocks will love working with the Mason, but even for those who aren’t, this is likely the best villager to trade with for emeralds. Between the Novice and Journeyman levels, the Mason may offer you emeralds in exchange for Clay, Stone, Andesite, Diorite, and Granite.
All of these items are very easy to collect as most can be found in the caves, and clay sits underwater in a swamp. If you are looking for a quick way to get good-looking Terracotta or Quartz blocks, the Expert and Master levels for the Mason will have them covered. Villagers will take this role while next to a stonecutter.
5 Farmer - Emeralds In Exchange For Veggies
Probably the easiest way to trade for emeralds is to take advantage of the farms located in villages and make some deals with the local Farmers. Farmers, who will spawn when there is a composter nearby, will immediately offer you emeralds in exchange for a good amount of wheat, potatoes, carrots, or beetroots.
At the expert level, you could try their luck in exchanging emeralds for suspicious stew. The stew obtained from Farmers can come with one of the following effects: Night Vision, Saturation, Jump Boost, Weakness, Poison, and Blindness.
4 Armorer - Get Powerful Armor
The Armorer has a similar mechanic to the toolsmith in which they can be used to provide you an alternative route to getting powerful armor in the game. Setting up a blast furnace will have a villager take on this role.
You can start by trading coal for emeralds since coal is very easy to acquire. The novice level has iron armor available to be acquired, but later levels include offers of shields, chainmail armor, and even enchanted diamond armor. The enchantments are often times random but will land somewhere in the level 5 to 19 range.
3 Cleric - Random Goods? They’ll Take ‘Em
There are plenty of worthwhile items that can be acquired from the Cleric, some of which are harder to obtain than one may expect. The Cleric, who spawns in churches next to a brewing stand, can offer emeralds in exchange for Rotten Flesh (novice), Gold Ingots (apprentice), and Rabbit’s Foot (journeyman).
However, in exchange, the Cleric can offer an easy way to get Lapis Lazuli (apprentice) without going caving and Ender Pearls (expert) without hunting down Endermen. At master level, three emeralds could get you a Bottle o’ Enchanting.
2 Weaponsmith - Diamond Level Weapon Potential
The Weaponsmith is very similar to the toolsmith but with a much shorter list of potential offers that it can give to you. That said, the quality of the items they offer makes up for it. First of all, along with another coal-for-emerald trade, you can be offered an enchanted iron sword at the novice level for 7 to 21 emeralds.
If you are able to work the trade offers until expert and master levels, you can use all the emeralds they earned to get themselves enchanted diamond swords or diamond axes. Villagers can become a Weaponsmith next to a grindstone.
1 Librarian - The Best Villager
While getting enchanted items for emerald is a solid deal, it’s better to have some control over the enchantments put on important tools. The Librarian is a unique villager that may offer you an enchanted book in exchange for emeralds and a regular book.
Of course, you may need to break the bank for massive enchantments that could go up to level five. The power of the Librarian’s loot alone make this the best villager in Minecraft. The Librarian can be created by placing a lectern next to a jobless villager.
