Minecraft’s Endermen are tall, slender, and notoriously dangerous mobs. Their ability to teleport makes them challenging to fight, especially for newer players. However, with the right strategies and precautions, you can safely and effectively eliminate these shadowy figures. This guide will provide you with a comprehensive breakdown of how to kill Endermen in Minecraft, minimizing risk and maximizing your chances of success.
**Understanding the Enderman:**
Before diving into the tactics, it’s crucial to understand the Enderman’s behavior and weaknesses.
* **Appearance:** Endermen are black, humanoid figures with long limbs and glowing purple eyes. They stand three blocks tall, making them one of the tallest mobs in the game.
* **Behavior:** Endermen are typically passive and wander around randomly. However, they become extremely aggressive when provoked. Provocation occurs when:
* You look directly at their eyes. The closer you are, the faster they become aggressive.
* You attack them.
* **Teleportation:** Endermen can teleport short distances almost instantaneously. This makes it difficult to keep them in one place and makes ranged attacks less effective.
* **Water Vulnerability:** Endermen take damage from water. This is a key weakness we will exploit in our strategies.
* **Block Picking:** Endermen can pick up and move certain blocks, such as dirt, grass, sand, gravel, and flowers. This is generally more of an annoyance than a direct threat in combat, but it’s worth noting.
* **Health:** Endermen have 40 health points (20 hearts), which is significantly more than zombies or skeletons. This means you’ll need a decent weapon to take them down quickly.
* **Drops:** Upon death, Endermen drop 0-7 Ender Pearls, which are essential for accessing the End dimension and crafting Eyes of Ender. They also rarely drop Enderman Heads.
**Essential Preparations:**
Before confronting an Enderman, proper preparation is key. This includes gathering the right equipment and understanding the environment.
1. **Armor:**
* **Iron Armor (Minimum):** Iron armor provides a decent level of protection against Enderman attacks. A full set is highly recommended.
* **Diamond Armor (Recommended):** Diamond armor offers significantly better protection than iron. If you have access to diamonds, craft a full set for increased survivability.
* **Netherite Armor (Best):** Netherite is the strongest armor in the game, providing the best possible protection against all types of damage. This is ideal for facing multiple Endermen or challenging situations.
* **Enchantments:** Enchanting your armor can greatly enhance its effectiveness. Consider the following enchantments:
* **Protection:** Reduces overall damage taken.
* **Projectile Protection:** Reduces damage from projectiles (though Endermen don’t use projectiles, this enchantment is still useful against other mobs).
* **Fire Protection:** Reduces fire damage (useful if you’re fighting Endermen in the Nether).
* **Blast Protection:** Reduces explosion damage (less relevant for Endermen fights, but useful generally).
* **Feather Falling:** Reduces fall damage (useful if you need to jump down from a height).
2. **Weapon:**
* **Iron Sword (Minimum):** An iron sword is a basic, but effective, weapon for dealing damage to Endermen.
* **Diamond Sword (Recommended):** A diamond sword offers significantly more damage output than an iron sword.
* **Netherite Sword (Best):** A netherite sword is the most powerful weapon in the game, allowing you to defeat Endermen quickly.
* **Enchantments:** Enchanting your sword can greatly improve its damage output and utility. Consider the following enchantments:
* **Sharpness:** Increases overall damage dealt.
* **Smite:** Increases damage dealt to undead mobs (Endermen are not undead).
* **Bane of Arthropods:** Increases damage dealt to arthropod mobs (Endermen are not arthropods).
* **Fire Aspect:** Sets the target on fire, dealing additional damage over time. While Endermen take damage from water, they don’t seem to take extra damage while burning and standing in water.
* **Knockback:** Knocks the target back, creating distance between you and the Enderman. This can be useful for preventing attacks.
* **Looting:** Increases the number of items dropped by the target.
3. **Shield:**
* A shield is invaluable for blocking Enderman attacks. While Endermen can teleport behind you, a quick block with the shield can mitigate significant damage.
* **Enchantments:** The *Unbreaking* enchantment will increase the shield’s durability, allowing it to withstand more attacks.
4. **Water Bucket:**
* A water bucket is crucial for creating a safe zone and exploiting the Enderman’s weakness to water. Having a water bucket is often what determines success or failure.
5. **Blocks:**
* Carry a stack of solid blocks, such as cobblestone, dirt, or wood. These can be used to quickly build a shelter or platform.
6. **Potions (Optional but Recommended):**
* **Potion of Healing/Regeneration:** Provides instant health or health regeneration.
* **Potion of Strength:** Increases damage output.
* **Potion of Swiftness:** Increases movement speed, allowing you to better evade Enderman attacks.
* **Potion of Fire Resistance:** Makes you immune to fire damage (useful if fighting Endermen near lava).
7. **Food:**
* Carry plenty of food to replenish your health. Steak, cooked porkchops, or golden carrots are excellent choices.
**Safe Killing Strategies:**
Now that you’re properly equipped, let’s explore various strategies for safely killing Endermen.
1. **The Water Puddle Method:**
* **Concept:** Endermen take damage from water, but they can still attack you while standing in it. This method creates a small, controlled area of water where you can safely attack the Enderman without taking damage.
* **Steps:**
1. Find an Enderman.
2. Prepare your weapon and shield.
3. Place a water bucket on the ground to create a small puddle.
4. Quickly step into the puddle. The Enderman will likely teleport towards you and also end up standing in the water, taking damage.
5. Attack the Enderman repeatedly while standing in the water. It will continue to take damage from the water, and you can block its attacks with your shield.
6. If the Enderman teleports out of the water, quickly create another puddle or chase it back into the existing one.
7. Repeat until the Enderman is defeated.
* **Advantages:**
* Simple and effective.
* Requires minimal resources.
* Relatively safe.
* **Disadvantages:**
* Can be slow if the Enderman teleports frequently.
* May not be suitable in areas with uneven terrain.
2. **The Two-Block High Shelter Method:**
* **Concept:** Endermen are three blocks tall, so they cannot enter a two-block high space. This method involves creating a small shelter that you can safely retreat into while attacking the Enderman.
* **Steps:**
1. Find an Enderman.
2. Quickly build a two-block high structure using your blocks. A simple 1x1x2 or 2x2x2 structure will suffice.
3. Stand inside the shelter. The Enderman will not be able to enter.
4. Attack the Enderman’s legs from inside the shelter. It will likely teleport around, but it will always remain within attacking range.
5. Block any attacks that get through the small opening.
6. Continue attacking until the Enderman is defeated.
* **Advantages:**
* Very safe.
* Easy to build.
* Works in almost any environment.
* **Disadvantages:**
* Can be time-consuming if the Enderman teleports frequently.
* Requires carrying blocks.
3. **The Undercover Method (Exploiting Overhangs):**
* **Concept:** Similar to the two-block shelter, this method utilizes existing overhangs or structures in the environment to provide a safe space. Endermen cannot attack you if you are standing under a solid block that is two blocks above the ground.
* **Steps:**
1. Find an Enderman near an overhang, such as a cliff, tree, or building.
2. Position yourself directly underneath the overhang, ensuring there are two blocks of space between the ground and the block above you.
3. Attack the Enderman’s legs from under the overhang. It will not be able to reach you.
4. Continue attacking until the Enderman is defeated.
* **Advantages:**
* Very safe.
* Requires no building.
* Quick and easy if a suitable overhang is nearby.
* **Disadvantages:**
* Relies on finding a suitable environment.
* May not be possible in all locations.
4. **The Boat Method:**
* **Concept:** While it’s debated whether this is still effective, the idea is that Endermen often can’t effectively target players inside boats.
* **Steps:**
1. Find an Enderman.
2. Place a boat on the ground.
3. Enter the boat.
4. Attack the Enderman. It may struggle to hit you due to the boat’s hitbox.
* **Advantages:**
* Potentially safe if the Enderman AI is glitched.
* **Disadvantages:**
* Not always reliable. Endermen might still be able to attack you.
* More of an exploit than a strategy, and may be patched in future updates.
5. **The Golem Assistance Method:**
* **Concept:** Iron Golems are powerful neutral mobs that will attack hostile mobs, including Endermen. Using an Iron Golem as a distraction and damage dealer can significantly improve your chances of survival.
* **Steps:**
1. Build an Iron Golem (requires iron blocks and a carved pumpkin).
2. Locate an Enderman.
3. Provoke the Enderman, then lure it towards the Iron Golem.
4. The Iron Golem will automatically attack the Enderman.
5. Assist the Iron Golem in defeating the Enderman by attacking it yourself.
6. Focus on dodging Enderman attacks and letting the Golem take the brunt of the damage.
* **Advantages:**
* Provides a powerful ally.
* Distracts the Enderman, reducing the risk of being attacked directly.
* **Disadvantages:**
* Requires significant resources to build an Iron Golem.
* Iron Golems are slow and may not be able to keep up with teleporting Endermen.
* Iron Golems may also attack other mobs in the area.
6. **The Rain/Snow Strategy (Situational):**
* **Concept:** Endermen take damage from water. Rain and snow act as a constant source of water damage.
* **Steps:**
1. Locate an Enderman during rain or snowfall.
2. The Enderman will constantly take damage from the water.
3. Attack the Enderman to speed up the process.
* **Advantages:**
* Easy, as the environment does the damage.
* Requires little effort.
* **Disadvantages:**
* Highly situational.
* Can be slow depending on the intensity of the rain/snow.
* Other mobs may also be present during rainy conditions.
**General Tips for Fighting Endermen:**
* **Avoid Direct Eye Contact:** This is the most important rule. If you accidentally look at an Enderman’s eyes, quickly look away or place a block in front of your face.
* **Be Aware of Your Surroundings:** Endermen can teleport into unexpected places. Always be vigilant and check your surroundings frequently.
* **Use Sound Cues:** Endermen make a distinctive teleportation sound. Use this to track their movements.
* **Don’t Panic:** Endermen can be intimidating, but panicking will only make things worse. Stay calm and follow your chosen strategy.
* **Practice Makes Perfect:** The more you fight Endermen, the better you will become at predicting their movements and dodging their attacks.
* **Consider the Environment:** Flat, open areas are generally better for fighting Endermen than cluttered or confined spaces. This gives you more room to maneuver and avoid attacks.
* **Know When to Run:** If you are overwhelmed or low on health, don’t be afraid to run away and regroup. Endermen will eventually despawn if you get far enough away.
* **Enchantments Matter:** Even basic enchantments like Sharpness and Protection can make a significant difference in your survivability.
* **Be Patient:** Endermen can teleport frequently, making the fight longer than expected. Don’t get discouraged; just keep following your strategy.
* **Coordinate with Friends (Multiplayer):** If playing with friends, coordinate your attacks and support each other. One player can focus on distracting the Enderman while the other attacks.
* **Use a Pumpkin Head (Advanced):** Wearing a carved pumpkin on your head prevents you from accidentally making eye contact with Endermen, but significantly obstructs your vision. This is a high-risk, high-reward strategy best suited for experienced players.
**Advanced Strategies and Considerations:**
* **Enderman Farms:** For players who need large quantities of Ender Pearls, building an Enderman farm in the End dimension is a viable option. These farms typically exploit the Endermen’s tendency to teleport towards Endermites.
* **Zero-Tick Farms (Advanced):** Some players utilize zero-tick farms to automatically kill Endermen, but these farms are complex and may be considered exploits.
* **The End Dimension:** Fighting Endermen in the End dimension presents unique challenges due to the lack of water and the presence of the Ender Dragon. Be sure to prepare thoroughly before venturing into the End.
* **Bedrock Edition vs. Java Edition:** Enderman behavior and AI may vary slightly between Bedrock Edition and Java Edition. Some strategies may be more effective in one edition than the other.
* **Dealing with Multiple Endermen:** If you accidentally aggro multiple Endermen, your best bet is to run and break line of sight. They’re much more dangerous in groups. A swiftness potion can be very helpful.
**Conclusion:**
Killing Endermen in Minecraft can be a challenging but rewarding experience. By understanding their behavior, preparing adequately, and utilizing the strategies outlined in this guide, you can safely and effectively eliminate these shadowy figures and obtain valuable Ender Pearls. Remember to prioritize safety, adapt your tactics to the environment, and practice regularly to improve your skills. With patience and persistence, you’ll become a master Enderman slayer in no time!