With this Minecraft Ender Dragon guide, we’ll help you take down the most powerful enemy of all. It might not seem like Minecraft has much of a goal or an end boss, but the Ender Dragon is the one waiting for you once you finally make your way through the end portal. Get your diamond pickaxe at the ready, and let’s slay this beast.
For all you Minecraft maniacs out there, we have plenty of great guides to help you explore this barren-blocky wasteland. You’ll need plenty of Minecraft diamonds before you take on the Ender Dragon, and if you want to take the game from your hands to your desktop, then we explain how to get Minecraft mobile on PC.
Here’s our guide to the Minecraft Ender Dragon.
What is the Minecraft Ender Dragon?
The Minecraft Ender Dragon is one of the toughest enemies in the game, and you will need to properly prepare to defeat it. You can find out how to reach the Ender Dragon with our Minecraft end portal guide, but be wary, once you enter the area known as The End, you can only defeat the Ender Dragon, or die. There’s no running away and there’s no backing down, so this is a fight to the bitter end. Get ready.
How do I prepare to fight the Ender Dragon?
It’s a big fight. The Ender Dragon is one of the most formidable things you’ll go up against in Minecraft, so it’s to be expected, and we recommend only attempting this particular battle when you’ve crafted high-level armor and enchantments. It’s not the type of fight you want to try when you’re low level, and it’s worth collecting as many resources as possible before you take this winged beast on. Here are the items we recommend for this particularly harrowing challenge:
- Diamond armor (complete set) – to deal with the massive damage the Ender Dragon causes.
- Diamond sword – you need to deal as much damage as possible at close range.
- Bow or crossbow – the Ender Dragon is mostly airborne, so this is essential.
- Arrows – All of them. Hundreds. Or if you can, enchant your bow with infinite arrows.
- Diamond pickaxe – the quickest way to destroy blocks and make your way around the arena.
- Food – preferably golden apples, otherwise bring the best food you can make.
- Blocks – as soon as you arrive, mine as much end stone as possible, as this is resistant to the Ender Dragon’s attacks.
How do I defeat the Ender Dragon?
When entering The End, there are two things you need to take care of before you get to the big bad. You’re surrounded by Ender Men, and you’ll notice healing crystals on tall towers, ready to heal the Ender Dragon. An easy way to deal with the Ender Men is to equip a carved pumpkin, and they won’t connect eye contact with you, meaning you can take them out with relative ease. Alternatively, place blocks directly above your head, and then the tall Ender men won’t be able to reach you. This is an easy way to mow them down.
Secondly, take out the healing crystals as soon as you can. Arrows will do the trick, as long as you arc your shot a little, but even snowballs will do. If you don’t want to waste the arrows, bring some snowballs and lob them to take out every single crystal. You can also use blocks or water to climb the towers, but be careful, the crystals cause damage when they are destroyed.
The best tactic to employ when you’re up against the Ender Dragon is to simply keep your distance. When it’s in the air, it poses less of a risk, and you’re free to fire as many arrows at it as possible. When it closes the gap and swoops down, you can then attack its head while it hovers just above the ground. It’s a slow tactic, but it’s effective, and far better than holding the w-key while you sprint headfirst into mortal peril.
Another great tactic is to use beds. Placing a bed just below the head, put a block between the bed and yourself (this is to avoid damage), and then attempt to sleep in the bed. This will cause the bed to explode, and if you’ve avoided getting killed yourself, this will seriously wound the Ender Dragon. After some persistence, success! You’ve slain the biggest enemy in Minecraft, go forth, adventurer, and enjoy your spoils.
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