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Fixing a Totem That Isn't Animating After Installing the Pack

Contents (3)
  1. Check Pack Order First
  2. Verify the Animation Actually Exists
  3. Rule Out Other Causes

Check Pack Order First

The most common cause of a static totem is pack priority. In Options → Resource Packs, packs higher in the Selected list override those below. If you run multiple packs that touch item textures, move the Animated Totem pack above them. A single conflicting pack that also retextures the totem will win and hide the animation.

Verify the Animation Actually Exists

Not every totem texture in a pack is animated. Open the pack zip and look inside assets/minecraft/textures/item/. The totem file should be a .png with a .mcmeta companion file next to it describing the frame layout. If the .mcmeta is missing, the game treats the texture as a single static image, no matter how many frames the PNG contains.

Rule Out Other Causes

Some performance or optimization mods strip animated textures to save memory. If you use such a mod, check its config for an option that disables animated item textures and turn it off. Also confirm you are looking at the totem in a context where the game renders it — the hotbar icon, inventory slot, and held item all use the same texture, so if one animates they all should. If none do, the pack is not loaded at all; re-enable it and restart the game.

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