The Wither has 300 health, is classed as undead, and drops a nether star — the only source of a beacon. You beat it by choosing where to fight it, not by out-damaging it in the open. The standard answer is to summon it in an enclosed space it cannot break, hit it with a Smite V sword, and heal through the Wither effect with milk or regeneration.
Getting the materials
Summoning needs 4 soul sand (or soul soil) in a T shape and 3 wither skeleton skulls placed on top.
- Soul sand is common in soul sand valleys.
- Skulls drop from wither skeletons in Nether fortresses at a base rate of 2.5%. Looting III raises it to 5.5% — roughly one skull per 18 kills. Bring a Looting III sword; without it the skull hunt is the longest part of the whole project.
Wither skeletons deal 8 damage on Normal and apply the Wither effect, which blocks natural regeneration. Fight them in a fortress corridor with a shield, and keep milk on hand.
Where to fight it
This decision determines the difficulty of the fight.
Under the Nether bedrock roof (the standard)
The Nether ceiling at Y=128 is bedrock, which the Wither cannot break. Dig out a room in the netherrack directly beneath it, roughly 4 blocks tall and enclosed, and summon the Wither inside. Its explosions do nothing to bedrock, and the blue skulls that break blocks cannot get out through the ceiling.
Advantages: no destruction of anything you care about, no ghasts, no fall risk. Disadvantage: you are in the Nether, so no water and no beds.
A deep obsidian box in the Overworld
If you would rather fight in the Overworld, build a sealed chamber of obsidian at least 5×5×4 well away from your base. Obsidian's blast resistance of 1,200 makes it effectively Wither-proof; the mob's blue skulls will still break weaker blocks, so do not leave any in the walls.
The bedrock floor at Y=-64
The bottom of the Overworld is also bedrock. Digging a chamber at Y=-59 with a bedrock floor works, though the ceiling and walls will be deepslate, which the Wither can break.
Never summon it inside your base. The spawn explosion alone is large, and the fight destroys terrain for a considerable radius.
The summoning
Place the soul sand in a T: three blocks in a row, one block centred below them. Then place the three skulls along the top row. The final skull triggers it.
Once placed:
- The Wither is invulnerable for about 10 seconds while its health bar fills.
- It then releases a large explosion. Be behind cover or 15+ blocks away, or you will die to the spawn blast.
- It starts at 300 health.
The fight
Phase 1 — above half health
The Wither flies, fires black skulls that explode on contact, and occasionally blue skulls that break blocks and home in on you. Hits apply the Wither effect, which damages you over time and, critically, prevents natural regeneration.
Your job in this phase is damage and cover. Use pillars or a low ceiling to break line of sight, step out to attack, step back.
Phase 2 — below half health
At 150 health the Wither gains Wither armour: it stops flying, descends towards you, and becomes immune to arrows and all other projectiles. Every bow, crossbow and trident in your inventory becomes useless.
This is why melee gear is mandatory. Plan the fight so that you have closed the distance before it crosses half health.
Damage
The Wither is undead. That single fact governs the whole fight:
| Tool or effect | Against the Wither |
|---|---|
| Smite V sword | Adds 12.5 damage per hit — the single best weapon |
| Sharpness V | Adds 3 damage — much worse here |
| Instant Health potion | Damages it |
| Instant Damage potion | Heals it |
| Regeneration potion | Harms it |
| Poison | No effect (undead are immune) |
| Explosions and TNT | Full damage, but destroys your arena |
A Smite V netherite sword deals 8 + 12.5 = 20.5 base damage per hit, before critical hits. That is roughly 15 hits to kill, or fewer with criticals. Bring one, even if you have to enchant it specifically for this fight — Smite is otherwise a poor enchantment.
Splash Potions of Healing thrown at it are a strong secondary source of damage and are cheap to brew from glistering melon slices.
Keeping yourself alive
- Milk removes the Wither effect instantly. Carry three or four buckets — but remember it removes every effect, including Strength and Resistance.
- Regeneration potions outpace Wither damage without cancelling your other buffs.
- Golden apples give Absorption and Regeneration together, which is often the better answer mid-fight.
- Full Protection IV armour, or Blast Protection if you have it, since most of the incoming damage is explosive.
- Do not stand still. The skulls track slowly and are easy to sidestep.
The reward
The Wither drops one nether star, which never despawns and is immune to fire and explosions. One star plus 3 obsidian and 5 glass makes a beacon.
A beacon on a full pyramid (164 blocks of iron, gold, diamond, emerald or netherite) grants a level-2 effect at up to 50 blocks: Haste II is transformative for large building and mining projects, and Regeneration or Resistance is useful in a combat base. Most players build several Withers' worth of beacons over the life of a world.
Withers also convert nearby mobs into wither roses when they kill them, which is the only source of that flower.
Frequently asked questions
Can I beat the Wither with a bow?
Only its first half. Below 150 health it gains Wither armour and becomes immune to projectiles, so a bow-only loadout stalls completely. Use a bow to open the fight and a Smite sword to finish it.
Is Smite really better than Sharpness here?
Yes, decisively. Smite V adds 12.5 damage against undead mobs, while Sharpness V adds 3 against everything. Against the Wither, wither skeletons, zombies and skeletons, Smite roughly doubles a diamond sword's output. Keep a dedicated Smite sword for this fight and boss-adjacent work, and Sharpness for general use.
What is the safest place to summon it?
Under the Nether bedrock roof, in a netherrack chamber about 4 blocks tall. The bedrock ceiling contains it, nothing you own is nearby, and the confined space forces the Wither into melee range where you want it. Bring Fire Resistance in case you break into lava while digging the chamber.
Do I need a beacon at all?
Not to finish the game, but Haste II from a beacon changes large-scale mining and building more than any other single item, and Resistance or Regeneration in a home base is genuinely useful. Most players who beat the Wither once end up doing it again for a second star.
Can the Wither break bedrock or obsidian?
No. Its blue skulls break most blocks but cannot damage bedrock, and obsidian at 1,200 blast resistance is effectively immune to its explosions. Those two blocks are the entire basis of every safe Wither arena.
