One rare Minecraft item is a must-have for every Hardcore Mode player

Minecraft Hardcore Mode is one of the most challenging aspects of Mojang's sandbox title, and even one mistake can spell the end for a player and the world they've created due to the mode's permanent death element. Since this is the case, there's one item that players should seek out as soon as they can and stockpile it—Totems of Undying.

While dying early on in a Hardcore Mode world is hardly the worst that could happen in Minecraft, the avoidance of ill effects is amplified when players have sunk dozens or hundreds of hours into their Hardcore Mode world. In this context, even a single Totem of Undying can avert catastrophe thanks to the benefits it brings.

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Why Totems of Undying are vital in Minecraft Hardcore

A single Totem of Undying can save a Minecraft player's entire Hardcore Mode world (Image via Mojang)

Obtained by killing evokers, Totems of Undying are capable of preventing a player from dying from most sources, but there are exceptions. Suppose you are holding one of these totems and take fatal damage. In that case, the item will activate, healing you for one health point and immediately bestowing Regeneration II, Fire Resistance I, and Absorption II.

While these bonuses don't guarantee you survive their fatal predicament again, the increased maximum health, healing over time, and resistance can give you a fighting chance to overcome an opponent or remove yourself from a hazardous situation. In a Minecraft Hardcore Mode world, these totems can be the difference between permadeath and living to fight and survive another day.

As previously noted, the Totem of Undying can't protect players from everything. Taking damage from the Void or being killed via the /kill command will circumvent the totem's capabilities. Additionally, in Minecraft: Java Edition, being struck by an Arrow of Harming for fatal damage will trigger the totem with its base damage, but the Instant Damage effect applied to the arrow will kill the player again.

Regardless of these slight flaws, the sooner that you can set up a pillager raid farm to kill evokers en masse, the better. When it comes to Hardcore Mode, you can never have enough Totems of Undying for yourself or your friends, as some of the most dangerous moments in this challenging game mode can arrive in a split second even if you don't necessarily make a mistake yourself.

Totems of Undying are the best insurance policy players can have in Minecraft Hardcore (Image via Mojang)

Some players may be able to get by surviving in Hardcore Mode without Totems of Undying, but they're doing so while walking a fine line between survival and permadeath. Once you have a raid farm to harvest these renewable totems, there's really no reason not to keep them on hand as an immensely beneficial survival aid that can bring plenty of peace of mind in Hardcore Mode.