7 best Minecraft structures for loot in 2023

As Minecraft has evolved, players have gained the ability to explore more and more generated structures throughout the game. From the Overworld to the Nether to the End, the world's most popular sandbox game has no shortage of structures to investigate.

Structures aren't just for scoping out, as many of them also offer plenty of loot. Sure, sometimes players have to battle hostile mobs to get to this loot, but for some the effort is certainly worth it. When finding some of the best loot in the game, players have a few structures they may want to prioritize.

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Minecraft Structures Worth Checking Out For Quality Loot

1) Ancient Cities

Ancient cities possess some items players won't find anywhere else (Image via Mojang)

Ancient cities, one of the more recent Minecraft structures introduced in the game, are the lone-generated structures found in the deep dark biome.

They're undoubtedly dangerous due to the presence of the Warden mob, but if players can brave these structures, they can find items and loot that can't be found elsewhere. This includes echo shards to make recovery compasses and the music disc "Otherside." However, players can also find other quality items in ancient cities like Bottles O' Enchanting, enchanted golden apples, and enchanted books.

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2) Buried Treasure

Buried treasure is remarkably helpful once players know how to find them in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

While it may not seem like a generated structure due to simply being a well-hidden treasure chest, buried treasure is classified as a generated structure.

Additionally, it generates in a very specific manner in each in-game chunk, allowing Minecraft players to find buried treasure successfully. While the loot in this treasure varies, players can find valuable items like diamonds, prismarine shards, and Hearts of the Sea, which can be used to create conduits.

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3) Villages

Villages are relatively free from danger and offer plenty of free items in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

One of the easiest ways to loot free items is to find a village in Minecraft. Since the villagers inside these structures are non-hostile (though the iron golems can be dangerous if triggered), there's no risk when it comes to roaming around a village and picking it clean of valuables.

Plus, players can end up with some precious loot, including diamonds, obsidian, weapons, tools, and armor, depending on the presence of blacksmith shops in the village. This is why villages are so popular among Minecraft speedrunners.

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4) Shipwrecks

Shipwrecks don't always provide perfect loot, but they offer great items on average (Image via u/AngelofArt/Reddit)

While shipwrecks in Minecraft don't contain exclusive items, they can still offer a great loot collection. Additionally, shipwrecks often possess numerous loot chests in one structure, providing multiple opportunities to find various helpful items simultaneously.

Players can loot things like Bottles O' Enchanting, diamonds, and buried treasure maps in shipwrecks. However, it's also possible to find decent materials like gold, iron, and lapis lazuli, and even a few emeralds can be found here and there.

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5) Ocean Monuments

Ocean monuments contain loot that is incredibly difficult to acquire elsewhere, or outright impossible without Creative Mode or cheats (Image via Mojang)

While ocean monuments can be dangerous due to being underwater and infested with guardians/elder guardians, players can't complain about what can be looted from them.

Players can farm the guardians for items like prismarine shards/crystals, but that's just the beginning. One of the biggest draws of ocean monuments is the ability to loot sea lantern and sponge blocks, two beneficial block types that provide light and absorb water, respectively. Since these blocks can't be found elsewhere without cheats or Creative Mode's inventory, ocean monuments are certainly worth exploring.

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6) Bastion Remnants

Bastion remnants are stocked to the brim with loot if Minecraft players are willing to brave them (Image via Mojang)

Found in the dangerous Nether dimension, bastion remnants are the home of piglins unwilling to negotiate with players. However, if Minecraft players can take down the piglins and reach the various rooms of the bastion with their treasure chests, the rewards can be worth it.

Spectral arrows, lodestones, enchanted crossbows, the snout banner pattern, enchanted diamond pickaxes, ancient debris blocks, and netherite scrap are among the top-tier loot available to players. These structures can even be looted for the Pigstep music disc.

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7) End Cities

End cities are late-game structures, but are well worth looting (Image via Mojang)

While Minecraft players won't be able to access these structures until they've defeated the Ender Dragon, the effort will be well-rewarded. Players can find a bevy of enchanted armor, tools, and weapons of varying qualities inside end cities. Players can also find diamonds inside end cities, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Minecraft players can find Elytra, one of the most useful pieces of gear in the game, in the attached end ships near cities. In these ships, players can also find the Ender Dragon's head, as well as shulkers to kill and collect shulker shells to create shulker boxes.