10 best Minecraft mods that add similar features from the 1.21 update

Several Minecraft mods add features that are quite similar to those being introduced in the 1.21 update (Image via Aureljz/CurseForge))
Several Minecraft mods add features that are quite similar to those being introduced in the 1.21 update. (Image via Aureljz/CurseForge))

Minecraft's 1.21 update is still likely months away, but players have been able to get their hands on some upcoming features from recent betas, including the armadillo mod, the crafter block, trial chambers, breeze mobs, and more. As luck would have it, several mods created by the community also provide their own spin on these new features or introduce similar content.

Whether players are looking for new structures aside from the trial chamber, new mobs to complement armadilloes and breezes, or want to enrich their gameplay experience as a whole, there's likely a Minecraft mod to meet their taste. If fans are hoping to improve their overall 1.21 gameplay when the update arrives, they can do so with certain mods that have plenty of popularity in the community.


10 Minecraft mods that add or improve features similar to the 1.21 update

1) Uncrafter

The recipe for the advanced uncrafter in Minecraft. (Image via Ketheroth/CurseForge)
The recipe for the advanced uncrafter in Minecraft. (Image via Ketheroth/CurseForge)

Uncrafter Download

Minecraft 1.21 will fully implement the crafter block, a new redstone-compatible block capable of automatically crafting blocks and items when supplied with a redstone signal. Uncrafter is a mod that introduces two blocks that provide the reverse option, the ability to unmake crafted items and blocks and salvage their resources.

The primary uncrafter block is capable of salvaging one material type from an item or block that composed its crafting recipe, while the advanced uncrafter block is capable of collecting three resources and can even salvage up to three enchantments from enchanted gear as well.


2) The Breeze 1.21 Backport

This mod adds the breeze mob beyond its confines in trial chambers in Minecraft 1.21. (Image via Mojang)
This mod adds the breeze mob beyond its confines in trial chambers in Minecraft 1.21. (Image via Mojang)

The Breeze 1.21 Backport Download

Although Minecraft 1.21's breezes can be activated as an Experimental Feature in recent Java Edition snapshots and Bedrock Edition previews, this backport mod introduces them in a slightly different capacity. Fans will be able to find breezes outside of trial chambers, specifically in plains and badlands biomes when rainy weather is ongoing.

Other than this change, breeze mobs should operate much like they have in recent betas. They will leap about during combat, launching their wind-based projectiles, which are capable of creating a large amount of knockback as well as interacting with various blocks like trapdoors, levers, and more.


3) Better Crafter

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Better Crafter Download

The crafter block is one of the more exciting additions in Minecraft 1.21, providing a new way to craft blocks and items automatically. While fans are already coming up with intriguing ways to put this new implementation to use, the Better Crafter mod tweaks the crafter to make it a bit more useful in the long run without wasting unnecessary resources.

The change implemented by this mod is small but quite helpful. Put plainly, the crafter will now only produce its output if it has more than one item/block for a crafting recipe in each applicable slot. This prevents the crafter block from overusing its deposited resources and should also keep the block from creating unexpected items/blocks when certain slots empty.


4) Friends & Foes

Friends & Foes adds forgotten Mob Vote creatures like the Moobloom. (Image via Faboslav/CurseForge)
Friends & Foes adds forgotten Mob Vote creatures like the Moobloom. (Image via Faboslav/CurseForge)

Friends & Foes Download

The armadillo won Minecraft's Mob Vote for 2023, gaining the honor of being introduced in the 1.21 update. However, plenty of fans have been less than thrilled with the Mob Vote at large and its results, reasoning that Mojang should simply introduce all three contestants to forthcoming updates. Friends & Foes accomplishes this goal to a degree, bringing in previous Mob Vote losers.

Currently, this mod implements the copper golem, iceologer, glare, moobloom, barnacle, wildfire, illusioner, rascal, and tuff golem. It's likely that the penguin and crab mobs will also make their way to this mod in the future. Compared to just utilizing the armadillo in the 1.21 update, this mod can visualize what many Minecraft fans had hoped for all along.


5) Mowzie's Mobs

Nagas are one of many Minecraft mobs introduced in the Mowzie's Mobs mod. (Image via Bobmowzie/CurseForge)
Nagas are one of many Minecraft mobs introduced in the Mowzie's Mobs mod. (Image via Bobmowzie/CurseForge)

Mowzie's Mobs Download

If Minecraft players are feeling a bit underwhelmed with the mob additions in the upcoming 1.21 update, then a mod like Mowzie's Mobs may very well be worth their time. From Foliaath man-eating plants in jungles to the massive Ferrous Wroughtnauts found underground, this single modification introduces eight new mobs to encounter across a wide range of biomes.

Each mob has a well-developed set of behaviors thanks to its AI, and the bosses added in this mob mod should be a significant challenge, the likes of which players haven't seen with vanilla bosses like the Ender Dragon or Wither. All in all, Mowzie's Mobs can complement any Minecraft update, not just version 1.21.


6) Chisel

The Chisel mod introduces more block variants to accompany the new copper/tuff variants in Minecraft 1.21. (Image via Tterrag1098/CurseForge)
The Chisel mod introduces more block variants to accompany the new copper/tuff variants in Minecraft 1.21. (Image via Tterrag1098/CurseForge)

Chisel Download

Although more may be announced later on, Minecraft 1.21's recent spate of Experimental Features has confirmed new variants for copper and tuff blocks, many of which can be seen naturally generating in trial chambers. However, some players might need a little more block variety beyond what the new copper and tuff blocks can accomplish.

This is where the Chisel mod comes in. By combining an iron ingot and a stick in a diagonal pattern, players can create a chisel tool that can create a vast collection of new block variants by being applied to a base block. For example, chisels can be applied to bookshelves to create new face textures for them or applied to prismarine to create variants seen with blocks like stone bricks.


7) When Dungeons Arise!

A randomly generated temple, one of many excellent structures in When Dungeons Arise! (Image via Aureljz/CurseForge)
A randomly generated temple, one of many excellent structures in When Dungeons Arise! (Image via Aureljz/CurseForge)

When Dungeons Arise! Download

Ideally, Minecraft 1.21 will introduce more structures than the trial chambers when it is fully implemented, but if this isn't the case, some fans may be looking for more structures to explore and loot. When Dungeons Arise! is a magnificent mod that should meet this need quite well, as it introduces random procedurally generated dungeons in just about any location players can imagine.

Much like trial chambers, these new structures are randomized and contain their own traps and hostile mobs that will hinder players on their quests to collect treasure. Additionally, players can find new ships in both the sea and the air inhabited by pillagers that provide extra opportunities for loot.


8) Industrial Foregoing

A Tree Fluid Extractor for making latex in the Minecraft mod Industrial Foregoing. (Image via Buuz135/CurseForge)
A Tree Fluid Extractor for making latex in the Minecraft mod Industrial Foregoing. (Image via Buuz135/CurseForge)

Industrial Foregoing Download

Although Minecraft 1.21's crafter block is a step in the right direction when it comes to automation, there's much more room for new content to complement it. Look no further than Industrial Foregoing, which introduces the ability to automatically farm mobs and crops, transport fluids, and even sort and create enchantments thanks to new blocks and materials that facilitate these functions.

Thanks to Tree Fluid Extractor blocks introduced in the mod, players can collect latex from living trees and use this material to create a vast collection of new blocks that make automation both easy and intuitive. Compared to some mods, Industrial Foregoing won't require players to spend hours on research to figure out the automating process, and they'll have plenty of room for creative adjustments.


9) Alex's Mobs

Elephants are only one new Minecraft mob introduced in Alex's Mobs. (Image via Sbom_xela/CurseForge)
Elephants are only one new Minecraft mob introduced in Alex's Mobs. (Image via Sbom_xela/CurseForge)

Alex's Mobs Download

Minecraft 1.21's introduction of the armadillo and breeze is a nice upside for mobs, but players would certainly appreciate more creatures roaming their world. Alex's Mobs is a mod that accomplishes this beautifully, adding a grand total of 89 mobs to the game across just about every possible biome. Grizzly Bears roam the forests, alligators stalk rivers, and elephants enjoy the sun of the savanna biome.

If that wasn't enough, a jaunt to the Nether or End will show off even more inclusions, including the massive End Worm and the bone serpents flying through the nether. Each mob has its own distinct AI and behavior, and players aren't likely to get bored with this mod, especially considering that the 1.21 update is only introducing two mobs as far as we know at the moment.


10) Chipped

New Minecraft block variants introduced in the Chipped mod. (Image via Terrariumearth/CurseForge)
New Minecraft block variants introduced in the Chipped mod. (Image via Terrariumearth/CurseForge)

Chipped Download

Inspired by the Chisel mod, Chipped introduces a plethora of new block variants for Minecraft players to take advantage of in their builds if the copper and tuff arrivals in 1.21 aren't enough. Regardless if the block in question is manmade or naturally occurring, there's a high likelihood that Chipped has a large collection of variants to use for them.

The mod introduces seven new crafting stations, each of which is responsible for creating new block variants. Overall, this mod introduces over 9,000 new blocks complete with handpainted vanilla-styled textures, ensuring that players can keep their creations looking unique and well-developed.

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