Overview
Build the Wither somewhere you do not mind losing, because the first thing it does is explode. Four soul sand or soul soil in a T shape with three wither skeleton skulls on top summons it in any dimension; it then charges for about ten seconds and detonates, wrecking whatever you built it next to. From there it has 300 health, 4 armour points, and fires explosive skulls that break blocks and inflict the Wither effect, which damages straight through armour and hides your health bar while it ticks. Below half health the fight changes completely: it armours up, becomes immune to arrows entirely, and starts charging in melee, so the second half is a sword fight whether you planned one or not. It is immune to fire, lava, drowning and the Wither effect itself, which rules out most of the clever answers. Fighting it in a confined bedrock corridor in the Nether, or in a tunnel at the bottom of the End, is the standard approach. The reward is the nether star, its only drop and the only source in the game, which is the centre of a beacon.
The nether star, which is the only material a beacon can be built around. That makes the Wither a mandatory fight for anyone who wants permanent Haste, Speed, Strength or Regeneration at a base.
On spawn the wither charges for ten seconds and then detonates, so build it somewhere you do not mind losing. It fires explosive skulls that break blocks and inflict Wither, which damages through armour and hides your health bar. Below half health it armours up, becomes immune to arrows, and starts charging in melee, at which point the fight is entirely swords. It is immune to fire, lava, drowning and the Wither effect. Its nether star makes the beacon.
Wither sits under Bosses in Minecraft 1.21.4. Health sits at 300 points (150 hearts). It deals 8 damage on Normal difficulty.
Expect 50 experience per kill.
Properties
Wither has 300 health, which is 150 hearts and 4 points of natural armour. It drops up to 50 experience when a player kills it. Its hitbox is 0.9 blocks wide and 3.5 tall, which is what decides whether it fits through a gap or a one-block-high opening.
- Size
- 0.9 × 3.5
- Dimension
- Overworld, The Nether, The End
- Added in
- 1.4.2
Damage by difficulty
Wither hits for 5 on Easy, 8 on Normal and 12 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 | 5 | 2.5 |
| Normal | 8 | 4 |
| Hard | 12 | 6 |
Spawns in
Never spawns naturally. Built from four soul sand or soul soil in a T shape with three wither skeleton skulls on top, in any dimension.
It has no biome restriction, so anywhere in the Overworld / The Nether / The End that meets the light and space conditions is a valid spawn.
- Dimension
- Overworld, The Nether, The End
- Added in
- 1.4.2
Dimension: Overworld, The Nether, The End · Added in 1.4.2
Drops
Killing Wither drops Nether Star, plus up to 50 experience. Looting raises the maximum on most of these by one per level.
- Nether Star: 1 — Always dropped. The only source in the game.
How it behaves
The Wither has a boss health bar, ignores most crowd-control, and cannot be despawned by walking away. Prepare the arena before summoning it, not after.
Killed by a player it drops up to 50 experience; killed any other way it drops none.
Command
In a world with cheats on, this spawns one Wither where you are standing.
Summon
/summon minecraft:wither ~ ~ ~Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
How do you summon the Wither?
Place four soul sand or soul soil in a T shape and put three wither skeleton skulls on top. It works in any dimension.
How much health does the Wither have?
300 health plus 4 armour points, and it becomes immune to arrows below half health.
What does the Wither drop?
One nether star, always. It is the only source in the game and the core of a beacon.
Is the Wither immune to anything?
Fire, lava, drowning and the Wither effect itself, and arrows once it falls below half health.
How much health does the Wither have in Minecraft?
The Wither has 300 health points, which is 150 hearts.
What does the Wither drop?
It drops Nether Star, plus 50 experience when killed by a player.
Where does the Wither spawn?
Never spawns naturally. Built from four soul sand or soul soil in a T shape with three wither skeleton skulls on top, in any dimension.
How much damage does Wither do?
8 on Normal difficulty — 4 hearts — with 5 on Easy and 12 on Hard.
Related pages
How to get it
Summon the Wither by placing 4 soul sand or soul soil in a T shape and topping it with 3 wither skeleton skulls, in any dimension. It never spawns naturally, has 300 health, and drops exactly 1 nether star plus 50 experience.
Tips
- Summon it in a bedrock pocket at the bottom of the Nether or the End, where the spawn explosion breaks nothing.
- Switch from bow to sword below half health, because the Wither becomes immune to arrows at that point.
- Bring milk or golden apples: the Wither effect damages through armour and hides your health bar.
- Read how to beat the wither first — 3 skulls at 2.5% each is a long farm to lose.