Overview
The obsidian pillars are phase one of the ender dragon fight, and how quickly you clear them decides how the rest goes. Ten towers ring the central island, each capped with an End Crystal that heals the dragon whenever she passes within range — leave one standing and you will be chipping away at a health bar that refills faster than you empty it. The shorter pillars have their crystals exposed, so an arrow or a snowball destroys them from the ground. The taller ones are caged in iron bars, and a projectile will not reach through: you have to climb. Bring water for the way down, blocks to pillar up, and expect the dragon to strafe you while you are standing on a two-block-wide obsidian platform 100 blocks above stone. Every crystal explodes with force comparable to a charged creeper, so shoot from a distance and never break one while standing next to it. After the fight the pillars remain, and the obsidian is free — 10 towers of it, mined with a diamond pickaxe, which is more obsidian than most players ever need. Four fresh end crystals placed around the exit portal respawn the dragon for another run.
The first phase of the dragon fight — every crystal destroyed is healing denied — plus a very large free supply of obsidian afterwards, iron bars from the cages, and end crystals if you can break the cages without detonating the crystal inside.
Ten obsidian towers of varying heights arranged in a ring around the central End island, each topped with an end crystal that heals the ender dragon whenever it flies within range. Destroying every crystal is the first phase of the fight; the taller pillars have their crystals enclosed in iron bar cages that must be broken open, usually with a bow, a thrown item, or a bed detonated next to them. Placing four fresh end crystals around the exit portal respawns the dragon.
It is very common in the The End, restricted to The End, and it generates rise from the central End island; tops sit between roughly Y=76 and Y=103.
How to get it
The pillars generate automatically on the central island of the End, rising from the island floor with their tops between roughly Y=76 and Y=103. All 10 are visible the moment you step out of the stronghold portal, so there is nothing to search for.
Tips
- Snipe the exposed crystals from the ground first, then climb only the caged towers; that usually halves the climbing.
- Break the iron bars with a pickaxe, step back, and shoot the crystal from range — the explosion rivals a charged creeper.
- A bed detonated beside a caged crystal destroys it, which saves both arrows and time, but stand well clear when you use it.
- Carry a water bucket for a safe descent, and read how to beat the ender dragon before the first attempt.
Version notes
Present since 1.0.0 with the End itself, though the iron bar cages on the taller pillars came later. Dragon respawning with four end crystals was added in 1.9.
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:obsidian_pillars 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
- 3
Where it generates
Obsidian Pillars generates in one biome: The End. Outside those it will not generate at all, however far you travel.
Notable loot
Its loot includes Obsidian, End Crystal, and Iron Bars. 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
Enderman generate here. Several of them spawn nowhere else, which is usually the reason to make the trip.
What to watch out for
4 things to prepare for before you go in:
- End crystals explode violently when destroyed
- Falling from the pillar tops
- The dragon strafing while you climb
- Endermen swarming at the base
Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
Why do end crystals need to be destroyed first?
Each surviving crystal heals the ender dragon whenever she flies within range of it, so the fight cannot be won until every one of the ten is gone.
How do you reach the caged crystals?
By climbing the pillar, since iron bars block projectiles. Pillar up with blocks, break the bars, then attack the crystal from a safe distance.
Can the ender dragon be respawned?
Yes. Place four end crystals around the exit portal, one on each side, and the dragon returns along with a new end gateway.
How do I find Obsidian Pillars?
Obsidian Pillars generates in the The End, only in The End, and is very common. /locate structure minecraft:obsidian_pillars finds the nearest one instantly with cheats on.
What loot is in Obsidian Pillars?
The notable entries are Obsidian, End Crystal, and Iron Bars.
When was Obsidian Pillars added?
Obsidian Pillars was added in Java Edition 1.0.0.
Related pages
Structures that share Obsidian Pillars's loot, its mobs or its biomes — not simply the next few in the list.
