Overview
Capture a Zombie Villager rather than killing it, because curing one is the cheapest permanent discount in Minecraft. Hit it with a splash Potion of Weakness, feed it a golden apple, and it shakes and groans for a few minutes before converting back into a villager — one whose trades are permanently cheaper, often dropping to a single emerald for items that would otherwise cost dozens. It keeps its former profession and its clothing through the whole process, so a librarian zombie comes back a librarian. Doing this two or three times to the same villager stacks the discount towards the floor. Roughly 5% of zombie spawns are this variant, and every villager killed by a zombie on Hard difficulty becomes one, with a 50% chance on Normal, which is why an unlit village empties into a crowd of them. Behaviourally it is an ordinary zombie: 20 health, 2 armour, burns at dawn, breaks wooden doors on Hard. The trick is keeping it alive long enough to cure — a two-block pit with a roof and a door works, and the curing itself takes three to five minutes.
Permanent trade discounts. A cured Zombie Villager sells at a fraction of normal prices, which is how players get Mending books and diamond gear for one or two emeralds each.
Worth capturing rather than killing. Hit a zombie villager with a splash potion of Weakness and feed it a golden apple and it shakes for a few minutes and converts back into a villager, permanently discounting its trades, sometimes down to a single emerald. It keeps its former profession and clothing through the whole process. Behaviourally it is a zombie: burns at dawn, groans, breaks doors on Hard.
Zombie Villager is a hostile mob in Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.4. You will need to deal 20 damage — 10 hearts — to kill one. Its attacks do 3 damage on Normal.
Killing one drops 5 experience.
Properties
Zombie Villager 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
- 1.4.2
- Burns in daylight
- Yes
Damage by difficulty
Zombie Villager 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
Roughly 5% of zombie spawns, plus every villager killed by a zombie on Hard difficulty, and half of them on Normal.
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
- 1.4.2
Dimension: Overworld · Added in 1.4.2
Drops
Killing Zombie Villager 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 Villager 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 Villager where you are standing.
Summon
/summon minecraft:zombie_villager ~ ~ ~Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
How do you cure a Zombie Villager?
Throw a splash Potion of Weakness at it, then feed it a golden apple. Conversion takes three to five minutes.
Does curing give discounts?
Yes, permanently, and repeating the cure on the same villager stacks the discount further towards one emerald.
How common are Zombie Villagers?
About 5% of zombie spawns, plus every villager killed by a zombie on Hard and half of them on Normal.
Does a cured villager keep its profession?
Yes. It returns with the same profession and clothing it had before being infected.
How much health does the Zombie Villager have in Minecraft?
The Zombie Villager has 20 health points, which is 10 hearts.
What does the Zombie Villager drop?
It drops Rotten Flesh and Iron Ingot, plus 5 experience when killed by a player.
Where does the Zombie Villager spawn?
Roughly 5% of zombie spawns, plus every villager killed by a zombie on Hard difficulty, and half of them on Normal.
How much damage does Zombie Villager do?
3 on Normal difficulty — 1.5 hearts — with 2 on Easy and 4.5 on Hard.
Related pages
How to get it
About 5% of zombie spawns are Zombie Villagers, and every villager killed by a zombie becomes one on Hard, 50% of the time on Normal. Cure with a splash Potion of Weakness and 1 golden apple; conversion takes 3 to 5 minutes.
Tips
- Trap it under a roof with a door before curing, since the conversion takes minutes and sunrise will kill it.
- Use a splash Potion of Weakness rather than a lingering one — the splash is cheaper and applies instantly.
- Surround the converting villager with beds and iron bars to deepen the discount further.
- Cure a librarian specifically if you want cheap enchanted books. See villager trading and cheap mending.