Drowned
hostile
Health
Damage
XP Drop
Added InOverview
The Drowned is a hostile mob in Minecraft, which means it will attack players on sight whenever it is able to reach them.
You will normally come across drowneds in the Overworld, where they appear in Ocean, River, and Dripstone Caves.
What sets it apart is its behaviour: swims and attacks players in water.
Stat-wise it sits at 20 health (10 hearts), dropping 5 experience on death.
Players have been encountering the Drowned since the 1.13 update.
A useful detail many players miss — Primary renewable source of tridents and copper.
Knowing how the Drowned behaves is mostly about survival: recognising it early and reacting correctly is what keeps a night-time excursion from ending in a respawn.
Damage by Difficulty
Spawning
In the wild, the Drowned is generated in Ocean, River, and Dripstone Caves.
Your best bet is to head straight for Ocean, since that is where it turns up most reliably out of the handful of biomes it favours.
Spawns in ocean and river biomes underwater. Zombies submerged in water for 30 seconds convert to Drowned.
Like most hostile mobs in the Overworld, it requires darkness (a block light level of 0) to spawn, so lighting an area up with torches stops it from appearing there.
Naturally spawned drowneds will despawn over time when no player is nearby; naming one with a name tag or leading it away on a lead keeps it permanent.
For a reliable Drowned farm, set your spawning floor within the biomes above and light everything else nearby so spawns funnel to one spot.
Drops
Here is what you can expect to collect from a Drowned:
Every kill yields 0–2 Rotten Flesh (always, 100% chance).
On top of that, rarer rolls can give 1 Copper Ingot (occasionally, 11% chance) and 1 Trident (occasionally, 6.25% chance).
You also collect 5 experience for every Drowned you defeat.
These are well worth keeping. Only drowned naturally holding a trident can drop one (8.5% chance on Java).
The Looting enchantment on your sword raises the quantity and, for many of these items, the drop chance of the rarer rolls, so it is well worth using when you grind this mob.
Across many kills the guaranteed items pile up steadily while the chance-based extras trickle in, so consistent farming is the way to build a meaningful stockpile.
| Item | Count | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Rotten Flesh | 0-2 | 100% |
| Copper Ingot | 1 | 11% |
| Trident | 1 | 6.25% |
Rotten Flesh
Copper Ingot
TridentBehavior & Combat
Behaviourally, swims and attacks players in water. Some spawn with tridents (ranged attack). Burns in sunlight on land but safe underwater.
Its 20 health is modest, falling to roughly 3 hits from a diamond sword.
Its combat profile is 20 health (10 hearts) with attacks dealing 2 on Easy, 3 on Normal and 4 on Hard.
To deal with one efficiently, exploit its weaknesses — it is vulnerable to Sunlight (on land), Smite enchantment, and Healing splash potions.
A sword enchanted with Smite shortens the fight considerably against this mob.
As an undead mob it catches fire in direct daylight, so during the day it will either burn up or scramble for shade and water — one reason these are mostly a night-time and cave threat.
Being undead, it is healed by the Wither effect and harmed by Instant Health, while Instant Damage (Harming) potions hurt it instead of helping — the opposite of how those potions affect you.
The practical takeaway is to respect its strengths, exploit the weaknesses listed above, and you will rarely lose a fight you choose to take.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Drowned
How much health does a Drowned have?
A Drowned has 20 health points, which is 10 hearts on its health bar.
What does a Drowned drop?
When killed, a Drowned drops 0–2 Rotten Flesh (100% chance), 1 Copper Ingot (11% chance), and 1 Trident (6.25% chance), along with 5 experience.
Where do Drowneds spawn in Minecraft?
Drowneds spawn in Ocean, River, and Dripstone Caves. Spawns in ocean and river biomes underwater. Zombies submerged in water for 30 seconds convert to Drowned.
How do you defeat a Drowned?
To defeat a Drowned, target its weaknesses — it is vulnerable to Sunlight (on land), Smite enchantment, and Healing splash potions — while dealing with its 20 health (10 hearts).
How much damage does a Drowned deal?
A Drowned deals 2 damage on Easy, 3 on Normal and 4 on Hard difficulty.
How much XP does a Drowned drop?
A Drowned drops 5 experience points when killed.