nocware
Quick answer
- Throw an eye of ender. It flies towards the nearest stronghold.
- Follow it, throw again, and repeat until it flies down into the ground.
- Bring at least 12 eyes, plus spares. The End portal needs up to 12.
The stronghold has the End portal, and the End is where the dragon, elytra and shulker boxes are. Here's how to find one without wasting eyes.
Waypoint ManagerSave Minecraft waypoints across your worlds→
Making eyes of ender
Craft 1 ender pearl + 1 blaze powder into an eye of ender. One blaze rod makes 2 powder.
12eyes to fill an empty portal
~1frame already has an eye, on average
6blaze rods for 12 eyes
Eyes can breakEvery throw has a chance to shatter the eye. Bring 15 to 20 to be safe.
Following the eye
- Throw an eye and note the direction it flies.
- Travel a few hundred blocks that way, then throw again.
- When it flies down into the ground, the stronghold is right under you. Dig down carefully.
Save the coordinatesNote where you are each time you throw. If you get lost, you won't have to start over.
Where they are on Java
Java has 128 strongholds in rings around the centre of the world. The first ring has 3 strongholds, all between 1,280 and 2,816 blocks from 0, 0.
Bedrock is different: strongholds can be much closer to spawn, and there's no limit on how many there are.
Inside the stronghold
Follow the corridors to the portal room, which has a lava pool and silverfish spawner. Fill the empty frames and the portal opens.
Hardcore tipBreak the silverfish spawner (or light it up) before filling the portal. And only jump into the End fully geared: the only ways back are beating the dragon or dying.
Cheat sheet
- Pearl + blaze powder = eye of ender
- Throw, follow, repeat until it goes down
- Bring 15 to 20 eyes
- Java: first ring 1,280 to 2,816 blocks out
Waypoint ManagerSave Minecraft waypoints across your worlds→
How Nether Portal Linking Works
Why Your Anvil Says Too Expensive
Shulker Box Storage Maths