Demolishing Dimensions: A Guide to Destroying Portals in Minecraft

So, you’ve got a portal problem in Minecraft? Perhaps a Nether shortcut gone wrong, or an End gateway that’s outstayed its welcome? Fear not, intrepid adventurer! Demolishing these dimensional doorways is simpler than you might think, although the methods vary depending on the type of portal. This guide will arm you with the knowledge to dismantle any portal and reclaim your blocky domain.

The fundamental principle for destroying most portals revolves around interrupting the portal’s structure or deactivating the portal’s active state. Specific techniques differ, but this underlying concept applies across the board.

Breaking Down the Basics: Nether Portals

Nether Portals, constructed from obsidian frames and activated with flint and steel, are the easiest to manipulate. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Break the Obsidian Frame: The most straightforward method is to remove any one of the obsidian blocks that form the portal’s rectangular frame. This instantly breaks the portal’s connection and extinguishes the swirling purple gateway. You can use any pickaxe, although a diamond or netherite pickaxe will be the fastest.

2. Water Logging the Portal: Introducing water to the active portal will also deactivate it. A simple bucket of water poured onto the portal surface does the trick. This method is temporary, as the water will flow away, and the portal can be reignited with flint and steel. However, it’s useful for quickly shutting down a portal in a pinch. To make this method permanent, remove the source block of water that makes the portal active again.

3. Lava Interruptions: If lava happens to be near your portal, placing lava in the active area will disrupt the portal’s structure. Similar to water logging, this also offers a temporary interruption.

Conquering the End: End Portals and Gateways

End Portals, found within Strongholds, and End Gateways, which appear after defeating the Ender Dragon, present a greater challenge.

End Portals

Unlike Nether Portals, End Portal frames are not directly breakable in Survival mode. They are incredibly durable blocks designed to remain intact.

• Creative Mode Destruction: In Creative mode, however, you can easily destroy End Portal frames using any pickaxe or even your bare hands.

• TNT (Technical): While not a practical solution in most survival scenarios, TNT can technically break End Portal blocks. This is due to the unique way the game handles explosions, and it’s generally more of a curiosity than a viable destruction method.

End Gateways

End Gateways are a bit more manageable:

• Breaking with Blocks: While you can’t destroy the bedrock surrounding the Gateway directly, you can use blocks to fill the space where the gateway forms. By placing solid blocks within the small area where the portal appears, the portal has no room to generate.

• Creative Mode: Like with End Portals, you can instantly destroy End Gateway blocks in Creative mode.

Ruined Portals: Wrecking the Wreckage

Ruined Portals, those incomplete and decaying Nether portals found throughout the Overworld and Nether, can be dismantled just like their fully functional counterparts:

• Break the Obsidian/Crying Obsidian: While crying obsidian cannot be used to activate a Nether Portal, it can be broken to further dismantle a ruined portal structure. Remove the obsidian and crying obsidian blocks to reduce the structure to rubble.
• Clear Surrounding Blocks: Often, Ruined Portals are partially buried or integrated into the environment. Clearing away the surrounding blocks enhances the sense of demolition.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 common questions regarding Minecraft portal destruction, answered for your convenience:

1. Can I move a Nether Portal?

Not directly. You can’t pick up a built Nether Portal and move it. However, you can dismantle the original portal by breaking the obsidian and rebuild it elsewhere. Remember the 8:1 coordinate ratio between the Overworld and the Nether when relocating your portals to ensure you end up where you expect!

2. Why do Nether Portals keep respawning?

This typically occurs when the Overworld coordinates linked to your Nether Portal are obstructed (e.g., by lava, a mountain, or another structure) in the Nether. The game attempts to create a portal near the intended coordinates, but if it can’t, it keeps generating new portals further and further away, until it finds a suitable spot. Clear the obstruction in the Nether to resolve this.

3. Can Creepers destroy Nether Portals?

No, Creeper explosions cannot destroy obsidian or End Portal frames. They can, however, clear blocks around the portal, potentially exposing it or making it easier to access.

4. What does Crying Obsidian do?

Crying Obsidian is a decorative variant of obsidian found in Ruined Portals. It emits purple particles, creating a “crying” effect. Critically, it cannot be used to construct a functional Nether Portal frame, but is vital for crafting Respawn Anchors.

5. How rare is a Ruined Portal?

Ruined Portals are relatively common structures, generating in nearly every biome in both the Overworld and Nether. Giant Ruined Portals, however, are rarer, with only a 5% chance of spawning per Ruined Portal generation attempt.

6. Do Ruined Portals always have chests?

On Bedrock Edition, all Ruined Portals generate with a chest. However, on Java Edition, the chest may be replaced by terrain generation, meaning you won’t always find one.

7. How many blocks do I need for a Nether Portal?

The minimum requirement is ten obsidian blocks to create the frame. You’ll need two vertical columns of three blocks each, with two horizontal rows of two blocks each at the top and the bottom connecting the columns. Most people utilize fourteen obsidian blocks, with four extra blocks at each corner.

8. What happens if I destroy my only Nether Portal in the Nether?

If you find yourself stranded in the Nether with no portal, you’ll need to find a way to create a new one. This means scavenging obsidian (typically found in fortresses), acquiring flint and steel (or a fire charge), and constructing a new portal frame. If these steps aren’t possible, death may be the only escape.

9. Can you disable the End dimension entirely?

Yes, but only on servers running Bukkit or Spigot (derivatives of Bukkit). In the server’s bukkit.yml configuration file, you can disable the End dimension. This option is not available in Vanilla Minecraft. It is important to note that many children learn how to set up Minecraft server from a young age. For those interested in the the intersection of digital learning, games, and education, visit the Games Learning Society, or GamesLearningSociety.org.

10. Will destroying a portal affect other portals linked to it?

Yes and no. If you destroy a portal, it breaks the direct link between that specific portal and its counterpart. However, if you rebuild a portal near the same coordinates, it’s likely the game will relink it to the original destination, especially if other portals are not nearby.

11. Can you stop Endermen from using portals?

No, there’s no way to prevent Endermen from randomly teleporting through Nether Portals. This is part of their inherent behavior in the game.

12. What’s the easiest way to find Ruined Portals?

Explore! Ruined Portals can generate in almost any biome, both above and below ground. Keep an eye out while exploring caves and traversing the Overworld and Nether.

13. How long is one block in the Nether compared to the Overworld?

Traveling one block in the Nether is equivalent to traveling eight blocks in the Overworld. This is why the Nether is often used as a fast travel route.

14. Is it possible to get a full End Portal with all eyes already placed?

Yes, it is possible, though extremely rare. The chance of an End Portal generating with all 12 Eyes of Ender already in place is astronomically low, approximately 1 in a trillion.

15. Can you use a piston to break obsidian or End Portal frames?

No. Pistons cannot break obsidian or End Portal frames. They’re too strong for pistons to move or destroy. Pistons are useless for directly destroying portal components.

Conclusion

Destroying portals in Minecraft is a straightforward process once you understand the rules and mechanics. Whether you’re dismantling a Nether shortcut or reclaiming space from an unwanted End Gateway, the techniques outlined here will empower you to control the dimensional landscape of your Minecraft world. Happy demolishing!