Can You Take the Ender Egg in Minecraft? A Comprehensive Guide
Yes, you absolutely can take the Ender Dragon egg in Minecraft, but it’s not as straightforward as picking up a piece of cobblestone. This coveted item, a trophy of defeating the formidable Ender Dragon, has some unique quirks that require specific knowledge to acquire and handle. It’s not a simple right-click and grab scenario; instead, players must use a bit of clever trickery.
How to Obtain the Ender Dragon Egg
The Ender Dragon egg only spawns once per world in Java Edition and twice in Bedrock Edition, making it a highly valuable and rare item. It appears on top of the exit portal structure after the Ender Dragon is defeated. However, it can’t be mined like regular blocks.
The Piston Method
The most reliable method to pick up the Ender Dragon egg involves using a piston. Here’s the process:
- Locate the egg: After defeating the Ender Dragon, you’ll find the egg on top of the exit portal.
- Place a piston: Position a piston on a block directly next to the egg. Make sure the piston will push toward the egg.
- Activate the piston: Use a redstone mechanism to activate the piston. When the piston extends, it will push the egg.
- Pick up the egg: When the egg is pushed, it will “drop” as an item, allowing you to pick it up.
Other Methods to Obtain the Ender Dragon Egg
- Parried Sword: Some players use a parried sword to make the egg fall.
- Creative Mode: The egg can be directly obtained using the command
/give <player name> 122 1.
The egg is unique because it doesn’t break when falling. If it falls onto a solid block, it will teleport away instead of becoming an item. Therefore, players often need to get it to fall on a non-solid block, such as a torch, to successfully pick it up.
What Can You Do with the Ender Dragon Egg?
Once you’ve managed to add the Ender Dragon egg to your inventory, you might wonder what it’s good for. In its core function, the Ender Dragon egg is primarily a trophy item. It doesn’t have a lot of practical applications in the base game of Minecraft, but it has its uses:
- Decoration: Many players use it as a decorative element in their bases or builds, showcasing their triumph over the Ender Dragon.
- Respawning the Ender Dragon: The Ender Dragon egg can be used to respawn the Ender Dragon, but it’s not used directly. You need to use four end crystals and place them on top of the exit portal.
- Possible Future Uses: There are speculations about future uses for the Dragon Egg. In particular, Jeb, a developer at Mojang, mentioned the possibility of using the egg to spawn a “Red Dragon,” if one is ever implemented in the game. This remains just a theory, but it keeps players speculating.
Ender Dragon Egg: Things To Keep in Mind
The Ender Dragon egg is not a standard Minecraft item, and has specific behaviours.
- Teleportation: The egg will teleport away if you try to mine it with a pickaxe.
- Loss: It will be lost permanently if you don’t pick it up before leaving the End. Once it is in your inventory, it can not be lost unless you drop it or die with it.
- Limited Availability: It’s crucial to remember you can only get one egg in Java Edition and two eggs in Bedrock Edition per world through normal gameplay.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Ender Dragon Egg
1. Can the Ender Dragon egg be hatched?
Unfortunately, the Ender Dragon egg cannot be hatched in the vanilla version of Minecraft. You will need to use mods to add this functionality to the game.
2. What happens if the Ender Dragon egg goes through the portal?
If the egg somehow falls into the portal back to the Overworld, it will appear at the world spawn point (X=0, Y=0). This can be problematic if your spawn point isn’t well-protected.
3. Can you lose the Ender Dragon egg?
The egg only spawns once (or twice in Bedrock) per world under normal gameplay. If you don’t pick it up before leaving the End, you will lose the opportunity to get it until you reset the dimension or use cheats.
4. Can you pick up the Ender Dragon egg with silk touch?
No, silk touch does not work on the Ender Dragon egg. You must use the piston or parry method described earlier to pick it up.
5. Is it possible to tame the Ender Dragon?
Sadly, you cannot tame the Ender Dragon in Minecraft without the use of mods. It is a boss mob, not intended to be a pet. There have been talks about a “Red Dragon” that could be tamed in the future, but this is not something in the game currently.
6. What happens if you destroy the Ender Dragon egg?
If you destroy the dragon egg or if it goes missing, it should respawn when you defeat the dragon again. The egg is required for the advancement “The Next Generation,” so it has to generate again.
7. What is the Ender Dragon’s name?
The Ender Dragon is known as “Jean”, a nickname given by Notch, the creator of Minecraft. It has been confirmed that the Ender Dragon is female.
8. Can the Ender Dragon egg burn in lava?
No, the Ender Dragon egg will not burn in lava if it falls into it. You can obtain the egg even if it accidentally falls in lava.
9. Can you respawn the Ender Dragon without the egg?
Yes, you can respawn the Ender Dragon using four end crystals placed on the edges of the exit portal. The egg is not necessary to respawn the dragon.
10. Can you leave the End without killing the Ender Dragon?
The only way to leave the End without defeating the Ender Dragon is to die. You will respawn at your world spawn point.
11. Will Eyes of Ender always take you to an End portal?
Eyes of Ender lead to the stronghold, not the portal itself. You’ll have to explore the stronghold to find the portal.
12. Can there be two Ender Dragons naturally?
No, only one Ender Dragon can spawn at a time in the End naturally. It has to be defeated for another one to appear.
13. Can you bring the Ender Dragon to the Overworld?
You can bring the Ender Dragon to the Overworld by using pistons to move it through the exit portal after respawning it.
14. Can the Ender Dragon be a good pet?
In modded scenarios the Ender Dragon can be a very powerful pet, with abilities and perks beneficial to many playstyles.
15. What’s the connection with Sniffer eggs?
Sniffer eggs are entirely different from Ender Dragon eggs, they can be hatched when placed on moss and do not require defeating a boss.
Conclusion
The Ender Dragon egg is a unique and highly sought-after item in Minecraft. While it doesn’t have many practical uses in vanilla gameplay, it serves as a testament to your triumph over the game’s final boss and a valuable decorative element. Successfully obtaining the Ender Dragon egg can be tricky but using the right methods and information, you can proudly add this unique trophy to your collection.