7 most useful Minecraft mob drops

Several mobs in Minecraft can be killed by players or hazards, and many of them drop items upon death.

Though many Minecraft mob drops are well-known to players, some are much more helpful than others.

Some mobs drop food, while others drop crafting materials. In rare circumstances, certain mobs can even drop the gear they're wearing upon death.

Regardless, there are certain mobs that drop unanimously helpful materials that can aid just about any player who steps into a Minecraft world.

Note: This article reflects the opinions of the writer

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Most helpful mob drops in Minecraft version 1.18.2

1) Potion of Invisibility (Wandering Trader)

Wandering Traders can drop a particularly helpful potion upon death (Image via Mojang)

Some Minecraft players may have noticed that the Wandering Trader can disappear and avoid being attacked by hostile mobs at night time.

Apparently, there's a reason for this. If players kill a Wandering Trader, it will drop a potion of invisibility, allowing players to turn invisible themselves for a brief moment.

In Minecraft: Java Edition, Wandering Traders can also drop milk buckets if they're killed while drinking one.

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2) Ender Pearls (Endermen)

Ender pearls can allow players to teleport short distances (Image via Mojang)

Often obtained by bartering with piglins when it comes to Minecraft speedrunning, ender pearls are a core crafting ingredient in creating the eyes of ender. However, they can also be used by the player to teleport or create endermites.

If players can kill an enderman, it has a chance of dropping an ender pearl. This means if players can create an enderman farm, they can have all the pearls they need for teleporting at will.

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3) Gunpowder (Creepers)

Gunpowder can be used to craft items and blocks with a bang (Image via Mojang)

A core crafting ingredient in creating TNT and firework rockets, gunpowder can be obtained by killing a creeper before it detonates.

Firework rockets are vital if players want to use the elytra for an extended period of time. Meanwhile, TNT blocks are useful for players who want to build traps and tunnel through the earth. As a result, players won't want to miss out on collecting gunpowder.

Gunpowder can be used to create firework stars. It can also be used as a brewing ingredient to create splash potions.

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4) Phantom Membranes (Phantoms)

Phantom membranes can keep a player's elytra in working order (Image via Mojang)

Phantoms can be pretty aggravating as Minecraft mobs. They attack players who have been awake for three in-game days by divebombing them and knocking them from tall heights.

However, if players manage to kill a few phantoms, they can obtain their membranes. These membranes are primarily used at an anvil to repair a player's elytra, ensuring it continues to work for the long haul without breaking.

Membranes can also be added to awkward potions in brewing to create potions of slow falling.

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5) Blaze Rods (Blazes)

Blaze rods are nearly always required to complete Survival Mode's story (Image via Mojang)

Blaze rods are a crucial material for crafting the eyes of ender, making them a near-lock necessity to enter the End and defeat the Ender Dragon.

The only time this isn't the case is in the extraordinarily lucky circumstances where a player enters a seed that possesses a stronghold that already has all of its slots filled.

Regardless, blaze rods are also useful in the creation of blaze powder for brewing. They can also be added to popped chorus fruit to create end lights.

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6) Nether Stars (The Wither)

Nether stars can only be obtained from the Wither boss in Survival Mode (Image via Mojang)

Nether stars are only obtainable by defeating the summonable Wither boss in Minecraft (at least in Survival Mode). They are important in the creation of a beacon block, which provides players with a huge host of benefits.

However, beating the Wither isn't what most players would call easy. Players should be well-prepared before using the wither skeleton skulls and soul sand/soil to summon the powerful boss.

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7) Totems of Undying (Evokers)

totems of Undying give players another chance at life (Image via Mojang)

Players can acquire Totems of Undying by killing Minecraft's magically-inclined pillagers known as evokers. These items are certainly ornate, among other things.

These totems have the incredible ability to spare a player from death. If a player takes damage that would otherwise kill them outright, the totem activates, keeping the player alive albeit in a somewhat weakened state. This can provide a perfect opportunity for players to remove themselves from a bad situation.