How to easily defeat the Wither in Minecraft 1.19

Withers are infamous for being a mini-boss that's destructive and tough to defeat in Minecraft. When it spawns, it explodes and leaves a massive crater around the area where the player once built the structure to spawn it.

As of Minecraft 1.19, this mini-boss is one of three formidable mobs that exist in the game thus far, the other two being the Warden and legendary Ender Dragon. Withers are the only source of the nether star, so it's required that players spawn and kill one to craft a beacon.

That said, this mini-boss isn't at all easy to defeat. It's completely airborne and can shoot exploding skulls at the player while inflicting a harmful poison-like effect called Wither II.

There are more than a few tips on how to defeat a Wither in Minecraft easily. Here's a detailed guide on how to do so effectively.

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Using mobs, golden apples, and other tips to easily defeat the Wither in Minecraft

5) Carry Milk Buckets

The Wither will inflict a poison-like effect on the player when it hits them with its exploding wither skulls called Wither II. Although the potion effect won't kill the player unless they're down to half a heart, it's still very easy for the effect to be fatal for players attempting to fight the Wither in Minecraft.

Keeping a few milk buckets on hand can quickly undo the poison effect if the player is inflicted with it. All players need to do is drink the milk as soon as they're hit with a wither skull and inflicted with Wither II.

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4) Spawn the Wither in a confined area

One of the most aggravating parts of the Wither is that, much like the Ender Dragon, it's completely airborne. Once it spawns, it will fly around and shoot the player with its wither skulls.

Halfway through the fight, the Wither will put up a shield that makes arrows completely ineffective. To avoid a situation where the mini-boss is flying around with its shield up and is too high to be hit with a sword, it's recommended that players spawn the Wither in a confined area, like a cave.

This will make it easier to defeat the Wither, as it won't be able to fly high and out of reach of the player's sword.

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3) Wear armor with enchantments

While it may seem like a no-brainer, players should wear the strongest type of armor that's available to them at the time of the fight. Diamond and Netherite armor are recommended, but it's also possible for skilled players to defeat the Wither in iron armor.

What's more important than the type of armor that players wear is the enchantments that are on the armor. Since the Wither attacks using projectiles, having the Blast Protection enchantment is best for this particular fight. Players could also enchant their gear with Protection or Feather Falling if they choose.

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2) Carry Golden Apples

Health is something that's crucial in the fight against the Wither. With both the Wither II effect and the constant wither skulls being shot at the player, it's hard to find time to regenerate health quickly.

Players should carry Golden Apples or Enchanted Golden Apples on them during their fight, as these items will help restore health quickly.

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1) Use other mobs as bait

One of the reasons it's not recommended to spawn a Wither near a player's base/farm is because the Wither will focus on attacking mobs in the surrounding area. This makes it incredibly easy for the mini-boss to focus on nearby pets and farm animals that could have sentimental value to the player.

That said, this can be used to the player's advantage in some cases. If the player spawns a bunch of mobs, such as snow golems, they will distract the mini-boss from attacking the player. This makes it a lot easier to attack the distracted beast and lower the Wither's health bar.