How to Beat the Ender Dragon in Minecraft
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Minecraft
How to Beat the Ender Dragon in Minecraft
Tips
The Ender Dragon is Minecraft’s final boss and defeating it unlocks the End Credits and access to the outer End islands where you can find Shulkers and Elytra. Before reaching this point, you must first locate a stronghold and activate the End Portal. You can respawn the dragon by placing four End Crystals on the End Portal after defeating it — useful for farming XP or getting the Dragon’s Breath item for lingering potions. Each respawn is slightly harder as the pillars rearrange.
⚡ Quick Answer
Step by Step
First destroy all 10 End Crystals on top of the obsidian pillars — they heal the dragon and must be eliminated before you can kill it. Shoot them with arrows or smash them with a sword. Once all crystals are gone, hit the dragon only when it hovers over the End Portal in the center. Arrows work at range, melee when it perches.
1
Prepare before entering. Bring: a bow with at least 64 arrows (or Infinity enchantment), a diamond sword, full diamond or netherite armor, Ender Pearls for mobility, Golden Apples for emergency healing and a stack of blocks for building up to caged crystals. If you still need better gear, learn how to get diamonds fast before attempting the fight.
2
Destroy the End Crystals on the pillars. There are 10 obsidian pillars around the island, each with a glowing crystal on top. Shoot them with arrows from the ground — they explode when hit. Two crystals are protected by iron cages; climb up to those pillars and smash the crystal with your sword.
3
Watch out for the crystal explosion. When a crystal explodes it deals massive damage in a radius. Don’t stand directly below one when you shoot it — stay to the side to avoid the blast.
4
Attack the dragon only on its head. The dragon is immune to damage on its body and wings — only the head takes damage. Shoot it with arrows when it flies overhead or when it hovers over the portal breathing dragon breath at the center of the island.
5
Melee during the perch phase. The dragon periodically lands on the End Portal fountain in the center and breathes purple dragon breath. Approach from the side (avoid the breath) and hit its head with your sword repeatedly. This is your highest damage window — get in as many hits as possible before it flies away.
6
Avoid Endermen and the void. The End island is surrounded by void — falling off means instant death and losing all your items. The island is also full of Endermen; don’t look at them directly or they’ll swarm you mid-fight. Make sure you reached this fight by first learning how to find a stronghold.
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Wear a carved pumpkin on your head to prevent Endermen from aggroing — it reduces your vision slightly but keeps the fight focused on the dragon.
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Enchant your bow with Power V and Flame — flaming arrows deal extra damage and the Power enchantment significantly increases arrow damage against the dragon.
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Bring a Water Bucket — dragon breath on the ground creates a lingering poison cloud. Pour water on it to clear the cloud instantly.
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The dragon drops 12,000 XP on death — the most of any mob in the game. Have your best gear ready to enchant immediately after the fight.