How to Cure a Zombie Villager in Minecraft: A Comprehensive Guide
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Curing a zombie villager in Minecraft is a rewarding process that not only restores a villager to its normal state but also provides significant benefits in terms of trading. This guide will walk you through the steps to successfully cure a zombie villager and answer common questions you may have along the way.
The Essential Steps to Curing a Zombie Villager
The process of curing a zombie villager involves a few simple steps, but patience is key. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to do:
- Isolate a Zombie Villager: First, you need to find and isolate a zombie villager. These are different from regular zombies, identifiable by their villager appearance and groans. It’s best to trap the zombie villager in a secure area where it cannot escape or be harmed by other mobs. A simple fenced-in enclosure or a small room works well.
- Apply Weakness: The next step is to weaken the zombie villager. You achieve this by throwing a Splash Potion of Weakness at it. Ensure the potion hits the zombie villager directly, as the effect only lasts a short time. You’ll see swirling grey particles around the zombie when the potion takes effect.
- Feed a Golden Apple: After applying the Weakness potion, you must immediately feed the zombie villager a Golden Apple. To do this, approach the weakened zombie villager and use the ‘use’ key (typically right-click on PC, the left trigger on Xbox, the L2 button on Playstation, or by tapping the screen on mobile).
- Observe the Curing Process: If done correctly, the grey swirling particles will change to red swirls, and the zombie villager will start to shake. This indicates the curing process has begun. The curing process takes time, generally between 2 to 5 minutes under normal conditions.
- Enhance the Curing Process: To speed up the curing time, place the zombie villager in an enclosed space containing iron bars and a bed. These structures increase the curing rate by approximately 4%.
Maximizing the Benefits of Curing
Curing zombie villagers offers more than just restoring them to their original state. It’s a strategic approach to improving trade opportunities within your Minecraft world.
- Permanent Trading Discounts: A cured villager will offer permanent trading discounts to the player who cured them. The discounts are substantial and make trading more affordable.
- Cumulative Discounts: Each time a villager is cured, the discounts will deepen. If you cure a villager multiple times, you could reach the minimum price of one emerald for their trades. These discounts also affect villagers in the immediate vicinity.
- Preserved Professions and Trades: Cured villagers will retain their original profession and trades from before they were zombified (on Java). This means you can restore valuable trades you thought were lost when a villager turned into a zombie villager. Trades that have been maxed out will remain unavailable even after the curing process.
Frequently Asked Questions About Curing Zombie Villagers
1. What exactly do I need to cure a zombie villager?
You will need a Splash Potion of Weakness and a Golden Apple. These are the two essential items to begin the curing process.
2. How long does it take to cure a zombie villager?
Under normal circumstances, it takes between 2 to 5 minutes for a zombie villager to be cured. Using iron bars and a bed in their confinement can accelerate the process.
3. Does the difficulty level affect the curing process?
The game’s difficulty doesn’t alter the curing process itself, but it does affect the chance of a villager turning into a zombie villager when killed by a zombie. On Hard difficulty, villagers always become zombie villagers when killed. On Normal difficulty, there’s a 50% chance, and on Easy, the villager will always die.
4. Can I use an enchanted golden apple to cure a zombie villager?
Yes, a regular golden apple is all you need. An enchanted golden apple is not required and will not enhance the curing process.
5. Do villagers keep their trades after being cured?
Yes, on Java edition, villagers retain their original trades from before they were zombified. However, once-maxed out trades will remain unavailable, even after being cured. Bedrock edition may vary.
6. Can I cure a zombie villager multiple times?
Yes, you can cure a villager multiple times. Each time, the trading discounts increase, until prices reach the lowest possible (one emerald).
7. Does curing a zombie villager lower prices permanently?
Yes, the trading discounts from curing a zombie villager are permanent. They won’t disappear.
8. Does the cured villager get mad at me after being cured?
No, a cured villager will not be mad at you. Instead, it will offer you better trading prices as a sign of gratitude. Villagers only get mad if you hit them repeatedly or take their beds.
9. Can you cure a villager that was a “nitwit”?
Yes, you can. If a nitwit villager is zombified and then cured, it will become a normal villager with a profession. This is a way to turn nitwit villagers into useful villagers.
10. Why isn’t my villager taking a job?
Villagers need to be linked to a bed to take a job. Make sure there is a bed available to them in a close area. They do not necessarily need to be able to access the bed.
11. Can I use a golden carrot to cure a zombie villager?
No, the curing process requires a Golden Apple, not a golden carrot. Golden carrots are not used for this purpose.
12. Will villagers gossip about me curing a zombie villager?
Yes, villagers can remember and gossip about your actions, including curing a zombie villager. This gossip can affect the prices you receive and will enhance your reputation as a helpful player within the village.
13. Does the cured zombie villager drop its picked up items?
Yes, at the end of the curing process, the cured villager will drop any items it was holding when it was a zombie villager.
14. What happens if a zombie kills a villager?
If a zombie kills a villager, on easy difficulty it will die completely. On normal, it has a 50% chance to turn into a zombie villager. And on hard difficulty, it has 100% chance to turn into a zombie villager.
15. How can I get a zombie villager 100% of the time?
Zombie villagers will spawn naturally. However, on Hard difficulty, if a normal zombie kills a villager, there is a 100% chance that the villager will turn into a zombie villager.
By following these steps and keeping the FAQs in mind, you can successfully cure zombie villagers, reap the trading benefits, and enhance your Minecraft gameplay. Happy crafting and curing!