Soul Sand
A Nether block that slows entities walking on it and creates upward bubble columns underwater. It is required to grow nether wart and to summon the Wither.
64
N/A
Utility Blocks
Alpha
soul_sand
Overview
Soul Sand is a block in the Utility Blocks category of Minecraft, obtained through mining and natural world generation. A single inventory slot holds a full stack of 64 Soul Sand.
Soul Sand additionally serves as a crafting ingredient for Soul Campfire and Soul Torch. Hardness 0.5 is what Soul Sand is worth in the block data. The game files it under a shovel, without a minimum tier attached to Soul Sand. A creeper does to Soul Sand what a tool does, because both work against 0.5. Generated chests only ever hold Soul Sand in one place: bastion hoglin stable chests (about 23%, 2 to 7 at a time).
Used to Craft
Soul Sand is a crafting ingredient for 2 other items in Minecraft. Each one links to its own recipe and details page.
How to Obtain
- Mining
- Natural generation
Notes
Generates in the Nether, especially in soul sand valleys. Used with wither skeleton skulls to build the Wither and to craft soul torches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get Soul Sand in Minecraft?
Soul Sand is obtained through mining and natural world generation. There is no recipe for Soul Sand, but 2 recipes ask for it.
What is Soul Sand used for?
Soul Sand is a crafting ingredient used to make Soul Campfire and Soul Torch.
How many Soul Sand can you stack?
Soul Sand stacks up to 64 per inventory slot, so a full stack is 64 and a double chest holds 3,456 of them.
How long does Soul Sand take to break?
The block file for Soul Sand holds 0.5 and 0.5. The pair being level means Soul Sand has no hidden strength against explosives. The game files it under a shovel, without a minimum tier attached to Soul Sand. The values come from the game files for Java 26.2.
Where do you find Soul Sand in chests?
Soul Sand is chest loot in exactly one place: bastion hoglin stable chests (about 23%, 2 to 7 at a time). No other generated chest in the game lists it, so that structure is the only place worth searching.
When was Soul Sand added to Minecraft?
Soul Sand was added in the early Alpha development period.