You’ve defeated the Ender Dragon, watched the credits roll, and returned home. But is the adventure really over?
Many players think beating the Ender Dragon once means the end of the game’s combat challenges. However, Minecraft allows you to respawn the Ender Dragon as many times as you want! Whether you need to farm Dragon’s Breath, open new End Gateways to find Elytras, or just want to relive the epic battle with friends, summoning the dragon back is a mechanic every pro player should know.
In this guide, we will cover exactly how to craft End Crystals, the correct placement pattern to summon the beast, and what rewards you get for beating it again.
Step 1: Gather the Required Ingredients
To respawn the dragon, you cannot just use a command (unless you are in Creative mode). You need to craft 4 End Crystals.
Here is the total list of materials required to make all 4 crystals:
- 4 Ghast Tears: Dropped by Ghasts in the Nether.
- 4 Eyes of Ender: Crafted from Blaze Powder (Nether) + Ender Pearl (Endermen).
- 28 Glass Blocks: Smelt sand in a furnace.
Pro Tip: Ghast Tears can be frustrating to collect because they often fall into lava. Use a bow to kill Ghasts only when they are floating over solid land!
Step 2: Craft the End Crystals
Once you have your materials, head to a Crafting Table.
Recipe for 1 End Crystal:
- Middle Slot: Eye of Ender
- Bottom Center Slot: Ghast Tear
- Surrounding Slots: Glass Blocks
Repeat this process 4 times until you have 4 End Crystals in your inventory.
Step 3: Return to The End
Gear up! Ensure you have your armor, bow, arrows, and food ready. Jump through your Stronghold portal to enter The End dimension.
Head to the center of the main island where you fought the dragon the first time. You are looking for the Exit Portal (the structure made of Bedrock with the egg perch on top).
Step 4: Place the Crystals to Summon the Dragon
This is the most critical step. If you place the crystals incorrectly, nothing will happen.
You need to place the 4 End Crystals on the outer rim of the Bedrock Exit Portal.
The Pattern:
- Place one crystal on the center block of each of the four sides of the portal (North, South, East, West).
What happens next? Once the final crystal is placed, the crystals will shoot beams into the sky. They will begin regenerating the Obsidian Pillars and the Healing Crystals on top of them. After a dramatic sequence, the Ender Dragon will spawn in the sky with a loud roar!
Why Should You Respawn the Dragon?
You might be wondering, “Why fight it again if I’ve already won?” Here are the main benefits:
- Collect Dragon’s Breath: During the fight, when the dragon shoots purple magic or breathes on the ground, use Empty Glass Bottles on the purple cloud. This gives you Dragon’s Breath, an essential ingredient for brewing Lingering Potions.
- Unlock New End Gateways: Every time you kill the dragon, a new End Gateway Portal appears floating at the edge of the island (up to 20 total). These provide shortcuts to the outer islands where you find End Cities, Shulkers, and Elytras.
- Experience Points (XP): While the first kill gives 12,000 XP, subsequent kills grant 500 XP. It’s not huge, but it’s a decent boost.
Important Note: The Dragon Egg only spawns the first time you defeat the dragon. You will not get a second egg by respawning the dragon.
Conclusion
Respawning the Ender Dragon is a fantastic way to extend your gameplay, gather rare alchemy ingredients, and explore more of the End dimension. The process works exactly the same on Minecraft Java Edition and Bedrock Edition (Xbox, PS4/5, Mobile, Switch).
Now that you know the secret, craft those crystals and get ready for Round Two!