7 best ways to get obsidian in Minecraft

Want to know how to get obsidian in Minecraft? Obsidian is an essential block in Minecraft. When players enter a world for the first time, they always spawn in the Overworld. If they want to progress further in order to complete the game, they need to create a Nether portal with obsidian blocks to enter the hellish realm. Furthermore, obsidian is also found in the End dimension. This block is found in all three dimensions of the game.

Apart from making a Nether portal, obsidian can be used in various other ways. Hence, players almost always need these blocks in their arsenal. In this guide, we will take a look at seven best ways to get obsidian in Minecraft, look into uses for obsidian, and answer a few common questions related to obsidian blocks.

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What is obsidian in Minecraft?

Obsidian is the key to entering Nether dimension (Image via Mojang)

Obsidian is one of the oldest and most durable blocks in Minecraft. With the introduction of the Nether realm more than a decade ago, Mojang decided to add the obsidian block to create a pathway to the fiery dimension. The main purpose of the obsidian block is creating the Nether portal, but it has several other uses as well. However, obtaining an obsidian block is not as easy as some players may think.

When water comes in contact with a block of lava, it turns the lava into obsidian. However, if the lava is in a flowing state, the flowing lava will simply turn into cobblestone. To mine obsidian blocks, players will need a diamond or netherite pickaxe. If you are new to Minecraft, you may not have a diamond or netherite pickaxe ready. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get obsidian in Minecraft.

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Best ways to get obsidian in Minecraft

1) Pouring water from a bucket near lava

Players can pour water near a lava pool to create obsidian when water flows over lava (Image via Minecraft Wiki)

Arguably the best way to obtain several blocks of obsidian is to create them manually. When water flows over lava blocks, the lava blocks essentially convert to obsidian. Hence, players can craft a bucket, fill it with water, and then pour it near a lava pool. As the water flows over the lava, it will convert into obsidian. Make sure not to pour it directly on top of the lava though.

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2) Natural generation

Natural-generating obsidian can be found in deep underground caves (Image via Minecraft Wiki)

Since water and lava naturally generate in underground caves, there is a high chance that obsidian will naturally generate as well. There could be a water body that naturally flows over lava to create the block. Hence, players can also explore the caves to find them.

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3) Automatically generated Nether portal

Automatically generated nether portals will have four additional obsidian blocks that can be mined in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

For those who may not know, the Nether portal also works with only 10 blocks of obsidian, excluding the corners. However, when they enter or exit it, the game automatically creates a new one in the other realm for players to come out of. This naturally generated portal will have 14 blocks of obsidian. Since only 10 of them are needed for it to work, players can mine the corner blocks and use them later.

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4) Chest loot

Chests in several Minecraft structures will also have obsidian in them (Image via Mojang)

When explorers roam around the in-game world, they will find all kinds of structures where they can find chests with loot. In some of them, they can also find a few obsidian blocks that they can use. Structures like Bastion Remnants, Nether Fortresses, Villages, and Ruined portal chests generate obsidian frequently.

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5) Ruined portal

Ruined portal also generates a few blocks in obsidian in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

Ruined portals are small structures that generate randomly around the Overworld and Nether. These are essentially long-lost Nether portals that have not been destroyed. However, players will surely find some obsidian blocks in them, along with some crying obsidian as well.

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6) Obsidian towers in the End realm

End realm has massive obsidian towers in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

Players who have completed the game can have loads of obsidian from the End realm. When players first enter the final dimension, they will notice that it's main island has tall towers made with nothing but obsidian in Minecraft. These can be mined to obtain several stacks of the block.

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7) Bartering

Piglins also have a slim chance of bartering obsidian blocks in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

Piglin Bartering is a system where players give a gold ingot to a Piglin mob in the Nether, and they give back a random item from their trading list. They too have a small 8.71% chance of giving a block of obsidian in exchange of a gold ingot.

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Uses of obsidian in Minecraft

Obsidian is used for building nether portals (Image via Mojang)

The main purpose of obsidian in Minecraft is to create a Nether portal. However, it also has a few other uses. Players can use obsidian blocks to craft ender chests, beacons, and enchanting tables. These are all quality of life features, especially the enchantment table, which lets you enchant your equipment and create enchanted books.

Obsidian also has one of the highest blast resistances in Minecraft. While it is not as unbreakable as bedrock, it is obtainable in survival mode and can be used to create a blast-proof space for your farming needs. For example, if you are building a TNT-based Minecraft tree farm or cobblestone farm and don't want the surrounding blocks to be destroyed, then using obsidian is a great choice for building the farm.

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FAQs About Obsidian in Minecraft

1. What is the fastest way to get obsidian in Minecraft?

A diamond or netherite pickaxe enchanted with Efficiency V is the fastest way to get obsidian in Minecraft. If you want to take this to next level, consider building a beacon to get the mining speed buff.

2. What pickaxe can mine obsidian?

You can use diamond or netherite pickaxe to mine obsidian in Minecraft. Any pickaxe will not work for mining obsidian.

3. How do you get obsidian without lava?

Looting chests and finding ruined portals are two of the best ways to get obsidian in Minecraft. Some structures have loot chests that may contain obsidian blocks. You can also mine out obsidian blocks from ruined portals found both in the Overworld and Nether.

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