How to Get and Change Cape in Minecraft

Thanks to the massive Minecraft community, standing out in the crowd can be a challenging task. Some players resort to using the best 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.

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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 with cool 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 item Elytra, 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.

How to Get Capes in Minecraft Bedrock

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 in sandbox games like Minecraft. Most of them are paid or time-bound, but there are many free ways to get capes as well. Let’s go over each of these methods.

1. Official Events

If you have been part of the Minecraft community for a long time, you must have heard of Minecon. It’s a popular annual event where Minecraft players come together to celebrate the game. Not to forget, it’s also one of the sources to get free capes. Before the 2017 Minecon, all Minecons were offline events and provided capes to the ticketed audience.

Since then, the event is only being livestreamed, and capes have become a rarity. One of the recent popular capes is from Minecon Live 2019. It was given to all Minecraft Bedrock players whether they were a part of the event or not.

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 newest Twitch cape, TikTok cape and the creeper cape.

2. Skin Packs

The next option is open to all Bedrock players. The official Minecraft marketplace brings free and paid additions to the game. Among them are various Minecraft skin packs. Not all, but many such skin packs come with capes in 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 this link.

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 even Minecraft Discord servers can be a good source of skin packs with capes. You can then import these packs into the game.

3. Contribute to Minecraft

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.

4. Get Animated Capes

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 by downloading 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.

How to Get Capes in Minecraft Java

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

1. How to Get Capes in Java Edition

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.

2. Official Events

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 the Minecraft 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.

3. Use Popular Cape Mods

Finally, the most popular option to get capes is using some of the best mods. You could install 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 have Optifine 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 the best 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.

How to Change Your Minecraft Cape

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

Change Cape on Minecraft Bedrock

• First, load up Minecraft and enter Dressing Room on the main menu.
• Then, click on the Edit Character button to customize your character.
• Select Capes on the left side bar and then choose the cape you want to wear.
• Finally, click on the Equip button at the bottom to equip the desired cape.

Change Cape on Minecraft Java

• Java players have two options for changing their character’s skin. First requires you to visit the Minecraft website and log in using the Microsoft account.
• Now, access your Profile page via the button in the top right corner and click on Change Skin button below the Java Minecraft version.

• Scroll all the way down and click on the cape that you want to wear.

• The second method utilizes the Minecraft Launcher. So, open the app and click on Java edition on the left.
• Then, select Skins at the top and hover over the custom skin you have. Now, click on the three dots button and then on the Edit button.
• Now simply select the cape you want and click on the Save and Use button to equip it.

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 the best Minecraft modpacks can give your character some real benefits. Now, before you leave, do tell us which method you prefer to use to get a cape.