HOW TO FIND A STRONGHOLD IN MINECRAFT

WHAT IS A STRONGHOLD?

A stronghold is a rare underground structure in Minecraft that contains the End Portal - the only way to reach the End dimension and fight the Ender Dragon. Strongholds are large, maze-like structures made of stone bricks that generate deep underground with no visible surface features.

Inside a stronghold, you will find a variety of rooms including libraries (with bookshelves and enchanted books), storerooms (with chests containing loot), corridors, spiral staircases, and fountains. The most important room is the End Portal room, which contains a silverfish spawner and the portal frame itself.

METHOD 1: EYES OF ENDER

The classic way to find a stronghold is by using Eyes of Ender. Here's the step-by-step process:

1. Craft Eyes of Ender by combining an Ender Pearl with Blaze Powder in a crafting grid
2. Go to the surface and throw an Eye of Ender (right-click / use) - it will float into the air and drift toward the nearest stronghold
3. Follow the direction the eye travels, then throw another one after walking a few hundred blocks
4. When the eye starts flying downward instead of forward, you are directly above the stronghold
5. Dig straight down to find the stronghold (usually between Y-level 0 and Y-level -30)

Triangulation technique: For a more efficient approach, throw an eye at one location and note the direction. Then walk perpendicular to that direction for a few hundred blocks and throw another eye. The stronghold is where the two direction lines intersect. This uses fewer eyes and is faster than simply following them one at a time.

Pro tip: Bring at least 15 Eyes of Ender. Each time you throw one, there is a 20% chance it will shatter instead of dropping back to the ground, so you will lose some along the way.

METHOD 2: USE A STRONGHOLD FINDER (FASTEST)

The fastest way to find a stronghold is using a seed-based Stronghold Finder. Our Stronghold Finder tool uses your world seed to calculate the exact coordinates of every stronghold in your world.

1. Find your world seed: type /seed in Java or go to Settings > Game in Bedrock
2. Enter the seed in our Stronghold Finder
3. Enter your current X and Z coordinates
4. Get exact stronghold locations with X, Y, Z coordinates

This method works for both Java and Bedrock Edition. You get precise coordinates instantly, saving you the time and resources of crafting Eyes of Ender and tracking them across the world.

STRONGHOLD GENERATION RULES

Stronghold generation differs significantly between Java and Bedrock Edition:

ACTIVATING THE END PORTAL

Once you find the stronghold, navigate through its corridors to locate the End Portal room. Here's what you need to know:

• The End Portal frame consists of 12 frame blocks arranged in a 5x5 ring (without corners)
• Each frame block has a 10% chance of being pre-filled with an Eye of Ender during world generation
• On average, you will need about 10-11 Eyes of Ender to complete the portal
• Place Eyes of Ender into each empty frame block by right-clicking (use) on them
• You must stand inside the portal frame or face toward the center when placing eyes, as they need to face inward
• Once all 12 slots are filled, the portal activates with a starry animation and you can jump in to reach the End

Pro tip: There is a silverfish spawner in the End Portal room. Destroy it or light the area well before activating the portal to avoid being overwhelmed during the process.

STRONGHOLD LOOT

Strongholds contain valuable loot in chests found throughout the structure. Here are the notable items you can find:

• Enchanted Books - found in library chests, often with high-level enchantments
• Iron Ingots - commonly found in storeroom and corridor chests
• Gold Ingots - less common but available in various chest types
• Ender Pearls - useful if you need more Eyes of Ender for the portal
• Apples & Bread - food supplies in storeroom chests
• Iron Armor & Tools - iron pickaxes, swords, and armor pieces
• Saddles - found in altar chests
• Empty Maps & Compasses - navigation items in library chests

Libraries are the most rewarding rooms to loot. They contain bookshelves you can break for books (useful for crafting an enchanting table) and chests with enchanted books that can have powerful enchantments.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS