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This article is about the common light-emitting torch. For other uses, see Torch (disambiguation).

Torches are non-solid blocks that emit light.

Soul torches are turquoise variants crafted with the addition of soul soil or soul sand.

Obtaining[]

Natural generation[]

Torches can be found generated among the supports in a mineshaft's corridors, as part of village lamp posts and most houses, in various rooms in strongholds, in the basements of igloos, in woodland mansions, and atop pillager outposts. Torches also generate around bonus chests if each side has a block at the same height around it. In the End, four torches generate as part of the exit portal, around the second bedrock block from the top. Torches also generate in ancient cities.

Post-generation[]

Whenever the ender dragon dies or is re-summoned using end crystals, the four torches on the exit portal regenerate. If the original torches are still in position, then they drop as items, while the new torches take their place.

Breaking[]

Torches can be broken instantly using anything, and drop themselves as an item.

A torch is removed and drops itself as an item if:

  • Its attachment block is moved, removed, or destroyed
  • Water or lava flows into its space
  • A piston pushes it or moves a block into its space

Chest loot[]

Item Structure Container Quantity Chance
Java Edition
Torch Mineshaft Chest 1–16 65.7%
Village Savanna house chest 1–2 11.3%
Bedrock Edition
Torch Mineshaft Chest 1–16 65.7%
Village Savanna house chest 1–2 11.3%
Item Structure Container Quantity Chance
Java Edition
Soul Torch Ancient City Chest 1–15 35.9%
Bedrock Edition
Soul Torch Ancient City Chest 1–15 35.9%

Crafting[]

Name Ingredients Crafting recipe
Torch Coal or
Charcoal +
Stick

4
Soul Torch Coal or
Charcoal +
Stick +
Soul Soil or
Soul Sand

Usage[]

Torch Orientations

Torches in various positions on chiseled stone bricks.

Torches can be placed on the top or the sides of most solid blocks, although some blocks require sneaking. Being non-solid, torches have no collision box. More information about placement can be found at Opacity/Placement.

Gravity-affected blocks like sand and gravel will not start falling if the space immediately beneath is occupied by a torch. Falling blocks break if they fall onto a solid block with a torch above it. If there is an air block under the torch, the falling blocks fall through the torch onto the surface below.[1]

Light[]

Torches give off a light level of 14. Torches also melt snow layers within 2 blocks and ice within 3 blocks (taxicab distance).

Soul torches give off a light level of 10. Due to their lower light level, soul torches do not melt snow or ice.

Piglins[]

Soul torches repel piglins.

Crafting ingredient[]

Name Ingredients Crafting recipe Description
Blue Torch or
Red Torch or
Purple Torch or
Green Torch
Cerium Chloride or
Mercuric Chloride or
Potassium Chloride or
Tungsten Chloride +
Torch

Cerium Chloride: Blue
Mercuric Chloride: Red
Potassium Chloride: Purple
Tungsten Chloride: Green
[Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Education only]
Jack o'Lantern Carved Pumpkin +
Torch

Lantern Iron Nugget +
Torch

Soul Lantern Iron Nugget +
Soul Torch

Underwater Torch Magnesium +
Torch

[Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Education only]

Sounds[]

Java Edition:

SoundSubtitlesSourceDescriptionResource locationTranslation keyVolumePitchAttenuation
distance
Block brokenBlocksOnce the block has brokenblock.wood.breaksubtitles.block.generic.break1.00.816
Block placedBlocksWhen the block is placedblock.wood.placesubtitles.block.generic.place1.00.816
Block breakingBlocksWhile the block is in the process of being brokenblock.wood.hitsubtitles.block.generic.hit0.250.516
None[sound 1]Entity-DependentFalling on the block with fall damageblock.wood.fallNone[sound 1]0.50.7516
FootstepsEntity-DependentWalking on the blockblock.wood.stepsubtitles.block.generic.footsteps0.151.016
  1. a b MC-177082

Bedrock Edition:

SoundSourceDescriptionResource locationVolumePitch
BlocksOnce the block has brokendig.wood1.00.8-1.0
BlocksWhen the block is placeddig.wood1.00.8
BlocksWhile the block is in the process of being brokenhit.wood0.230.5
PlayersFalling on the block with fall damagefall.wood0.41.0
PlayersWalking on the blockstep.wood0.31.0
PlayersJumping from the blockjump.wood0.121.0
PlayersFalling on the block without fall damageland.wood0.181.0

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

NameIdentifierFormBlock tagsItem tagsTranslation key
TorchtorchBlock & Itemwall_post_overrideNoneblock.minecraft.torch
Soul Torchsoul_torchBlock & Itempiglin_repellents
wall_post_override
piglin_repellentsblock.minecraft.soul_torch
Wall Torchwall_torchBlockNoneblock.minecraft.wall_torch
Soul Wall Torchsoul_wall_torchBlockpiglin_repellentsblock.minecraft.soul_wall_torch

Bedrock Edition:

NameIdentifierNumeric ID FormItem ID[i 1]Translation key
Torchtorch50Block & Giveable Item[i 2]Identical[i 3]tile.torch.name
Soul Torchsoul_torch523Block & Giveable Item[i 2]Identical[i 3]tile.soul_torch.name
  1. ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
  2. a b Available with /give command.
  3. a b The block's direct item form has the same id as the block.

Block states[]

See also: Block states

Java Edition:
Wall

Name Default value Allowed values Description
facingnortheast
north
south
west
The direction the top of the torch is facing.

Bedrock Edition:

NameMetadata Bits Default value Allowed valuesValues for
Metadata Bits
Description
torch_facing_direction0x1
0x2
0x4
west west
east
north
south
top
1
2
3
4
5
The face of the block that the torch is attached to. If the torch is a wall torch, the top of the torch faces opposite to this direction.[2]
unknown0Unused

History[]

For a more in-depth breakdown of changes to textures and models, including a set of renders for each state combination, see /Asset history

Java Edition pre-Classic
May 16, 2009Notch suggests adding torches, which would "light up a 3×3 tile" area.
Java Edition Indev
0.3120091223-2Torch JE1 Wall Torch (S) JE1 Added torches.
Torch (item) JE1 Torches currently renders as block in inventory.
Torches can be placed in the air without any block supporting them and do not have a top texture.
When removing a block, a torch now moves to another available block.[3]
20091231-1Torch JE2 Wall Torch (S) JE2 The top red part from the torch has been removed.
Torch (texture) JE2 BE1 Torches renders as item in inventory.
20100109Torches are now slightly dimmer.
20100124-2Torch JE3 Wall Torch (S) JE3 Torches now have a top texture.
20100125-2Torches now have particle effects.
20100129Torches have been made craftable.
20100212-1Torches no longer snap to other potential valid attachments once their supporting block is removed.
Java Edition Infdev
20100618Falling blocks are implemented, which can be broken by torches.
Java Edition Alpha
v1.1.0Torches can no longer be placed on tree leaves, but only in fast mode.
October 4, 2010Notch originally planned for torches to become temporary light sources that would eventually burn out and require re-lighting with flint and steel. This was planned to add with the Halloween Update.
v1.2.0?Torches are now used to craft jack o'lanterns.
Java Edition Beta
1.2Torches can now be crafted using charcoal, making them the first renewable light source in the game that is also obtainable and permanent.
1.6.6Torches can now be placed on glowstone.
1.7Torches can no longer be placed on leaves, whether they are found naturally on a tree or placed after being trimmed with shears.
Torches and redstone torches can now be placed on top of fences.
1.8Pre-releaseTorches now generate in mineshafts, villages and strongholds.
Java Edition
1.0.0Beta 1.9 Prerelease 4Torches now generate as part of the exit portal structure.
1.2.112w07aTorches can now be placed on top of glass blocks.
1.3.112w19aTorches now spawn around bonus chests if each side has a block at the same height around it.
12w25aTorches can now be placed on top of upside down slabs and stairs.
1.4.212w42bFalling sand now properly "pops" when falling on torches.
1.4.41.4.3Torches now have a bottom texture, visible on wall torches or torches placed on top of glass.[4]
1.814w07aWall Torch (S) JE5 Torches placed on walls are now rotated cuboids rather than a parallelpiped. Their top texture now also rotates accordingly.
14w18aTorches can now be placed on stained glass.
?Torches, as part of the exit portal, now generate incorrectly and fall into the portal as items.[5]
14w25aTorch JE5 Wall Torch (S) JE6 Torches are now incorrectly affected by ambient occlusion.
14w33cTorch JE4 Wall Torch (S) JE5 Torches are no longer affected by ambient occlusion.
1.915w31aTorches on the exit portal now regenerate when the ender dragon is re-summoned.
15w43aTorches can now generate within igloo basements.
15w44aTorches can now be found inside minecart with chests in mineshafts.
1.1116w39aTorches now generate in woodland mansions.
1.12?Redstone torches can now be placed on the side of jack o'lanterns. Whether this also affects normal torches is unknown.
1.1317w47aThe non-up facing block states for the torch ID have been split up into wall_torch.
Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 50.
17w48aRedstone torches can now be placed on the top of jack o' lanterns. Whether this also affects normal torches is unknown.
1.1418w43aTorch JE7 Wall Torch (S) JE8 Torch (texture) JE3 BE2 The texture of torches has been changed.
18w46aTorches can now be used to craft lanterns.
18w47aTorches now generate in pillager outposts.
18w48aWith the update of plains villages, houses are generally better lit with torches.
18w49aWith the update of savanna villages, houses are generally better lit with torches.
Torches can now be found in chests in savanna village houses.
18w50aWith the update of desert and taiga villages, houses are generally better lit with torches.
1.14.3pre3Torches can now be placed on iron bars and glass panes.
1.1620w06aSoul Torch JE1 Soul Wall Torch (S) JE1 Soul Torch (texture) JE1 BE1 Added soul fire torches.
20w15aSoul fire torches can now be crafted using soul sand.
20w17a"Soul Fire Torch" has now been renamed to "Soul Torch".
The IDs of soul torches have been changed from soul_fire_torch to soul_torch and soul_fire_wall_torch to soul_wall_torch.
1.1922w13aTorches now generate in ancient cities.
Soul torches may now be found in ancient city chests.
Pocket Edition Alpha
Pre-releaseTorch JE3 BE1 Wall Torch JE3 BE1 Torch (texture) JE2 BE1 Added torches.
v0.3.0Survival players no longer start out with an infinite amount of torches in the inventory.
v0.8.0build 1Torches are now used to craft jack o'lanterns.
v0.9.0build 1Torches now spawn naturally in villages, mineshafts and strongholds.
build 2Torches can now be placed on spawners.
build 5The placing speed of torches has been improved.
build 6The lighting from torches is now brighter and more PC-like. What exactly this means is unknown.
v0.14.0build 1Torches can now be found inside minecart with chests in mineshafts.
Pocket Edition
1.0.0alpha 0.17.0.1Torches now generate within igloo basements.
Four torches now generate as part of the exit portal after the ender dragon dies.
1.1.0alpha 1.1.0.0Torches now generate in mansions.
Bedrock Edition
1.2.0beta 1.2.0.2Up to four torches can now generate in bonus chests.
1.4.0beta 1.2.20.1Torches can now be used to craft underwater torches and colored torches.
1.10.0beta 1.10.0.3Torch JE6 BE2 Wall Torch (S) BE2Torch (texture) JE3 BE2 The texture of torches has been changed.
Torches now generate in pillager outposts.
Torches can now be used to craft lanterns.
1.11.0beta 1.11.0.1Torches can now be found in savanna village house chests.
1.16.0beta 1.16.0.51Soul Torch BE1 Soul Wall Torch (S) BE1 Soul Torch (texture) JE1 BE1 Added soul fire torches.
beta 1.16.0.57"Soul Fire Torch" has now been renamed to "Soul Torch".
Soul torches can now be crafted using soul sand.
beta 1.16.0.63Soul torches can now be crafted using charcoal.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1CU1 1.0 Patch 11.0.1Torch JE3 BE1 Wall Torch (S) JE3 BE1 Torch (texture) JE2 BE1 Added torches.
TU54CU44 1.52 Patch 241.0.4Torches can now be placed on the full-block side of stairs.
1.90 Torch JE6 BE2 Wall Torch (S) BE2[verify] Torch (texture) JE3 BE2 The texture of torches has been changed.
Torches can now be used to craft lanterns.
1.91 Torches now generate in pillager outposts.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0Torch JE3 BE1 Wall Torch (S) JE3 BE1[verify] Torch (texture) JE2 BE1 Added torches.

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Torch" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Gallery[]

Renders[]

Screenshots[]

In other media[]

See also[]

References[]

External Links[]

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