End City vs Ancient City: How different are the two Minecraft structures?

There are two types of Minecraft structures that Mojang Studios call "cities": End City and Ancient City. Both are extremely dangerous to explore and loot but have some of the best items to offer. They also have two entirely different mobs that pose a challenge to players exploring these two cities. Hence, there are several differences between the two.

Here are some major differences between Minecraft's End City and Ancient City.

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How are End City and Ancient City different from each other in Minecraft?

City at the end of the game vs regular Overworld structure

Both cities can be explored at two different moments in the game (Image via Mojang Studios)

Players can only access End Cities after finishing Minecraft's underlying story. Explorers need to enter a stronghold, find an End Portal, enter the End realm, and defeat the final boss, Ender Dragon. Then, a portal unlocks, taking players to other End Islands where End Cities spawn.

On the other hand, Ancient Cities are structures that generate underground in the Overworld realm, the dimension where players spawn for the first time. Hence, this haunting structure can be found right after entering the game for the first time.

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Chaotic vs silent exploration

Mobs spawning in both structures create two different exploration environments (Image via Mojang Studios)

The exploration of an End City can be quite chaotic due to Shulkers. These are small, pesky, and static creatures that open their protective shells and shoot levitation bullets toward the players. Since there are loads of Shulkers in the End City, dealing with them can be chaotic.

Meanwhile, the fear of the Warden forces players to be extra silent and careful while exploring an Ancient City. Since the structure generates inside a deep dark biome, it is infested with Sculk blocks capable of summoning the Warden if players make any noise. Sculk sensors and Shriekers can go off when players walk, jump, place blocks, or open chests.

Hence, exploration environments are quite different in the two Minecraft cities.

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Several pesky mobs vs one terrifying beast

Two entirely different mobs dwell in both cities (Image via Mojang Studios)

As mentioned above, the two cities have two different mobs guarding them in Minecraft.

End Cities are filled with static Shulkers that look like boxes but reveal themselves from their protective shells. They shoot levitation bullets that make players float in the air for a few seconds. Some areas of the structure are filled with them, making exploration much harder.

On the other hand, a Warden can spawn inside an Ancient City if a player makes too much noise. Though this beast is blind and can only hear and sniff a player out, it becomes the most deadly mob when it gets angry. Its melee attack is enough to kill a player, even if they are wearing strong enchanted gear. Furthermore, its ranged attack can seek players out even through thick walls.

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Loot

Both cities have valuable loot (Image via Mojang Studios)

Both End and Ancient Cities have some of the best loot in Minecraft. They both generate chests that have enchanted Diamond gear and other rare items. It is worth noting that players will find Diamonds more frequently in End Cities, while they can find other valuables like enchanted Golden Apples in Ancient Cities.

The Ancient City has some exclusive loot like Echo Shards, Disc Fragments, Swift Sneak Enchanted Books, and more, that no other structure can generate. On the other hand, an End City only has Elytra and Spire Armor Trim to offer as exclusive rare loot.