How to Get Wither Skeleton Skulls in Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition

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Learn how to get this rare material needed to summon Minecraft's hardest boss
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If you're trying to spawn the wither in Minecraft, you may be trying to figure out how you can get wither skulls. These skulls are obtained from wither skeletons, which are found only in the Nether. While getting these skulls is straightforward, it takes some patience due to their low drop rate. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide on how to get these skulls and what to use them for once you have them.

Best Ways to Find Wither Skulls in Minecraft

To get wither skulls, go to the Nether and find a Nether Fortress. Once in the fortress, start killing wither skeletons. You have a 2.5% chance to get a skull if you kill a wither, but you can increase that to 5.5% (Java Edition)/8.5% (Bedrock Edition) with Looting III.

Section 1 of 2:

How to Obtain Wither Skulls

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    Nether Fortresses are special structures located in the Nether. These fortresses are the only place in Minecraft where wither skeletons spawn. [1] Nether Fortresses are more likely to spawn in locations where the X-axis is positive.
    • If you're having trouble finding a Nether Fortress, you can use the command /locate structure minecraft:nether-fortress .
    • You can also use your world seed at www.chunkbase.com to locate Nether Fortresses in your world.
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    Wither skeletons spawn within Nether Fortresses, but the chance of getting a wither skull is low. If a player character or a tamed wolf kills a wither skeleton, it has a 2.5% chance of dropping a skull. [2]
    • While you can get wither skulls without adding Looting to your weapons, each level of Looting increases your chances of getting a wither skull.
      • Java Edition: Each level of looting increases your chance by 1% for a maximum of 5.5% with Looting III
      • Bedrock Edition: Each level of looting increases your chance by 2% for a maximum of 8.5% with Looting III
    • If you kill a wither skeleton with a charged creeper, one (Java Edition) or all (Bedrock Edition) are guaranteed to drop their heads.
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Section 2 of 2:

Wither Skull Uses

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    The main use for wither skulls is to spawn the wither . You'll need three wither skulls to summon the wither , along with four blocks of soul sand and/or soul soil. [3]
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    If you combine one paper with one wither skeleton skull, you'll get the Skull banner pattern. [4]
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    Like other heads, you can wear the wither skeleton skull as a helmet. However, unlike other heads, wearing a wither skeleton skull as a helmet will not reduce their detection range. [5]
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    Like other heads, wither skeleton skulls can be used as decoration. You can place the skulls on top of or on the side of blocks, similar to signs.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Nether_Fortress
      2. ↑ https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Head#Mob_loot
      3. ↑ https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Wither
      4. ↑ https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Banner_Pattern
      5. ↑ https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Head#Usage

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