Overview
A Zombie that sees you calls every Zombie within about forty blocks, and that is what turns one slow mob into the thing that overruns a base. It is not fast and it is not strong — 20 health, 2 armour points, 3 damage on Normal — but it never stops, it arrives with company, and on Hard difficulty it breaks down wooden doors and can infect a villager instead of killing it. Two variants complicate the picture. Roughly 5% spawn as babies, which are faster than a sprinting player, fit through one-block gaps, ride chickens as jockeys, and do not burn to death as reliably as you would like. And some spawn holding or wearing equipment, which changes their damage and their loot. They burn at dawn unless standing in water, in shade, or wearing a helmet, and a Zombie held underwater for thirty seconds converts into a Drowned. Drops are rotten flesh plus a 2.5% roll on a player kill shared between an iron ingot, a carrot and a potato, which is the entire reason zombie spawner farms exist — that trickle of iron and the experience. Iron doors and a two-block moat solve almost everything.
Rotten flesh in bulk, a slow iron trickle at 2.5%, and experience. Rotten flesh feeds tamed wolves with no side effect and composts, so a spawner farm is rarely wasted.
Zombies are slow but they never stop, they call every zombie within forty blocks when they see you, and on Hard difficulty they break down wooden doors and can infect a villager instead of killing it. Baby zombies are faster than a sprinting player and can ride chickens. They burn at dawn unless helmeted or in water or shade. Drowned in water for thirty seconds, a zombie becomes a drowned.
Zombie sits under Hostile mobs in Minecraft 1.21.4. Health sits at 20 points (10 hearts). It deals 3 damage on Normal difficulty.
Expect 5 experience per kill.
Properties
Zombie has 20 health, which is 10 hearts and 2 points of natural armour. 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.
- Size
- 0.6 × 1.95
- Dimension
- Overworld
- Added in
- 1.0.0
- Burns in daylight
- Yes
Damage by difficulty
Zombie hits for 2 on Easy, 3 on Normal and 4.5 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Normal | 3 | 1.5 |
| Hard | 4.5 | 2.25 |
Spawns in
Spawns in darkness anywhere in the Overworld and from dungeon spawners. About 5% spawn as babies, and some spawn wearing or holding equipment.
It has no biome restriction, so anywhere in the Overworld that meets the light and space conditions is a valid spawn.
- Dimension
- Overworld
- Light level
- 0
- Added in
- 1.0.0
Dimension: Overworld · Added in 1.0.0
Drops
Killing Zombie drops Rotten Flesh and Iron Ingot, plus up to 5 experience. Looting raises the maximum on most of these by one per level.
- Rotten Flesh: 0–2
- Iron Ingot: 1 (3%) — Shares a 2.5% roll with carrot and potato; only when killed by a player.
How it behaves
The Zombie 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 Zombie where you are standing.
Summon
/summon minecraft:zombie ~ ~ ~Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
Do zombies break doors?
Wooden doors, on Hard difficulty only. Iron doors stop them on every difficulty.
How much damage does a Zombie do?
3 on Normal, 2 on Easy and 4.5 on Hard, plus 2 armour points of its own.
What is the zombie iron drop rate?
2.5% on a player kill, shared with a carrot and a potato, and raised by Looting.
How do zombies turn into drowned?
Hold one underwater for 30 seconds. The conversion is permanent, but it will never carry a trident.
How much health does the Zombie have in Minecraft?
The Zombie has 20 health points, which is 10 hearts.
What does the Zombie drop?
It drops Rotten Flesh and Iron Ingot, plus 5 experience when killed by a player.
Where does the Zombie spawn?
Spawns in darkness anywhere in the Overworld and from dungeon spawners. About 5% spawn as babies, and some spawn wearing or holding equipment.
How much damage does Zombie do?
3 on Normal difficulty — 1.5 hearts — with 2 on Easy and 4.5 on Hard.
Related pages
How to get it
Zombies spawn at light level 0 anywhere in the Overworld and from dungeon spawners, with about 5% appearing as babies. A player kill rolls a 2.5% chance of an iron ingot, carrot or potato, alongside 0 to 2 rotten flesh and 5 experience.
Tips
- Use iron doors on any base built on Hard, because zombies break wooden ones down and call reinforcements.
- Deal with baby zombies first — they outrun a sprinting player and slip through gaps adults cannot.
- Feed rotten flesh to tamed wolves rather than composting it; it heals them with no Hunger effect at all.
- Hold one underwater for 30 seconds if you want a drowned, which is the cheapest route to a trident farm.