How to Make the Wither in Minecraft

With the right items, you'll face the Wither in no time.

May 21, 2024 - 3 min read

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Reyadh is a writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction who loves to play video games full of monsters and magic. When he's not scribing unique and unrelenting speculative fiction or slaying demons in virtual worlds, he is writing strategy guides to help others reach their gaming goals.

Reviewed by:

Marshall Gunnell

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Key Takeaway

You must create a T-shaped statue out of four blocks of Soul Sand (or Soul Soil) before placing three Wither Skeleton Skulls on the top three blocks of your “T” to spawn the Wither in Minecraft.

If you’re ready for a fierce challenge, you can spawn the Wither in Minecraft. Slaying it so gets you a unique item that you can use to create a Beacon. However, before you can face this boss-tier enemy, you must gather the goods to summon it.

What You Need to Spawn the Wither in Minecraft

You’ll need three Wither Skeleton Skulls and four blocks of Soul Sand (or Soul Soil) to spawn the Wither in Minecraft. These items are mostly exclusive to the Nether, so get some Obsidian and craft a Nether Portal!

Farming Wither Skeleton Skulls

A Wither Skeleton standing in front of a lake of lava.

Wither Skeleton Skulls are dropped by defeated Wither Skeletons at a 2.5% chance. However, you can increase these odds by applying the Looting Enchantment to the weapon you use to slay Wither Skeletons. With that said, the increased drop chance gained through the Looting Enchantment is different in the Java and Bedrock Editions.

With Looting I (Java Edition): 3.5%
With Looting II (Java Edition): 4.5%
With Looting III (Java Edition): 5.5%
With Looting I (Bedrock Edition): 4.5%
With Looting II (Bedrock Edition): 6.5%
With Looting III (Bedrock Edition): 8.5%

Keep in mind that the above drop chance information only pertains to when you (or your tamed Wolf) kills a Wither Skeleton. If you manage to get a Wither Skeleton close to a Charged Creeper, the explosion caused by the latter guarantees that a Wither Skeleton will drop a Wither Skeleton Skull. On a small side note, this is true for all mobs; Charged Creeper explosions always cause an applicable mob to drop its head.

The only place where Wither Skeletons spawn is inside the darkest parts of Nether Fortresses (light level seven or lower). Although it can be tricky to find a Nether Fortress, when you do, Wither Skeletons can spawn in groups up to four in size. If these hostile mobs spawn at their maximum group size, it gives you four chances to get a Wither Skeleton Skull.

Tip

We recommend using ranged attacks to fight Wither Skeletons to avoid their deadly Wither effect.

Where to Get Soul Sand and Soul Soil

Between Soul Sand and Soul Soil, the former is much easier to come by. As such, it’s better to seek out Soul Sand if you want to spawn a Wither. You can even find Soul Sand in the Overworld—albeit only in one hard-to-locate biome. Here’s every place you can get Soul Sand in Minecraft:

Pretty much anywhere in Soul Sand Valleys
In the Nether Wart rooms of Nether Fortresses
Below layer 34 in Nether Wastes
Within the Hoglin Stables of Bastion Remnants
In Ancient Cities, which only generate in the Deep Dark biome

As for Soul Soil, it can only be found in Soul Sand Valleys.

Spawning the Wither

To summon the Wither, you must create a T-shape out of four Soul Sand (or Soul Soil) then place three Wither Skeleton Skulls on the top three blocks of your “T.” The moment you complete this macabre effigy, the Wither springs to life! When it does, it’ll begin attacking you immediately. As such, you should prepare for the coming battle accordingly.

Note

The Wither cannot spawn on Peaceful mode.

A T-shaped statue of Soul Sand with three Wither Skeleton Skulls on top of it.

Rewards for Defeating the Wither in Minecraft

The only item the Wither drops upon its death is a Nether Star. You can combine the Nether Star with three blocks of Obsidian and four blocks of Glass (not Glass Panes) to create a Beacon. This is the ultimate trophy for slaying what is arguably the most fearsome mob in Minecraft.

Besides the Ender Dragon and the Wither, the next most dangerous mob in Minecraft is likely the Warden. The latter fiend can be found amidst Sculk Shriekers in the Deep Dark biome. If you’re ready for another immense challenge, then start digging down…