Witch
hostileOurs, not the jar's: how a witch behaves. Bedrock v1.26.30.5 differs: spawn weight 5 on most Java biome lists (it runs from 1 to 5) against 1 on Bedrock. Checked 2026-08-08, and how
Health
Damage
XP Drop
Added InOverview
The Witch 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 witches in the Overworld, where they appear in all Overworld biomes and Witch Huts (Swamp).
What sets it apart is its behaviour: attacks by throwing harmful splash potions (Poison, Slowness, Weakness, Harming).
With 26 HP (13 hearts) on its bar, killing one rewards 5 experience.
The Witch has been part of the game since version 1.4.2.
Also worth noting: Witch huts in swamps are the only place they spawn at any light level.
Knowing how the Witch behaves is mostly about survival: recognising it early and reacting correctly is what keeps a night-time excursion from ending in a respawn.
Spawning
Natural spawns for the Witch occur in all Overworld biomes and Witch Huts (Swamp).
Because it appears across 53 different biomes, it is one of the easier mobs to track down, and heading to any of them should turn one up before long.
Spawns at light level 0 or in Swamp Huts. Villagers struck by lightning become witches.
Naturally spawned witches 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 Witch farm, set your spawning floor within the biomes above and light everything else nearby so spawns funnel to one spot.
Where the Witch spawns
Badlands, Bamboo Jungle, Beach and Birch Forest are where it stands strongest: weight 5 on the monster list and 1% of it, arriving 1 at a time. There it shares the list with Creeper at 100, Skeleton at 100, Slime at 100, Spider at 100 and Zombie at 95 and 2 more, 515 weight together, of which 5 is witch. The other 4 biomes on its list run from 0.9% down to 0.3%.
| Biome | Weight | Share | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Badlands | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Bamboo Jungle | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Beach | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Birch Forest | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Cherry Grove | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Cold Ocean | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Dark Forest | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Deep Cold Ocean | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Deep Frozen Ocean | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Deep Lukewarm Ocean | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Deep Ocean | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Desert | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Eroded Badlands | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Flower Forest | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Forest | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Frozen Ocean | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Frozen Peaks | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Frozen River | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Grove | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Ice Spikes | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Jagged Peaks | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Jungle | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Lukewarm Ocean | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Lush Caves | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Mangrove Swamp | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Meadow | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Ocean | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Old Growth Birch Forest | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Old Growth Spruce Taiga | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Pale Garden | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Plains | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Savanna | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Savanna Plateau | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Snowy Beach | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Snowy Plains | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Snowy Slopes | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Snowy Taiga | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Sparse Jungle | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Stony Peaks | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Stony Shore | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Sunflower Plains | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Swamp | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Taiga | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Warm Ocean | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Windswept Forest | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Windswept Gravelly Hills | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Windswept Hills | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Windswept Savanna | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Wooded Badlands | 5 | 1% | 1 |
| Old Growth Pine Taiga | 5 | 0.9% | 1 |
| Dripstone Caves | 5 | 0.8% | 1 |
| River | 5 | 0.8% | 1 |
| Sulfur Caves | 1 | 0.3% | 1 |
- Inside a swamp hut the biome list is replaced: weight 1 there, 100% of the monster list, in groups of 1.
It does not have that swamp hut list to itself: the cat at weight 1.
Drops
Here is what you can expect to collect from a Witch:
Every kill yields 4 to 8 Redstone Dust.
On top of that, you may come away with 0 to 2 Glowstone Dust, 0 to 2 Sugar, 0 to 2 Spider Eyes, 0 to 2 Glass Bottles, 0 to 2 Gunpowder, and 0 to 2 Sticks.
You also collect 5 experience for every Witch you defeat.
Farming witches is the standard way to stockpile redstone dust in quantity.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glowstone Dust | 0 to 2 | not every kill | Looting, 1 to 3 draws |
| Sugar | 0 to 2 | not every kill | Looting, 1 to 3 draws |
| Spider Eye | 0 to 2 | not every kill | Looting, 1 to 3 draws |
| Glass Bottle | 0 to 2 | not every kill | Looting, 1 to 3 draws |
| Gunpowder | 0 to 2 | not every kill | Looting, 1 to 3 draws |
| Stick | 0 to 2 | not every kill | Looting, 1 to 3 draws |
| Redstone Dust | 4 to 8 | always | Looting |
Glowstone Dust
Sugar
Spider Eye
Glass Bottle
Gunpowder
Stick
Redstone DustThat Gunpowder row is not its own: the creeper drops 0 to 2 and the ghast the same.
Witch attributes
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Experience | 5 |
| Health | 26 points |
| Follow range | 16 blocks |
| Movement speed | 0.25 |
The Witch does not stand alone on these numbers: the evoker at 24 health, the nearest we list to its 26.
Witch: 0.78% of its category, rank 35 of 47
On 53 of the 66 biome lists (53 spawn entries in total), and 0.78% of every spawn the jar puts in its monster group is a witch.
A witch averages 6 Redstone Dust a kill in its Java 26.2 loot table, before Looting, which puts a full stack of 64 Redstone Dust at 11 kills. Next down is Glass Bottle at 2 a kill, which is 32 witch kills to 64. 5 further rows sit under those, down to 2 Sugar per witch and 32 kills a stack.
| Item | Average per kill |
|---|---|
| Redstone Dust | 6 |
| Glowstone Dust | 2 |
| Sugar | 2 |
| Spider Eye | 2 |
| Glass Bottle | 2 |
| Gunpowder | 2 |
| Stick | 2 |
How this average is worked out
| Weapon | Attack damage | Full swings | Swings per 64 Redstone Dust |
|---|---|---|---|
| golden sword, wooden sword | 4 | 7 | 77 |
| stone sword | 5 | 6 | 66 |
| iron sword | 6 | 5 | 55 |
| diamond sword, golden axe, wooden axe | 7 | 4 | 44 |
| netherite sword | 8 | 4 | 44 |
| diamond axe, iron axe, stone axe | 9 | 3 | 33 |
| netherite axe | 10 | 3 | 33 |
Behavior & Combat
Behaviourally, attacks by throwing harmful splash potions (Poison, Slowness, Weakness, Harming). Drinks defensive potions (Healing, Fire Resistance, Water Breathing, Speed).
It has no melee attack of its own, which is why its damage figure reads zero: it attacks by throwing harmful splash potions (Poison, Slowness, Weakness, Harming). Killing one still means working through 26 health (13 hearts).
To deal with one efficiently, exploit its weaknesses: it is vulnerable to Instant Damage potions and Melee while drinking.
The practical takeaway is to respect its strengths, exploit the weaknesses listed above, and you will rarely lose a fight you choose to take.
Witch: common questions
How much health does a Witch have?
A Witch has 26 health points, which is 13 hearts on its health bar.
What does a Witch drop?
When killed, a Witch drops 0 to 2 Glowstone Dust, 0 to 2 Sugar, 0 to 2 Spider Eyes, 0 to 2 Glass Bottles, 0 to 2 Gunpowder, 0 to 2 Sticks, and 4 to 8 Redstone Dust every time, along with 5 experience.
Where do Witches spawn in Minecraft?
Witches spawn in all Overworld biomes and Witch Huts (Swamp). Spawns at light level 0 or in Swamp Huts. Villagers struck by lightning become witches.
How do you defeat a Witch?
To defeat a Witch, target its weaknesses, it is vulnerable to Instant Damage potions and Melee while drinking, while dealing with its 26 health (13 hearts).
How much damage does a Witch deal?
The Witch has no melee attack, so its contact damage is zero. It attacks by throwing harmful splash potions (Poison, Slowness, Weakness, Harming).
How much XP does a Witch drop?
A Witch drops 5 experience points when killed.