Wither

Withers are a new mob in 12w34a left unfinished by Jeb and hidden in the code. It was discovered through the presence of a new skin in the /mobs/ folder, the appearance of which suggests it is a new type of zombie with multiple facial states that may move at some speed.

Spawning
The mob does not currently spawn in the game, but can be brought into the game using mods or a custom monster spawner.

Behaviour
Upon noticing the player the Wither fires a projectile towards them similar to its heads. If this projectile hits the player, they gain a "Wither" potion effect. This effect drains health, similar to poison potions.

History
The Wither was first introduced into the game in 12w34a, but does not spawn naturally.

Trivia
The reason the Wither was not made to spawn in 12w34a is because it can crash the Java Virtual Machine.

Wither