5 most helpful hostile Minecraft mobs in 2022

Mobs in Minecraft come in many forms and exhibit different temperaments. Hostile entities naturally tend to harm players, but that doesn't mean they don't have their uses.

Hostile mobs may actively hunt Minecraft's in-game inhabitants down, but they occasionally drop helpful items when defeated. These foes also provide experience upon death, which can be used to repair or enchant items. When compared to each other, many hostile mobs outperform their counterparts with regard to utility. This is why it doesn't hurt to keep in mind which hostile entities are the most useful to one's in-game experience.

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Highest-utility hostile mobs in Minecraft at any point in game

1) Blazes

Blazes are useful for various different purposes (Image via Mojang)

Often considered crucial to completing Minecraft's Survival Mode, blazes have various applications worth considering. Their dropped blaze rods can be formed into blaze powder, which is useful as fuel in brewing stands when creating potions. The entities additionally offer ten experience points upon death, making them somewhat decent to farm, even if you don't necessarily need blaze rods.

Though helpful, blazes are still dangerous in Minecraft. Players have to be wary of their dangerous melee attack and ability to set them on fire using their fireball projectiles. Keep a few snowballs handy just in case, as these mobs take substantial damage from them.

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2) Elder guardians

Elder guardians drop quality items that are highly beneficial in construction (Image via Mojang)

Arguably the toughest foes Minecraft gamers will find in ocean biomes, elder guardians protect the halls of ocean-monument structures. They can be tough to take down, dealing damage from various sources and also inflicting the Mining Fatigue status effect. However, the rewards from defeating these undersea protectors are worth the effort.

In addition to dropping prismarine shards and crystals, elder guardians will give the player a wet sponge block when killed. Considering the rarity of sponge blocks in Survival Mode, farming elder guardians is a huge help in obtaining water-soaking blocks.

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3) Shulkers

A shulker is created outside of the End with a spawn egg (Image via Mojang)

Shulkers are defensive mobs that naturally appear in the End's city structures, blending in with nearby purpur blocks. When threatened, the creatures fire a homing projectile that can afflict the target with the Levitation effect for a brief moment. This can cause a surprising amount of fall damage, but it's the only real offensive option the shulker has.

When killed, shulkers drop their shells, which can be crafted into shulker boxes. These boxes are among the best storage items in Minecraft, and they can be carried without having the player empty their contents first.

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4) Slimes

A slime mob roaming a swamp (Image via Mojang)

Likely one of the least threatening, hostile mobs in Minecraft, slimes still have their uses. Specifically, they can drop slimeballs, which can be crafted into incredibly useful slime blocks, sticky pistons, leads, and magma cream. However, the biggest appeal of these entities is that they provide a whopping 28 experience points when a large slime is completely defeated.

Since they can be found fairly easily in Minecraft, farming slimes is an excellent way to get experience orbs early on. Plus, compared to other hostiles, these mobs aren't capable of dealing much damage.

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5) Witches

A witch rests on the porch of its hut (Image via Mojang)

Often found roaming their huts in swamp biomes, witches can occasionally appear in-game when lightning bolts strike villagers. Though physically frail, they are crafty fighters that can cause problems for their foes through the various potions they throw. These concoctions can debilitate targets via different debuffs and status effects.

Despite only dropping a meager three experience points, Witches' real draw is the items they offer. These hostiles have the largest loot table of any creature in the game, and they are great sources of potion-brewing ingredients. Even better, if a witch is killed while drinking a potion, it can even drop a Potion of Healing, Fire Resistance, Swiftness, or Water Breathing.