Ender Dragon

What Is Ender Dragon in Minecraft?

The Ender Dragon is the final boss of the base game, a massive flying dragon that guards the End and must be defeated to finish the main story.

What Can the Ender Dragon Do in Minecraft?

• Flies in circles around the Exit Portal
• Healed by nearby End Crystals
• Can only be hurt while perched or flying overhead
• Breath attack leaves a damaging cloud
• Fireballs leave a damaging cloud too
• Wing hits knock you back hard

How to Defeat the Ender Dragon

• Destroy every End Crystal on the pillars first, since the dragon heals faster than most players can damage it while they remain. Destroying a crystal while it's actively healing the dragon also deals a chunk of direct damage to it.
• A bow is useful both for breaking crystals and for extra damage while the dragon flies overhead.
• Melee attacks land best when the dragon perches on the Exit Portal, which happens every few flybys.
• Defeating the dragon for the first time triggers the ending credits, drops 12,000 XP, and opens the Exit Portal with a Dragon Egg on top.
• You can fight the dragon again later by placing four End Crystals around the Exit Portal. Re-kills only give 500 XP and don't produce another Dragon Egg or new End Gateway once 20 already exist.