How to create the Wither in Minecraft

01. 05. 2023

You will need to make a structure with Soul Sand or Soul Soil, and three Wither Skeleton skulls in order to spawn the Wither. All of these ingredients can be found in the Nether. Check out our list to see the best worlds for a Nether rush. After you have all the items you need, you can place them in this shape:

If the last block you place is one the Wither Skeleton Skulls then the Wither will not spawn. So make sure you keep one until the end.

The boss fight will start as soon as the final skull is placed. Before you place the final skull, grab any food, weapons, or potions you like and get into the fight.

How to defeat the Wither in Minecraft

The Wither, like the Ender Dragon has a health bar you need to reduce to zero. The Wither will begin to change its behavior slightly when it reaches half health. This splits the battle into two phases.

Phase 1 of the Wither Boss Battle

Phase 1 begins when Wither appears in the Overworld. It will grow until it explodes in an explosive burst that damages everything around it and starts the fight.

The Wither will hover over the battlefield and search for players or mobs other then undead during the first phase. It will find a target and lock onto it, firing Wither Skulls out of its three heads.

These Wither Skulls explode upon impact and destroy most basic blocks like Cobblestone, Dirt Sand, Sand, Wood. The Wither Skulls can cause a complete destruction of almost any surface, making a fight against them particularly dangerous.

The difficulty of Wither Skulls will determine the extent of their damage. They deal 5 hearts of damage on Easy. If you get hit by a Wither Skull on Medium, you'll lose 8 hearts. On Hard, you'll lose 12 hearts.

The Wither effect is also caused by Wither Skulls. This will drain your health for 10 seconds (Normal) and 40 seconds (Hard). You can die quickly from this effect, but drinking a bucket full of milk will remove it completely. If your hearts turn black, you will have the Wither status effect.

The Wither will plant a Wither rose if it kills a mob standing on soil. Your health slowly dwindles when your character touches a Wither Rose. The effect will cease 1 second after your character has stopped touching the Rose. Avoiding Wither Roses is important. Do not stand near animals or villagers that the Wither can easily kill.

While you're in the first phase, be careful and use ranged weapons such as the Bow to deal damage. These weapons will cause damage to the Wither and give you ample space to dodge any Wither Skulls.

The Wither will passively replenish its health throughout the battle. You need to deal with damage quickly and consistently in order to kill it. The Wither also gets a slight health boost by killing mobs, so avoid farming or villages. As mentioned, this will help you avoid Wither Roses.

Phase 2 of the Wither boss fight

The Wither wraps itself in a hazy, blue shield when it reaches half health. This shield will protect the Wither from damage by ranged weapons. You will need to grab your melee weapon and engage in close-quarters combat.

The attack pattern of the Wither will not change in Java edition during this phase. Keep an eye out for Wither Skulls when you approach them and deal damage.

You should use either a Netherite Sword or a Diamond, as these are the strongest melee weapons in Minecraft. These should be enchanted using Smite as the Wither is considered an undead enemy. This enchantment will cause them to take more damage.

You will need to switch tactics if you play in Bedrock Edition. The Wither will get a ram attack, which it will only use occasionally. It will change into a flat stance, then move forward at high speed.

This attack is used by the Wither to inflict damage on any nearby mobs and completely level the terrain. If you notice it changing stance, avoid it before it unleashes its attack.

What are the chances of defeating the Wither?

The Wither will die, but it will still shake briefly before moving on. EXP and a Nether Star will fall to the floor. These are needed for the Beacon.