How to get a cape in Minecraft with & without mods

❘ Published: 2024-03-19T15:31:40

Mojang

While skins are a great way to make your character unique in Minecraft, donning a cape can make you look cool in front of your friends. So here’s all you need to know about how to get a cape in Minecraft with and without any mods.

First released in 2011 alongside the game for players who attended the MINECON, capes quickly became a status symbol in Minecraft, and owning one meant you were a true veteran.

While MINECON only lasted until 2016, and the Minecon-specific capes are no longer available, Mojang has released a few more capes to help you show off your character. But in case you don’t own one, there are ways you can get your hands on them.

So here’s how you can get a cape in Minecraft.

How to get capes in Minecraft Java Edition without mods
How to get capes in Minecraft Bedrock edition without mods
How to get a cape in Minecraft Java Edition with mods
- Get a Minecraft cape through OptiFine
How to equip capes in Minecraft
- Java Editon
- Bedrock edition
How to equip your cape to your Elytra in Minecraft

Many Minecraft veterans can be seen wearing capes in the game.

How to get capes in Minecraft Java Edition without mods

Events

If you’re a Minecraft player who attended MINECON events from 2011-2016, you’d have received free capes as a reward from the devs. MINECON events are now virtual but back in the day, you had to purchase a ticket and attend it physically. It is safe to say that only a few thousand veterans own such MINECON-themed capes in the Java Edition.

The upcoming Minecraft Festival that was postponed can be a great opportunity for you to get a cape. The date for this real-world event is to-be-declared but it will most likely hand out an exclusive cape to the attendees.

Migrator Cape

Migrator capes were available for free for players who bought the game before December 1, 2020 and migrated their Mojang legacy accounts to Microsoft. This was a fairly simple process, involving on-screen prompts. The migration process ended on December 18, 2023, and hence the cape is no longer available.

Vanilla Cape

If you’re a Minecraft player who owned both Java and Bedrock editions on the same account before June 6, 2022, you’d have received the Vanilla cape as a token of appreciation from the devs.

The vanilla cape is quite rare.

How to get capes in Minecraft Bedrock edition without mods

Capes aren’t rare in the Minecraft Bedrock edition when compared to Java. This is because the Java edition capes from MINECON 2011-2016 were a part of skin packs in Bedrock and anyone could purchase them regardless of whether they’ve attended the corresponding events or not.

Moreover, skin packs like Adventure Time Mash-Up and Star Wars have exciting cape designs that you’d definitely love to see on your character.

Lastly, you can also get the Pan Cape in Minecraft Bedrock edition by signing up for the Beta Bedrock edition.

Minecraft characters wearing different capes

Capes can expand your player’s identity in Minecraft.

How to get a cape in Minecraft Java Edition with mods

Minecraft mods let you alter every aspect of the game, and it is no surprise that you can also add capes through them. However, the capes you equip through mods are exclusive to your own game and others cannot see them. Similarly, many Minecraft SMP servers disable capes and other modded skins when you enter them.

Some popular Minecraft cape mods include Advanced Capes. If you’re yet to install mods, make sure to check out this detailed guide on how to add mods to Minecraft.

Get a Minecraft cape through OptiFine

Often considered the best mod in Minecraft history, OptiFine, allows you to get custom capes for $10. The mod in itself is free but to get a cape, you need to donate to the devs.

Follow these steps to get a Minecraft cape through OptiFine:

Visit the donation page on the OptiFine website.
Enter your Minecraft username.
Donate $10 to OptiFine devs and you’ll get the OptiFine Cape as a reward.

Do note that if you want other players to see these capes, they must also be using OptiFine.

Optiffine cape in Minecraft installed through mods

The Optifine cape is one of the most well-known cape designs featuring the popular mod.

How to equip capes in Minecraft

Java Editon

Open the Minecraft launcher.
Select Java Edition and then go to Options > Skin Customization.
Here, you’ll find the capes installed through mods as well as the authentic ones. Equip, unequip, or alter them as per your need.

Bedrock edition

Launch the game and from the main menu, head to the Dressing Room by clicking on your profile avatar.
From the drop-down menu on the left side of the screen, select Capes and select/customize the desired skins.

How to equip your cape to your Elytra in Minecraft

All you need to do is equip the cape using the regular method mentioned above. When you equip your Elytra wings while having a cape on, your wings will take the color, design, and texture of the cape, giving you a unique Elytra design.

Note that there are some Mojang employees, content creators, and players who have the privilege of owning official custom capes. For instance, a Reddit user named u/billyk_ has their own cape for suggesting the release of turtles in their game.

Hence, being a dedicated member of the Minecraft community might lead to Mojang rewarding you with your own cape but until then, you can rely on the methods mentioned above.

That’s everything to know about how to get capes in Minecraft. For more content on the hit sandbox game, you can check out: