Top 5 rarest items in Minecraft 1.18.2

There is a growing collection of items available in Minecraft, but some are hard to acquire, especially in multiples.

Nonetheless, adventurous players and those with a completionist streak may still seek these items out. Finding them won't be easy, but then again, where's the fun in collecting items that are easy to obtain?

Acquiring these rare items is a great way to show the depth of a player's knowledge or commitment.

Note: This article reflects the opinions of the writer

---

The rarest items in Minecraft after Caves & Cliffs update

5) Chainmail Armor

Chainmail rests on a nearby armor rack (Image via Mojang)

Chainmail armor is the only armor that cannot be crafted in Minecraft by default. It can be obtained through trading or as a drop from skeletons and zombies.

The only way to obtain chainmail in-game is to use cheats, mods, or Creative Mode's inventory. Chainmail does possess a crafting recipe. It can be made using fire blocks.

However, since fire blocks can only be acquired outside of traditional game modes, creating chainmail outside of Creative Mode requires cheats or mods. This means vanilla players don't have any real way of obtaining this particular armor without outside assistance.

---

4) Sea Lanterns

Sea lanterns only generate in very specific areas (Image via Mojang)

A great source of light in Minecraft, sea lanterns are tough blocks to find in most situations. This is because they only generate within ocean monuments and underwater ruin structures, which are both time-consuming and dangerous to explore.

Furthermore, underwater exploration in general can be difficult. Players typically need to use enchantments to stay underwater for an extended period of time.

Granted, there are certain methods to create air pockets underwater, but they're considerably time-consuming. This means exploring any underwater structure requires time and effort.

Additionally, players will need the Silk Touch enchantment on their tool to harvest sea lantern blocks. If broken, the sea lantern blocks will simply shatter.

Sea lanterns can be crafted but require prismarine crystals and shards that must be collected from killing guardians and elder guardians.

---

3) Mob Heads

Mob heads can be used both as a decoration and as a player helmet (Image via Mojang)

There are six different obtainable entity heads in Minecraft by default: the player, zombies, skeletons, wither skeletons, creepers, and the Ender Dragon.

These heads are obtainable for the most part. However, they require quite a bit of work, and players have to meet different requirements to obtain them.

For example, the Ender Dragon head can be found within end ships, but wither skeleton skulls have a 2.5% chance of dropping whenever a player or tamed wolf kills them.

For other heads like skeletons and zombies, players have to ensure that the mob in question is killed by the explosion of a charged creeper. These mobs are tough to find and require a lightning bolt to hit a creeper, so it's no wonder why these heads are so coveted.

---

2) Nether Dragon Egg

There's only one to two dragon eggs in each Minecraft world by default (Image via Mojang)

Long considered one of Minecraft's rarest items, the dragon egg is created when players defeat the Ender Dragon.

Resting atop the exit portal, Java Edition players can obtain one of these items by default. Meanwhile, Bedrock Edition players will have access to two dragon eggs if they beat two Ender Dragons in their playthrough.

Otherwise, this item can only be obtained through commands and cannot even be plucked from the Creative Mode inventory. Players cannot simply mine it either, as it is capable of teleporting.

---

1) Nether Stars

Nether stars can only be obtained and used for one purpose (Image via Mojang)

Used in the creation of beacons, nether stars are incredibly difficult to obtain for one reason. They must be looted after defeating the Wither boss, one of the most difficult enemies to beat in Minecraft.

Without the Looting enchantment, the Wither will only drop one nether star upon its death. Though it only takes one nether star to form a beacon, players may need multiple stars to create beacons in different areas.

Since this is the case, Minecraft players tend to have to battle the Wither time and time again to get the stars they need for their beacons. And as every player knows, defeating the Wither is no small task.