Guardian
hostileOurs, not the jar's: the biome names next to that structure, how a guardian behaves. Same on Bedrock v1.26.30.5 for health. Checked 2026-08-08, and how
Health
Damage
XP Drop
Added InOverview
A Guardian is a hostile mob: it will attack players on sight whenever it is able to reach them.
You will normally come across guardians in the Overworld, where they appear in Ocean Monument.
Its defining trait is simple: shoots laser beams that require charge-up time.
Stat-wise it sits at 30 health (15 hearts), dropping 10 experience on death.
It was first added in 1.8 and has been a fixture of Minecraft ever since.
Also worth noting: Prismarine is used for conduits and sea lanterns.
Knowing how the Guardian 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 Guardian is generated in Ocean Monument.
Spawns in and around Ocean Monuments in water.
Naturally spawned guardians 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.
A Guardian farm is built around its own spawn rule rather than around the light level, so start from what makes them appear at all.
Where the Guardian spawns
- Inside a monument the biome list is replaced: weight 1 there, 100% of the monster list, in groups of 2 to 4.
Drops
Here is what you can expect to collect from a Guardian:
Every kill yields 1 Raw Cod and 1 Prismarine Crystals.
On top of that, you may come away with 0 to 2 Prismarine Shards.
You also collect 10 experience for every Guardian you defeat.
These are well worth keeping. Prismarine is used for conduits and sea lanterns.
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 | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prismarine Shard | 0 to 2 | not every kill | Looting |
| Raw Cod | 1 | always | Looting, cooked when burnt |
| Prismarine Crystals | 1 | always | Looting |
Prismarine Shard
Raw Cod
Prismarine CrystalsThat Prismarine Crystals row is not its own: the elder guardian drops 1.
Guardian attributes
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Experience | 10 |
| Movement speed | 0.5 |
| Health | 30 points |
| Attack damage attribute | 6 |
| Follow range | 16 blocks |
Where the Guardian lands, it has company: the shulker on the same 30 health.
Guardian: 3 items per kill over 3 drop rows
A guardian averages 1 Prismarine Crystals a kill in its Java 26.2 loot table, before Looting, which puts a full stack of 64 Prismarine Crystals at 64 kills. Next down is Prismarine Shard at 1 a kill, which is 64 guardian kills to 64. 1 further row sit under those, down to 1 Raw Cod per guardian and 64 kills a stack.
| Item | Average per kill |
|---|---|
| Prismarine Shard | 1 |
| Raw Cod | 1 |
| Prismarine Crystals | 1 |
How this average is worked out
| Weapon | Attack damage | Full swings | Swings per 64 Prismarine Crystals |
|---|---|---|---|
| golden sword, wooden sword | 4 | 8 | 512 |
| stone sword | 5 | 6 | 384 |
| iron sword | 6 | 5 | 320 |
| diamond sword, golden axe, wooden axe | 7 | 5 | 320 |
| netherite sword | 8 | 4 | 256 |
| diamond axe, iron axe, stone axe | 9 | 4 | 256 |
| netherite axe | 10 | 3 | 192 |
Coming the other way, a guardian hit is 30% of a player's 20 health, 4 of them a full bar, all out of the guardian's 6 damage on Normal. On Easy the same guardian hit is 20%, on Hard 45%, so 5 hits against 3.
Behavior & Combat
In the field, shoots laser beams that require charge-up time. Deals thorn damage to attackers. Inflicts Mining Fatigue via Elder Guardians nearby.
At 0.5 it is 7th of 62 for speed, just below the wither at 0.6.
On the offensive it deals 4 on Easy, 6 on Normal and 9 on Hard, and you will need to chew through 30 health (15 hearts) to bring one down.
To deal with one efficiently, exploit its weaknesses: it is vulnerable to Impaling enchantment and Axolotls (ally).
A sword enchanted with Impaling shortens the fight considerably against this mob.
Since it can attack from range, closing the distance quickly or breaking line of sight with cover is often safer than trading hits at a distance.
The practical takeaway is to respect its strengths, exploit the weaknesses listed above, and you will rarely lose a fight you choose to take.
Guardian: common questions
How much health does a Guardian have?
A Guardian has 30 health points, which is 15 hearts on its health bar. At 0.5 it is 7th of 62 for speed, just below the wither at 0.6.
What does a Guardian drop?
When killed, a Guardian drops 0 to 2 Prismarine Shards, 1 Raw Cod every time, and 1 Prismarine Crystals every time, along with 10 experience.
Where do Guardians spawn in Minecraft?
Guardians spawn in Ocean Monument. Spawns in and around Ocean Monuments in water.
How do you defeat a Guardian?
To defeat a Guardian, target its weaknesses, it is vulnerable to Impaling enchantment and Axolotls (ally), while dealing with its 30 health (15 hearts).
How much damage does a Guardian deal?
A Guardian deals 4 damage on Easy, 6 on Normal and 9 on Hard difficulty.
How much XP does a Guardian drop?
A Guardian drops 10 experience points when killed.