You just defeated the Ender Dragon, collected your massive pile of experience orbs, and watched the credits roll. But your Minecraft adventure is far from over. Stepping through that tiny bedrock gateway takes you to the vast outer islands, where End City raiding offers the most powerful rewards in the game.
Crossing these floating islands means carefully building block bridges over the endless void while dodging levitation attacks from hostile Shulkers. If you survive the climb to the top of these towering purple structures, you walk away with chests full of enchanted diamond gear and Elytra wings. Finding the Elytra lets you fly anywhere in your world.
Key Takeaways
- Access the outer End islands by throwing an Ender Pearl into the floating End Gateway, and use cheap building blocks to safely bridge across the deadly void.
- Counter the deadly fall damage caused by Shulker levitation attacks by keeping a water bucket, Chorus Fruit, or Ender Pearls ready in your hotbar.
- Conquer End Cities and their floating End Ships to claim the best late-game rewards, including enchanted diamond gear and Elytra wings for flight.
- Secure your newly acquired treasures inside an Ender Chest or Shulker box immediately to prevent losing hours of progress to a single void fall.
Finding the Outer End Islands
After you defeat the Ender Dragon, look around the edges of the main island to find a tiny portal floating in the sky. This End Gateway is encased in unbreakable bedrock, making it impossible to walk through. To teleport to the outer islands, carefully aim and throw an Ender Pearl straight into the glowing center block. Once you make the shot, you instantly travel thousands of blocks away from the dragon battle arena to a new area of the End dimension.
When you arrive on the other side, you see massive floating islands scattered across a deadly void. Before you start exploring, pack your inventory with stacks of cheap building blocks like dirt, netherrack, or cobblestone. You need these blocks to build bridges across the huge empty spaces between the islands. Falling into the void means losing all your items forever, so take your time and hold the sneak button while you build your paths. Crossing this dangerous terrain is the only way to track down the towering End Cities that hold enchanted diamond gear and Elytras.
Battling Shulkers and Surviving Levitation
When you step inside an End City, you immediately notice purple blocks that open up to reveal hostile mobs called Shulkers. These enemies guard the towers holding late-game loot like enchanted diamond armor and the Elytra. As soon as you get close, Shulkers fire glowing white projectiles that track your movement. You can block these missiles with a shield or hit them with your sword to destroy them. If a projectile hits you, it inflicts the Levitation status effect and sends you floating high into the air.
Floating upwards might seem like a fun way to skip difficult parkour jumps, but the real danger comes when the effect wears off. Dropping from the top of a tall tower easily drains your health and ends your run if you are not prepared. To survive the long drop, always keep a water bucket in your hotbar to catch your fall at the last second. You can also eat a Chorus Fruit while hovering to instantly teleport down to a solid block. Throwing an Ender Pearl at the ground just before you land is another great trick to avoid massive fall damage.
Fighting Shulkers requires patience and good aim with your bow or crossbow. Since they teleport away when their health gets low, hit them with strong, fully charged attacks. If you float uncontrollably through a room, position yourself under a ceiling block so you do not drift outside the tower. Wearing boots with the Feather Falling enchantment gives you extra protection during these battles. Once you clear out the Shulkers, you can safely grab your loot and continue exploring.
Looting the End Ship for Your Elytra
After you conquer the towering purpur structures of an End City, scan the sky for a floating End Ship. These ships spawn next to about half of all End Cities and hold the Elytra. Getting across the gap requires you to throw a careful Ender Pearl or build a dirt bridge while dodging missiles. Shulkers guard the exterior of the ship, so use your shield to block their levitation bullets before trying any parkour jumps. Taking out these mobs with a bow makes boarding much safer.
Once you land on the deck, head straight down into the hull to claim your rewards. You will find a single Shulker guarding the treasure room, so defeat it quickly with your diamond or netherite sword. Right behind that mob sits the Elytra, displayed in an item frame on the wall. Punch the frame to grab your new wings, which completely change how you travel around your world. Before you leave the room, check the brewing stand to grab two free potions of instant health.
Your looting trip is not finished until you step back outside to check the front of the ship. Carefully walk to the very tip of the bow to mine the rare Dragon Head block. You can wear this massive head as a helmet or hook it up to a redstone circuit to make the jaw open and close. Do not forget to loot the treasure chests inside the ship, because they often contain highly enchanted diamond gear. With your new Elytra equipped and your inventory full of loot, you can glide away to explore the rest of the outer islands.
Safely Store Your End City Diamond Gear
Surviving an End City raid rewards you with the best late-game items in Minecraft. You successfully dodged levitation bullets from Shulkers and completed the tricky parkour jumps across the purpur towers. Now it is time to pack away your treasures before making any sudden moves near the void. Store all your new enchanted diamond chestplates, swords, and pickaxes securely inside a Shulker box or an Ender Chest. Keeping these rare items safe guarantees that a single clumsy slip will not erase hours of exploration.
With your inventory sorted, you get to enjoy the best part of conquering the End ship. Equip your new Elytra directly into your chestplate slot. Instead of slowly building dirt bridges back across the dangerous void, you can simply jump off the ship and use a firework rocket to soar through the sky. Fly back to the small bedrock End Gateway where you first arrived. Toss a final Ender Pearl into the starry portal block, and you safely teleport back to the main island to head home.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you get to the outer End islands?
After you defeat the Ender Dragon, look for a small bedrock portal floating in the sky near the edge of the main island. Throw an Ender Pearl directly into the glowing center of this End Gateway. This instantly teleports you thousands of blocks away to the outer islands.
2. What is the best way to enter the End Gateway?
The End Gateway is covered in unbreakable bedrock, so you cannot just walk inside. Carefully aim and throw an Ender Pearl straight into the glowing purple block in the middle. Make sure your aim is steady so you do not miss and fall into the void.
3. What items should you bring to explore the outer islands?
Pack several stacks of cheap building blocks like dirt, netherrack, or cobblestone. These blocks are essential for building bridges across the giant empty spaces between the floating islands. You should also bring plenty of Ender Pearls, a water bucket, and good armor to keep yourself safe.
4. How do you safely cross the gaps between the floating islands?
Build your own bridges using your stacked blocks to cross the deadly void. Always hold down the sneak button while you place your blocks. Sneaking prevents you from accidentally walking off the edge and losing your gear.
5. What dangers will you face while raiding an End city?
As you climb the towering purple structures, you must dodge attacks from hostile mobs called Shulkers. If a Shulker bullet hits you, you get a levitation effect that makes you float helplessly into the air. When the effect wears off, you risk taking massive fall damage or dropping into the void.
6. What happens if you fall into the void?
Falling into the endless void beneath the islands is one of the most dangerous things in Minecraft. If you fall too far down, your character dies and you lose all your items forever. There is no way to get your gear back, so always be extremely careful when moving around.
7. What kind of loot can you find inside an End city?
Surviving the climb to the top of an End City rewards you with some of the best items in the game. You discover chests packed with enchanted diamond gear, weapons, and valuable tools. If you find a flying ship, you can claim the rare Elytra wings to fly through the skies.