Overview
A Nether Star is the reward for killing the wither and the only ingredient that makes a Beacon. It drops from nothing else, cannot be crafted or traded, and is immune to fire, lava and explosions — which is deliberate, since the wither's death throes tend to involve all three. One star plus 3 obsidian and 5 glass makes a beacon, and a beacon on a pyramid of iron, gold, emerald, diamond or netherite blocks projects Haste, Speed, Strength, Jump Boost, Resistance or Regeneration across a wide area of your base. Haste II from a full four-layer pyramid is the effect most players build for: it cuts mining time by nearly a third across a 50-block radius, which changes what a large excavation costs in real hours. That means the whole beacon project — the wither fight, 164 mineral blocks, the star itself — is really a mining-speed investment. The star also glows with an enchantment shimmer in the inventory and never despawns as a dropped item. It is the single most expensive item in the game, and the only one that permanently changes how a base plays.
Building a beacon — the only permanent area status effect in the game, and the only practical source of Haste II for large mining and building projects.
In Minecraft, Nether Star is a miscellaneous item. A full stack holds 64. It drops from Wither.
It goes into exactly one recipe: Beacon.
How to get it
Kill the wither, which drops exactly 1 star. Summon it with 4 soul sand or soul soil and 3 wither skeleton skulls, each of which drops at about a 2.5% chance from a wither skeleton.
Tips
- A full four-layer pyramid needs 164 mineral blocks and gives a 50-block range plus a level II effect.
- Fight the wither underground in a sealed chamber or in the End, where its explosions ruin less.
- Nether stars never burn and never despawn, so a star dropped in lava is still recoverable.
- See how to beat the wither and how to make a beacon before starting.
Properties
One inventory slot holds 64, so a double chest holds 3,456.
- Stack size
- 64
- Renewable
- Yes
- Category
- Miscellaneous
Dropped by
1 mobs drop Nether Star: Wither. Looting raises the maximum on most of them.
Used to craft
Nether Star is an ingredient in 1 recipes, producing Beacon.
Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
How do you make Nether Star in Minecraft?
Nether Star has no crafting recipe — it drops from Wither.
What is the stack size of Nether Star?
Nether Star stacks to 64.
