Overview
An end ship is a single item wearing a very elaborate costume. The purpur galleon hovering beside roughly one in four End cities carries two loot chests, a brewing stand already loaded with Potions of Healing, and a dragon head on the prow — but the reason anybody builds a bridge out to it is the item frame in the stern, which holds a pair of Elytra. Elytra are found nowhere else in Minecraft, not in a chest, not from a mob, not from a trade, and taking a pair out of that frame is the single largest change to how you move that the game offers. Getting aboard is the hard part, because there is no bridge and no ladder: build out from the nearest tower, throw an ender pearl onto the deck, or use scaffolding, all of it over open void. Shulkers are stationed on the deck and below in a hold with no room to retreat, so clear the outside first and fight the interior from the stairwell. Take the dragon head as well — it is purely decorative but it is the only one you will ever get without killing a second dragon.
A pair of elytra from the stern item frame — the only ones in the game — plus a dragon head, two chests of diamonds, emeralds and enchanted books, and a brewing stand pre-stocked with Potions of Healing. The purpur hull itself is a generous haul of building block.
A flying purpur galleon that generates alongside roughly one in four end cities, hovering in the air with no bridge to it, so reaching it means building out or using an ender pearl. The prow carries a dragon head, the deck holds a brewing stand with potions of Healing, and below deck are two loot chests. The item frame in the stern holds a pair of elytra, and this is the only place in the game elytra can be obtained.
It is rare in the The End, restricted to End Highlands, and it generates floating beside an end city, above the island.
How to get it
End ships hover beside end cities in the end highlands, above the island rather than on it, and only about 1 city in 4 generates one. There is no bridge, so bring ender pearls, scaffolding or a stack of blocks to reach the deck.
Tips
- Clear the shulkers on the open deck before going below; the hold is cramped and Levitation there pins you to the ceiling.
- Throw an ender pearl onto the deck rather than bridging out, and keep a second pearl for the return trip.
- Take the elytra out of the item frame before looting the chests, in case the fight turns and you have to leave.
- Repair elytra with phantom membranes on an anvil, or with Mending, because they degrade quickly and cannot be crafted.
Version notes
Added in 1.9 alongside end cities and the elytra itself. The dragon head became a wearable decorative item in the same release and is still only obtainable here or by defeating the dragon.
Properties
It generates in the End, which has no weather, no day-night cycle and no water, and which you leave by dying or by using the exit portal. In a world with cheats on, /locate structure minecraft:end_ship gives the coordinates of the nearest one. Without cheats, an explorer map from a cartographer villager is the reliable route for the structures that have one; everything else is exploration.
- Biomes it generates in
- 1
- Notable loot items
- 8
Where it generates
End Ship generates in one biome: End Highlands. Outside those it will not generate at all, however far you travel.
Notable loot
Its loot includes Elytra, Dragon Head, Diamond, Iron Ingot, Gold Ingot, Emerald, Enchanted Book, and Brewing Stand. These are the notable entries rather than the full loot table — the common filler (bread, coal, iron nuggets) is omitted, and in some structures the best of it comes from a vault or a spawner rather than a chest.
Mobs found here
Shulker generate here. Several of them spawn nowhere else, which is usually the reason to make the trip.
What to watch out for
3 things to prepare for before you go in:
- Shulkers on deck and in the hold in a confined space
- The void directly below with no bridge
- Levitation while standing over open air
Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
Where are elytra found?
In the item frame in the stern of an end ship, and nowhere else in the game. There is no recipe, no mob drop and no trade for them.
Do all End cities have a ship?
No, roughly one in four does. If a city has no ship, the next city further out along the gateway chain is usually a short flight or bridge away.
What else is aboard an end ship?
Two loot chests with diamonds, iron, gold, emeralds and enchanted books, a brewing stand holding Potions of Healing, and a dragon head on the prow.
How do I find End Ship?
End Ship generates in the The End, only in End Highlands, and is rare. /locate structure minecraft:end_ship finds the nearest one instantly with cheats on.
What loot is in End Ship?
The notable entries are Elytra, Dragon Head, Diamond, Iron Ingot, Gold Ingot, Emerald and 2 more.
When was End Ship added?
End Ship was added in Java Edition 1.9.
Related pages
Structures that share End Ship's loot, its mobs or its biomes — not simply the next few in the list.
