Swing Animation
by anomalith
Swing Animation replaces the default arm swing of the player on Fabric with a smoother, more dynamic motion, and lets each hand item use its own swing.
What it does
Swing Animation overhauls the player's swing animation, the arm motion shown when attacking or using an item. The default swing is swapped for a motion the mod describes as smoother and more dynamic, and the change is visible to the player holding the item.
Hand items can carry custom swing animations, so a weapon or tool may move differently from a block or an empty hand. Settings are changed through an in-game configuration screen, opened with the Right Shift key, instead of editing files by hand. The mod is built for Minecraft 1.21.4 and 1.21.8 and later builds, and the files cover 1.21.4 – 1.21.11.
The mod is Fabric-only and is released under the MIT License, which is not open source. Only the client needs it: players install it, and servers do not.
Key features
Smoother swing motion
The default arm swing is replaced with a motion the author describes as smoother and more dynamic.
Per-item swing animations
Hand items can use custom swing animations, so different held items move the arm in different ways.
In-game settings screen
Options are adjusted in a graphical screen, with no need to edit configuration files.
Right Shift shortcut
The settings screen opens with the Right Shift key, so it is quick to reach during play.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Tuning the swing feel
A player who wants a different attack motion can open the settings screen and adjust the animation to taste.
Pairing with weapon mods
Players using a weapon pack can give specific held items their own swing, so combat looks distinct from tool use.
Who it’s for: Players on Fabric who want a different arm swing while playing single-player or on a multiplayer server. Servers do not need it.
How it compares
Ancient Animations is a client-side only option released under the CC0 1.0 Universal license, which is open source, and its files cover 1.21.11 only. HandSwing Toggle is also client-side only and under the MIT License, which is not open source, with files for 1.21.8 – 1.21.11, so it adds a switch rather than a replacement motion. NoItemUpdate is open source under the MIT License and covers 1.21.11 alone.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swing Animation | Fabric | 1.21.4 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-06-08 |
| Ancient Animations | Fabric | 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-04-26 |
| HandSwing Toggle | Fabric | 1.21.8 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-06-09 |
| NoItemUpdate | Fabric | 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-01-26 |
Questions
Does Swing Animation need to be installed on the server?
Which game versions does Swing Animation support?
Does Swing Animation require another mod?
In the catalog
Swing Animation is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 19,862 mods support Minecraft 1.21.11.
More from anomalith
Similar mods
What the author says
A Fabric mod that replaces the default Minecraft swing animation with a smoother, more dynamic one.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/swinganimation
- Owner
- anomalith
- Published
- 2026-03-06
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-06-08
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15