Introduction
The Wither is widely recognized as one of the most challenging boss mobs that players can encounter in Minecraft. While optional for completing the game’s main storyline, summoning and defeating the Wither offers a significant test of skill and preparation.
Notably, the Wither in Bedrock Edition possesses greater health and deals more attack damage compared to its Java Edition counterpart, making the fight a formidable undertaking. Successfully defeating the Wither rewards players with a Nether Star, a crucial ingredient for crafting powerful beacons. This Minecraft Bedrock Wither Guide will provide you with essential information and strategies to help you face and conquer the Wither in Minecraft Bedrock Edition.
Summoning the Wither
To summon the Wither in Bedrock Edition, you will need specific resources: four blocks of soul sand or soul soil and three Wither Skeleton skulls. Soul sand and soul soil can be found in the Nether, particularly in soul sand valleys. Wither Skeleton skulls are rare drops from Wither Skeletons, which inhabit Nether Fortresses. To increase your chances of obtaining these skulls, it is highly recommended to use a sword enchanted with Looting III, as this significantly improves the drop rate in Bedrock Edition. Without Looting, you might have to defeat a large number of Wither Skeletons to collect the necessary skulls.
Once you have the required materials, you must arrange the soul sand or soul soil in a T-shape. Then, place one Wither Skeleton skull on top of each of the three upward-pointing soul sand or soul soil blocks.
It is crucial to ensure that there are no adjacent blocks to the soul sand/soil or Wither skulls, except for the blocks directly underneath the base of the T-shape. Upon placing the final skull, the Wither will begin to spawn. Be aware that the Wither’s spawning is accompanied by a large explosion, so it is essential to move away quickly after placing the last skull to avoid taking significant damage. The Wither will also grow in size during this initial phase.
Preparing for the Fight
Thorough preparation is key to surviving a Wither battle in Bedrock Edition. It is advisable to gather a substantial amount of resources and powerful gear. For armor, a full set of diamond or netherite armor enchanted with Protection IV or Blast Protection IV is highly recommended to mitigate damage.
For weaponry, a diamond or netherite sword enchanted with Smite V, Unbreaking III, and Mending will be effective against the undead Wither. A bow enchanted with Power V and Infinity (or a large supply of arrows) can be useful during the initial phase of the fight when the Wither is susceptible to ranged attacks. It is important to note that the Flame enchantment on bows is ineffective against the Wither. You may also consider a crossbow enchanted with Unbreaking III, Quick Charge III, and Multishot.
Potions are invaluable in a Wither fight. Bring several healing potions, regeneration potions, and strength potions to aid in survival and damage output. Fire resistance potions can be helpful for navigating the Nether to collect Wither Skeleton skulls. It is also crucial to have multiple buckets of milk to remove the detrimental Wither effect. Golden apples, particularly enchanted golden apples, can provide significant healing and temporary status boosts. Bring a generous supply of highly nutritious food items like steak or golden carrots to maintain your health during the battle. Consider bringing totems of undying as a safety measure to prevent death.
Choosing a suitable battleground is also critical. The Wither is a destructive mob that can break many types of blocks. Therefore, it is wise to fight the Wither away from any valuable structures or builds. Many players prefer to fight the Wither underground to restrict its movement. If fighting above ground, consider creating a panic shelter made of obsidian, as regular Wither skulls cannot break obsidian. However, blue Wither skulls in Bedrock Edition can destroy obsidian.
Bedrock Edition Wither Mechanics
The Wither in Bedrock Edition has unique characteristics that differentiate it from the Java Edition Wither. It has significantly more health, with up to 600 health points on Hard difficulty. The Wither attacks by firing explosive Wither skulls. There are two types: black Wither skulls and blue Wither skulls. Black skulls cause an explosion and inflict the Wither status effect, which drains your health over time and can be fatal if not cured with milk.
Blue Wither skulls are slower but can destroy a wider range of blocks, including obsidian. In Bedrock Edition, the blue skulls gradually lose power as the Wither’s health decreases. The Wither fight progresses in two phases. In the first phase, when the Wither is at full health down to 50% health, it primarily fires Wither skulls.
Once the Wither’s health drops below 50%, it enters its second phase. In this phase, the Wither gains the Wither armor effect, making it immune to arrows. Additionally, in Bedrock Edition, when the Wither reaches half health, it will summon one to three Wither Skeletons to aid it in the fight. The Wither may also perform a dash attack in Bedrock Edition, dealing significant damage. Protection enchantments do not protect against the Wither effect in Bedrock Edition, making it particularly dangerous.
Wither Stats
AttributeBedrock EditionHealthEasy: 300 HP (150 hearts)Normal: 450 HP (225 hearts)
Hard: 600 HP (300 hearts)Birth Explosion DamageEasy: up to 35 damage (17.5 hearts)
Normal: up to 68 damage (34 hearts)
Hard: up to 102 damage (51 hearts)Wither Skull DamageEasy: 5
Normal: 8
Hard: 12 (6 hearts)
Explosion from skull: 5Wither EffectNormal: Wither II for 10s (1 dmg/sec)
Hard: Wither II for 40s (1 dmg/sec)Dash Attack15 damage (7.5 hearts) — exclusive to Bedrock EditionSizeHeight: 3.0 blocks
Width: 1.0 blocks
Varies: 2.844 tall, 3 wide, 1.719 longArmor4 armor points
Gains “Wither Armor” below 50% health, immune to arrows/tridents
Stays active even if it heals above 50%Spawn Delay11 seconds after final skull is placedSpeed0.6Blast PowerBirth explosion: 7
Black skulls: 1
Blue skulls: 1 (can destroy more terrain including obsidian)Health RegenerationNo passive regeneration (in recent Bedrock and Legacy Console Editions)Mid-Fight EventsAt 50% health: causes large explosion
Spawns 1–3 Wither Skeletons (except on Easy difficulty)Drops1 Nether Star
50 XP (if killed by player or tamed wolf)Notable BehaviorsFlies randomly and fires bursts of skulls
Uses dash attack at half health
Spawns skeletons mid-fightBoss Bar ColorPink/light purple
Strategies for Defeating the Wither
Several strategies can be employed to defeat the Wither in Bedrock Edition.
Fighting Underground: Choosing an underground location can limit the Wither’s mobility. Digging a small chamber to spawn the Wither and a long tunnel for retreat can be effective. You can attack with arrows in the initial phase and then switch to a sword when it enters its second phase. Be mindful that the Wither can break blocks, so ensure the tunnel is long enough.
Obsidian Containment: While blue skulls can break obsidian, building a multi-layered obsidian shelter can still provide temporary refuge and allow for strategic attacks. Creating a narrow entrance can prevent the Wither from entering.
Snow Golems: While less effective in Bedrock Edition compared to Java Edition, an army of snow golems can distract the Wither and absorb some of its attacks. However, the Wither can easily destroy them. Snow golems will also melt in the Nether.
Deep Tunnel: Similar to fighting underground, this involves digging a very long and narrow tunnel at bedrock level. Spawn the Wither at one end and retreat, periodically attacking with arrows. Once it reaches its armored phase, engage with a sword, using healing potions as needed.
Bedrock Suffocation (Glitches): Several methods exploit Bedrock structures to suffocate the Wither. These often involve spawning the Wither in a way that its head gets stuck in bedrock, causing it to take continuous damage. Locations for this include specific bedrock formations in the Overworld at y-level -59, within End Gateways, and potentially under the main End Portal (though this has been patched in some versions).
These methods are often considered “cheesy” and may be patched in future game updates. Locations at coordinates -21 -59 1 and -19 -15 have been cited as Overworld bedrock wither killers.
Using Healing Effects: Because the Wither is an undead mob, potions of healing and arrows of healing will damage it. These can be particularly useful in the first phase before the Wither gains its armor.
Iron Golems: Summoning several iron golems can provide additional targets for the Wither and help to distract it, allowing you to attack more freely.
Key Differences Between the Wither in Minecraft Java and Bedrock Editions
The Wither is a challenging boss mob in both Java and Bedrock Editions of Minecraft, but there are several crucial distinctions that make the Bedrock Wither a significantly more formidable opponent. Understanding these differences is essential for players preparing to face this undead creature.
One of the most significant disparities lies in the Wither’s health. In Bedrock Edition, the Wither has much more health, scaling with difficulty: 300 HP on Easy, 450 HP on Normal, and 600 HP on Hard. This is double the health of the Java Edition Wither, which has a consistent 300 HP regardless of difficulty.
Furthermore, the attack damage inflicted by the Wither is also higher in Bedrock Edition.
The spawning process also presents differences. Upon being summoned, the Wither in Bedrock Edition creates a massive explosion, larger than that of TNT or a charged Creeper.
During combat, the Wither exhibits distinct behaviors. A key difference is that in Bedrock Edition, when the Wither’s health is reduced to half, it summons one to three Wither Skeletons to aid it in the fight. This adds another layer of challenge that Java Edition players do not encounter. Additionally, the Bedrock Wither possesses a dash attack, allowing it to quickly close the distance and inflict damage, a move not present in the Java Edition.
The Wither skulls fired by the boss also have different properties. While both editions feature black Wither skulls, Bedrock Edition’s blue Wither skulls have the ability to destroy obsidian and other blocks normally immune to explosions, with the exception of bedrock and end portal frames. This severely limits the effectiveness of obsidian shelters, a common strategy in Java Edition. In contrast, regular black Wither skulls cannot break blocks with a blast resistance above 4. Additionally, in Bedrock Edition, the power of blue skulls gradually decreases as the Wither’s health lowers.
Another critical difference lies in the effectiveness of player enchantments. In Bedrock Edition, the Protection enchantment does not mitigate the damage from the Wither effect, making direct hits from Wither skulls particularly dangerous and emphasizing the importance of milk for curing the effect.
Strategies for defeating the Wither also vary between editions. A common “cheese” strategy in Java Edition involves trapping the Wither under the End Fountain portal, causing it to suffocate. However, this method does not work in Bedrock Edition as the Wither can escape. Instead, Bedrock Edition players have discovered various methods utilizing naturally generated bedrock structures in the Overworld and End Gateways to suffocate the Wither.
Finally, there are minor cosmetic differences, such as the color of the Wither’s boss bar, which is dark purple in Java Edition and light purple in Bedrock Edition. It’s also noted that Withers in Legacy Console Edition and Bedrock Edition are no longer able to regenerate health.
In summary, the Bedrock Wither presents a more challenging and dynamic encounter due to its higher health and damage, unique attack mechanics like summoning minions and the dash attack, the destructive nature of its blue skulls, and the ineffectiveness of certain defensive enchantments, necessitating different strategies compared to its Java Edition counterpart.
Obtaining Beacons
Upon defeating the Wither, it will drop a single Nether Star. Nether Stars are essential for crafting beacons. To craft a beacon, you will need one Nether Star, three blocks of obsidian, and five glass blocks.
Beacons are special blocks that project a beam of light into the sky and grant beneficial status effects to players within a specific radius. These effects include Speed, Haste, Resistance, Jump Boost, Strength, and Regeneration. A beacon must be placed atop a pyramid-shaped base constructed from iron, gold, diamond, emerald, or netherite blocks. The pyramid can have up to four layers, with each additional layer increasing the beacon’s range and the strength or variety of effects available.
The beacon’s beam can also be customized with stained glass to change its color, adding a decorative element to functional builds. Beacons only activate when they have an unobstructed view of the sky directly above them.
The Nether Star is a valuable and blast-resistant item that will not despawn, even if left on the ground for an extended period.
Evolution of the Wither in Bedrock and Legacy Editions
Pocket Edition Alpha
Withers were introduced to Pocket Edition.
Had twice the health of the Java Edition Wither.
Upon reaching half health, spawned 4 Wither Skeletons.
Triggered explosions when created, at half health, and upon death—unlike Java Edition, which only exploded upon creation.
Featured different attack patterns from Java.
Legacy Console Edition
Wither behavior was updated to match Pocket Edition:
Exploded at half health.
Spawned Wither Skeletons.
Performed a dash attack (like Bedrock Edition).
Health scaled with difficulty.
Regeneration was removed—Withers could no longer regain health.
Bedrock Edition 1.1
The entity ID of the Wither was changed.
Bedrock Edition 1.10
The Wither’s texture was updated.
Bedrock Edition 1.13
When the Wither kills a mob, a Wither Rose is planted at the mob’s death location.
Bedrock Edition 1.16
Withers could now be summoned using soul soil in addition to soul sand.
Piglins were added and will attack Withers on sight.
Bedrock Edition (mid-update)
The Protection enchantment became more effective at mitigating the Wither effect, making survival easier.
Bedrock Edition (post-update)
The method of trapping the Wither under the End Portal was patched. The Wither can now escape, rendering the method ineffective.
Bedrock Edition 1.19
Players discovered easy-kill methods using naturally generated bedrock structures near the bottom of the Overworld.
These methods involve trapping the Wither to suffocate it.
Bedrock formations used for this are common across all Bedrock worlds.
Bedrock Edition 1.21
A potential bug may have caused the Wither to no longer apply the Wither effect, making the boss much easier to defeat.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Bedrock Wither stands out as a significantly tougher boss compared to its Java Edition counterpart. This increased difficulty stems from its higher health pool, a powerful initial explosion, the ability to summon Wither Skeletons at half health, and a dangerous dash attack. Additionally, the blue Wither skulls in Bedrock can destroy obsidian, making traditional defenses less effective.
Despite these challenges, players have developed numerous strategies—often involving the manipulation of bedrock structures in the Overworld and End, as well as the use of End Gateways—to defeat the Wither more easily. Traditional combat tactics still include using Smite-enchanted weapons and healing effects, particularly during the Wither’s first phase before it becomes immune to arrows. Ultimately, defeating the Bedrock Wither rewards players with the valuable Nether Star, which is essential for crafting Beacons and gaining powerful status effects.
If you’re looking for more guides, be sure to explore the website for more tips and tricks. Enjoy your adventure, and happy mining!
