Java Edition unused features

Since the beginning of Minecraft's development, there have been a number of features added to the game that have no actual use. Some of these features are leftover from removed features, or simply placeholders for new features.

Note that this page only documents features that are currently in the game. See removed features for features previously in the game that are no longer available.

Nether reactor core
The functionality of the Nether Reactor was removed in Pocket Edition 0.12.1. However, the reactor core block still exists in game, and can be obtained through inventory editing or by retaining it from previous worlds before the update. It now drops its ingredients, allowing players to recover them.

Glowing obsidian
Being a part of the nether reactor, glowing obsidian blocks were also removed in 0.12.1. It emitted a soft red glow at light level 12, and dropped a single obsidian when broken with a diamond pickaxe. It can only be obtained through inventory editing.

Seamless slabs
All double slabs above data value 8 have the seamless tag. This displays the top texture of the slab on all 6 sides. This is only visible on four slabs: stone, sandstone, red sandstone and quartz. All other seamless slabs look identical to their normal counterparts. Breaking seamless slabs will yield two of their respective slabs, which will create normal double slabs if stacked.

Bark blocks
Wood blocks with data values 12 through 15 have the bark texture on all 6 sides. These are not found naturally and cannot be crafted. When obtained in the inventory and placed, they will act like a normal wood block, placing with their axis corresponding to the face of the block clicked.

Stone wooden slabs
Before unique slabs corresponding to different wooden planks species were added, oak wooden slabs were treated like other stone-type slabs. They required a pickaxe to break, had a blast resistance greater than normal planks, and had stone sounds. They are still obtainable in worlds which had them in it previously. They are tagged as Wooden Slab, reflecting on the fact oak was the only wood species in plank form. In the Pocket Edition, they are tagged as Fake Wood Slab, and will drop normal oak wood slabs when broken. This slab is still obtainable with commands, with damage value 2 and block type wood_old. It has a missing texture in the inventory.

Giant


Giants are an unused mob added in classic. They appear to be a giant zombie. Giants have no AI and are only intended to spawn when the light level is both greater than 11 and less than 8. They can be summoned using the command.

Killer Bunny


The killer bunny is a variant of the rabbit that is hostile to all players and dogs. Its fur is pure white with blood-red eyes that are horizontal, compared to a normal rabbit's vertical eyes.

On peaceful difficulty, the killer bunny will not despawn, despite its hostile nature. It will still attack wolves and pet dogs.

The Killer Bunny can only be spawned with the command.

Skeleton Horse


The skeleton horse is a type of horse which can only be spawned using the command. It drops a single bone when killed.

As of, skeleton horses now have a chance to spawn as a "skeleton trap" from natural lightning strikes. Upon moving within 10 blocks of one, lightning will strike it again and spawn a skeleton rider.

Zombie Horse


The zombie horse is a type of horse which can only be spawned using the command. It drops a single rotten flesh when killed.

Particles
These particles are unused and can only be spawned using.


 * depthsuspend
 * Was previously used by The Void to decrease ones view the further down they venture.
 * In 1.8 (14w34c) it was changed so that the void no longer emits these. The reason was for better performance.
 * footstep
 * cloud
 * take

Potions
The unused potions can be seen in the inventory GUI files but some effects are not present. However, in 1.4.2 the custom potions feature was introduced. It is the only way to access the unused potion effects. As of 1.9, these have been removed.


 * Stinky
 * Acrid
 * Harsh
 * Rank
 * Odorless
 * Foul
 * Potent
 * Sparkling
 * Cordial
 * Refined
 * Dashing
 * Charming
 * Fancy
 * Elegant
 * Gross
 * Debonair
 * Suave
 * Smooth
 * Buttered
 * Bungling
 * Bulky
 * Flat
 * Thin
 * Artless
 * Diffuse
 * Milky
 * Clear
 * Bland
 * Uninteresting

These potions can only be obtained using, and have no effect when you drink them. This implies these are unused base potions.

There are also potions that cannot be brewed, and give you status effects not intended to be received by potions; e.g. Wither, Nausea. Again, these can only be obtained through custom potions.

As of 1.9, the uncraftable potion is a potion with no effect that is unobtainable in survival. It is also available in splash potion and lingering potion forms, as well as for tipped arrows. Its use is unknown.

It can be obtained using the following command:.

Status effects
Various status effects remain unused in the game. They can be obtained using or potion NBT data, but have no way of being obtained other than that.

Blindness
Blindness is a status effect which creates thick black fog around the player.

Health Boost
During the 1.6 snapshots, the health boost status effect was added. It boosted the player's hearts for a temporary time. It could be obtained from eating a golden apple.

In a later snapshot, golden apples give the player absorption instead of health boost, but the effect was still left in the game.

Saturation
Saturation is a status effect added in the 1.6.1 pre-release. It causes the hunger bar to refill by each tick.

Audio loops
Loops were unused sounds, found in the game files, and were possibly meant for when the player is in a specific type of location (i.e., in caves, woods, the ocean and beside a waterfall).

They were found in, and could be converted to reveal four loops, of birds chirping, cave chimes, ocean and waterfall noises.

Others
However, the "Breath" sound is still usable by running "/playsound random.breath @p" in chat/command blocks.

Textures
Various textures located in minecraft.jar remain unused.

Minecart


In minecart texture, there is a leftover dirt texture from back in Infdev when regular minecarts were for storage. This mechanic was changed later in Infdev on June 24, 2010, but the texture remained there.

Angry villager particle


In the particles sheet, there is an angry villager head which remains unused.

Paeonia


Paeonias are unimplemented flowers that were replaced by the two-block-tall peonies.

There was only one screenshot of the block released by Jeb. When held in your hand, it is held up level with your shoulder. Its texture file can still be found; it is named flower_paeonia.png.

Purple arrow
Purple arrows were shot by skeletons in Survival Test and acted the same as regular arrows, but the texture is not currently in use.



Quiver


In Legend of the Chambered (an abandoned RPG that Notch made), there was a quiver item available to be picked up as loot. Notch reused the sprite from that game and put it in Minecraft, albeit flipped horizontally.

Although the sprite for the quiver has been in the game files since Indev, almost nothing is known about it. Jeb originally stated that there were no plans to add them. Later, during 1.9 development, Dinnerbone tweeted a 2×204960 image which can be reformed into a 854×480 Minecraft screenshot, containing the quiver. On June 30th, 2015, Dinnerbone posted that he removed them again as arrows in the off-hand feel "more natural".

In the 1.9 Resource Packs, the Quiver texture is removed.

Quivers are obtainable in the Pocket Edition using hacks. However, these quivers do nothing but freeze the game when used as they are an "empty" item using the quiver texture.

Ruby


On May 21, 2012, Jeb released a screenshot of himself testing the trading system. At this time, what would become emerald ore in 1.3.1 was ruby ore. The previous ruby texture remains in the ruby.png file. It is unknown if the texture will ever be used. Dinnerbone stated in a forum post that they went with emeralds instead of rubies at the last minute because he is color-blind and he had a hard time spotting the difference between ruby ore and redstone ore.

Villager speech bubble


The villager speech bubble is an image that got added along with the villager.png file in the jar when the trading system was added. It showed a trade, where raw chicken could be sold to villagers for another raw chicken. Both raw chickens have the old texture. Its use is unknown.