Minecraft phantom membrane guide: How to get, uses, and more

Most survival video games with open worlds require the player to collect various resources for survival, and Minecraft is no exception. One of the major sources of rare and useful items this sandbox game are its mobs. They usually drop items upon death that players can pick up and use in their quest to survive, explore, and build.

One of the lesser-seen mobs in Minecraft is the phantom, a vicious flying entity that preys on players who have been skipping sleep. Defeating this bird-like mob, which soars at high altitudes, is challenging. However, upon doing so, players are rewarded with a phantom membrane, an item that serves an impactful purpose, especially in the endgame phase of a Minecraft survival journey.

In this article, we delve into everything there is to know about phantom membranes in Minecraft.

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Minecraft phantom membrane guide: Everything players need to know

What is a phantom?

Phantoms getting ready to attack a player (Image via Mojang)

The phantom is one of the more intriguing entities among the small list of flying hostile mobs in Minecraft. These have a unique spawning mechanism: when a player in Survival mode has not slept or died for three or more in-game days, they start appearing in the sky.

Once spawned in the night sky, phantoms will dive from great heights to attack the player. However, their arrival can be seen as an opportunity to obtain phantom membranes, as this flying mob is the exclusive source of this useful item.

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How to obtain phantom membranes in Minecraft?

Steve killing a phantom (Image via Mojang)

Killing a phantom grants players a chance to obtain a phantom membrane. Phantoms are surprisingly slow mobs in Minecraft and can be easily dodged by simply moving out of their trajectory. Once the player has dodged a phantom's bite, they will usually have plenty of time to land a blow or two onto the undead creature before it flies back into the dark sky.

It is recommended that gamers use a weapon with the Looting enchantment to increase the number of drops from the mob, as this will significantly enhance phantom membrane farming efficiency.

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Uses of phantom membrane in Minecraft

Repairing an elytra using phantom membranes (Image via Mojang)

A phantom membrane can be used to repair damaged elytras on an anvil. Its utility is fitting, as it is an item acquired from a flying mob and is used to fix the item that serves as the player’s wings.

A single phantom membrane can be used to restore 108 durability points of an elytra, which is around 25% of the wings' total durability.

Brewing potion of slow falling (Image via Mojang)

Additionally, the phantom membrane serves as a brewing ingredient for creating potions in Minecraft, particularly Slow Falling from Awkward Potions. To do so, players need to place said item in the top slot of a brewing stand, with the Awkward Potion at the bottom, and power the stand with blaze powder.