What is the Jeb Nametag in Minecraft?
The “jeb” nametag in Minecraft is a clever Easter egg that triggers a unique visual effect on sheep. When a player uses a name tag to rename a sheep to “jeb“, the sheep’s wool will continuously cycle through all the colors of dye available in the game, creating a vibrant rainbow effect. This colorful transformation is purely cosmetic and doesn’t affect the sheep’s behavior or its ability to be sheared or bred. It’s a fun and visually appealing way to personalize your sheep collection and is a well-known and beloved secret within the Minecraft community. The jeb_ name tag was implemented as a tribute to Jens Bergensten, also known as “Jeb”, the lead designer of Minecraft.
The Mechanics of the Jeb_ Nametag
How to Apply the Jeb_ Name Tag
To make a rainbow sheep, you will need a few essential items. First, you will need a name tag. These can be found in chests in dungeons, abandoned mineshafts, and other structures, or can be crafted by using some emeralds with a librarian villager. You will also need an anvil, a crafting station used to rename items. Once you have these two items, follow these steps:
- Place the anvil: Put the anvil down in a convenient place.
- Place the name tag: Open the anvil interface and put the name tag in the left-most slot.
- Rename: Click the name field in the interface and rename the name tag to “jeb_”. Be sure to include the underscore at the end.
- Apply to Sheep: Take the renamed “jeb_” name tag and right-click on any sheep. The sheep will instantly change its look.
The Rainbow Effect
Once the sheep is named “jeb_”, it will begin its transformation. The wool color will start to rapidly cycle through all sixteen dye colors available in Minecraft. This creates a mesmerizing rainbow effect, as the wool shifts from one vibrant color to the next. It’s an eye-catching effect that can add a unique and fun dynamic to your Minecraft farm or base. It’s important to note that the color change is only visual; it doesn’t affect the color of wool the sheep drops when sheared.
Wool Drop and Shearing
While the wool on a “jeb_” sheep cycles through all the colors, the actual wool dropped when you shear the sheep will always be the original color the sheep was when you applied the nametag. This means that if you rename a white sheep to “jeb_” its wool will cycle through all the dye colours, but it will always drop white wool when sheared. The same principle applies for other colors; a black sheep with the jeb_ tag will drop black wool, and so on. This distinction adds another layer of fun, as you can have a flock of rainbow-colored sheep that still provide you with the desired specific wool color.
Jeb_ Nametag FAQs
1. What happens if I name a sheep “jeb” without the underscore?
The name tag must be “jeb_” (with the underscore) to trigger the rainbow effect. Naming a sheep “jeb” without the underscore will not produce the desired outcome, and the sheep will simply retain its original color.
2. Can I get different colored wool from a “jeb_” sheep?
No. A “jeb_” sheep’s wool is purely cosmetic, cycling through various colors visually. When sheared, the sheep will always drop wool of its original color before being renamed.
3. Does the “jeb_” nametag work on baby sheep?
Yes, the “jeb_” nametag works on both adult and baby sheep. A baby sheep renamed to “jeb_” will cycle through the colors just like an adult sheep.
4. Does the “jeb” effect persist if I breed a “jeb” sheep?
No, when breeding sheep, their offspring will have a natural wool color depending on the parent colors or a random colour. The jeb_ tag does not pass down to the next generation and any new sheep will have to be renamed.
5. Does the “jeb_” name tag affect other mobs?
No. The “jeb_” nametag effect is exclusive to sheep. Renaming other mobs with this name will not trigger any unique effects.
6. Will the “jeb_” sheep despawn?
No, named mobs do not despawn (unless the game difficulty is changed to peaceful). A “jeb_” sheep will persist unless it is killed or removed by player intervention.
7. Can I undo the “jeb_” effect?
You can undo the effect by renaming the sheep to another name. If you remove the name from the name tag slot in an anvil the name of the sheep will revert back to sheep and the rainbow effect will stop.
8. Is the “jeb_” nametag a mod or a vanilla feature?
The “jeb_” nametag is a vanilla feature in Minecraft. You do not need any mods or plugins to trigger this Easter egg.
9. Does this effect work on all Minecraft platforms?
Yes. The “jeb_” nametag effect works on all versions of Minecraft including Java Edition, Bedrock Edition, and console versions.
10. Will the sheep make any sounds that are different if tagged with “jeb_”?
No. The “jeb_” tag does not affect any of the sounds that a sheep makes. It only affects the visual appearance of the sheep’s wool.
11. What is the purpose of this easter egg?
The jeb_ name tag is a tribute to one of Minecraft’s developers Jens Bergensten, popularly known as “Jeb”. It was added as a fun and hidden feature to recognize his contributions to the game.
12. Is “jeb_” the only secret name tag?
No, there are other secret nametags like “Dinnerbone” and “Grumm”, which cause any mob to turn upside down, and the “Toast” tag that changes a rabbit to look like a specific texture.
13. Can I use the “jeb_” nametag in Minecraft servers?
Yes. The “jeb_” nametag works perfectly on all Minecraft servers so you can use this feature to decorate a server farm, or to show off a vibrant collection.
14. How do I get the name tags?
Name tags can be found in loot chests, traded with villager librarians, or fished up. They cannot be crafted directly through a crafting table.
15. What other secret names are in Minecraft?
Some other secret names for mobs in Minecraft include “Grumm” or “Dinnerbone” which turns the mob upside down and “Toast” which retextures a rabbit to look like a black dutch rabbit.