Conquering the Void: What Happens When You Beat the Ender Dragon Twice in Minecraft?
So, you’ve braved the End, faced the fearsome Ender Dragon, and emerged victorious. Congratulations! But the question lingering in your mind is likely, “What now?” Specifically, what changes when you return and defeat that colossal beast again? The simple answer is: you won’t receive the same amount of XP or another dragon egg the second time. While the initial victory is a significant milestone, subsequent wins offer different, yet still valuable, rewards and opportunities.
The First Dragon vs. The Re-Summoned Dragon: A Tale of Two Battles
The first time you slay the Ender Dragon, the game showers you with rewards. You receive a whopping 12,000 XP orbs, enough to catapult you from level 0 to around level 68. A dragon egg also spawns atop the exit portal, a coveted trophy and a symbol of your triumph. Furthermore, the exit portal itself activates, allowing you to access the End Cities and their valuable loot, including elytra.
The second time around, the rewards are considerably less extravagant. While you still get XP, it’s significantly reduced to around 500 XP orbs. You won’t receive another dragon egg, sadly. The End Cities portal remains active, offering repeated access to those resource-rich islands. The real draw of fighting the Ender Dragon repeatedly lies not in the immediate rewards, but in the continued challenge and access to the End dimension. It’s a repeatable boss fight offering a means to gather some late game materials.
Resummoning the Dragon: The Ritual
Resummoning the Ender Dragon is a straightforward process once you know the recipe. You need four End Crystals. Each End Crystal requires the following:
- 7 Glass: Smelted from sand.
- 1 Ghast Tear: Dropped by Ghasts in the Nether.
- 1 Eye of Ender: Crafted from an Ender Pearl (dropped by Endermen) and Blaze Powder (obtained from Blazes in the Nether).
Craft the four End Crystals, then place them on the bedrock platform surrounding the exit portal. Specifically, place one crystal on the center of each side. This will revive the End Crystals on top of the obsidian pillars and resummon the Ender Dragon.
Why Fight the Dragon Again?
Beyond the XP and continued access to the End Cities, there are other reasons to repeatedly battle the Ender Dragon:
- Practice and Skill Refinement: Fighting the Ender Dragon is a challenging encounter. Resummoning it provides an opportunity to hone your combat skills, experiment with different strategies, and become a master dragon slayer.
- Material Gathering: While the XP reward is reduced, 500 XP is nothing to scoff at. It is significantly more than you get from fighting a common mob in Minecraft.
- Challenge and Entertainment: For many players, the sheer thrill of the fight is reward enough. The Ender Dragon is a formidable opponent, and overcoming the challenge again and again can be immensely satisfying.
- Advancement Completion: Some advancements might require you to interact with the End dimension or defeat specific mobs within it. Repeatedly fighting the Ender Dragon provides opportunities to complete these advancements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Ender Dragon
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about the Ender Dragon, designed to address common queries and deepen your understanding of this iconic Minecraft boss:
1. Is the newly resummoned Ender Dragon different from the original?
No, the newly resummoned Ender Dragon is identical to the original. It has the same health, attack patterns, and vulnerabilities. You’ll need to destroy all the End Crystals again to weaken it before you can effectively attack.
2. Can you defeat the Ender Dragon infinitely?
Yes, you can re-summon and fight the Ender Dragon as many times as you want, as long as you craft new End Crystals. There’s no limit to the number of times you can challenge this formidable foe.
3. Do you get the same XP for killing the Ender Dragon every time?
No, the XP reward diminishes after the first kill. The first time yields 12,000 XP, while subsequent kills only provide 500 XP each.
4. Can you get 2 Ender Dragon eggs?
In Java Edition, you only receive one dragon egg. However, in Bedrock Edition, two dragon eggs can be obtained. One drops after the first kill, and the other drops after the second kill.
5. What happens when you kill the Ender Dragon 20 times?
According to some unverified claims, after defeating the Ender Dragon 20 times, you might receive a white steed with wings upon returning to the Overworld. This steed supposedly allows for flight without durability issues, unlike elytra. However, this feature is not present in the original game. It could be part of a modification.
6. How many times can you resummon the Ender Dragon?
You can resummon the Ender Dragon an unlimited number of times, provided you have the resources to craft the End Crystals.
7. Is there more than 1 Ender Dragon per world?
No, there is only one Ender Dragon per dimension. Every main end island that contains an exit portal leads to the same single Ender Dragon.
8. Is the Ender Dragon a girl?
Notch, the creator of Minecraft, has referred to the Ender Dragon as female and even nicknamed her “Jean.” The fact that the dragon lays an egg after being defeated further supports this theory.
9. What is the best weapon to use against the Ender Dragon?
A bow and arrows, ideally enchanted, are considered the most effective weapon. Snowballs can also be surprisingly effective for dealing damage to the dragon.
10. How do you make an End Portal?
An End Portal is not crafted, but rather located in Strongholds in the Overworld. To activate it, you need to place an Eye of Ender in each of the 12 End Portal Frame blocks that make up the portal.
11. What does the Ender Dragon look like?
The Ender Dragon resembles a blocky, western-style dragon with a jet-black body, gray spikes and wing-bones, and glowing purple and pink eyes and mouth.
12. What potion affects the Ender Dragon?
Status effects like poison don’t harm the Ender Dragon.
13. What damages the Ender Dragon the most?
The Ender Dragon is most vulnerable to explosions and player-inflicted damage. Hitting its head deals the most damage.
14. Does the Ender Dragon get harder each time you resummon it?
While there’s no built-in mechanic that automatically increases the Ender Dragon’s difficulty with each resummon, you can manually increase the challenge by using different strategies, limiting your equipment, or adding self-imposed restrictions. Some mods also alter the dragon’s behavior over time.
15. Is the Ender Dragon a bad guy?
The Ender Dragon serves as the main antagonist of the End dimension. It aggressively defends its territory and attacks any player who enters its domain.
Minecraft: A Platform for Learning and Growth
Minecraft is more than just a game. It’s a dynamic platform for creativity, problem-solving, and learning. Players develop valuable skills like resource management, spatial reasoning, and collaboration. As a tool for education, Minecraft has significant potential, as highlighted by organizations like the Games Learning Society. You can learn more about the educational aspects of gaming at GamesLearningSociety.org.
By conquering the Ender Dragon, both the first and subsequent times, players not only achieve a significant milestone in the game but also develop skills and knowledge that can be applied in other areas of their lives. The ongoing journey of learning and discovery is really the reward.