Java Edition exclusive features

This is the list of features that are available exclusively to the Java Edition. Bear in mind some of the exclusives features may be added to the Bedrock Edition eventually.

Advancements

 * Uses the advancement system instead of the achievement system.
 * Advancements can be modified as 1.13.
 * Can be used to gain experience.

Minecraft Launcher

 * Uses a special Minecraft Launcher
 * Able to load the user's skin on the launcher.
 * This Launcher is able to play previous editions of Minecraft all the way back to 2009 (That is if you download the old launcher due to a lack of sound support in the new launcher)
 * Able to load up custom versions of Minecraft such as Optifine, and Forge.

Blocking

 * A gameplay mechanic which allows players to block attacks.

Combat

 * The “attack strength” combat mechanic.
 * A meter shows up after switching items or attacking.
 * Damage done depends on the fullness of the meter, with a quadratic reduction (attack does 20%–100% of normal damage as the meter fills).
 * Fills at different rates depending on the new attack speed attribute (see table on the changes to gameplay section for a complete list).
 * The effect will cause the meter to fill faster
 * Can be displayed next to the hotbar (left or right based on the player's main hand), under the crosshair or turned off.
 * Looks like the icon for the effect on the side of the hotbar, or like a dagger under the crosshair.
 * This is controlled in video settings.
 * A cooldown animation is displayed of the tool slowly being lifted up, when first switching to it.
 * Play sounds when attacked strongly, weakly, and parried.

Debug screen

 * It shows the chunk cache, the memory usage, various parameters, the player's map coordinates and a graph that measures the game's current frame rate.

Functions

 * Functions allow players to run lists of commands using text files with the extension.

Hardcore mode

 * In this gamemode, the world is locked to hard difficulty and the player has only one life.

Trading

 * All trades from naturally-generated villagers reward XP orbs.

Screenshot

 * Screenshots are images taken in-game by pressing the (by default) key  or  for Macs and some other keyboards.

Official Server software

 * Server software from Mojang.
 * Allow players to play online or via a local area network with other people.
 * Can be customized by editing the server.properties

Spectator mode

 * A game mode which allows the player to fly around and observe the world without interacting with it in any way.
 * Spectator mode can be entered by using the command, , , or dying in hardcore mode or using while in Creative mode.

Statistics

 * A game feature that allows players to track how many times they have completed certain tasks.

Subtitles

 * A feature which display text for sounds in game.

Tutorial hints

 * They are meant to guide newer players who may not know the controls.

Breaking

 * The range of breaking blocks is 5 blocks in Creative mode, and 4.5 blocks otherwise.
 * When the player is in range, the block will also be marked with a wireframe cube outline.

Brewing

 * By placing one or more bottles in the lower three slots of the brewing interface, an ingredient in the upper slot, and blaze powder in the fuel slot, you can distill the ingredient into each bottle and brew potions which may be consumed to grant an effect to the player.
 * The Potion of Luck cannot be brewed, and can only be obtained by commands such as, or through the creative inventory.

Light

 * Lighting has three settings: minimum, maximum, or off, and can be changed by accessing Video options from the Options menu.

Recipes

 * To save space, some recipes are animated (requires JavaScript).

Enchanted Books

 * The player can enchant any item with any enchantment in creative mode, allowing any applied effects to exhibit themselves.

Health
Caused by a fall greater than 5 blocks.
 * For players, a "You died!" screen (or "Game over!" in Hardcore mode) appears that displays the player's score.
 * Death messages are broadcast to everyone upon the death of a player, and to the pet's owner on the death of a pet wolf, cat, or parrot.
 * Death message: [player] fell from a high place.

Particles

 * The types of particles and their technical names are displayed below. Particle names in italics are shown when using the "Minimal" particles setting.

Damage

 * When the player is in third person while suffocating, the view will automatically switch to first person.
 * The player will usually die from falling in the void, even in creative mode.

Status effect

 * Summary of effects

Piston
Some of the blocks can't be pushed.


 * They also don't pull blocks 1 redstone tick (0.1 seconds, barring lag) later after pushing them. This can be done by using a 1-tick on pulse.
 * If a redstone wire is in a line shape towards the piston, as the wire will not automatically curve to the piston.

Note Block
Some blocks have different sound placed below Note Blocks.

Purpur Stairs

 * Can use purpur block only, not the pillar.

Stone Slabs

 * Can use stone only, no variants.

Purpur Slab

 * Can use purpur block only, not the pillar.

Redstone repeater

 * Can use stone only, no variants.

Redstone comparator

 * Can use stone only, no variants.

Dyes

 * Leather armor can be dyed by crafting dyes with a piece of leather armor.

Witch

 * Witches have an 8.5% chance to drop the potion they're drinking.

Elder Guardian

 * 0-1 if killed by fire.
 * Raw fish common drop is cooked if died while on fire.

Guardian

 * Raw fish common drop is cooked if died while on fire.

Illusioner

 * Drops a.

Vex

 * Sword is not enchanted.

Vindicator

 * Axe is not enchanted.

Wither Skeleton

 * 8.5% chance of dropping their stone sword, which will have a random durabillity, and will be always non-enchanted.

Curse of Binding

 * The cursed item cannot be removed from any armor slot (outside of Creative mode) unless the player dies or the item breaks.

Curse of Vanishing

 * When the player dies, the item disappears instead of dropping on the ground. The item may still be dropped normally.

Sweeping Edge

 * Increases sweeping attack damage.

Silk Touch

 * Using a Silk Touch shovel couldn't drop the item form of Grass Path.

Commands

 * Gives, removes, or checks player advancements.
 * Gives, removes, or checks player advancements.


 * Adds player to banlist.
 * Adds player to banlist.


 * Adds IP address to banlist.
 * Adds IP address to banlist.


 * Displays banlist
 * Displays banlist


 * Modifies the data tag of a block.
 * Modifies the data tag of a block.


 * Starts or stops a debugging session.
 * Starts or stops a debugging session.


 * Sets the default game mode.
 * Sets the default game mode.


 * Modifies the data tag of an entity.
 * Modifies the data tag of an entity.


 * Runs a function
 * Runs a function


 * Kicks a player off a server.
 * Kicks a player off a server.


 * Removes entries from the banlist.
 * Removes entries from the banlist.


 * Creates particles.
 * Creates particles.


 * Opens single-player world to local network.
 * Opens single-player world to local network.


 * Gives or takes player recipes.
 * Gives or takes player recipes.


 * Reloads loot tables, advancements, and functions from disk.
 * Reloads loot tables, advancements, and functions from disk.


 * Saves the server to disk.
 * Saves the server to disk.


 * Disables automatic server saves.
 * Disables automatic server saves.


 * Enables automatic server saves.
 * Enables automatic server saves.


 * Manages objectives, players, teams, and tags.
 * Manages objectives, players, teams, and tags.


 * Displays the world seed.
 * Displays the world seed.


 * Sets the time before idle players are kicked.
 * Sets the time before idle players are kicked.


 * Update objectives from command results.
 * Update objectives from command results.


 * Stops a server.
 * Stops a server.


 * Displays a JSON message to players.
 * Displays a JSON message to players.


 * Sets a trigger to be activated.
 * Sets a trigger to be activated.


 * Manages server whitelist.
 * Manages server whitelist.


 * Manages the world border.
 * Manages the world border.

Scoreboard

 * A complex gameplay mechanic utilized through commands.
 * Mainly intended for mapmakers and server operators, scoreboards are used to track, set, and list the scores of entities in a myriad of different ways.

Target selector

 * Owns a type of target selector arguments which is selecting targets by experience level.


 * — Selects only targets with no more than L experience levels.


 * – Selects only targets with no less than LM experience levels.
 * This automatically filters out all non-player targets.

Data Tag

 * Data tags are used in commands to specify complex data for players, entities, and some blocks.


 * The maximum XP that you can earn from the command is 2,147,483,647 levels.

Block/items name

 * The identifiers are namespaced and all have the "minecraft:" prefix.

World Generation

 * Can be customized
 * Uses Anvil file format


 * Amplified world type
 * Generates bizzare world terrain.
 * Requires beefy computer.


 * Debug Mode world type
 * A world type used to test block states, block models, and textures.


 * Large Biomes world type
 * A world type which has its biome scale set to 6.

World boundary

 * By default, a customizable World border will appear to prevent players passing through.

Spawn chunk

 * Chunks found in the world spawn point which are not unloaded from the memory, unlike normal chunks.

Superflat

 * Superflat worlds also allow the player to access the End, which generates as in a normal world, by finding a stronghold or by creating an end portal in Creative Mode.
 * The structure and content of a Superflat world can be customized.

Stronghold
They generate in rings with the strongholds evenly spaced around the circle until the total of 128 is reached.
 * The 1st ring has 3 strongholds within 1408–2688 of the origin
 * The 2nd ring has 6 strongholds within 4480–5760 of the origin
 * The 3rd ring has 10 strongholds within 7552–8832 of the origin
 * The 4th ring has 15 strongholds within 10624–11904 of the origin
 * The 5th ring has 21 strongholds within 13696–14976 of the origin
 * The 6th ring has 28 strongholds within 16768–18048 of the origin
 * The 7th ring has 36 strongholds within 19840–21120 of the origin
 * The 8th ring has 9 strongholds within 22912–24192 of the origin

End Stone

 * The 16 end stone blocks under the edge of the exit portal are replaced when the dragon is respawned, and again when it is killed. As dragons are also renewable, this does make end stone renewable.

Village

 * Consist of wooden pressure plate.

Igloo

 * If you smelt a number of items in the igloo furnace, light generated by it will melt the igloo window, turning the ice into a water source block.

Bark

 * A type of wood that has it is “Bark” texture on all sides.

Barrier

 * An invisible block that appears transparent.

Bed

 * White bed can be re-dyed using dyes.

Blaze Powder

 * Blaze powder is required as fuel for a brewing stand, lasting for up to 20 brewing operations.

Bow

 * The bow must be undamaged to craft a dispenser.
 * Bow can be used as fuel, smelting 1.5 items per bow

Bone Meal

 * White bed can be craftes using white bed and bone meal.

Button

 * Wooden buttons can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 0.5 items per button.

Carpet

 * Carpet can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 0.335 items per carpet square.

Chest
Bonus chest will always contain the same items. Holding ⇧ Shift and double-clicking while holding an item will move all items of the type clicked on in or out of the chest, to the extent that space is available for them. On December 24-26, chests, large chests and trapped chests have their textures changed to "Christmas chests" which look like wrapped Christmas presents.
 * You cannot place a chest next to a double chest normally without the use of /setblock.
 * The top three rows for a large chest correspond to the western or northern half and the bottom three to the southern or eastern half.
 * A chest can be "locked" by setting its Lock tag using the /blockdata command. If a chest's Lock tag is not blank, the chest cannot be opened except by players holding an item with the same name as the Lock tag's text. For example, to lock a chest at (0,64,0) so that only players holding an item named "Player's Key" can open the chest, use.

Cobwebs

 * Paintings can be placed on their sides.
 * Jumping will vibrate the player akin to jumping in a 2-block-high space.
 * Primed TNT can pass through cobwebs without slowing down if shot through fast enough.

Door

 * Wooden doors can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 1 item per door.

Dispenser

 * Dispensers will equip a pumpkin on a player, mob or armor stand with an empty helmet slot, within the block the dispenser is facing.

Farmland

 * Transparency: Partial (Blocks light)
 * Mobs smaller than 0.512 cubic block cannot destroy farmland. This includes parrots, rabbits, chickens, bats, ocelots, wolves, cave spiders, endermites, silverfish, baby mobs, small slimes, and small magma cubes.

Fire

 * When lit, netherrack and magma blocks will maintain fire forever, unless put out by lava, water or the player.
 * Dead Bush can be set on fire, the opposite for sign.

Fish

 * Raw fish can be used to tame ocelots, get cats off of chests, beds, etc., breed cats, and make baby cats grow up faster by 10% of the remaining time. Raw salmon, clownfish and pufferfish will also work.

Fishing Rod

 * A fishing rod can be used as fuel in furnaces, smelting 1.5 items per fishing rod.

Flower Pot

 * The plant can be removed from the flower pot by pressing the use control.

Furnace

 * The lit furnace block cannot be obtained, even with commands.
 * Fuel last differently, see Furnace/table.

Jukebox

 * Tamed parrots dance when near a jukebox that's playing a disc.

Knowledge Book

 * A utility item that reveal crafting recipes to the player when used.

Ladder

 * Holding the sneak key while climbing a ladder will grab hold of the ladder, to prevent you from falling off. When the player is holding on to a ladder, the rate which blocks are mined decreases.
 * A ladder can be used as fuel in furnaces, smelting 1.5 items per ladder.

Lingering potion

 * What makes it a lingering potion as opposed to a splash potion is that their  tag stores a   item.

Magma Block

 * Due to a bug, it can "preserve" higher light levels in some circumstances even after the original light source is removed.

Monster Spawner

 * When obtained as an item and placed, it will spawn pigs by default.

Shields

 * A tool used for protecting the player against attacks.

Slab

 * Wooden slabs can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 0.75 items per slab.

Sword

 * A vex wields an iron sword which normally has a 0% chance of dropping, because their main hand's HandDropChances is 0.
 * However, this chance increases by 1 percentage point per level of Looting. It is never damaged or enchanted.

Spawn Egg

 * Skeleton egg will not spawn wither skeletons in the Nether.
 * The horse egg will not spawn donkeys.
 * The data value of a spawn egg has no effect; instead, the  data tag is being used. For example,  would cause the spawn egg to create creepers.
 * If, for the entity tag 'id', a SaveGame ID is used for a mob or other entity that is not listed in the table above, such as  (iron golem), the result would be a spawn egg with the expected name ("Spawn Iron Golem"), but will be the default color (white with grey spots).  These eggs cannot be used to spawn mobs directly, but can be used to program a mob spawner.

Map

 * The name for "Empty Locator Map" (requires compass) in Java Edition is called "Empty Map", which is different from the "Empty Map" that uses no compass in Bedrock Edition.

Name Tag

 * Naming a vindicator "Johnny" will cause it to be aggressive with all mobs (except other illagers).

Redstone Comparator

 * If the solid block is powered to signal strength 15 the comparator will output 15 no matter the fullness of the container.
 * Couldn't lock redstone repeaters.

Sign

 * The combination +  can be used to copy an already-placed sign and place it down again with the same text shown as the original.
 * Signs can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 1 item per sign.

Wool

 * Wool can be used as fuel in furnaces, smelting 0.5 items per wool block.

Item (entity)

 * Items take damage from fire, lava, falling anvils.

Arrows

 * Arrows can get stuck in players.
 * Includes Arrow of Luck
 * Includes Spectral Arrows, imbues the Glowing status effect for 10 seconds.

Boat

 * Doesn't need a shovel to be crafted.
 * A boat can be exited by pressing the key.
 * Boats are controlled using the forward, left (turns left), right (turns right), and backwards keys. Using the sprint key will increase the field of vision, but will not increase speed as if sprinting.

Creeper

 * The detection range of creepers is reduced to half of their normal range (8 blocks) when the player is wearing a creeper mob head.

Skeleton

 * The detection range of skeletons is reduced to half of their normal range (8 blocks) when the player is wearing a skeleton mob head.
 * Skeletons holding tipped arrows in their offhand will shoot that type of arrow; these arrows are not consumed.

Enderman

 * When under the Invisibility effect, the enderman's body will disappear, but its eyes will still be visible.
 * Endermen cannot normally be attacked with projectiles (including splash potions of harming), as they will always teleport away just before being hit.
 * However, they will not teleport if positive potions are thrown at them, including splash potions of regeneration and strength, and will not teleport away from poison potions either.
 * If all available blocks within teleport distance are removed or unable to be transported to, it is possible to hit endermen with a projectile, though arrows tend to bounce off dealing no damage on occasion.
 * The ender pearl should drop as soon as the enderman dies, but the experience orbs only appear when the enderman's body disappears.
 * It's possible to slay an enderman, pick up the pearl at the point where the enderman received the killing blow, and find the experience in the location the enderman teleported to.
 * There are some blocks that enderman can pick up:

Illusioner

 * An unused hostile mobs.
 * One of the three illagers.

Killer Bunny

 * A Hostile Bunny based off the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
 * Will attack players
 * Can only be summoned via commands

Giant

 * A giant sized Zombie
 * Has no AI in recent updates.
 * Can only be summoned via commands

Minecart with Furnace

 * A self-propelling minecarts with furnaces inside.

Minecart with Spawner

 * A combination of minecarts and monster spawners.
 * Can only be obtained via commands.

Squid

 * Squids can drown in lava, but not for other mobs.

Zombie

 * Zombies will automatically hold any item they come across (except that jack o'lanterns).
 * Zombies can spawn naturally with Jack o'Lantern
 * On Halloween, zombies, zombie villagers and husks spawn only with pumpkins and jack o'lanterns.
 * On Halloween, if a zombie wearing a pumpkin or jack o'lantern is killed using a weapon enchanted with Looting, there will be a chance equivalent to the level of Looting used to drop the pumpkin or jack o'lantern, up to a maximum of a 3% chance of a drop.
 * The detection range of zombies is reduced to half of their normal range (20 blocks) when the player is wearing a zombie mob head.

Zombie Pigman

 * Non-hostile zombie pigmen will not prevent a player from sleeping in a bed.