5 things to know about happy ghast in Minecraft

Gone are the days when the word "ghast" in Minecraft only meant a horrendous flying monster of the Nether. While the annoying and screaming ghasts are still in the game, players will probably forget about them, thanks to the joyful and adorable happy ghast.

Announced in the March 2025 Minecraft Live event, the happy ghast is a new variant of ghast introduced for the summer game drop. As soon as the developers revealed the smiling happy ghasts, the Minecraft community instantly became fans of the mob and has been eagerly awaiting their addition.

During Minecraft Live, Mojang revealed plenty of interesting things about happy ghasts in Minecraft, especially during The Deep Dig event towards the end of the stream. In this article, we have shared some things you should know about happy ghasts.

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Happy ghast in Minecraft: 5 things you should know

1) Happy ghasts are renewable

One of the best aspects of happy ghasts in Minecraft is that you can have as many as you want. To get happy ghasts, you will need a dried ghast block and have to hydrate it to spawn a ghastling, which grows into a happy ghast. During the livestream, developers revealed a crafting recipe for the dried ghast block, meaning you can have as many happy ghasts as you want.

A dried ghast block can be crafted using bone blocks and ghast tears. Bone blocks are crafted using bones, which can easily be farmed. On the other hand, ghast tears are dropped by hostile ghasts found in the Nether, commonly in Soul Sand Valley. If you manage to set up a ghast and skeleton farm, then congrats! You have infinite happy ghasts.

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2) Happy ghasts are attracted to snowballs

Feeding snowball to a ghastling (Image via Mojang)

Happy ghasts are the polar opposite of hostile ghasts. While hostile ghasts have a fiery mouth and throw explosive fireballs, happy ghasts are attracted to snowballs. You can hold a snowball in your hand to attract a happy ghast or a ghastling.

By feeding a snowball to a ghastling, you can help it grow into a happy ghast quickly. With happy ghasts, snowballs are getting a new usage in Minecraft.

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3) Up to four players can ride a happy ghast

Four playing riding a ghast (Image via Mojang)

After adding camels, a mount for two players, developers are now adding the happy ghast, a friendly mob that can be ridden by up to four players at a time. This makes the happy ghast one of the best mobs for multiplayer servers.

Even if you forget about the ability to have four players ride it, the happy ghast is an amazing addition as it is the first flying mount in Minecraft. Before happy ghasts, the only way to fly in survival mode was by using an elytra, an item obtainable only after defeating the Ender Dragon boss.

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4) Happy ghasts are useful for builders

Standing on a happy ghast (Image via Mojang)

Scaffolding blocks have been the best friend of builders for a long time as they allow players to place blocks at high and difficult spots. With the introduction of happy ghasts, builders will now have an alternative option. You can ride a happy ghast to rise high up in the sky and stand on it.

While standing on the happy ghast, it will become still and stop moving, allowing you to place blocks. If you have ever wanted to build a mega build in Minecraft, like a replica of the Eiffel Tower or a giant Christmas tree, then happy ghasts will take you to the top to help finish the build.

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5) Customizable harness colors

Happy ghast with a harness (Image via Mojang)

While we have not received different-colored saddles for horses, Mojang has made sure not to make this mistake for happy ghasts. You can craft different-colored harnesses (saddles for happy ghasts) to add personality to your new flying friends.

A harness is crafted using wool, leather, and glass blocks. The color of the harness depends on the color of the wool you use to craft it. As there are 16 colors of dyes in Minecraft, you can have happy ghasts with 16 different variations. However, what to do with 16 different happy ghasts is a topic worth discussing another day.