Where to Find Nether Star in Minecraft
A rare item dropped by the Wither boss. Used to craft beacons. Cannot be destroyed by explosions.
Nether Star at a glance
Nether Star, a rare treasure item filed under Miscellaneous in Minecraft, comes from one place, and this page walks through all 2 methods that end with Nether Star in your inventory, fastest one first. To hold Nether Star you get it as a drop from the Wither boss upon defeat, and Any biome (Wither boss fight) is where that happens. On our five point scale Nether Star sits at 5, very hard, because it sits among the hardest items in the game to acquire, usually saved for the late game.
Primary Location
Any biome (Wither boss fight)
Difficulty
Very Hard (5/5)
Version Added
1.4.2
Stack Size
64
Where to Find Nether Star
Nether Star belongs to Any biome (Wither boss fight), which is one biome and no more for anyone hunting Nether Star. Summon the Wither using 4 Soul Sand/Soil and 3 Wither Skeleton Skulls in a T-shape. Wither Skeleton Skulls have a 2.5% drop rate from Wither Skeletons in Nether Fortresses (5% with Looting III). In total, Nether Star can reach your inventory through collecting it as a mob drop and looting it from generated structure chests, so you can pick whichever path your current world makes easiest.
Biomes & Dimensions
- Any biome (Wither boss fight)
Best Way to Get Nether Star
Nether Star has no crafting recipe, so the efficient approach is to go straight to its source rather than hoping to stumble on it: get it as a drop from the Wither boss upon defeat. Fight the Wither in a confined underground space (bedrock ceiling at Y 0 in the Nether works well). Bring Smite V sword, Strength II potions, and golden apples for the fight. The Nether Star is used to craft a Beacon. Mob drops reward preparation on two fronts: Looting on the sword for more Nether Star per kill, and a built spawn area so the next one is never more than a minute away rather than a whole expedition. Nothing about Nether Star has moved since the 1.4.2 update: a fresh world and a world from years ago treat Nether Star in exactly the same way. Given how rare Nether Star is, most players treat each one as a milestone, so it is worth keeping it safe in an ender chest until you are ready to put it to use.
All Methods
- 1Dropped by the Wither boss upon defeat
- 2Cannot be crafted or found in chests
Tips for Finding Nether Star
- Summon the Wither using 4 Soul Sand/Soil and 3 Wither Skeleton Skulls in a T-shape
- Wither Skeleton Skulls have a 2.5% drop rate from Wither Skeletons in Nether Fortresses (5% with Looting III)
- Fight the Wither in a confined underground space (bedrock ceiling at Y 0 in the Nether works well)
- Bring Smite V sword, Strength II potions, and golden apples for the fight
- The Nether Star is used to craft a Beacon
More notes on Nether Star
Always dropped by the Wither upon death. Immune to explosion damage and cactus destruction.
Items and guides next to Nether Star
If you are here for Nether Star, Beacon, Diamond Sword, Potion of Strength, and Golden Apple are the neighbours worth knowing, since a route to one tends to pass the others. The item page for Nether Star has the numbers this guide leaves out.
View the Nether Star item pageGetting Nether Star in practice
A nether star means fighting a wither, which means three wither skeleton skulls and four soul sand. The skulls are the bottleneck, since the drop chance is low, so most players farm a fortress corridor with a Looting sword rather than hoping for luck on a single trip.
What to watch out for with Nether Star
The wither has to be summoned somewhere it cannot destroy your base, and the standard answer is a small bedrock chamber in the Nether roof or a walled arena far from home. Three wither skulls is the real cost, and looting on the sword is what makes that number reachable.
Frequently asked questions about Nether Star
Where do you find Nether Star in Minecraft?
Nether Star is found in Any biome (Wither boss fight). Dropped by the Wither boss upon defeat.
What is the best way to get Nether Star?
The most efficient method is to get it as a drop from the Wither boss upon defeat.
Can you craft Nether Star?
No. Nether Star cannot be crafted in vanilla Minecraft, so you must obtain it from its in-world source by collecting it as a drop from the Wither boss upon defeat.
How hard is it to find Nether Star?
Finding Nether Star is rated very hard (5 out of 5): it sits among the hardest items in the game to acquire, usually saved for the late game.
Does Looting increase Nether Star drops?
Yes. Because Nether Star is a mob drop, using a sword enchanted with Looting raises the chance and quantity dropped, making a dedicated farm the most efficient long-term source.
When was Nether Star added to Minecraft?
Nether Star was added in the 1.4.2 update.