Overview
Two and a half blocks of height is the most useful fact about a Wither Skeleton. At 2.4 blocks tall it physically cannot follow you into a corridor two blocks high, which is the standard way to fight them in a nether fortress: dig a two-high tunnel, stand inside it, and hit them as they queue up unable to reach past the ceiling. Without that trick they are genuinely dangerous — 20 health, a stone sword hitting for 8 on Normal, and every hit inflicts the Wither effect, which drains health through armour and, unlike Poison, can kill you outright. A golden apple will not clear it; only milk does. They are immune to fire, so knocking one into lava does nothing useful. The reason to fight them at all is the skull: 2.5% per player kill, rising to about 5.5% with Looting III, and three skulls are what summon the Wither. That is a long grind, which is why fortress farms exist. They spawn almost exclusively on nether fortress blocks at light level 7 or below, and occasionally in soul sand valleys, and also drop bones, coal and their stone sword.
Wither skeleton skulls, three of which summon the Wither and therefore lead to a nether star and a beacon. Coal and bones are useful side drops from any fortress trip.
Wither skeletons are two and a half blocks tall, so they cannot follow you into a two-block corridor, which is the standard way to fight them safely. They swing a stone sword for 8 on Normal and inflict Wither, which drains health through armour and cannot be cured by golden apples, only by milk. Three of their skulls summon the wither. They are immune to fire and cannot be knocked into lava easily.
Wither Skeleton sits under Hostile mobs in Minecraft 1.21.4. Health sits at 20 points (10 hearts). It deals 8 damage on Normal difficulty.
Expect 5 experience per kill.
Properties
Wither Skeleton has 20 health, which is 10 hearts. It drops up to 5 experience when a player kills it. Its hitbox is 0.7 blocks wide and 2.4 tall, which is what decides whether it fits through a gap or a one-block-high opening.
- Dimension
- The Nether
- Added in
- 1.4.2
Damage by difficulty
Wither Skeleton 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
Spawns almost exclusively on nether fortress blocks, and occasionally in soul sand valleys.
It does not appear in open terrain: every Wither Skeleton comes from Nether Fortress.
- Dimension
- The Nether
- Light level
- ≤ 7
- Only in
- Nether Fortress
- Biomes
- Nether Wastes, Soul Sand Valley
- Added in
- 1.4.2
Dimension: The Nether · Added in 1.4.2
Drops
Killing Wither Skeleton drops Bone, Coal, Stone Sword, and Wither Skeleton Skull, plus up to 5 experience. Looting raises the maximum on most of these by one per level.
- Bone: 0–2
- Coal: 0–1
- Stone Sword: 1 (9%)
- Wither Skeleton Skull: 1 (3%) — Only when killed by a player. Looting III raises this to about 5.5%.
How it behaves
The Wither Skeleton 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 Wither Skeleton where you are standing.
Summon
/summon minecraft:wither_skeleton ~ ~ ~Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
What is the wither skeleton skull drop rate?
2.5% on a player kill, rising to roughly 5.5% with Looting III.
How do you fight wither skeletons safely?
Stand in a corridor two blocks high. At 2.4 blocks tall they cannot enter it or reach you inside.
How do you cure the Wither effect?
Drink milk. Golden apples do not remove it, and unlike Poison it can reduce you to zero health.
Where do wither skeletons spawn?
Almost exclusively on nether fortress blocks at light level 7 or below, and rarely in soul sand valleys.
How much health does the Wither Skeleton have in Minecraft?
The Wither Skeleton has 20 health points, which is 10 hearts.
What does the Wither Skeleton drop?
It drops Bone, Coal, Stone Sword, and Wither Skeleton Skull, plus 5 experience when killed by a player.
Where does the Wither Skeleton spawn?
Spawns almost exclusively on nether fortress blocks, and occasionally in soul sand valleys.
How much damage does Wither Skeleton do?
8 on Normal difficulty — 4 hearts — with 5 on Easy and 12 on Hard.
Related pages
How to get it
Wither Skeletons spawn on nether fortress blocks at light level 7 or below and occasionally in soul sand valleys. Each drops 0 to 2 bones, 0 to 1 coal, and a wither skeleton skull at 2.5% on a player kill, about 5.5% with Looting III.
Tips
- Fight from a 2-block-high tunnel, since a Wither Skeleton stands 2.4 blocks tall and cannot reach into one.
- Carry milk, because the Wither effect kills outright and golden apples do not cure it.
- Use Looting III for skulls — the rate roughly doubles from 2.5% to about 5.5% per kill.
- Do not bother with fire or lava traps, since wither skeletons are immune to both.