Overview
Nothing else in Minecraft defends a base as cheaply as an Iron Golem. Four iron blocks in a T shape with a carved pumpkin on top gives you 100 health of immovable guard that is immune to drowning and fall damage, attacks every hostile mob in range except creepers, and swings hard enough to launch a raider into the air — up to 21.5 damage on Normal. Thirty-six iron ingots is a real cost early on, but it is a one-off, and the golem can be healed back to full by right-clicking it with iron ingots rather than rebuilt. Villages produce their own once there are at least 20 beds and 10 villagers, and every pillager outpost generates one caged as a prisoner, which you can free and lead home. There is one rule that trips people up: hit a village-spawned golem and it turns on you and stays angry, while one you built yourself will never retaliate however many times you hit it. Golems drop 3 to 5 iron ingots and 0 to 2 poppies, which is where iron farms come from, and they hand poppies to village children when there is nothing to fight.
Base and village defence, and renewable iron. An Iron Golem kills almost every hostile mob unaided, and a farm built around village spawning turns 3 to 5 ingots per golem into a permanent iron supply.
The iron golem is the best defensive mob in the game: 100 health, immune to drowning and fall damage, and a swing that deals between 7.5 and 21.5 on Normal while launching the target into the air. It patrols villages, attacks any hostile mob except creepers, and hands poppies to village children. Hit a village golem and it turns on you; hit a golem you built and it will not. Repair it with iron ingots.
In Minecraft, Iron Golem is classified as a utility mob. It has 100 health points, or 50 hearts. On Normal difficulty each hit costs you 21.5 damage.
Killing one gives no XP at all.
Properties
Iron Golem has 100 health, which is 50 hearts. It drops no experience when a player kills it. Its hitbox is 1.4 blocks wide and 2.7 tall, which is what decides whether it fits through a gap or a one-block-high opening.
- Dimension
- Overworld
- Added in
- 1.2.1
Damage by difficulty
Iron Golem hits for 11.75 on Easy, 21.5 on Normal and 32.25 on Hard — the site's stat strip shows the Normal figure, which is the one most guides quote.
A full set of diamond armour cuts that by up to 80% against a small hit and less against a large one, and Protection IV on all four pieces — 16 EPF — takes a further 64% off what is left.
| Difficulty | Attack damage | Hearts |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 11.75 | 5.88 |
| Normal | 21.5 | 10.75 |
| Hard | 32.25 | 16.13 |
Spawns in
Spawns naturally in villages with at least 20 beds and 10 villagers, and always at pillager outposts as a caged prisoner. Also built from four iron blocks in a T shape topped with a carved pumpkin.
It has no biome restriction, so anywhere in the Overworld that meets the light and space conditions is a valid spawn.
- Dimension
- Overworld
- Added in
- 1.2.1
Dimension: Overworld · Added in 1.2.1
Drops
Killing Iron Golem drops Iron Ingot and Poppy. Looting raises the maximum on most of these by one per level.
- Iron Ingot: 3–5
- Poppy: 0–2
How it behaves
The Iron Golem is built rather than spawned, and it fights on your side. Its behaviour follows the player or the village that created it.
It drops no experience however it dies, so there is nothing to farm here.
Command
In a world with cheats on, this spawns one Iron Golem where you are standing.
Summon
/summon minecraft:iron_golem ~ ~ ~Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
How do you make an Iron Golem?
Place four iron blocks in a T shape and put a carved pumpkin or jack o'lantern on top last.
How much damage does an Iron Golem do?
Between roughly 7.5 and 21.5 on Normal, plus knockback that launches the target into the air.
Do iron golems attack creepers?
No. Creepers are the one hostile mob an Iron Golem ignores, which is why walls still matter. See mob-proof base.
What do iron golems drop?
3 to 5 iron ingots and 0 to 2 poppies, unaffected by Looting.
How much health does the Iron Golem have in Minecraft?
The Iron Golem has 100 health points, which is 50 hearts.
What does the Iron Golem drop?
It drops Iron Ingot and Poppy, plus 0 experience when killed by a player.
Where does the Iron Golem spawn?
Spawns naturally in villages with at least 20 beds and 10 villagers, and always at pillager outposts as a caged prisoner. Also built from four iron blocks in a T shape topped with a carved pumpkin.
How much damage does Iron Golem do?
21.5 on Normal difficulty — 10.75 hearts — with 11.75 on Easy and 32.25 on Hard.
Related pages
How to get it
Build one from 4 iron blocks in a T shape with a carved pumpkin or jack o'lantern placed last. Villages spawn them naturally with at least 20 beds and 10 villagers, and 1 generates caged at every pillager outpost.
Tips
- Place the carved pumpkin last — the golem only forms when the pumpkin completes the T shape.
- Heal a damaged golem by using iron ingots on it instead of breaking and rebuilding the whole structure.
- Never hit a village golem: it turns hostile permanently, while a golem you built yourself never retaliates.
- Position golems where creepers cannot reach, since an Iron Golem ignores creepers entirely and will not stop one.