mob
Wither Skeleton in Minecraft | MinecraftBible
Wither Skeleton is a hostile mob in Minecraft 1.21.4 with 20 HP and a dedicated spawn egg.
What is Wither Skeleton?
Wither Skeleton is a Minecraft hostile mob in the Skeleton family. Wither Skeleton is a hostile mob. It attacks players on sight within its 16-block aggro range and deals 8 damage per hit on Normal difficulty (Java Edition).
Namespaced ID: minecraft:wither_skeleton. Summon with /summon minecraft:wither_skeleton ~ ~ ~.
Combat & stats
- Health: 20 HP (10 hearts)
- Attack damage: 8 per hit (Normal difficulty, Java Edition)
- XP dropped on kill: 5
- Natural armor: 2
- Movement speed: 0.25
- Knockback resistance: 0%
- Aggro range: 16 blocks
- Hits with Iron Sword (6 dmg): 4
- Hits with Diamond Sword (7 dmg): 3
- Hits with Netherite Sword (8 dmg): 3
Physical size
Wither Skeleton's hitbox is 0.7 blocks wide and 2.4 blocks tall.
Where Wither Skeleton spawns
- Nether Fortress. Biomes: Nether Wastes, Soul Sand Valley. Structure: Nether Fortress. Max light: 7. Group size: 1–4. Only spawns naturally within a 48-block radius of Nether Fortress bounding boxes.
Detailed drop table for Wither Skeleton
| Item | Base drop | Looting bonus | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bone | 0–1 | +1 max per Looting level | — |
| Coal | 0–1 | +1 max per Looting level | 33% base chance |
| Wither Skeleton Skull (rare) | 1–1 | +1% per Looting level (Java) / +1% (Bedrock) | 2.5% base drop chance (rises to 5.5% at Looting III) · Only from player kills. |
| Stone Sword (rare) | 1–1 | — | 8.5% chance if it spawned holding one |
Wither Skeleton behavior & AI
- Applies Wither effect (10 seconds) on hit — reduces health below normal 0 threshold.
- Immune to fire, lava, drowning.
- Killing 3 wither skeletons is the practical unlock for summoning the Wither.
How to fight Wither Skeleton
- Iron sword: 4 hits to kill.
- Diamond sword: 3 hits to kill.
- Netherite sword: 3 hits to kill.
- Break line of sight beyond 16 blocks to reset aggro.
Spawn egg
In creative mode, the Wither Skeleton Spawn Egg spawns Wither Skeleton instantly. Command: /give @p wither_skeleton_spawn_egg 1.
Tags
- Hostile mobs
- Hostile
- Has Spawn Egg
- Has Drops
- Skeleton family
Overview
Wither Skeleton is a hostile mob in Minecraft 1.21.4 — part of the Skeleton family. This page covers its classification, size, spawn-egg availability, real health, and confirmed drops.
Difficulty and time commitment
- Difficulty: Medium
- Estimated time per run: 10-30 min
Frequently Asked Questions
How much health does Wither Skeleton have?
Wither Skeleton has 20 HP (10 hearts), and killing it grants 5 experience.
What does Wither Skeleton drop when killed?
Wither Skeleton can drop Coal, Bone, Wither Skeleton Skull (player kill only).
How much damage does Wither Skeleton deal?
Wither Skeleton deals 8 damage per hit on Normal difficulty (Java Edition).
How many hits does it take to kill Wither Skeleton?
With an unenchanted sword, Wither Skeleton takes about 4 hits with an Iron Sword (6 damage), 3 with a Diamond Sword (7 damage), and 3 with a Netherite Sword (8 damage).