Overview
Wither is Poison with the safety catch removed. It ticks health away on the same pattern, the health bar turns black so you can see at a glance which of the two you have caught, and unlike Poison it will take you to zero. There is no potion form and no beacon for it — every source is a mob or a block, which makes it the most avoidable of the serious effects and the most punishing when you stop paying attention. Wither skeletons apply it with every sword hit in Nether fortresses, and that is where most players meet it: a fight that seemed to be going well ends because three stacked applications outpaced your food regeneration. The Wither boss applies it with every projectile, and wither roses apply it simply for standing on them, which is worth remembering when you decorate with one. Milk removes it and is worth carrying into a fortress for exactly this reason. Wither skeletons and the Wither itself are immune, so there is no way to turn the effect back on its source. The practical defence is armour, distance and a bucket of milk in the hotbar.
Nothing you can wield in survival — its role is as the fortress and boss hazard you plan around, and as the reason a bucket of milk belongs in a Nether kit.
Drains health over time and, unlike Poison, will kill you. The health bar turns black while it is active.
As a status effect, Wither counts as harmful. No potion produces it, so it lasts however long the source keeps applying it.
While it is active the icon sits in the top-right of the inventory screen with the time remaining under it, and particles in the effect's own colour trail off you, fainter when the source is ambient — a beacon or a conduit. No beacon offers it, so every application has a fixed duration.
How to get it
There is no potion. A wither skeleton's sword applies it for 10 seconds on Normal difficulty, the boss's skulls apply a longer and stronger dose, and standing on a wither rose applies it for 2 seconds at a time.
Tips
- Carry milk into a Nether fortress; the black hearts mean you have seconds rather than the leisure Poison allows.
- Wither roses can kill any mob that walks over them, which makes them the standard trigger for a mob-grinder floor.
- Wither skeletons and the boss are immune, so a wither rose in a fortress does nothing to the things attacking you.
- Read how to beat the Wither before summoning; the skull attack applies far longer than a skeleton's sword.
What each level does
The level shown in the inventory is the amplifier plus one, which is why Wither II is amplifier 1 in a command. Each level does the following:
You cannot reach past II legitimately, though a command will set it as high as 255.
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| I | 1 damage every 40 ticks, and it can kill |
| II | 1 damage every 20 ticks, and it can kill |
Properties
Wither has no brewed form. It comes from Wither, Wither skeleton, and Wither rose, and it runs for as long as the source does. A bucket of milk removes it, at the cost of every other effect you have running. Wither skeletons and the wither itself are immune.
- Category
- Negative
- Highest level in survival
- II
- Particle colour
- #352A27
- Removed by
- Milk
Where it comes from
Wither comes from Wither, Wither skeleton, and Wither rose.
- Wither
- Wither skeleton
- Wither rose
Command
Cheats on, this applies Wither I for half a minute. That final digit is the amplifier — 1 gives you level II.
Give the effect
/effect give @s minecraft:wither 30 0Clear it
/effect clear @s minecraft:witherGuides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
How long does Wither last?
There is no potion of Wither: its duration comes from whatever source applied it.
How do I get rid of Wither?
A bucket of milk, which also removes everything else you have on.
Is Wither good or bad?
It is a harmful effect: the game classes it with the negative statuses.
What does Wither II do?
Wither II gives 1 damage every 20 ticks, and it can kill.
