How to Get and Change Cape in Minecraft

Mar. 5, 2022

Thanks to the massive Minecraft community, standing out in the crowd can be a challenging task. Some players resort to using thebest Minecraft skins, while others make their own custom skins. Today, we’ll show you another unique way to modify your appearance and it’s by using Minecraft capes. So, let’s figure out how to get a cape, along with the steps to change cape in Minecraft.

What are Capes and What Is Their Use?

Capes are a free-flowing clothing item attached to a player’s shoulders. They are worn in addition to the player’s skin. So, you can even combine different styles of capes withcool Minecraft skins. But the capes are not related to or affected by skins in any form.

Capes function similarly in all game versions that support them. But don’t confuse them with the in-game itemElytra, which helps you fly. Though, the cape design actually affects the appearance of the elytra. Not to forget, Java and Bedrock editions are drastically different when it comes to capes. So, let’s cover each of them one by one.

Capes in the Bedrock edition are common and easy for players to come across. All capes are public in the game and can be seen by all other players. You can equip and unequip capes easily, just like skins from the in-game Character Creator tool.

Additionally, on some occasions, Mojang has gifted players capes for their contributions to the game (more on this below). Still, most of the gifted capes have also been exclusive to the Bedrock edition. Though, getting a cape from Mojang is a rare scenario for most players. But we still have other simple methods that might work for you, so keep on reading.

There are several sources and methods to get capes insandbox games like Minecraft. Most of them arepaid or time-bound, but there are many free ways to get capes as well. Let’s go over each of these methods.

Some special capes like the ones distributed on Christmas or for the special game’s milestones are available for certain amount of time and also only for the players that apply for the cape. This was the case for the newestTwitch cape,TikTok capeand thecreeper cape.

The next option is open to all Bedrock players. The officialMinecraft marketplacebrings free and paid additions to the game. Among them are various Minecraft skin packs. Not all, but many suchskin packs come with capesin them. There are a few skin packs entirely based around capes too. You can find both free and paid options in the Marketplace and also by using thislink.

While buying skin packs from the Marketplace,make sure the capes aren’t painted on. Some skin packs also have a cape-like back of the character, but the visually painted cape doesn’t function like a real one. Additionally, some popular mobile apps, Minecraft communities, and evenMinecraft Discord serverscan be a good source of skin packs with capes. You can then import these packs into the game.

A nontraditional way of getting capes is getting them straight from the developers. All Mojang employees get special in-game capes just for working on the game. But if you are not planning to change your career path, the developers also give out some rare capes to contributors.

Some players get these capes for setting world records, while others have received them by giving ideas to Minecraft. The addition of both pigmen and turtles are the results of players’ ideas and capes were awarded to them in return for their contribution. So, if you have a mob or other creative idea to help expand the already vast world of Minecraft, it’s time to reach out to the developers.

Even though we are yet to get official animated capes, nothing is stopping the community from creating some. Minecraft Bedrock players can get animated capes online bydownloading them from independent creators.

Animated capes are easier to find for the Bedrock edition. There are some animated cape options for Java as well, but not from many reliable or free sources.

These capes function the same way as regular capes, but they have moving images on them instead of stationary textures. Animated capes are based on GIFs and provide similar quality and upgraded looks as regular capes.

However, keep in mind that these animated capes are only visible to you. Other Bedrock players will not be able to see any capes not downloaded from the official marketplace.

Now let’s see how Minecraft Java edition allows you to get the capes, as well as what those methods are.

Unlike the Bedrock edition, Java players have a major scarcity of capes. That is because Marketplace, the largest source of capes, is exclusive to the Bedrock edition. Not to forget, most event-based capes are also for the Bedrock players only.

But don’t lose hope yet, as Mojang is coming around to making capes mainstream in the Java edition too. Now, let’s check out some methods of getting capes in Java.

Similarly to the Bedrock edition, players on Java can also get free capes via official events. Not only that, but you may also need to complete a specific task too. Those can include participating in the official annual Mob Vote or the applying for the new cape gifted during special celebration occasion like theMinecraft 15th anniversary, which also brought the creeper cape to Java. Bedrock players get the certain cape designs first, but those usually get transferred to Java as well.

Finally, the most popular option to get capes is using some of thebest mods. You couldinstall Forge to use mods in Minecraft. Several free and paid mods can provide capes to players. Using mods gives you the advantage of getting the capes in any texture, size, and shape.

Advanced Capes Mod (download) is one of the most reliable free cape mods you can try. But the mod-based capes also have a disadvantage. Irrespective of how cool your cape looks, it’s only you who will be able to see it. However, there is a workaround to this issue in the form of paid capes.

If you haveOptifine installed in Minecraft, you can also purchase capes by donating to Optifine. These Optifine capes are visible to other Optifine users. It’s a comparatively popular mod that a large number of Minecraft Java players use to run thebest Minecraft shaders. Also, it helps improve the game’s performance and boost the FPS output. So, if that’s true for your group of friends, then getting the Optifine cape seems like a worthy investment.

Now that you know how to obtain new capes, let’s see how you can change the cape your character wears.

With that, you have now learned the official and unofficial ways to get a cape in Minecraft. Though, even with such immense popularity, at the end of the day, a cape is just another cosmetic item. So if you want some real action, trying out some of thebest Minecraft modpackscan give your character some real benefits. Now, before you leave, do tell us which method you prefer to use to get a cape.