Top 10 Minecraft theories and mysteries of all time 

Some theories surrounding Minecraft
Some theories surrounding Minecraft's world and lore can be pretty compelling (Image via Mojang)

Minecraft may have a semblance of an overall story, but Mojang keeps the game, its world, and its narrative ambiguous, allowing players to construct theories and attempt to solve the mysteries. To that end, fans have come up with a huge collection of different theories ranging from how certain mobs came to be, to what certain structures were originally used for, to the real goals of the main character.

Thanks to the ambiguity of the larger Minecraft universe, some of the most intriguing fan theories have remained popular among players since the game's debut. Moreover, as the sandbox title has evolved with regular updates, players have sought even more answers to the many mysteries that Mojang appears to be leaving behind.

Whatever the case, it might be fun to take a look at some of the most entertaining fan theories and intriguing mysteries in Minecraft.

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

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The top fan theories and mysteries surrounding Minecraft

10) The Great Flood

Ocean monuments seem too elaborate to have been constructed by Minecraft's aquatic mobs (Image via Mojang)
Ocean monuments seem too elaborate to have been constructed by Minecraft's aquatic mobs (Image via Mojang)

Most Minecraft fans have found a grand assortment of structures under the surface of the sea, including ocean ruins, shipwrecks, and ocean monuments. But how did these come to be? Who built them? The answer may lie in a cataclysmic event that took place before players ever stepped foot in the Overworld.

According to this theory, the Overworld was once inhabited by another civilization, but a massive flood overtook the dimension, submerging their temples and creations and wrecking their sea vessels. The individuals may have died as a result, leading to the creation of drowned zombies, and allowing guardians to overtake ocean monuments.


9) Minecraft may be an allegory for mental health

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Sure, the creators of Minecraft may have never clearly stated that the game was themed around topics like mental health, but the sandbox title has been a welcome way to help many people in that regard. Some fans have theorized that, consciously or not, many aspects of the game are allegorical for the mental struggles that individuals go through and how they overcome them.

In the game world, every mob is incapable of communicating with the player, and most are quite hostile, which may signal the mental health challenges people face. Creepers show up out of nowhere and destroy what gamers have built, possibly signifying depression or PTSD. Even villagers, who are helpful, are isolated by the language barrier.

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It's unclear as to whether Mojang intended this, but Minecraft players have seen much of their own struggles within the game world. Since this is the case, perhaps fans aren't too far from the truth in thinking that the title at large is representative of a greater battle that many face in their own lives.


8) The player has amnesia

Steve and Alex's origins in Minecraft are shrouded in mystery (Image via Mojang)
Steve and Alex's origins in Minecraft are shrouded in mystery (Image via Mojang)

While Minecraft fans tend not to think about it right away, one has to wonder how exactly they ended up in the Overworld in the first place. Did they arrive from another world or dimension, or have they always inhabited this cubic and vast space? One theory suggests that players (Steve or Alex if fans don't change their character/skin) might have been tied to the world but lost their memory somehow.

Prevalent theories range from Steve/Alex previously being part of a village before hitting their head in some form of accident, wandering from their home to being transported to the Minecraft world and losing their former lives/memories in the process. If anything, it certainly explains why the player begins with nothing in a completely arbitrary location.

It also might explain how they can't seem to use verbal communication with mobs like villagers/pillagers, and why each newly-created world is different, among other speculations. The player simply can't remember what happened before.


7) The Minecraft world may be its own planet

The world of Minecraft may not be a reimagining of Earth if some theories are to be believed (Image via Odyssey Builds/Minecraft Marketplace)
The world of Minecraft may not be a reimagining of Earth if some theories are to be believed (Image via Odyssey Builds/Minecraft Marketplace)

For quite some time, Minecraft fans have assumed that the game world was simply a depiction of Earth with a few creative liberties taken by Mojang. There's only one problem, and it can strike players when they look up in the sky. Based on the movements of the moon, the sun, and the stars revolving around, it may be its own planet with Earth-like qualities.

The rotation of the sun and the moon seems to suggest that both celestial bodies are orbiting the game world, while the Earth orbits the sun and the moon orbits Earth. Unfortunately, outside of the recent April Fools update, players don't have many ideas on what the planet they're adventuring on actually looks like.


6) The Minecraft world is the player's dream

Minecraft's end credits may suggest that the world is the player's dream (Image via Mojang)
Minecraft's end credits may suggest that the world is the player's dream (Image via Mojang)

Since every in-game world is different, players can respawn after death, and can even change modes, some have theorized that they're simply exploring a dream world. This also seems to be suggested in Minecraft's end credits roll, which points to the game world as a dream and our world as something of a longer dream.

While this might just be a bit of philosophy on Mojang's part, the idea that the world is simply dreamed up by players would explain several gameplay aspects that don't make sense on their faces. Humans can't exactly respawn, fly under their own power, or conjure objects from thin air, so there may be some credence to the theories that have been bandied about.


5) The player may be some form of cyborg/android

Ordinary human beings can't exactly punch trees apart with their bare hands, jump roughly 13 feet in the air (when blocks are converted into imperial notation), or carry thousands of pounds of materials. It's for this reason that many fans have suspected that Steve, Alex, or the player character in general is some form of android or cyborg with enhanced superhuman abilities.

Though the player being a pure robot doesn't quite make sense since they still need to eat food, some fans have suspected that the player character may have some cybernetic components that give them attributes above what an ordinary person can accomplish. This ensures they maintain organic characteristics like requiring nourishment while still having elevated powers.


4) Someone is leaving behind loot for the player

Loot chests seem to imply that players are being aided by an unknown benefactor (Image via Mojang)
Loot chests seem to imply that players are being aided by an unknown benefactor (Image via Mojang)

Most Minecraft structures found in-game contain a collection of loot chests, filled with items, blocks, and sometimes even resources that are considered pretty rare. But who left these goodies behind? There are several theories among fans, but most agree that the presence of loot chests seems to insist that someone is leaving behind stuff for players to find.

Was it a bygone civilization, a forgotten explorer hoping players to pick up the torch, someone who existed in the world before Steve/Alex, or an unseen ally who watches players' progression? The answer remains ambiguous, but it's pretty clear that some structures' mobs aren't exactly hoarding items for their own use.


3) Endermen used to be an ancient civilization

Endermen are theorized to have quite a dismal fate in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)
Endermen are theorized to have quite a dismal fate in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

While most Minecraft fans know that the inspiration for the Endermen originates from the character Slenderman, some players have theorized about how they exist within game lore. Consensus theories suggest that the Endermen were once industrious inhabitants of the Overworld (maybe even players themselves), but some event caused them to construct portals and flee to the End.

From there, the civilization waited out the devastation, munching on chorus fruits to survive. This began to warp their bodies, making them tall and thin while also giving them the ability to teleport. Fluids like water and rain became anathema to them, and they could only return to the Overworld in a limited capacity. The Ender Dragon arrived, and this once-great culture was subjugated.

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It's theorized that the Endermen's former selves had constructed many of the ruins and structures in the Overworld before their departure, but now they can do little more than wander dimensions aimlessly, picking up blocks in some facsimile of what they used to be. This may also be why the Endermen are angered when locking eyes with players, as they go into a rage thinking about the future they lost.


2) The multi-planet/multiverse theory

Minecraft is a game that's very well-known for its infinite combinations of generated worlds thanks to the seed system. Each seed provides a new world to enjoy, complete with its own terrain configurations, structure placement, and more. However, some have theorized that there may be a lore-based reason for this as well.

Though the cause differs, some fans have suggested that a reality-altering event occurred ahead of the beginning of the Minecraft story that created multiple universes, or at least multiple worlds across the cosmos that are similar. This would explain how players can experience so many similar yet different worlds while also visiting each other in multiplayer.


1) The player is the villain

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If completely left alone, the world of Minecraft is admittedly not too dangerous for most of the mobs residing in it. Sure, the Ender Dragon still reigns over the Endermen and the villagers can still be attacked by pillagers and zombies, but otherwise, things are relatively peaceful. According to some fans, that balance changes when players or Steve/Alex make their way into the world.

Tearing down trees and mining the underground for resources, the natural world is stripped as the player creates massive structures marring the landscape, farming mobs, and killing them by the scores for their drops and experience. In that light, is it so crazy to theorize that the player might just be the villain of the story?

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Edited by Abu Amjad Khan
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