Overview
Killing the wrong Pillager starts a war. The one wearing the ominous banner on its head is a captain, and killing a captain gives you Bad Omen, which turns into a raid the moment you set foot in a village — a chain of events that has ruined more villages than any other single mechanic. In 1.21 that effect was reworked into the ominous bottle, an item the captain drops that you drink deliberately when you want the raid, which makes the whole thing opt-in rather than accidental. The mob itself carries 24 health and a crossbow that hits for about 5, with a slow reload that is the entire fight: close the distance between shots and it has nothing left. Pillagers do not open doors, but they will shoot villagers and iron golems on sight, so an unprotected village loses residents fast. They spawn continuously around pillager outposts, in roaming patrols anywhere in the Overworld after about day 5, and in every raid wave. Crossbows drop at roughly 8.5%, emeralds only from raid kills, and the banner only from captains. Compare the Vindicator, the melee half of the same faction.
Crossbows, emeralds from raids, and the ominous banner as a trophy. Captains are the source of the ominous bottle, which is how you start a raid on purpose for totems and emeralds.
Pillagers fire crossbows from range and reload slowly, so closing the gap between shots is the whole fight. Kill the patrol captain, the one wearing the ominous banner, and you get Bad Omen, which triggers a raid the moment you enter a village; in 1.21 that effect became an ominous bottle you can apply deliberately. They do not open doors but they will shoot villagers and iron golems on sight.
Pillager is a hostile mob in Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.4. You will need to deal 24 damage — 12 hearts — to kill one. Its attacks do 5 damage on Normal.
Killing one drops 5 experience.
Properties
Pillager has 24 health, which is 12 hearts. It drops up to 5 experience when a player kills it. Its hitbox is 0.6 blocks wide and 1.95 tall, which is what decides whether it fits through a gap or a one-block-high opening.
- Dimension
- Overworld
- Added in
- 1.14
Damage by difficulty
Pillager hits for 5 on every difficulty; its damage does not scale the way most hostile mobs' does.
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 | 5 | 2.5 |
| Normal | 5 | 2.5 |
| Hard | 5 | 2.5 |
Spawns in
Spawns continuously around pillager outposts, in roaming patrols anywhere in the Overworld after day 5, and in every raid wave.
It does not appear in open terrain: every Pillager comes from Pillager Outpost.
- Dimension
- Overworld
- Light level
- Any
- Only in
- Pillager Outpost
- Added in
- 1.14
Dimension: Overworld · Added in 1.14
Drops
Killing Pillager drops Crossbow and Emerald, plus up to 5 experience. Looting raises the maximum on most of these by one per level.
How it behaves
The Pillager attacks on sight within its detection range, so light, walls and distance are all valid answers. Most hostile mobs notice you inside about sixteen blocks, though a few — ghasts especially — see very much further.
Killed by a player it drops up to 5 experience; killed any other way it drops none.
Command
In a world with cheats on, this spawns one Pillager where you are standing.
Summon
/summon minecraft:pillager ~ ~ ~Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
What happens when you kill a pillager captain?
You receive Bad Omen, which becomes a raid as soon as you enter a village. In 1.21 the captain also drops an ominous bottle.
Where do pillagers spawn?
Around pillager outposts, in roaming patrols anywhere in the Overworld after about day 5, and in every raid wave.
How much damage does a Pillager do?
About 5 per crossbow bolt, with a long reload between shots that is the whole weakness of the mob.
Do pillagers drop crossbows?
Yes, at roughly 8.5%, and the drop is often damaged. Looting raises the chance.
How much health does the Pillager have in Minecraft?
The Pillager has 24 health points, which is 12 hearts.
What does the Pillager drop?
It drops Crossbow and Emerald, plus 5 experience when killed by a player.
Where does the Pillager spawn?
Spawns continuously around pillager outposts, in roaming patrols anywhere in the Overworld after day 5, and in every raid wave.
How much damage does Pillager do?
5 on Normal difficulty — 2.5 hearts — with 5 on Easy and 5 on Hard.
Related pages
How to get it
Pillagers spawn around pillager outposts at any light level, in patrols anywhere in the Overworld after roughly day 5, and in every raid wave. A crossbow drops at about 8.5%, and only captains drop the ominous banner.
Tips
- Close the gap during the crossbow reload — a Pillager caught mid-reload has no answer to a sword.
- Check the head before you shoot: a banner-wearing captain gives you Bad Omen and a raid at the next village.
- Collect the ominous bottle a captain drops and save it for when you are ready to farm a raid deliberately.
- Build the village walls higher than a Pillager can shoot over, since they target iron golems and villagers directly.