The nether star is a rare item dropped by the wither that is used solely to craft beacons.
Obtaining
Withers
The nether star can be obtained only by defeating the wither, which is a boss mob. One nether star is dropped each time; the drop chance or amount is not affected by the Looting enchantment.
Usage
The nether star has the same animated glint that enchanted items and potions have.
The dropped nether star cannot be destroyed by explosions and takes more than twice as long to despawn than other items. However, it can still be destroyed by fire, lava, and cacti.
Crafting ingredient
| Name | Ingredients | Crafting recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Beacon | Glass + Nether Star + Obsidian |
Achievements
| Icon | Achievement | In-game description | Actual requirements (if different) | Gamerscore earned | Trophy type (PS4) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS4 | Other | |||||
| The Beginning? | Spawn the Wither | Be within a 100.9×100.9×103.5 cuboid centered on the Wither when it is spawned. | 20G | Bronze | ||
| The Beginning. | Kill the Wither | Be within a 100.9×100.9×203.5 cuboid centered on the Wither when it drops the nether star. | 40G | Silver | ||
Advancements
| Icon | Advancement | In-game description | Parent | Actual requirements (if different) | Resource location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Withering Heights | Summon the Wither | Spooky Scary Skeleton | Be within a 100.9×100.9×103.5 cuboid centered on the wither when it is spawned. | nether/summon_wither
|
Video
History
| Java Edition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4.2 | 12w34a | ||||
| 12w36a | Nether stars have been implemented into the game, as the Withers drop. | ||||
| 12w37a | |||||
| 1.4.6 | 12w49a | Dropped nether stars can no longer be destroyed by explosions. | |||
| 1.13 | 17w47a | Prior to The Flattening, this item's numeral ID was 399. | |||
| 1.14 | 18w43a | ||||
| Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||
| 0.16.0 | build 4 | ||||
| Bedrock Edition | |||||
| 1.10.0 | beta 1.10.0.3 | ||||
| Legacy Console Edition | |||||
| TU19 | CU7 | 1.12 | Patch 1 | 1.0.1 | |
| 1.90 | |||||
| New Nintendo 3DS Edition | |||||
| 1.3.12 | |||||
Issues
Issues relating to "Nether Star" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.


