Minecraft now has so many animals, enemies, and entities that it can be hard to keep track of. If you're looking to build a wildlife sanctuary or just seeking some of the rarer mobs, you may want to know all of the animals, monsters, and other mobs in the game. Some of these can be tamed, bred, or even ridden, while others drop valuable loot when killed. Most mobs are also affected by the game's mechanics in the same way that you are--meaning they can be killed, drowned, or even catch fire. Here's the full list of the survival game's mobs.
The Minecraft Allay was added during The Wild Update and resembles a small, blue, fairy-like creature. You can find the Allay in Pillager Outpost cages or Woodland Mansion cages. Break the cage to set the Allay free, and it will become loyal as a thank-you for saving it from imprisonment. Give it an item to carry, and it will follow you, meaning leading it back to your base is simple. It'll also go and seek more of the same item, bringing it back to you.
After an Ally becomes loyal to you, you cannot harm them even accidentally, but they can lose health if it's attacked by another mob. If that happens, it can regenerate its own health. Breeding an Allay is different from most other mobs in the game, too, as they can self-duplicate without the need for a partner. To do this, use an amethyst shard on an Allay while it's dancing to jukebox music.
Minecraft armadillo
The armadillo was added to Minecraft in April 2024 as part of the Minecraft Live mob vote. It can be found in groups of two or three in the Savanna and Badlands biomes. Approaching it quickly will cause it to curl up scared, so sneak towards it if you want to get near. Spiders are afraid of armadillos, so having some at your base should keep the arachnids at bay. While you cannot tame an armadillo, it can be bred using spider eyes. Armadillos periodically drop scutes, or you can harvest scutes by using a brush on them. Scutes can be used to craft wolf armor, making them a valuable item. It takes six scutes to make wolf armor.
Different colored axolotl
Minecraft axolotls can only be found in Lush Caves. While not technically a biome, they are huge openings in deep caves. We've found more luck in finding these under jungle biomes thanks to the humidity. Look for an Azalea tree above ground to signal that a Lush Cave could be below. Axolotls spawn within five blocks of clay, so keep an eye out for them when seeking them out. You can collect an axolotl in a bucket before creating an enclosed habitat for them to live in at your base. As they can't be tamed, if the axolotl is set free near your base, it will swim away. They need to live in water at least two blocks deep, and can be bred using buckets of tropical fish. There are multiple colors of axolotl in the game, including leucitic, wild, gold, cyan, and the rarest one--blue. Blue axolotls can't be found in the wild and must be bred. Axolotls will attack aquatic creatures with the exception of frogs, turtles, dolphins, and each other.
Minecraft bats
Bats can spawn in groups of eight in dark areas anywhere below block layer 63. They don't drop any items or experience points upon death, so the only reason for killing them is if you keep getting jump scared by their screeching and swooping when you're trying to avoid hostile mobs in caves. When idle, they can be spotted hanging upside down from solid blocks, but if you approach, they'll fly away. The same happens if the block they're hanging from is broken. They can't be tamed, bred, or interacted with in any way. They simply just exist. Good for them.
Minecraft bees in a flower forest
The Minecraft bee is responsible for the production of honey, making it a valuable mob to interact with. We've got more information in our dedicated Minecraft bee guide. Bees will generally keep to themselves unless you provoke them or their hives, and just like in real life, they'll die if they sting you. You'll want to keep a campfire on hand if you're going to try harvesting honey from their hives too, as this keeps them calm.
Riding a camel through the desert.
Camels, while fairly rare, can be found in deserts and desert villages, and can be ridden by up to two players at the same time. Camels do not respawn if they're killed, so if you see one, you'll want to quickly saddle it. Finding two and feeding them cacti will cause them to breed, and considering their rarity, this is highly recommended. Camels also have an extra inventory slot, where you can store the saddle. Camels can spring, and saddled camels can dash and charge. You'll see an additional dash charge bar which fills as the camel is being ridden, and using the jump button executes the dash. As camels are tall, while riding one, you cannot be reached by zombies, vindicators, hoglins, silverfish, endermites, and piglins. Most hostile mobs will never attack a camel, so riding one at night is a straightforward way to stay safe.
A black cat lying on a bed
The most useful way to employ a Minecraft cat is to ward off Creepers and Phantoms, who are terrified of them. You can find cats in villages or swamp huts, and they can be tamed using raw cod or raw salmon. There is a high chance that a cat will bring you a gift in the morning if it has not been commanded to sit, and if you slept in a bed at night and not during a thunderstorm. You can find out more in our dedicated Minecraft cats guide.
Minecraft chicken
The chicken spawns naturally in most overworld biomes in Minecraft, and you can usually tell one is nearby since they lay eggs that can be collected. They also cluck pretty annoyingly, but that's another matter. Killing a chicken will drop feathers and raw chicken meat. Their eggs can be thrown to the ground and have a small chance of spawning another chicken. To tame and breed chickens, you can use any type of seed. Chickens are one of the only mobs that don't take fall damage. Chickens have three variants--temperate, cold, and warm, exclusive to specific biomes.
Minecraft Cod
This passive aquatic mob looks like the real-life fish of the same name. You can find it swimming in ocean biomes, and they are more prominent in cold or lukewarm areas. When killed they drop raw cod which can be used to tame cats, or cooked for food. You can catch them with a fishing rod or in a bucket, as a bucket of cod, meaning you can move them from the ocean to any in-game aquariums or fish tanks you may have built. Cod can't be tamed or bred.
Minecraft cow variants
The Minecraft cow comes in three variants--temperate, cold, and warm, exclusive to specific biomes. Cows drop raw beef, which can be cooked into steak, a high-value food especially in the early game. They also occasionally drop leather, which is needed to craft books and item frames, among other Minecraft crafting recipes. If you use a bucket on a cow, they can be milked indefinitely. Given milk removes status effects such as poison, this is very helpful. Use wheat to tame and breed cows.
Minecraft dolphins can lead you to treasure
Dolphins are useful in Minecraft since they have the ability to guide you to high-value loot and areas. It spawns in the ocean, unless it's frozen, and swimming near a dolphin will give you the Dolphin's Grace effect, greatly increasing your swimming speed. If you feed a dolphin raw cod or salmon, it will swim towards the nearest buried treasure or ocean ruins. Dolphins can leap out of the water, mirroring their real-life counterparts, and dropping an item into the ocean near a dolphin triggers it to chase after it.
They cannot be tamed or bred, and need water to survive, so trapping them on land will cause them to die. However, building an underwater tunnel to guide them into an enclosed underwater space at your base? Totally allowed, and even encouraged (by me). Try sailing a boat near dolphins and watch how they interact with it.
Tie a Minecraft donkey to a post using a lead
Donkeys behave much like horses, but with one important exception--they can carry items. They spawn in plains or savanna biomes, and can be ridden once tamed. Taming a donkey involves repeatedly mounting it until it accepts you. Donkeys can also be equipped with chests, giving them up to 15 more inventory slots, and making them useful for across-map travel with important valuables. While they can wear saddles, they cannot have horse armor applied. Donkeys can be bred with golden apples or golden carrots, and breeding one with a horse will produce a mule.
Minecraft foxes sleeping under a tree
The fox is one of the most adorable mobs in Minecraft. It usually spawns in the taiga biomes in small groups, and they can be red or white, depending on the biome type. They are very anxious and will flee from you unless you're sneaking when approaching. Foxes can carry items in their mouth, including weapons and food, which they may use or eat. To breed foxes, you'll need to use sweet berries, and if a baby is born from two player-bred foxes, it will trust you and not run away. At night, foxes will hunt chickens, rabbits, and small mobs, and will attack mobs that are holding food.
Three cold-variant frogs
I wish frogs were more easily found in Minecraft. They will only spawn in swamp or mangrove swamp biomes, although they do come in three color variants-- temperate, warm, and cold. Frogs can jump exceptionally high, and they eat slimes and magma cubes. When a frog eats a slime it will drop a slimeball, and if it eats a magma cube it creates a froglight. This decorative block matches the color variant of the frog that created it. Frogs are tamed and bred using slimeballs. Instead of laying eggs, they create frogspawn, which hatches into tadpoles, eventually evolving into frogs.
A Minecraft goat observes the land from high up
Goats are found in mountain biomes, usually at some obscure angle up the side of a cliff, bleating that they can't get back down. Goats can jump up to ten blocks high, and when they feel threatened, they'll charge and knock back players or other mobs. If a goat rams into a solid block, it has a small chance to drop a goat horn, which can be used to play different sounds. The unofficial screaming goat mob is thought to bleat more aggressively and ram harder than its counterpart. Goats can be bred using wheat, and don't drop meat or leather upon death.
The glow squid is easily seen in dark waters
Glow Squids, much like their duller counterparts, are a passive aquatic mob. They spawn in dark underwater areas, but their subtle glow means they're easily spotted. When killed, they drop glow ink sacs, which can be used to craft glow item frames. The items inside these stand out in the dark. Combining glow ink sacs with dye means you can make the text on your signs glow, too. Glow squids do not shoot ink, and they don't flee from you when you're nearby.
Ghasts wearing harnesses
The passive alternative to the hostile mob is the Minecraft Happy Ghast. While we've got a dedicated guide on how to find, tame, and ride them, the most important thing you need to know is that they look adorable wearing their harness. They can carry items from one place to another in a hot air balloon-style contraption, and you can ride on them with up to three friends. They'll also stay still when a player is standing on their back, meaning construction high in the air is easier than it's ever been.
A player rides a horse in diamond armor
Horses spawn in plains or savanna biomes, and they can be tamed, ridden, and bred. To tame a horse, you just need to repeatedly attempt to mount it until it accepts you. They have a huge variety of colors, and they're not exclusive to specific biomes unlike other mob variants. They can wear horse armor, providing additional protection. Use golden apples or golden carrots to breed horses. Their offspring will inherit specific traits from their parents, such as movement speed or health. Horses drop leather, occasionally saddles, and occasionally horse armor when killed. Breeding a horse and a donkey will create a mule that can carry chests.
Iron Golem protecting his villagers
Iron Golems are found in Minecraft villages, and they're a passive mob ... until they're not. The Iron Golem serves as a protector of the village and can be crafted to protect your own base, too. They are useful defense mechanisms during raids or hostile mob attacks, as they have a high health pool and strong attacks. When killed, they drop iron ingots and sometimes a flower, if they were created in a village. To craft an Iron Golem in Minecraft, lay four iron blocks in a T-shape with a pumpkin on top, where the head would be.
A llama gets attacked by bees
Llamas are native to the mountain and savanna biomes, but you may be more familiar with them as they're the Wandering Merchant's pet of choice. Llamas can carry items in their chests, granting up to 15 more inventory slots on the move. Llamas can be combined to make a caravan, which allows you to control all llamas at once. When tamed, which is done by attempting to mount them multiple times like a horse, they can be ridden. When provoked, llamas will spit to attack. You'll need to tame two llamas and then feed them both hay bales in order to breed them. Like horses, baby llamas will inherit traits from their parents, such as strength or speed.
Mooshrooms gather near a lake
The Mooshroom is a very special type of cow, exclusively found in the mushroom islands. This rare biome can be spotted due to the mushroom-shaped trees. Mooshrooms resemble red and white cows with mushrooms growing on their backs in their most striking form, but you can find brown Mooshrooms, too! They can be milked, and mushroom stew can be produced in this way. Mooshrooms can be bred using wheat to create baby Mooshrooms. When struck by lightning, the Mooshroom may transform into a normal cow, and vice versa. If a Mooshroom is fed mushroom stew, it will consume the stew but return it to your inventory. Mooshrooms are a fantastic food source thanks to their infinite mushroom stew capabilities, but the rarity of the biome means it's difficult to track them down for most players.
A mule is created by breeding a horse with a donkey
The mule is a hybrid that occurs when a horse and a donkey are bred together. The mule will inherit the donkey's ability to carry items in a chest, but will be faster than a donkey. Mules cannot be bred together, so to get more of them, you must breed more horses with donkeys. Mules need a saddle to be ridden. As mules are player-created and don't spawn in the wild, they will automatically be tamed to you upon birth.
An ocelot hunting a chicken
Ocelots are not to be mistaken for cats. They're smaller and only spawn in jungles. Like cats and foxes, they will flee when approached unless you're sneaking. Ocelots cannot be tamed, but you can earn their trust by feeding them raw cod or salmon. In Bedrock, they're passive, but in Java, they'll be hostile. Using raw cod will reduce their hostility towards you and reduce the likelihood of them fleeing. Ocelots are immune to fall damage, and Creepers and Phantoms are also afraid of them. You can breed ocelots with raw cod and salmon, creating an ocelot kitten, which moves faster.
Two pandas eating bamboo
Pandas will naturally spawn in bamboo jungles, and they're incredibly adorable. There are variants, but rather than changing their color, their nature will change. You can get normal, lazy, playful, worried, and aggressive pandas. The only color variant is the brown panda. These personalities will change the way the pandas behave. Using bamboo will tame and breed pandas, with their babies inheriting traits from each parent. Sometimes, when a panda sneezes, a baby panda is born. Pandas drop bamboo when killed.
Many parrots in the jungle
Minecraft parrots' most endearing trait is their love of dancing. Put a CD in a jukebox with a parrot nearby and watch it boogie! Parrots spawn naturally in jungle biomes and come in different color variants. When tamed, a parrot will sit on your shoulder. They can be tamed and bred using any seeds. Parrots can also mimic the sound of other mobs, such as creepers or zombies. They tend to mimic these mobs when there's a threat nearby, so they can provide early detection if you choose to listen to them.
Pigs are often used to farm for food, as they drop raw pork when killed, which can be cooked in a furnace to turn it into a pork chop for high nutritional value. They spawn in most overworld biomes, and now have three different variants depending on the biome they spawn in. Pigs can be ridden using a saddle, but they're not as fast as horses, so they're not often used in this way. You can use a carrot on a stick to decide the pig's movement direction. Using carrots or potatoes will tame and breed pigs.
Polar Bears are neutral to begin with and spawn in snowy biomes. It's common to see an adult polar bear with its cub, and this is where you need to be cautious. Adult polar bears become hostile fast if a player approaches or attacks their cub, as they're very protective. Their melee attacks can deal a reasonable amount of damage, too, so an angry mama polar bear is definitely one to avoid. When killed, they drop raw cod or salmon. They cannot be tamed or bred.
An inflated pufferfish
Pufferfish can be found in warm oceans and are more common near coral reefs. These small, spiky mobs inflate whenever someone gets too close, causing poison damage and knockback. They can appear small, medium, and fully puffed, and with each stage of inflation, the damage they deal increases. Pufferfish drop raw pufferfish when killed. You can eat it, but it causes poison and hunger. Instead, try using pufferfish in potions such as the water-breathing potion. You can collect pufferfish in a water bucket to transport them to your base for an aquarium or fish tank. While pufferfish don't actively attack other mobs, they can 'accidentally' poison them by inflating near them.
Lots of Minecraft rabbits
Rabbits spawn in many biomes, but we've most commonly seen them in flower forests and taigas. They hop around quickly, and come in many colors. You can breed rabbits using carrots, golden carrots, or dandelions to produce baby rabbits. When killed, they drop raw rabbit, which can be cooked, rabbit hide, and sometimes a rabbit's foot. The rabbit's foot is essential for some potions, so these cute little mobs often find themselves the victim of player hunting.
A small school of salmon
The Minecraft salmon is similar to the cod in almost every way. It spawns in rivers and oceans, and usually appears in a small group, mimicking real life. When killed, they drop raw salmon, which can be cooked and eaten. If the salmon is killed when on fire or using a flame-enchanted weapon, it will drop cooked salmon. They can be caught with fishing rods or alive in water buckets to transport to aquariums or fish tanks.
Multicolored sheep
The Minecraft sheep might be one of the first mobs you actively hunt, since their wool is needed to craft a bed to sleep through the night. Sheep have three variants, dependent on the biome they spawn in. You can use shears on sheep to maximise the wool output, and sheep shearing farms are one of the many Minecraft builds some players opt for. You use wheat to tame and breed sheep. The offspring will inherit the color of the parent sheep, or a mix if the sheep have been dyed. Using a dye on a white sheep will change its color. When killed, sheep will drop raw mutto,n which can be cooked and eaten.
Steve and a Sniffer
The sniffer is one of the lesser-known mobs in the game. It's an ancient mob that was introduced following the Minecraft Live vote. Sniffers do not spawn naturally; instead, they are hatched from sniffer eggs. These can be found in suspicious sand at any warm ocean ruins, where you may have sought the help of a dolphin to locate them. Sniffers cannot be bred traditionally and must instead be given torchflower seeds. It sniffs out and finds torchflower seeds or pitcher pods. It can repeat this process every eight minutes, and will not actively dig any of the last 20 blocks that it already explored.
A squid in a cave
These passive aquatic mobs spawn in rivers and oceans in the overworld. They swim in water and don't attack other mobs. If approached by a player, they may panic and squirt ink before trying to escape. They drop ink sacs when killed, which are vital for creating black dye and the book and quill. Squids can't be tamed or bred, but they may come in useful for a dye farm setup or to add to your base's aquarium.
A family of Striders on a lava lake
The Strider is the only passive mob that spawns in the Nether. It's usually found on lava lakes. You can ride them, but be careful of the lava while you're attempting to reach them. They will not take damage from walking on lava, meaning you can safely adventure in the Nether aboard one. They prefer it in the lava--if you observe one on the land, you might notice it's shivering, meaning it's cold. To ride a Strider, you'll need to get a saddle on it, and control it using a warped fungus on a stick. Striders can also be bred using warped fungus. Using a lead, you can bring a Strider into the overworld, but they should be kept dry and warm. Definitely don't take them near any snow.
Tropical fish in promotional artwork
Tropical fish in Minecraft spawn in the ocean, specifically the warm ocean, and they're more common near coral reefs. There are almost 3,000 variants of tropical fish available, mostly referring to their color combinations, but also their pattern and body shapes. You can collect tropical fish alive in a bucket, meaning you can build a truly ambitious aquarium full of tropical fish if you have enough buckets available. When killed, they drop raw tropical fish, which are used to tame axolotls. Their nutritional value is so low that they're not worth cooking or eating.
A baby turtle sits atop its parent's head
Turtles usually spawn on the sand near warm ocean, but have been known to spawn on any sand. They are incredibly slow on land, but can swim quickly. After being bred with seagrass, turtles return to the beach where they hatched in order to lay their own eggs. You can collect these eggs and move them to your own beach, as the turtles will remain here after they have hatched. Turtle eggs take a notoriously long time to hatch, and they can be trampled by players or other mobs, so make sure to keep them nice and safe.
A Villager farming
Villagers are a specific type of passive mob that only spawn in a village. They are humanoids and have the ability to trade with players. They also have distinct professions that determine which goods or services they can offer-- blacksmiths, librarians, farmers, and more all offer valuable items that can be traded for emeralds. Villagers are bred using bread, carrots, potatoes, or beetroot, to create a baby villager. There must be enough beds in the village for this to happen. Villagers also level up through trading, meaning they will offer better items and enchantments. If you've ever witnessed a raid on a village, you'll know that Villagers are terrible at fighting and will run away instead.
A player offers a milk bucket to the Wandering Trader
The Wandering Trader will occasionally appear across the map accompanied by two llamas. He offers various goods in exchange for emeralds, and will often bring items you don't yet have. His items are randomized, and there's no way to influence the items or offers that he has from day to day. Traders, unlike Villagers, cannot be bred or employed. If you don't interact, the Wandering Trader will just leave your vicinity in peace. However, if you attack him, both he and his llamas will try to attack in return.
The wolf is often referred to as the dog in Minecraft since it mimics real-life canines. They spawn in forests, taigas, and snowy biomes, and are typically found in packs. Take a good stack of bones with you, as feeding them a few will tame them and cause them to follow you. You can also command them to sit or stand, or attack mobs. Wolves will defend you even when not commanded to, making them a great traveling companion in a single-player survival game. You can also breed wolves with bones. You can heal your wolf by feeding it cooked meat. You can easily tell your wolf's health status by the position of its tail--if it's lifted high, your wolf is feeling well, but if it's drooping down between its legs, it probably needs some meat pretty quickly.
While there are plenty of passive mobs to invite to your base, whether that's for food, practicality, function, or you just think they're cute, there are also plenty of hostile mobs who are just waiting for the sun to set so they can ruin your day.
A triggered Blaze prepares to attack
The Blaze can be found in Nether fortresses, and drops Blaze Rods upon death. It's the only source of Blaze Rods, which are essential for getting to The End and completing the game, so you'll have to encounter them at some point if that's your goal. They spit fireballs from range, or if you get too close they will spin and attack with their rods. Blazes are immune to fire or lava damage, and they can also fly to get a good view of their prey. The most effective way to deal with a Blaze is to throw snowballs at it, or push it into powder snow. They will target and attack you if you're within 48 blocks of them, and it will alert other Blazes in the area if it is attacked by you.
A Bogged waits under a tree
Bogged spawn in the swamp biomes, but can also appear in Trial Chambers. They may drop bones, arrows, poison arrows, or damaged bows upon death. They act similarly to skeletons, and shoot poison arrows at nearby players. They are very slow to reload their bows compared to skeletons though, so you have time to get attacks in if you find yourself face-to-face with one. They have less health than a skeleton too, so they don't pose much of a threat.
The Breeze attacks in a Trial Chamber
The Breeze behaves in a similar way to the Blaze, but it is found in Trial Chambers only. It hovers in the air and sends wind charges flying towards you. It drops Breeze Rods upon death, which can be crafted into Wind Charges and Maces. They are guaranteed to drop Breeze Rods, but only if the death counts as player-inflicted, meaning you can't drop heavy items on them to kill them. They are immune to projectile damage, and even able to repel incoming projectiles back at you, so put that bow away.
A Creaking looms over a player
The Creaking spawns in the Pale Garden biome from a Creaking Heart. The Creaking Heart must be activated either at night or during a thunderstorm. Looking at the Creaking within 12 blocks will alert it, if there is no player within that radius then it will return to its idle state. If looking at a Creaking, it is unable to attack you unless you're wearing a carved pumpkin on your head. If you're not looking at it, it will move towards you to attack. If the Creaking is spawned from a Creaking Heart it cannot take any damage, but a trail of orange particles will appear between it and its heart. Resin clumps will also ooze from nearby Pale Oak logs. Destroying the Creaking Heart will cause the Creaking to disintegrate. Illagers are scared of Creakings and will run from them. Creakings are immune to fire, lava, Warden, Zoglin, and Wither damage.
A charged Creeper next to a regular one
I've lost count of the amount of times I've screamed and sworn at a Creeper that snuck up on me. They don't earn their name for nothing. These silent mobs will sneak up to you on sight before hissing and exploding, causing you damage and destroying or dismantling any blocks or mobs nearby. Creepers can be struck by lightning, causing them to become Charged Creepers, which explode with more violence. It also allows for nearby Piglin, Zombie, Skeleton, and Creeper heads to be collected if they die as a result of that explosion. The only overworld biomes a Creeper will not spawn in are Mushroom Fields and Deep Dark.
A Drowned on the ocean floor
The Drowned is the underwater version of the Zombie, and spawns in oceans, rivers, and dripstone caves, or can be formed if a regular Zombie drowns. They swim through the water towards you and use melee attacks, although some Drowned have a trident which can be thrown long distances. This is the only way to get a trident for yourself though, so if you hear that ominous 'ding' noise and you're wanting one for yourself, it may be best to fight the natural instinct to run. They may also be holding a fishing rod or a nautilus shell. It's also possible for them to spawn riding a chicken, creating a Drowned chicken jockey. Husks can transform into a normal Zombie and then into a Drowned. Drowned never naturally spawn wearing any armor, but if they were a regular Zombie wearing armor that then transformed into a Drowned, it's possible to find an armored one. They drop rotten flesh upon death, and can also drop copper ingots. Drowned are the only source of renewable copper, meaning setting up a farm to turn Zombies into Drowned and then killing them is a good way to set up a copper farm.
Promotional art for the Ender Dragon
The Ender Dragon is a giant flying boss found in The End, and it's the largest naturally spawning enemy in the game. The Ender Dragon guards the entrance to the End gateways. Without beating the Ender Dragon, you cannot get to the outer End islands. Beating the Ender Dragon is considered the end of Minecraft, as the credits will roll as soon as you jump through the portal back to the Overworld after defeating it. After beating the Ender Dragon you can re-summon it by adding End Crystals to the exit portal. The Ender Dragon drops 12,000 XP and a Dragon Egg. The dragon is immune to status effects, but can take damage from explosions and players. Occasionally, it will shoot Dragon's Breath towards the land, which pools. Stepping in those pools, even when the Dragon has stopped firing, will damage you over time. You can use glass bottles to collect Dragon's Breath--useful for creating lingering potions. There's plenty more information on this boss mob in our Ender Dragon guide.
An Enderman holding Warped Nylium in the Nether
The Enderman is a tall mob found in the overworld, the Nether, and the End. Endermen will usually ignore players, but if you look into their eyes, they'll become hostile and attack. They can be harmed by water, so if you find yourself surrounded by them, especially when fighting the Ender Dragon, it's best to create a pool of water and stand in the middle of it. Sometimes they'll collect blocks. Killing Endermen will give you an Ender Pearl sometimes, making them vital to take down if you're trying to get to the End. Once an Enderman sets its sights on you, it will pursue you until it is killed or distracted by rain or fire. Ranged attacks are pointless on an Enderman, as instead of taking damage, it will teleport to safety.
Endermites emit purple particles similar to Endermen
While the Ender Dragon is the largest hostile mob, the Endermite is the smallest. It may spawn whenever you throw an Ender Pearl. They attack by biting, and Endermen are hostile towards them. They have a 5% chance of spawning and will spawn where the Ender Pearl lands. It will despawn within two minutes unless you name it with a name tag. They don't drop anything other than a small amount of experience points. Since Endermen become hostile towards them, you can use a name tag on an Endermite in the End to easily farm Endermen. It's important to create an area for the Endermite to exist that will attract Endermen, but where they cannot reach to kill them. Create a trap near to the Endermites for the Endermen to fall into.
An Evoker casts its fangs spell
The Evoker is a spell-casting Illager found in woodland mansions and raids, and killing it is the only way to get a Totem of Undying. It has two spells--one which summons armor-piercing fangs, and one which summons Vexes. They do not respawn once killed, making them rarer than most mobs. Evokers may be found riding a Ravager during a raid. They move quickly--at the same speed as your sprint, meaning they can cover a lot of ground when trying to attack. If an Evoker is not in combat, it can change the color of any sheep from blue to red, though no one really knows why they choose to do this.
Three Ghasts fly around the Nether
The Ghast is the original, hostile version of the Happy Ghast. It spawns in the Nether and can sometimes be heard crying before it attacks. It attacks by sending a series of projectile fireballs towards players, which knock them back. This means traversing narrow bridges in the Nether can be fatal if a Ghast spots you, as you can soon descend into the lava below from just one of their fireball attacks. When killed, they drop Ghast Tears, gunpowder, and experience points. If a Ghast is in close range, its own fireballs can kill it, although it is usually immune to fire or lava damage.
A Guardian attacks some Squid
Guardians look like underwater mines, with tails and orange spikes. They spawn in and around ocean monuments and use a laser beam to attack. Hitting them with a melee attack will also cause damage, much like thorns on the player. Guardians drop prismarine shards on death, and also have a chance of dropping raw cod or prismarine crystals. When swimming, the Guardian's spikes retract, making them more difficult to spot. They follow nearby players with their eyes, but using a potion of invisibility makes you immune to the,m and they will not try to attack.
Hoglins, Zoglins, and their baby forms in some stables
The Hoglin is found in the Nether and can drop porkchops and leather upon death. It is repelled by warped fungi, active Nether portals, and respawn anchors. They usually exist in herds of three or four in the Crimson Forest biome. If you come across bastion remnants in the Nether, it's likely you'll find stables that also house Hoglins. They'll attack any player, but wearing an item of gold armor prevents this. If a Hoglin is taken to the Overworld or the End, it will transform into a Zoglin after 15 seconds. It's the only hostile mob that can be bred, and you'll need to feed it Crimson Fungi to do this, although it will not tame the Hoglin.
A Husk spawns in the desert biomes
The Husk is a variant of the Zombie that spawns in the desert biome. They do not burn in sunlight, and when they attack unarmed, they can inflict hunger on you. Baby Husks can spawn as a chicken jockey in Java edition, but in Bedrock, the list of mobs they can ride is far longer, and includes ocelots, wolves, other zombies, horses, sheep, and more. Husks will seek out nearby turtle eggs to trample them. They drop rotten flesh on death, and have a chance of dropping an iron ingot, carrot, or potato.
The size difference between a player and a Magma Cube
The Magma Cube is found in the Nether and behaves in a similar way to a Slime. It is fireproof, and it jumps higher and deals more damage than a Slime. Magma Cubes drop Magma Cream and experience points when killed. When a Magma Cube finds you within 16 blocks, it will leap towards you. They can jump forward twice as fast as any other mobs. When you kill a Magma Cube, it will split into smaller Magma Cubes, which also need to be killed. They cause damage just by touching you, and can cause up to 12 damage per second on normal difficulty, making them one of the most dangerous mobs to get pursued by.
Minecraft Phantoms spawn in the air
Phantoms are flying undead mobs that spawn if you have not slept for three or more in-game days. They spawn in the sky, screech, and dive down to attack by biting. Usually they spawn in groups of three, although fewer have been seen. They only spawn at night or during thunderstorms and will burn when the sun comes out again. The more nights you avoid sleep, the more phantoms will spawn each night. They can drop Phantom Membranes when killed. The only mob they're afraid of is cats, which will hiss at them.
A Piglin stands with a Hoglin in the Crimson Forest
Piglins and Piglin Brutes spawn in the Nether. Piglin Brutes appear in bastion remnants and do not barter like Piglins do. They also cannot be distracted by gold. Wearing gold armor or offering gold to a regular Piglin will stop them from attacking you, and can open the bartering interface, where Piglins can offer rare materials in exchange for gold ingots. The Piglin Brute holds a golden axe and will charge at you to attack. If a Piglin spots you holding a gold item, it will snort with jealousy. Piglins are afraid of zombified piglins, zoglins, and soul fire, torches, lanterns, and campfires. If it sees any of these, it will scream and run away. You might see up to three baby Piglins riding a baby Hoglin--weird, but cute. Mining gold in the Nether in sight of a Piglin will cause all of them nearby to turn hostile and attack you, even if you're wearing gold armor. Like a Hoglin, if a Piglin finds itself in the overworld or the Nether, it will be zombified.
We've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty.
Pillagers can be found in wandering patrols, at pillager outposts, or during raids. They have crossbows and attack with projectile arrows. Patrols happen after 5.5 in-game days, at any time, and anywhere. They spawn 24-48 blocks away from a random player, on the highest solid block. They continuously spawn in pillager outposts, and may spawn as captains. On death, they may drop a crossbow, an ominous banner, or an ominous bottle. Drinking a Bad Omen potion gives a status effect that lasts for 100 minutes, but it can be removed by drinking milk. If you have the Bad Omen effect and enter a village, a raid will be triggered.
Multiple hostile mobs and a Ravager attack a desert village in a raid
A Ravager is a large, hostile mob that will only spawn alongside Illagers in raids. They attack villagers, wandering traders, iron golems, and players by running at them and biting them. You can block their charge with a shield, which will briefly stun them, but when they recover from being stunned, they will roar and damage and knock back everything nearby. Ravagers will never spawn earlier than the third wave in a raid, but sometimes they can be ridden. Killing a Ravager can drop a saddle and experience points--the most experience points from all non-boss mobs, actually, at 20.
A Shulker fires a tracking projectile
A Shulker may look like a fairly harmless box, but this mob is just hiding in its shell to blend in with the surroundings. The Shulker is found in End cities and attacks by firing tracking projectiles at players, which then inflict levitation. A Shulker may spawn a new one of the same color if it's hit with a Shulker bullet. When the Shulker gets hit and has half of its health remaining, it has a one in four chance to try and teleport without spawning a new Shulker. There's a 50% chance of a Shulker dropping a Shulker Shell upon death. This is the only way to get Shulker Shells, which are used to craft Shulker Boxes.
A horde of Silverfish
These tiny mobs are potentially the most annoying in the game due to their tiny hitboxes. They're very hard to aim at and kill, and move very fast around your feet, biting to attack. They infest stone and deepslate blocks in mountains, strongholds, igloo basements, and woodland mansions. Attacking a silverfish causes more silverfish nearby to emerge from the block they've infested to attack. You're usually likely to find Silverfish in the end portal room of a stronghold on your way to the End. They don't drop anything other than experience points, can't be tamed or bred, and generally only exist to be an annoyance, in my experience. It's possible to find yourself surrounded by hundreds of them very quickly.
Skeletons can spawn in the Nether
Skeletons are one of the more common hostile mobs. They spawn at night or in areas with low light, and they use a bow and arrow to shoot from range. The only biomes they don't spawn in are the mushroom fields or the deep dark, but they can spawn in groups of up to four. It's possible for a skeleton to spawn riding a spider. Four skeleton horsemen will spawn when a skeleton horse trap is triggered, usually during a thunderstorm. The skeletons ride skeleton horses and usually have enchanted bows and iron helmets. They do spawn in the soul sand biomes of the Nether, although far less often than they spawn in the overworld. When they're killed, skeletons can drop bones, arrows, any naturally spawned equipment or bows, and experience. If a charged Creeper kills a skeleton, it may also drop its skull. They will chase players, baby turtles, and iron golems. They can climb stairs or ladders, but they'll burn when the sun comes up.
Slimes of various sizes
Slimes are bouncy, cube-shaped mobs that behave similarly to the Magma Cube, although they don't jump as high or as far. They spawn deep underground in swamp biomes, or in specific 'slime chunks,' and attack by jumping at you. Larger Slimes split into smaller ones when they die, and they come in three sizes. They spawn most often during a full moon and never during a new moon. A slime chunk is determined in the game's code by combining its coordinates with the world's seed. A random number between 0 and 9 is generated, and if the number is 0 the chunk can spawn slimes. If a Slime is killed by a frog it will always drop one slimeball. If it's killed by you, it will drop between 0 and 2 slimeballs. They also drop experience points relative to their size--4 for large, 2 for medium, and 1 for small. Due to the way a Slime splits when it's killed, it's possible to get up to 28 experience from one large Slime and all of the subsequent smaller Slimes that split from it.
Promotional artwork for the Stray
A Stray is a skeleton variant that spawns in some snow-covered biomes. They fire tipped arrows of slowness from their bows, but otherwise behave very similarly to skeletons. You may find them in snowy plains, ice spikes, or frozen rivers. You can create a Stray by trapping a normal skeleton inside powder snow. After seven seconds, it will begin to shake, and after a further fifteen seconds, it will become a Stray. Even if the skeleton had minimal health left, when transformed into a Stray, it will regain full health. Upon death, a Stray can drop bones, arrows, arrows of slowness, or equipment.
An Evoker summoning Vexes
Another tiny, annoying mob. The Vex is small, it can fly, it has an iron sword, and it can phase through walls. It's summoned as one of the Evoker's attacks and never naturally spawns. When the Evoker does its spell to summon Vexes, three will appear near it. It can continually spawn more Vex, even if some remain alive from its last spell. While the Vex does carry a sword, it never drops it upon death. It looks visually similar to the Allay, although it's dark gray and has some exceptionally angry-looking eyebrows.
A Warden observes a Zombie in the Deep Dark
The Minecraft Warden is, in my opinion, the most terrifying mob in Minecraft. The appearance of the Warden makes me feel like Minecraft isn't a survival game at all, but a horror game. He's incredibly powerful, and is summoned by sculk shriekers in the deep dark. It can swing its arms down to the ground to deal the strongest melee damage in the game. It also has a sonic boom attack that can reach through obstacles. Wardens are completely blind, relying on vibrations, smell, and touch to detect you. Therefore, you can use wool or sneak to avoid it. Throwing a snowball or shooting an arrow in a different direction to distract it are also effective techniques.
The Warden is spawned if a player or mob activates a sculk shrieker three times. It will emerge hauntingly from the ground nearby, as long as another Warden isn't within 24 blocks of it. A Warden drops a sculk catalyst upon death, and only five experience--which, considering the difficulty you are met with when trying to face one, feels very low. After spawning, the Warden will move randomly around the world, following vibrations from nearby players. It can also sniff the air around it to locate you, even if you're not moving. If it picks up a movement, smell, or vibration, it will become increasingly angered. Even if the Warden isn't angered, it will cast a darkness over all players within 20 blocks of it, every six seconds. At the same time, you'll hear its heartbeat, which speeds up as it gets angrier. The Warden actually has more health than the Ender Dragon, so killing it can be exceptionally difficult.
Witches standing on a lilypad
The Witch uses potions to her advantage, as weapons in the form of splash potions, and drinking potions for defense and healing. The Witch can spawn in all biomes apart from the mushroom fields or the deep dark. Every swamp hut spawns a witch and a cat inside, which never despawn. Some witches always spawn as part of raids from the third wave onwards. A villager will transform into a witch if lightning strikes within four blocks of it. Witches can drop sticks, glass bottles, glowstone dust, redstone dust, spider eyes, gunpowder, and sugar. If a witch is killed while drinking a potion, it can drop healing, fire resistance, swiftness, or water-breathing potions.
The Wither is another of the game's boss mobs, but can only spawn when a player constructs it. It's undead, hovers in midair, and fires explosive wither skulls at enemies. It considers anything living to be an enemy, and it's the only source of Nether Stars in the game. These are used to craft Beacons, making the Wither an essential opponent to face at some point if you'd like Beacons in your base. To spawn a Wither, place four blocks of soul sand or soul soil in a T shape, and then placing three wither skeleton skulls on the top three blocks. The last block placed must be one of the skulls. When the Wither spawns, it is immediately angered and creates a large explosion. The Wither always drops a Nether Star, but also drops 50 experience points.
As the Wither's health bar fills up upon spawning, it grows in size and cannot be damaged in this state. The spawn sound of the Wither can be heard across the map in all dimensions. It has 300 health points, more than the Ender Dragon but less than the Warden. It is immune to fire, lava, drowning, and freezing, but it is vulnerable to weapons with the Smite enchantment. When it takes damage, the Wither breaks all blocks within a 3x4x3 area surrounding it, including blast-resistant blocks such as Obsidian. The only blocks it cannot break are End Portals, Bedrock, End Portal Frames, End Gateways, Command Blocks, Structure Blocks, Jigsaw Blocks, Light Blocks, Moving Blocks, Moving Pistons, and Reinforced Deepslate. Whenever a Wither kills another mob, a Wither Rose is planted as long as it is on grass, dirt, moss, mud, soul sand, soul soil, or netherrack. It can passively regenerate its own health every second, and instantly heals itself when it kills a target directly. When its health gets to halfway depleted, it will get wither armor, making it immune to arrows and tridents.
Wither Skeletons in the Nether
Wither skeletons are taller skeleton variants that wield stone swords. Being hit by a Wither Skeleton inflicts the Wither effect, which acts like a poison. They spawn in Nether Fortresses and are the only place to get Wither Skeleton Skulls, which are needed to construct the Wither boss. They are also the only renewable source of coal, so they can be used to set up a farm for this purpose. On Halloween, Wither Skeletons can spawn wearing a carved pumpkin, but this isn't dropped upon death. The Wither spawns Wither Skeletons when it's below half health. Wither Skeletons can spawn riding a spider or cave spider in the Nether, but since neither spawns naturally in the Nether, it would need to be player-created. Wither Skeletons can drop bones, wither skeleton skulls, their sword, and experience points when killed.
Multiple zombies attempting to break down a door
Zombies are another common enemy in Minecraft, spawning at night in all overworld biomes apart from the Mushroom Fields and Deep Dark. They attack slowly and will walk towards you upon sight. Baby Zombies are smaller, faster versions of Zombies but attack in the same way, albeit more frequently. If you're near a village at night, up to 20 zombies could spawn in the village, known as a siege. Zombies drop rotten flesh, but also have the potential to drop an iron ingot, carrot, or potato. Zombies actively seek out turtle eggs and baby turtles to attack, as well as villagers and wandering traders. When the sun comes up, zombies will set fire and die. On the hard Minecraft difficulty, Zombies can break down doors.
While that's all of the Minecraft mobs for now, the next Minecraft update could always introduce more to the survival game. In the meantime, check out our Minecraft guides hub for more helpful tips.
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All Minecraft passive mobs
Minecraft AllayAllay
The Minecraft Allay was added during The Wild Update and resembles a small, blue, fairy-like creature. You can find the Allay in Pillager Outpost cages or Woodland Mansion cages. Break the cage to set the Allay free, and it will become loyal as a thank-you for saving it from imprisonment. Give it an item to carry, and it will follow you, meaning leading it back to your base is simple. It'll also go and seek more of the same item, bringing it back to you.
After an Ally becomes loyal to you, you cannot harm them even accidentally, but they can lose health if it's attacked by another mob. If that happens, it can regenerate its own health. Breeding an Allay is different from most other mobs in the game, too, as they can self-duplicate without the need for a partner. To do this, use an amethyst shard on an Allay while it's dancing to jukebox music.
Minecraft armadillo
Armadillo
The armadillo was added to Minecraft in April 2024 as part of the Minecraft Live mob vote. It can be found in groups of two or three in the Savanna and Badlands biomes. Approaching it quickly will cause it to curl up scared, so sneak towards it if you want to get near. Spiders are afraid of armadillos, so having some at your base should keep the arachnids at bay. While you cannot tame an armadillo, it can be bred using spider eyes. Armadillos periodically drop scutes, or you can harvest scutes by using a brush on them. Scutes can be used to craft wolf armor, making them a valuable item. It takes six scutes to make wolf armor.
Different colored axolotl
Axolotl
Minecraft axolotls can only be found in Lush Caves. While not technically a biome, they are huge openings in deep caves. We've found more luck in finding these under jungle biomes thanks to the humidity. Look for an Azalea tree above ground to signal that a Lush Cave could be below. Axolotls spawn within five blocks of clay, so keep an eye out for them when seeking them out. You can collect an axolotl in a bucket before creating an enclosed habitat for them to live in at your base. As they can't be tamed, if the axolotl is set free near your base, it will swim away. They need to live in water at least two blocks deep, and can be bred using buckets of tropical fish. There are multiple colors of axolotl in the game, including leucitic, wild, gold, cyan, and the rarest one--blue. Blue axolotls can't be found in the wild and must be bred. Axolotls will attack aquatic creatures with the exception of frogs, turtles, dolphins, and each other.
Minecraft bats
Bat
Bats can spawn in groups of eight in dark areas anywhere below block layer 63. They don't drop any items or experience points upon death, so the only reason for killing them is if you keep getting jump scared by their screeching and swooping when you're trying to avoid hostile mobs in caves. When idle, they can be spotted hanging upside down from solid blocks, but if you approach, they'll fly away. The same happens if the block they're hanging from is broken. They can't be tamed, bred, or interacted with in any way. They simply just exist. Good for them.
Minecraft bees in a flower forest
Bee
The Minecraft bee is responsible for the production of honey, making it a valuable mob to interact with. We've got more information in our dedicated Minecraft bee guide. Bees will generally keep to themselves unless you provoke them or their hives, and just like in real life, they'll die if they sting you. You'll want to keep a campfire on hand if you're going to try harvesting honey from their hives too, as this keeps them calm.
Riding a camel through the desert.
Camel
Camels, while fairly rare, can be found in deserts and desert villages, and can be ridden by up to two players at the same time. Camels do not respawn if they're killed, so if you see one, you'll want to quickly saddle it. Finding two and feeding them cacti will cause them to breed, and considering their rarity, this is highly recommended. Camels also have an extra inventory slot, where you can store the saddle. Camels can spring, and saddled camels can dash and charge. You'll see an additional dash charge bar which fills as the camel is being ridden, and using the jump button executes the dash. As camels are tall, while riding one, you cannot be reached by zombies, vindicators, hoglins, silverfish, endermites, and piglins. Most hostile mobs will never attack a camel, so riding one at night is a straightforward way to stay safe.
A black cat lying on a bed
Cat
The most useful way to employ a Minecraft cat is to ward off Creepers and Phantoms, who are terrified of them. You can find cats in villages or swamp huts, and they can be tamed using raw cod or raw salmon. There is a high chance that a cat will bring you a gift in the morning if it has not been commanded to sit, and if you slept in a bed at night and not during a thunderstorm. You can find out more in our dedicated Minecraft cats guide.
Minecraft chicken
Chicken
The chicken spawns naturally in most overworld biomes in Minecraft, and you can usually tell one is nearby since they lay eggs that can be collected. They also cluck pretty annoyingly, but that's another matter. Killing a chicken will drop feathers and raw chicken meat. Their eggs can be thrown to the ground and have a small chance of spawning another chicken. To tame and breed chickens, you can use any type of seed. Chickens are one of the only mobs that don't take fall damage. Chickens have three variants--temperate, cold, and warm, exclusive to specific biomes.
Minecraft Cod
Cod
This passive aquatic mob looks like the real-life fish of the same name. You can find it swimming in ocean biomes, and they are more prominent in cold or lukewarm areas. When killed they drop raw cod which can be used to tame cats, or cooked for food. You can catch them with a fishing rod or in a bucket, as a bucket of cod, meaning you can move them from the ocean to any in-game aquariums or fish tanks you may have built. Cod can't be tamed or bred.
Minecraft cow variants
Cow
The Minecraft cow comes in three variants--temperate, cold, and warm, exclusive to specific biomes. Cows drop raw beef, which can be cooked into steak, a high-value food especially in the early game. They also occasionally drop leather, which is needed to craft books and item frames, among other Minecraft crafting recipes. If you use a bucket on a cow, they can be milked indefinitely. Given milk removes status effects such as poison, this is very helpful. Use wheat to tame and breed cows.
Minecraft dolphins can lead you to treasure
Dolphin
Dolphins are useful in Minecraft since they have the ability to guide you to high-value loot and areas. It spawns in the ocean, unless it's frozen, and swimming near a dolphin will give you the Dolphin's Grace effect, greatly increasing your swimming speed. If you feed a dolphin raw cod or salmon, it will swim towards the nearest buried treasure or ocean ruins. Dolphins can leap out of the water, mirroring their real-life counterparts, and dropping an item into the ocean near a dolphin triggers it to chase after it.
They cannot be tamed or bred, and need water to survive, so trapping them on land will cause them to die. However, building an underwater tunnel to guide them into an enclosed underwater space at your base? Totally allowed, and even encouraged (by me). Try sailing a boat near dolphins and watch how they interact with it.
Tie a Minecraft donkey to a post using a lead
Donkey
Donkeys behave much like horses, but with one important exception--they can carry items. They spawn in plains or savanna biomes, and can be ridden once tamed. Taming a donkey involves repeatedly mounting it until it accepts you. Donkeys can also be equipped with chests, giving them up to 15 more inventory slots, and making them useful for across-map travel with important valuables. While they can wear saddles, they cannot have horse armor applied. Donkeys can be bred with golden apples or golden carrots, and breeding one with a horse will produce a mule.
Minecraft foxes sleeping under a tree
Fox
The fox is one of the most adorable mobs in Minecraft. It usually spawns in the taiga biomes in small groups, and they can be red or white, depending on the biome type. They are very anxious and will flee from you unless you're sneaking when approaching. Foxes can carry items in their mouth, including weapons and food, which they may use or eat. To breed foxes, you'll need to use sweet berries, and if a baby is born from two player-bred foxes, it will trust you and not run away. At night, foxes will hunt chickens, rabbits, and small mobs, and will attack mobs that are holding food.
Three cold-variant frogs
Frog
I wish frogs were more easily found in Minecraft. They will only spawn in swamp or mangrove swamp biomes, although they do come in three color variants-- temperate, warm, and cold. Frogs can jump exceptionally high, and they eat slimes and magma cubes. When a frog eats a slime it will drop a slimeball, and if it eats a magma cube it creates a froglight. This decorative block matches the color variant of the frog that created it. Frogs are tamed and bred using slimeballs. Instead of laying eggs, they create frogspawn, which hatches into tadpoles, eventually evolving into frogs.
A Minecraft goat observes the land from high up
Goat
Goats are found in mountain biomes, usually at some obscure angle up the side of a cliff, bleating that they can't get back down. Goats can jump up to ten blocks high, and when they feel threatened, they'll charge and knock back players or other mobs. If a goat rams into a solid block, it has a small chance to drop a goat horn, which can be used to play different sounds. The unofficial screaming goat mob is thought to bleat more aggressively and ram harder than its counterpart. Goats can be bred using wheat, and don't drop meat or leather upon death.
The glow squid is easily seen in dark waters
Glow Squid
Glow Squids, much like their duller counterparts, are a passive aquatic mob. They spawn in dark underwater areas, but their subtle glow means they're easily spotted. When killed, they drop glow ink sacs, which can be used to craft glow item frames. The items inside these stand out in the dark. Combining glow ink sacs with dye means you can make the text on your signs glow, too. Glow squids do not shoot ink, and they don't flee from you when you're nearby.
Ghasts wearing harnesses
Happy Ghast
The passive alternative to the hostile mob is the Minecraft Happy Ghast. While we've got a dedicated guide on how to find, tame, and ride them, the most important thing you need to know is that they look adorable wearing their harness. They can carry items from one place to another in a hot air balloon-style contraption, and you can ride on them with up to three friends. They'll also stay still when a player is standing on their back, meaning construction high in the air is easier than it's ever been.
A player rides a horse in diamond armor
Horse
Horses spawn in plains or savanna biomes, and they can be tamed, ridden, and bred. To tame a horse, you just need to repeatedly attempt to mount it until it accepts you. They have a huge variety of colors, and they're not exclusive to specific biomes unlike other mob variants. They can wear horse armor, providing additional protection. Use golden apples or golden carrots to breed horses. Their offspring will inherit specific traits from their parents, such as movement speed or health. Horses drop leather, occasionally saddles, and occasionally horse armor when killed. Breeding a horse and a donkey will create a mule that can carry chests.
Iron Golem protecting his villagers
Iron Golem
Iron Golems are found in Minecraft villages, and they're a passive mob ... until they're not. The Iron Golem serves as a protector of the village and can be crafted to protect your own base, too. They are useful defense mechanisms during raids or hostile mob attacks, as they have a high health pool and strong attacks. When killed, they drop iron ingots and sometimes a flower, if they were created in a village. To craft an Iron Golem in Minecraft, lay four iron blocks in a T-shape with a pumpkin on top, where the head would be.
A llama gets attacked by bees
Llama
Llamas are native to the mountain and savanna biomes, but you may be more familiar with them as they're the Wandering Merchant's pet of choice. Llamas can carry items in their chests, granting up to 15 more inventory slots on the move. Llamas can be combined to make a caravan, which allows you to control all llamas at once. When tamed, which is done by attempting to mount them multiple times like a horse, they can be ridden. When provoked, llamas will spit to attack. You'll need to tame two llamas and then feed them both hay bales in order to breed them. Like horses, baby llamas will inherit traits from their parents, such as strength or speed.
Mooshrooms gather near a lake
Mooshroom
The Mooshroom is a very special type of cow, exclusively found in the mushroom islands. This rare biome can be spotted due to the mushroom-shaped trees. Mooshrooms resemble red and white cows with mushrooms growing on their backs in their most striking form, but you can find brown Mooshrooms, too! They can be milked, and mushroom stew can be produced in this way. Mooshrooms can be bred using wheat to create baby Mooshrooms. When struck by lightning, the Mooshroom may transform into a normal cow, and vice versa. If a Mooshroom is fed mushroom stew, it will consume the stew but return it to your inventory. Mooshrooms are a fantastic food source thanks to their infinite mushroom stew capabilities, but the rarity of the biome means it's difficult to track them down for most players.
A mule is created by breeding a horse with a donkey
Mule
The mule is a hybrid that occurs when a horse and a donkey are bred together. The mule will inherit the donkey's ability to carry items in a chest, but will be faster than a donkey. Mules cannot be bred together, so to get more of them, you must breed more horses with donkeys. Mules need a saddle to be ridden. As mules are player-created and don't spawn in the wild, they will automatically be tamed to you upon birth.
An ocelot hunting a chicken
Ocelot
Ocelots are not to be mistaken for cats. They're smaller and only spawn in jungles. Like cats and foxes, they will flee when approached unless you're sneaking. Ocelots cannot be tamed, but you can earn their trust by feeding them raw cod or salmon. In Bedrock, they're passive, but in Java, they'll be hostile. Using raw cod will reduce their hostility towards you and reduce the likelihood of them fleeing. Ocelots are immune to fall damage, and Creepers and Phantoms are also afraid of them. You can breed ocelots with raw cod and salmon, creating an ocelot kitten, which moves faster.
Two pandas eating bamboo
Panda
Pandas will naturally spawn in bamboo jungles, and they're incredibly adorable. There are variants, but rather than changing their color, their nature will change. You can get normal, lazy, playful, worried, and aggressive pandas. The only color variant is the brown panda. These personalities will change the way the pandas behave. Using bamboo will tame and breed pandas, with their babies inheriting traits from each parent. Sometimes, when a panda sneezes, a baby panda is born. Pandas drop bamboo when killed.
Many parrots in the jungle
Parrot
Minecraft parrots' most endearing trait is their love of dancing. Put a CD in a jukebox with a parrot nearby and watch it boogie! Parrots spawn naturally in jungle biomes and come in different color variants. When tamed, a parrot will sit on your shoulder. They can be tamed and bred using any seeds. Parrots can also mimic the sound of other mobs, such as creepers or zombies. They tend to mimic these mobs when there's a threat nearby, so they can provide early detection if you choose to listen to them.
Pig
Pigs are often used to farm for food, as they drop raw pork when killed, which can be cooked in a furnace to turn it into a pork chop for high nutritional value. They spawn in most overworld biomes, and now have three different variants depending on the biome they spawn in. Pigs can be ridden using a saddle, but they're not as fast as horses, so they're not often used in this way. You can use a carrot on a stick to decide the pig's movement direction. Using carrots or potatoes will tame and breed pigs.
Polar Bear
Polar Bears are neutral to begin with and spawn in snowy biomes. It's common to see an adult polar bear with its cub, and this is where you need to be cautious. Adult polar bears become hostile fast if a player approaches or attacks their cub, as they're very protective. Their melee attacks can deal a reasonable amount of damage, too, so an angry mama polar bear is definitely one to avoid. When killed, they drop raw cod or salmon. They cannot be tamed or bred.
An inflated pufferfish
Pufferfish
Pufferfish can be found in warm oceans and are more common near coral reefs. These small, spiky mobs inflate whenever someone gets too close, causing poison damage and knockback. They can appear small, medium, and fully puffed, and with each stage of inflation, the damage they deal increases. Pufferfish drop raw pufferfish when killed. You can eat it, but it causes poison and hunger. Instead, try using pufferfish in potions such as the water-breathing potion. You can collect pufferfish in a water bucket to transport them to your base for an aquarium or fish tank. While pufferfish don't actively attack other mobs, they can 'accidentally' poison them by inflating near them.
Lots of Minecraft rabbits
Rabbit
Rabbits spawn in many biomes, but we've most commonly seen them in flower forests and taigas. They hop around quickly, and come in many colors. You can breed rabbits using carrots, golden carrots, or dandelions to produce baby rabbits. When killed, they drop raw rabbit, which can be cooked, rabbit hide, and sometimes a rabbit's foot. The rabbit's foot is essential for some potions, so these cute little mobs often find themselves the victim of player hunting.
A small school of salmon
Salmon
The Minecraft salmon is similar to the cod in almost every way. It spawns in rivers and oceans, and usually appears in a small group, mimicking real life. When killed, they drop raw salmon, which can be cooked and eaten. If the salmon is killed when on fire or using a flame-enchanted weapon, it will drop cooked salmon. They can be caught with fishing rods or alive in water buckets to transport to aquariums or fish tanks.
Multicolored sheep
Sheep
The Minecraft sheep might be one of the first mobs you actively hunt, since their wool is needed to craft a bed to sleep through the night. Sheep have three variants, dependent on the biome they spawn in. You can use shears on sheep to maximise the wool output, and sheep shearing farms are one of the many Minecraft builds some players opt for. You use wheat to tame and breed sheep. The offspring will inherit the color of the parent sheep, or a mix if the sheep have been dyed. Using a dye on a white sheep will change its color. When killed, sheep will drop raw mutto,n which can be cooked and eaten.
Steve and a Sniffer
Sniffer
The sniffer is one of the lesser-known mobs in the game. It's an ancient mob that was introduced following the Minecraft Live vote. Sniffers do not spawn naturally; instead, they are hatched from sniffer eggs. These can be found in suspicious sand at any warm ocean ruins, where you may have sought the help of a dolphin to locate them. Sniffers cannot be bred traditionally and must instead be given torchflower seeds. It sniffs out and finds torchflower seeds or pitcher pods. It can repeat this process every eight minutes, and will not actively dig any of the last 20 blocks that it already explored.
A squid in a cave
Squid
These passive aquatic mobs spawn in rivers and oceans in the overworld. They swim in water and don't attack other mobs. If approached by a player, they may panic and squirt ink before trying to escape. They drop ink sacs when killed, which are vital for creating black dye and the book and quill. Squids can't be tamed or bred, but they may come in useful for a dye farm setup or to add to your base's aquarium.
A family of Striders on a lava lake
Strider
The Strider is the only passive mob that spawns in the Nether. It's usually found on lava lakes. You can ride them, but be careful of the lava while you're attempting to reach them. They will not take damage from walking on lava, meaning you can safely adventure in the Nether aboard one. They prefer it in the lava--if you observe one on the land, you might notice it's shivering, meaning it's cold. To ride a Strider, you'll need to get a saddle on it, and control it using a warped fungus on a stick. Striders can also be bred using warped fungus. Using a lead, you can bring a Strider into the overworld, but they should be kept dry and warm. Definitely don't take them near any snow.
Tropical fish in promotional artwork
Tropical Fish
Tropical fish in Minecraft spawn in the ocean, specifically the warm ocean, and they're more common near coral reefs. There are almost 3,000 variants of tropical fish available, mostly referring to their color combinations, but also their pattern and body shapes. You can collect tropical fish alive in a bucket, meaning you can build a truly ambitious aquarium full of tropical fish if you have enough buckets available. When killed, they drop raw tropical fish, which are used to tame axolotls. Their nutritional value is so low that they're not worth cooking or eating.
A baby turtle sits atop its parent's head
Turtle
Turtles usually spawn on the sand near warm ocean, but have been known to spawn on any sand. They are incredibly slow on land, but can swim quickly. After being bred with seagrass, turtles return to the beach where they hatched in order to lay their own eggs. You can collect these eggs and move them to your own beach, as the turtles will remain here after they have hatched. Turtle eggs take a notoriously long time to hatch, and they can be trampled by players or other mobs, so make sure to keep them nice and safe.
A Villager farming
Villager
Villagers are a specific type of passive mob that only spawn in a village. They are humanoids and have the ability to trade with players. They also have distinct professions that determine which goods or services they can offer-- blacksmiths, librarians, farmers, and more all offer valuable items that can be traded for emeralds. Villagers are bred using bread, carrots, potatoes, or beetroot, to create a baby villager. There must be enough beds in the village for this to happen. Villagers also level up through trading, meaning they will offer better items and enchantments. If you've ever witnessed a raid on a village, you'll know that Villagers are terrible at fighting and will run away instead.
A player offers a milk bucket to the Wandering Trader
Wandering Trader
The Wandering Trader will occasionally appear across the map accompanied by two llamas. He offers various goods in exchange for emeralds, and will often bring items you don't yet have. His items are randomized, and there's no way to influence the items or offers that he has from day to day. Traders, unlike Villagers, cannot be bred or employed. If you don't interact, the Wandering Trader will just leave your vicinity in peace. However, if you attack him, both he and his llamas will try to attack in return.
Wolf
The wolf is often referred to as the dog in Minecraft since it mimics real-life canines. They spawn in forests, taigas, and snowy biomes, and are typically found in packs. Take a good stack of bones with you, as feeding them a few will tame them and cause them to follow you. You can also command them to sit or stand, or attack mobs. Wolves will defend you even when not commanded to, making them a great traveling companion in a single-player survival game. You can also breed wolves with bones. You can heal your wolf by feeding it cooked meat. You can easily tell your wolf's health status by the position of its tail--if it's lifted high, your wolf is feeling well, but if it's drooping down between its legs, it probably needs some meat pretty quickly.
All Minecraft hostile mobs
While there are plenty of passive mobs to invite to your base, whether that's for food, practicality, function, or you just think they're cute, there are also plenty of hostile mobs who are just waiting for the sun to set so they can ruin your day.
A triggered Blaze prepares to attack
Blaze
The Blaze can be found in Nether fortresses, and drops Blaze Rods upon death. It's the only source of Blaze Rods, which are essential for getting to The End and completing the game, so you'll have to encounter them at some point if that's your goal. They spit fireballs from range, or if you get too close they will spin and attack with their rods. Blazes are immune to fire or lava damage, and they can also fly to get a good view of their prey. The most effective way to deal with a Blaze is to throw snowballs at it, or push it into powder snow. They will target and attack you if you're within 48 blocks of them, and it will alert other Blazes in the area if it is attacked by you.
A Bogged waits under a tree
Bogged
Bogged spawn in the swamp biomes, but can also appear in Trial Chambers. They may drop bones, arrows, poison arrows, or damaged bows upon death. They act similarly to skeletons, and shoot poison arrows at nearby players. They are very slow to reload their bows compared to skeletons though, so you have time to get attacks in if you find yourself face-to-face with one. They have less health than a skeleton too, so they don't pose much of a threat.
The Breeze attacks in a Trial Chamber
Breeze
The Breeze behaves in a similar way to the Blaze, but it is found in Trial Chambers only. It hovers in the air and sends wind charges flying towards you. It drops Breeze Rods upon death, which can be crafted into Wind Charges and Maces. They are guaranteed to drop Breeze Rods, but only if the death counts as player-inflicted, meaning you can't drop heavy items on them to kill them. They are immune to projectile damage, and even able to repel incoming projectiles back at you, so put that bow away.
A Creaking looms over a player
Creaking
The Creaking spawns in the Pale Garden biome from a Creaking Heart. The Creaking Heart must be activated either at night or during a thunderstorm. Looking at the Creaking within 12 blocks will alert it, if there is no player within that radius then it will return to its idle state. If looking at a Creaking, it is unable to attack you unless you're wearing a carved pumpkin on your head. If you're not looking at it, it will move towards you to attack. If the Creaking is spawned from a Creaking Heart it cannot take any damage, but a trail of orange particles will appear between it and its heart. Resin clumps will also ooze from nearby Pale Oak logs. Destroying the Creaking Heart will cause the Creaking to disintegrate. Illagers are scared of Creakings and will run from them. Creakings are immune to fire, lava, Warden, Zoglin, and Wither damage.
A charged Creeper next to a regular one
Creeper
I've lost count of the amount of times I've screamed and sworn at a Creeper that snuck up on me. They don't earn their name for nothing. These silent mobs will sneak up to you on sight before hissing and exploding, causing you damage and destroying or dismantling any blocks or mobs nearby. Creepers can be struck by lightning, causing them to become Charged Creepers, which explode with more violence. It also allows for nearby Piglin, Zombie, Skeleton, and Creeper heads to be collected if they die as a result of that explosion. The only overworld biomes a Creeper will not spawn in are Mushroom Fields and Deep Dark.
A Drowned on the ocean floor
Drowned
The Drowned is the underwater version of the Zombie, and spawns in oceans, rivers, and dripstone caves, or can be formed if a regular Zombie drowns. They swim through the water towards you and use melee attacks, although some Drowned have a trident which can be thrown long distances. This is the only way to get a trident for yourself though, so if you hear that ominous 'ding' noise and you're wanting one for yourself, it may be best to fight the natural instinct to run. They may also be holding a fishing rod or a nautilus shell. It's also possible for them to spawn riding a chicken, creating a Drowned chicken jockey. Husks can transform into a normal Zombie and then into a Drowned. Drowned never naturally spawn wearing any armor, but if they were a regular Zombie wearing armor that then transformed into a Drowned, it's possible to find an armored one. They drop rotten flesh upon death, and can also drop copper ingots. Drowned are the only source of renewable copper, meaning setting up a farm to turn Zombies into Drowned and then killing them is a good way to set up a copper farm.
Promotional art for the Ender Dragon
Ender Dragon
The Ender Dragon is a giant flying boss found in The End, and it's the largest naturally spawning enemy in the game. The Ender Dragon guards the entrance to the End gateways. Without beating the Ender Dragon, you cannot get to the outer End islands. Beating the Ender Dragon is considered the end of Minecraft, as the credits will roll as soon as you jump through the portal back to the Overworld after defeating it. After beating the Ender Dragon you can re-summon it by adding End Crystals to the exit portal. The Ender Dragon drops 12,000 XP and a Dragon Egg. The dragon is immune to status effects, but can take damage from explosions and players. Occasionally, it will shoot Dragon's Breath towards the land, which pools. Stepping in those pools, even when the Dragon has stopped firing, will damage you over time. You can use glass bottles to collect Dragon's Breath--useful for creating lingering potions. There's plenty more information on this boss mob in our Ender Dragon guide.
An Enderman holding Warped Nylium in the Nether
Enderman
The Enderman is a tall mob found in the overworld, the Nether, and the End. Endermen will usually ignore players, but if you look into their eyes, they'll become hostile and attack. They can be harmed by water, so if you find yourself surrounded by them, especially when fighting the Ender Dragon, it's best to create a pool of water and stand in the middle of it. Sometimes they'll collect blocks. Killing Endermen will give you an Ender Pearl sometimes, making them vital to take down if you're trying to get to the End. Once an Enderman sets its sights on you, it will pursue you until it is killed or distracted by rain or fire. Ranged attacks are pointless on an Enderman, as instead of taking damage, it will teleport to safety.
Endermites emit purple particles similar to Endermen
Endermite
While the Ender Dragon is the largest hostile mob, the Endermite is the smallest. It may spawn whenever you throw an Ender Pearl. They attack by biting, and Endermen are hostile towards them. They have a 5% chance of spawning and will spawn where the Ender Pearl lands. It will despawn within two minutes unless you name it with a name tag. They don't drop anything other than a small amount of experience points. Since Endermen become hostile towards them, you can use a name tag on an Endermite in the End to easily farm Endermen. It's important to create an area for the Endermite to exist that will attract Endermen, but where they cannot reach to kill them. Create a trap near to the Endermites for the Endermen to fall into.
An Evoker casts its fangs spell
Evoker
The Evoker is a spell-casting Illager found in woodland mansions and raids, and killing it is the only way to get a Totem of Undying. It has two spells--one which summons armor-piercing fangs, and one which summons Vexes. They do not respawn once killed, making them rarer than most mobs. Evokers may be found riding a Ravager during a raid. They move quickly--at the same speed as your sprint, meaning they can cover a lot of ground when trying to attack. If an Evoker is not in combat, it can change the color of any sheep from blue to red, though no one really knows why they choose to do this.
Three Ghasts fly around the Nether
Ghast
The Ghast is the original, hostile version of the Happy Ghast. It spawns in the Nether and can sometimes be heard crying before it attacks. It attacks by sending a series of projectile fireballs towards players, which knock them back. This means traversing narrow bridges in the Nether can be fatal if a Ghast spots you, as you can soon descend into the lava below from just one of their fireball attacks. When killed, they drop Ghast Tears, gunpowder, and experience points. If a Ghast is in close range, its own fireballs can kill it, although it is usually immune to fire or lava damage.
A Guardian attacks some Squid
Guardian
Guardians look like underwater mines, with tails and orange spikes. They spawn in and around ocean monuments and use a laser beam to attack. Hitting them with a melee attack will also cause damage, much like thorns on the player. Guardians drop prismarine shards on death, and also have a chance of dropping raw cod or prismarine crystals. When swimming, the Guardian's spikes retract, making them more difficult to spot. They follow nearby players with their eyes, but using a potion of invisibility makes you immune to the,m and they will not try to attack.
Hoglins, Zoglins, and their baby forms in some stables
Hoglin
The Hoglin is found in the Nether and can drop porkchops and leather upon death. It is repelled by warped fungi, active Nether portals, and respawn anchors. They usually exist in herds of three or four in the Crimson Forest biome. If you come across bastion remnants in the Nether, it's likely you'll find stables that also house Hoglins. They'll attack any player, but wearing an item of gold armor prevents this. If a Hoglin is taken to the Overworld or the End, it will transform into a Zoglin after 15 seconds. It's the only hostile mob that can be bred, and you'll need to feed it Crimson Fungi to do this, although it will not tame the Hoglin.
A Husk spawns in the desert biomes
Husk
The Husk is a variant of the Zombie that spawns in the desert biome. They do not burn in sunlight, and when they attack unarmed, they can inflict hunger on you. Baby Husks can spawn as a chicken jockey in Java edition, but in Bedrock, the list of mobs they can ride is far longer, and includes ocelots, wolves, other zombies, horses, sheep, and more. Husks will seek out nearby turtle eggs to trample them. They drop rotten flesh on death, and have a chance of dropping an iron ingot, carrot, or potato.
The size difference between a player and a Magma Cube
Magma Cube
The Magma Cube is found in the Nether and behaves in a similar way to a Slime. It is fireproof, and it jumps higher and deals more damage than a Slime. Magma Cubes drop Magma Cream and experience points when killed. When a Magma Cube finds you within 16 blocks, it will leap towards you. They can jump forward twice as fast as any other mobs. When you kill a Magma Cube, it will split into smaller Magma Cubes, which also need to be killed. They cause damage just by touching you, and can cause up to 12 damage per second on normal difficulty, making them one of the most dangerous mobs to get pursued by.
Minecraft Phantoms spawn in the air
Phantom
Phantoms are flying undead mobs that spawn if you have not slept for three or more in-game days. They spawn in the sky, screech, and dive down to attack by biting. Usually they spawn in groups of three, although fewer have been seen. They only spawn at night or during thunderstorms and will burn when the sun comes out again. The more nights you avoid sleep, the more phantoms will spawn each night. They can drop Phantom Membranes when killed. The only mob they're afraid of is cats, which will hiss at them.
A Piglin stands with a Hoglin in the Crimson Forest
Piglin
Piglins and Piglin Brutes spawn in the Nether. Piglin Brutes appear in bastion remnants and do not barter like Piglins do. They also cannot be distracted by gold. Wearing gold armor or offering gold to a regular Piglin will stop them from attacking you, and can open the bartering interface, where Piglins can offer rare materials in exchange for gold ingots. The Piglin Brute holds a golden axe and will charge at you to attack. If a Piglin spots you holding a gold item, it will snort with jealousy. Piglins are afraid of zombified piglins, zoglins, and soul fire, torches, lanterns, and campfires. If it sees any of these, it will scream and run away. You might see up to three baby Piglins riding a baby Hoglin--weird, but cute. Mining gold in the Nether in sight of a Piglin will cause all of them nearby to turn hostile and attack you, even if you're wearing gold armor. Like a Hoglin, if a Piglin finds itself in the overworld or the Nether, it will be zombified.
We've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty.
Pillager
Pillagers can be found in wandering patrols, at pillager outposts, or during raids. They have crossbows and attack with projectile arrows. Patrols happen after 5.5 in-game days, at any time, and anywhere. They spawn 24-48 blocks away from a random player, on the highest solid block. They continuously spawn in pillager outposts, and may spawn as captains. On death, they may drop a crossbow, an ominous banner, or an ominous bottle. Drinking a Bad Omen potion gives a status effect that lasts for 100 minutes, but it can be removed by drinking milk. If you have the Bad Omen effect and enter a village, a raid will be triggered.
Multiple hostile mobs and a Ravager attack a desert village in a raid
Ravager
A Ravager is a large, hostile mob that will only spawn alongside Illagers in raids. They attack villagers, wandering traders, iron golems, and players by running at them and biting them. You can block their charge with a shield, which will briefly stun them, but when they recover from being stunned, they will roar and damage and knock back everything nearby. Ravagers will never spawn earlier than the third wave in a raid, but sometimes they can be ridden. Killing a Ravager can drop a saddle and experience points--the most experience points from all non-boss mobs, actually, at 20.
A Shulker fires a tracking projectile
Shulker
A Shulker may look like a fairly harmless box, but this mob is just hiding in its shell to blend in with the surroundings. The Shulker is found in End cities and attacks by firing tracking projectiles at players, which then inflict levitation. A Shulker may spawn a new one of the same color if it's hit with a Shulker bullet. When the Shulker gets hit and has half of its health remaining, it has a one in four chance to try and teleport without spawning a new Shulker. There's a 50% chance of a Shulker dropping a Shulker Shell upon death. This is the only way to get Shulker Shells, which are used to craft Shulker Boxes.
A horde of Silverfish
Silverfish
These tiny mobs are potentially the most annoying in the game due to their tiny hitboxes. They're very hard to aim at and kill, and move very fast around your feet, biting to attack. They infest stone and deepslate blocks in mountains, strongholds, igloo basements, and woodland mansions. Attacking a silverfish causes more silverfish nearby to emerge from the block they've infested to attack. You're usually likely to find Silverfish in the end portal room of a stronghold on your way to the End. They don't drop anything other than experience points, can't be tamed or bred, and generally only exist to be an annoyance, in my experience. It's possible to find yourself surrounded by hundreds of them very quickly.
Skeletons can spawn in the Nether
Skeleton
Skeletons are one of the more common hostile mobs. They spawn at night or in areas with low light, and they use a bow and arrow to shoot from range. The only biomes they don't spawn in are the mushroom fields or the deep dark, but they can spawn in groups of up to four. It's possible for a skeleton to spawn riding a spider. Four skeleton horsemen will spawn when a skeleton horse trap is triggered, usually during a thunderstorm. The skeletons ride skeleton horses and usually have enchanted bows and iron helmets. They do spawn in the soul sand biomes of the Nether, although far less often than they spawn in the overworld. When they're killed, skeletons can drop bones, arrows, any naturally spawned equipment or bows, and experience. If a charged Creeper kills a skeleton, it may also drop its skull. They will chase players, baby turtles, and iron golems. They can climb stairs or ladders, but they'll burn when the sun comes up.
Slimes of various sizes
Slime
Slimes are bouncy, cube-shaped mobs that behave similarly to the Magma Cube, although they don't jump as high or as far. They spawn deep underground in swamp biomes, or in specific 'slime chunks,' and attack by jumping at you. Larger Slimes split into smaller ones when they die, and they come in three sizes. They spawn most often during a full moon and never during a new moon. A slime chunk is determined in the game's code by combining its coordinates with the world's seed. A random number between 0 and 9 is generated, and if the number is 0 the chunk can spawn slimes. If a Slime is killed by a frog it will always drop one slimeball. If it's killed by you, it will drop between 0 and 2 slimeballs. They also drop experience points relative to their size--4 for large, 2 for medium, and 1 for small. Due to the way a Slime splits when it's killed, it's possible to get up to 28 experience from one large Slime and all of the subsequent smaller Slimes that split from it.
Promotional artwork for the Stray
Stray
A Stray is a skeleton variant that spawns in some snow-covered biomes. They fire tipped arrows of slowness from their bows, but otherwise behave very similarly to skeletons. You may find them in snowy plains, ice spikes, or frozen rivers. You can create a Stray by trapping a normal skeleton inside powder snow. After seven seconds, it will begin to shake, and after a further fifteen seconds, it will become a Stray. Even if the skeleton had minimal health left, when transformed into a Stray, it will regain full health. Upon death, a Stray can drop bones, arrows, arrows of slowness, or equipment.
An Evoker summoning Vexes
Vex
Another tiny, annoying mob. The Vex is small, it can fly, it has an iron sword, and it can phase through walls. It's summoned as one of the Evoker's attacks and never naturally spawns. When the Evoker does its spell to summon Vexes, three will appear near it. It can continually spawn more Vex, even if some remain alive from its last spell. While the Vex does carry a sword, it never drops it upon death. It looks visually similar to the Allay, although it's dark gray and has some exceptionally angry-looking eyebrows.
A Warden observes a Zombie in the Deep Dark
Warden
The Minecraft Warden is, in my opinion, the most terrifying mob in Minecraft. The appearance of the Warden makes me feel like Minecraft isn't a survival game at all, but a horror game. He's incredibly powerful, and is summoned by sculk shriekers in the deep dark. It can swing its arms down to the ground to deal the strongest melee damage in the game. It also has a sonic boom attack that can reach through obstacles. Wardens are completely blind, relying on vibrations, smell, and touch to detect you. Therefore, you can use wool or sneak to avoid it. Throwing a snowball or shooting an arrow in a different direction to distract it are also effective techniques.
The Warden is spawned if a player or mob activates a sculk shrieker three times. It will emerge hauntingly from the ground nearby, as long as another Warden isn't within 24 blocks of it. A Warden drops a sculk catalyst upon death, and only five experience--which, considering the difficulty you are met with when trying to face one, feels very low. After spawning, the Warden will move randomly around the world, following vibrations from nearby players. It can also sniff the air around it to locate you, even if you're not moving. If it picks up a movement, smell, or vibration, it will become increasingly angered. Even if the Warden isn't angered, it will cast a darkness over all players within 20 blocks of it, every six seconds. At the same time, you'll hear its heartbeat, which speeds up as it gets angrier. The Warden actually has more health than the Ender Dragon, so killing it can be exceptionally difficult.
Witches standing on a lilypad
Witch
The Witch uses potions to her advantage, as weapons in the form of splash potions, and drinking potions for defense and healing. The Witch can spawn in all biomes apart from the mushroom fields or the deep dark. Every swamp hut spawns a witch and a cat inside, which never despawn. Some witches always spawn as part of raids from the third wave onwards. A villager will transform into a witch if lightning strikes within four blocks of it. Witches can drop sticks, glass bottles, glowstone dust, redstone dust, spider eyes, gunpowder, and sugar. If a witch is killed while drinking a potion, it can drop healing, fire resistance, swiftness, or water-breathing potions.
Wither
The Wither is another of the game's boss mobs, but can only spawn when a player constructs it. It's undead, hovers in midair, and fires explosive wither skulls at enemies. It considers anything living to be an enemy, and it's the only source of Nether Stars in the game. These are used to craft Beacons, making the Wither an essential opponent to face at some point if you'd like Beacons in your base. To spawn a Wither, place four blocks of soul sand or soul soil in a T shape, and then placing three wither skeleton skulls on the top three blocks. The last block placed must be one of the skulls. When the Wither spawns, it is immediately angered and creates a large explosion. The Wither always drops a Nether Star, but also drops 50 experience points.
As the Wither's health bar fills up upon spawning, it grows in size and cannot be damaged in this state. The spawn sound of the Wither can be heard across the map in all dimensions. It has 300 health points, more than the Ender Dragon but less than the Warden. It is immune to fire, lava, drowning, and freezing, but it is vulnerable to weapons with the Smite enchantment. When it takes damage, the Wither breaks all blocks within a 3x4x3 area surrounding it, including blast-resistant blocks such as Obsidian. The only blocks it cannot break are End Portals, Bedrock, End Portal Frames, End Gateways, Command Blocks, Structure Blocks, Jigsaw Blocks, Light Blocks, Moving Blocks, Moving Pistons, and Reinforced Deepslate. Whenever a Wither kills another mob, a Wither Rose is planted as long as it is on grass, dirt, moss, mud, soul sand, soul soil, or netherrack. It can passively regenerate its own health every second, and instantly heals itself when it kills a target directly. When its health gets to halfway depleted, it will get wither armor, making it immune to arrows and tridents.
Wither Skeletons in the Nether
Wither Skeleton
Wither skeletons are taller skeleton variants that wield stone swords. Being hit by a Wither Skeleton inflicts the Wither effect, which acts like a poison. They spawn in Nether Fortresses and are the only place to get Wither Skeleton Skulls, which are needed to construct the Wither boss. They are also the only renewable source of coal, so they can be used to set up a farm for this purpose. On Halloween, Wither Skeletons can spawn wearing a carved pumpkin, but this isn't dropped upon death. The Wither spawns Wither Skeletons when it's below half health. Wither Skeletons can spawn riding a spider or cave spider in the Nether, but since neither spawns naturally in the Nether, it would need to be player-created. Wither Skeletons can drop bones, wither skeleton skulls, their sword, and experience points when killed.
Multiple zombies attempting to break down a door
Zombie
Zombies are another common enemy in Minecraft, spawning at night in all overworld biomes apart from the Mushroom Fields and Deep Dark. They attack slowly and will walk towards you upon sight. Baby Zombies are smaller, faster versions of Zombies but attack in the same way, albeit more frequently. If you're near a village at night, up to 20 zombies could spawn in the village, known as a siege. Zombies drop rotten flesh, but also have the potential to drop an iron ingot, carrot, or potato. Zombies actively seek out turtle eggs and baby turtles to attack, as well as villagers and wandering traders. When the sun comes up, zombies will set fire and die. On the hard Minecraft difficulty, Zombies can break down doors.
While that's all of the Minecraft mobs for now, the next Minecraft update could always introduce more to the survival game. In the meantime, check out our Minecraft guides hub for more helpful tips.
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