Originally posted on January 4, 2022
With new features, updates, and games every day, Minecraft is just as popular as ever. Check out our guide to the best and worst mobs on Minecraft.
What is a mob?
Mobs are AI-powered entities like sheep or Endermen that appear around your map, for better or worse. Some mobs spawn in daylight or in specific biomes, others only spawn at night. If you injure or kill a mob, you’ll usually get some kind of loot, even from the passive or friendly mobs like pigs.
Mobs You Want
There are so many friendly or helpful mobs on Minecraft; it can be overwhelming trying to find them all. To save you the trouble, we’ve rounded them all up for you.
Passive Mobs
There are around 30 passive mobs to discover in the Minecraft games, but not all of them are super useful. However, most passive mobs drop some form of loot, usually something edible, so hitting a passive mob like a rabbit or pig is an excellent way to gain some food in a hurry if your health is low. Passive mobs won’t attack you, but they can usually be bred and tamed. Watch out for Pufferfish though, as those will hurt.
Cat: You can find a pet cat in villages or swamp huts or an ocelot in jungle biomes. During Full Moon, half of the cats that spawn will be black, and at all other times, 25% of cats spawn as kittens. Another useful benefit of having a cat around is that they frighten off Creepers and Phantoms.
Chicken: Those cute little squarish chickens are often found in grassy biomes, to the extent that it almost isn’t a grassy biome if there isn’t a little gaggle of chickens in it. Chickens will get you eggs to eat, and failing that, you can always cook and eat the chicken itself. You’ll also find feathers drop from chicken mobs, and you may find those useful for crafting.
Sheep: Another common grassy biome mob is the sheep. They drop mutton meat to eat, and wool to craft with. With lots of types of sheep to find, why not start a little herd to show off all the colours of the rainbow? Good luck finding that elusive Pink Sheep though, as those are incredibly rare.
Rabbit: Rabbits are another excellent option for food if you can stand to kill them, that is. Most Rabbits are friendly, except for the Killer Bunny, which is hostile towards any players it comes across. You’ll find Rabbit mobs in the desert, taiga, flower forests, and tundra, and they drop Rabbit Hide and Rabbit Meat.
Neutral Mobs
Despite seeming like they’re not a threat, neutral mobs will attack you if you attack them first. The rest of the time, they’re peaceful mobs. However, some neutral mobs will attack other mobs, so if you’re keeping animals together, bear this in mind.
Bees: If you always want fresh honey to eat, it makes sense to keep some bees around. Minecraft Bees also help your crops grow, so they are one of the most valuable mobs to have around. Be warned, though, bee stings cost you poison damage, and it will kill the bee.
Iron Golems: Everyone loves Minecraft’s Golems, especially the villagers on your map. Iron Golems are peaceful mobs designed to protect your villagers, and more importantly, you. Nevertheless, if you attack a village protected by an iron golem, it becomes a fearsome enemy.
Mobs to Avoid
Minecraft is full of lovely, passive mobs that mean you no harm, but there are also plenty of mobs you want to avoid.
Creepers: Minecraft players everywhere have fallen prey to Creepers. These pixelated green mobs run around on two stubby, blocky legs, sneaking up behind you and then exploding. You’ll probably want a few around occasionally, though, as they drop Gunpowder and most of the music discs available in the game.
Endermen: The deliciously creepy Endermen are technically neutral mobs, but they’re so chilling to have around that they grabbed a spot on our Mobs to Avoid list instead. They’re worth taking on, though, if you have the strength to survive the fight; as they drop the Ender Pearls, you’ll need to find the end of the game and beat the Ender Dragon.
Slime: Those gooey green squares seem harmless enough, but they’re actually lethal. Slimes love swamps or swampy areas, but they can spawn in any biome. They love the nighttime, but you might be unlucky enough to find one in the daytime.
Zombies: Zombies are the bane of many a Minecraft player’s existences. They spawn at nighttime, and you’ll need a torch and a shelter to keep them away. Zombie mobs are one of the main reasons you build a shelter for the nights, and there isn’t a Minecraft player alive that didn’t start out being slaughtered by zombies because they made the mistake of carrying on exploring at night.
Witch: The Witch looks a bit like a Villager, but they’re far from friendly. They spawn in darkness and throw Splash Potions at you, dealing you harm, but repairing damage to themselves with other potions, too. You can almost always find one in a swamp hut, and there’s often a chest with potions inside that you can loot if you beat the witch.
Ghast: They may look cute, but Ghasts are deadly. They’re huge, float above you, and can shoot explosive fireballs. Nevertheless, Ghasts only spawn in the basalt deltas, nether wastes, and soul sand valley biomes.
If you haven’t had the chance to discover all the many Minecraft mobs on your map yet, why not go exploring and take this handy guide with you? Don’t forget to keep an eye out for that elusive Pink Sheep, and watch out for Witches, angry Iron Golems, and those dreaded Zombies. The Zombie Chicken Jockey is the worst.
