Overview
A nether portal block is the purple swirling field inside an obsidian frame, and it is the single most important piece of infrastructure in any long-running world. Standing in one for a few seconds transports you between the Overworld and the Nether, and because the Nether compresses distance eightfold, a tunnel between two nether portals is the fastest transport system in the game — 100 blocks walked in the Nether moves you 800 blocks in the Overworld. The frame needs a minimum of 10 obsidian in a 4-by-5 arrangement with the corners left out, and is lit with flint and steel or a fire charge. The linking rule is what most players get wrong: when you enter a portal, the game looks for an existing portal within a search radius around the coordinates divided or multiplied by 8, and builds a new one if it finds none. Two Overworld portals closer than 1,024 blocks apart can therefore end up sharing a single Nether portal, which is why deliberate portal hubs are built with the coordinates calculated by hand rather than left to chance.
Travel between dimensions and, through the Nether's 8-to-1 distance ratio, the fastest long-distance transport in the game. Portals also let zombified piglins wander into the Overworld if left unlit.
Nether Portal counts as a functional block in Minecraft 1.21.4. This is a Creative-mode block; Survival players will never hold one. It cannot be broken in Survival at all.
It glows faintly at light level 11. A blast resistance of 0 means a single creeper will clear it away. It is not used in any crafting recipe.
How to get it
Build a frame of at least 10 obsidian, 4 wide and 5 tall with the corners omitted, and light the inside with flint and steel. Divide your Overworld coordinates by 8 to place the matching Nether portal.
Tips
- Divide Overworld X and Z by 8 to find the correct Nether coordinates, and build both ends by hand to control linking.
- 2 Overworld portals within about 1,024 blocks of each other can link to the same Nether portal — space them deliberately.
- Encase the Nether side in obsidian or cobblestone; a ghast fireball that breaks the frame strands you.
- See nether travel and survival for building a hub that links reliably.
Properties
Nether Portal resists blasts at 0, which is not enough to survive anything explosive nearby. Light passes through it, and it emits at level 11.
- Hardness
- Unbreakable
- Blast resistance
- 0
- Light level
- 11
- Transparent
- Yes
- Required tool
- Any
Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
How do you get Nether Portal in Minecraft?
Nether Portal generates naturally in the world and does not drop anything without Silk Touch.
What tool do you need to break Nether Portal?
No specific tool is required — Nether Portal can be broken by hand.
Is Nether Portal blast resistant?
Nether Portal has a blast resistance of 0, so an explosion nearby will destroy it.
