Wither Skeleton
Hostile · Nether
Wither Skeletons are tall, charred skeletal warriors that roam Nether Fortresses wielding stone swords. They are the primary reason players raid Nether Fortresses, as their skulls are required to summon the Wither boss. Their Wither status effect makes encounters particularly dangerous, as the black-heart drain can be difficult to monitor.
Health
20 HP (10 hearts)
Spawns in
Nether Fortresses only; requires a 2×3 space at light level 11 or lower; spawns in groups of 1–5
Behavior
Melee-focused attacker that deals 4–10 HP damage per hit depending on difficulty, and inflicts the Wither effect for 10 seconds on hit (slowly draining health and turning hearts black). Tall enough to fit through 2-block-high corridors. Avoids sunlight like a regular skeleton but does not burn.
Drops
0–2 Bones (increased by Looting, max 5), 0–1 Coal (33% chance), 0–1 Stone Sword (rarely, with random enchantment), Wither Skeleton Skull (2.5% base chance; +1% per Looting level, max 5.5%), 5 XP