4 interesting things about Nether biomes in Minecraft

Since the launch of Minecraft, the Nether dimension remained a barren wasteland until 2020 when Mojang revamped the entire hellish dimension by releasing the 1.16 Nether Update. The Nether Update was one of the biggest additions, introducing four new biomes to the Nether: Crimson Forest, Warped Forest, Soul Sand Valley, and Basalt Deltas, while the old Nether dimension became the Nether Wastes biome.

Previously, players didn’t have many reasons to enter the Nether dimension. Blaze rods were a valuable resource for brewing potions and crafting eyes of ender, while players interested in fighting the Wither boss would hunt for wither skeleton skulls.

Nowadays, there are plenty of reasons to explore the various Nether biomes in Minecraft, such as bastion remnants, nether fungi trees, and beautiful building blocks like blackstone.

If you are new to the Nether realm, here are some interesting facts about Nether biomes in Minecraft.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion.

---

Minecraft: 4 Nether biome trivia you may not know

1) Basalt Deltas Might Be Radioactive

Basalt Deltas are odd (Image via Mojang)

Basalt Deltas are a dark and gloomy Nether biome filled with basalt and blackstone blocks. You will find tall pillars of basalt blocks rising toward the ceiling, with small pits of lava scattered throughout. Traversing through the Basalt Deltas can be quite challenging, as one misstep can cause you to fall into lava. Amid the chaos, you may notice sounds in the Basalt Deltas resembling radioactivity.

Most Minecraft biomes feature unique ambient sounds. In the case of the Basalt Deltas, you can hear faint cracking sounds eerily similar to those created by a Geiger counter, a device used for detecting radioactive minerals. This biome also features subtle explosion sounds.

Additionally, magma cubes are the only commonly spawning mob in Basalt Deltas. While you may encounter ghasts and striders, the absence of intelligent mobs like piglins adds some weight to the theory of the Basalt Deltas being radioactive.

---

2) Soul Sand Valley Is a perfect spot for farming Wither skeletons

Soul Sand Valley biome (Image via Mojang)

In Minecraft, wither skeletons have a low chance of dropping wither skeleton skulls when killed. These skulls are essential for summoning the Wither boss, who is needed for crafting the useful beacon block. Even with a Looting III-enchanted weapon, obtaining wither skeleton skulls is not an easy task.

Soul Sand Valley biomes are perfect for players tired of the low drop rates and spawn rates of wither skeletons. In a Soul Sand Valley, skeletons and ghasts are the only hostile mobs that can spawn. If you find a Nether fortress within a Soul Sand Valley, it can easily be turned into an efficient wither skeleton farm. Alternatively, you can \use the biome to make a ghast farm.

---

3) Warped forest and its connection to endermen

Enderman in Warped Forest (Image via Mojang)

Endermen are one of the most mysterious mobs in Minecraft. Whether it’s their reversed speech sounds, inverted color vision, or being the only mob to spawn in all three dimensions, there are many strange facts surrounding endermen. When the Nether Update introduced Warped Forests, the biome added even more mystery to endermen.

Aside from the occasional striders in nearby lava, endermen are the only mob that spawns in Warped Forests. One of the ambient sound effects in the biome includes the angry screaming voice of an enderman.

The name of the biome might also hint at its connection to endermen, as they are the only mob with the ability to teleport or “warp.” Since Minecraft lacks official lore, it’s up to players to piece together the clues and form their \interpretations.

---

4) The rarity of Nether biomes

Did you know about rarities of Nether biomes? (Image via Mojang)

Some players might be surprised to learn that Nether biomes are not equally distributed. The old Nether Wastes remain the most common biome, while the Warped Forest is the rarest Nether biome.

After the Nether Wastes, the Crimson Forest, Soul Sand Valley, and Basalt Deltas follow in terms of rarity. By discovering, all Nether biomes you can earn the Hot Tourist Destinations achievement.