Recycling Arrow
by vomiter
Recycling Arrow lets a bow arrow that has hit a mob be picked up again, with the arrow's ingredients returned to the player when the mob dies.
What it does
When an arrow strikes a mob, the arrow is recorded on that entity and stays visibly stuck in its body. Once the mob dies, the arrow drops back into the world, where it can be collected and fired again. Some arrows break and return only their ingredients, and the drop rules are set in the config options and in datapacks.
The mod includes a datapack-based drop system. Modpack authors and datapack creators can change what an embedded arrow drops when its target is killed. When no datapack entry applies, the mod falls back to the original arrow item. A config option turns the datapack system off, so drops always use the default fallback. The mod suits hardcore and survival modpacks where arrows are expensive or limited. Client and server both need it, so the server and every player must run it. The code is under the MIT License and is not open source.
Key features
Arrows stay with their target
An arrow that hits a mob remains visibly stuck in its body until the mob dies or the arrow is removed.
Arrows return after a kill
When the mob dies, the arrow is dropped into the world so the player can pick it up and use it again.
Shears remove arrows
Using shears on a mob removes its arrows without killing it, and arrows can also come out of mobs and players over time.
Configurable drops
Arrows sometimes break into their ingredients, and the drop behavior is set in the config file or by datapacks.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Who it’s for: Modpack authors and datapack creators who want to control arrow drops, and survival players who rely on bows.
How it compares
Yank It Out is a Forge-only mod for 1.16.5 – 1.20.1 that is open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only and shares the client and server environment. Every Mob Drops runs on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt for 1.20 – 26.3, and only the server needs it, while clients may leave it out. Saddle Arrows is open source under the MIT License for 1.20.5 – 1.21.11, also server-side required with optional clients.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recycling Arrow | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 26.1.2 | Client and server | 2026-07-26 |
| Yank It Out | Forge | 1.16.5 – 1.20.1 | Client and server | 2023-10-15 |
| Every Mob Drops | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.20 – 26.3 | Server required, client optional | 2025-11-13 |
| Saddle Arrows | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.20.5 – 1.21.11 | Server required, client optional | 2026-01-02 |
Questions
Does Recycling Arrow need to be installed on the server?
Which loaders does Recycling Arrow support?
How can a datapack change what an arrow drops?
In the catalog
Recycling Arrow is one of 19,031 Adventure mods on ModsFinder, and one of 10,478 Adventure mods for Forge. 15,189 mods support Minecraft 26.1.2.
More from vomiter
Similar mods
What the author says
Did you know that real-world hunters often recover arrows from their prey and reuse them? Recycling Arrows brings that idea into Minecraft.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/recycling-arrow
- Owner
- vomiter
- Published
- 2026-03-30
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-07-26
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15