End cities in Minecraft

The End City in Minecraft. Source: Twitter

End cities and end ships are two of the most valuable structures in Minecraft that can be found on the outer islands of the End dimension. These castle-like structures are inhabited by shulkers and have loot that is among the most valuable in the game. In this article, we'll explore the generation, structure, loot, and history of end cities and end ships.

Generation

End cities naturally generate all over the End's outer islands. Players can access them by entering the end gateway portal, but they can also cross the gap between islands by building, using elytra, or throwing ender pearls. End cities usually generate in flat areas, in "midlands" or "highlands" biomes, which are found on larger islands. They can be found clustered together or thousands of blocks apart. Unlike other structures, end cities are generated in a noticeable grid.

They are located only in chunks numbered 0-8 ± a multiple of 20. For example, one possible "cell" for an end city to be generated in is x_chunks=0-8 and z_chunks=80-88, which is equivalent to the coordinates x=0-128 and z=1280-1408. There can never be an end city at, for example, z=961-1279 or z=1409-1599 because it is outside any "cell".

Structure

End cities consist of tall skyscraper-like towers constructed out of end stone bricks and purpur blocks. They may generate as a single tower by itself or as a sprawling complex of interconnected buildings and pathways branching from a main tower. End rods and ender chests are the only sources of light. Many shulkers spawn around the city and guard its various treasures. Decorative banners hang at the tops of some towers.

Several types of rooms can be found in an end city, including base floors, banner rooms, small rooms, large rooms, and loot rooms. There are two types of towers: small towers that are hollow and consist of a single purpur slab spiral staircase, and skyscrapers that consist of a treacherous double spiral staircase made of purpur slabs and end rods; many shulkers spawn here.

End ships are floating, boat-like structures found alongside end cities. They are relatively small but hold even more valuable treasures than the city itself. Each direction of every tower of the end city has a 50% chance of generating a bridge, and the bridge itself has a 12.5% chance to generate an end ship. The stern of the ship always faces toward the city, and the bow always faces away. It generates in front of a bridge with a gated arch at the end, from which one can throw an ender pearl to reach the ship or build a bridge.

Structure details

The end ship is made of end stone bricks and purpur blocks, just like the city's main towers. Their design resembles that of European square rig sailing ships, commonly seen during the golden age of exploration. Three shulkers spawn on the ship; one on the main deck, one behind the stern of the ship, and one in the treasure room.

The ship's main deck amounts to less than half of the walkable space on the ship. A ladder leads up the mast to an empty crow's nest, about 20 blocks high. There are no sails connected to the mast. A dragon head sits at the bow of the ship, making this the only way to obtain the dragon head in survival mode. There are two small staircases on the outside; one that leads up to the empty upper deck, and one that leads to the cabin below.

The aftercastle is the rear area of the ship and is a small elevated section behind the main deck. It can be accessed through a staircase on the main deck. The aftercastle contains a brewing stand sitting on a small table, with two Instant Health II potions. The brewing stand is the only one in the game that spawns naturally in a structure. This makes it a valuable item for players to obtain, as brewing stands are typically crafted using a blaze rod and cobblestone.

Another staircase leads below deck to the ship's "hotspot"; the treasure room. The aftercastle is also where players can find the ship's steering wheel, which is purely a decorative item and has no function. The aftercastle is typically decorated with purpur blocks and end rods, the main building materials used in the End City structures.

Here is a list of the different structures and their corresponding items needed:

End city/base_floor:

68 Purpur Block
54 End Stone Bricks
12 Magenta Stained Glass
12 Purpur Pillar
2 Purpur Stairs
2 Shulker

End city/base_roof:

100 Purpur Block
44 Purpur Stairs
4 End Rod
End city/bridge_end:
21 Purpur Block
4 Purpur Slab
3 Purpur Stairs
2 End Rod
1 Purpur Pillar

End city/bridge_gentle_stairs:

42 Purpur Block
22 Purpur Stairs
12 Purpur Slab
2 Purpur Pillar

End city/bridge_piece:

20 Purpur Block
10 Purpur Stairs
4 Purpur Pillar

End city/bridge_steep_stairs:

24 Purpur Stairs
15 Purpur Block
2 Purpur Pillar

End city/fat_tower_base:

84 Purpur Pillar
80 Purpur Block
4 End Rod
4 Purpur Stairs
3 Purpur Slab

End city/fat_tower_middle:

164 Purpur Pillar
62 Purpur Block
8 End Rod
8 Purpur Slab
8 Purpur Stairs
4 Shulker

End city/fat_tower_top:

352 Purpur Block
131 Purpur Stairs
106 End Stone Bricks
26 Magenta Stained Glass
18 Purpur Pillar
9 Purpur Slab
4 End Rod
2 Chest

End city/second_floor_1:

95 Purpur Block
84 End Stone Bricks
44 Purpur Stairs
16 Magenta Stained Glass
12 Purpur Pillar
7 Purpur Slab
4 End Rod

For end_city/second_floor_2:

82 End Stone Bricks
70 Purpur Block
54 Purpur Stairs
14 Magenta Stained Glass
12 Purpur Pillar
9 Purpur Slab
4 End Rod
1 Shulker

For end_city/second_roof:

144 Purpur Block
52 Purpur Stairs
4 End Rod

For end_city/ship:

557 Purpur Block
175 Purpur Stairs
97 Purpur Pillar
36 End Stone Bricks
26 Obsidian
14 Ladder
7 Magenta Stained Glass
7 Purpur Slab
6 End Rod
2 Chest
1 Brewing Stand with two Instant Health II Potions
1 Dragon Head
1 Item Frame with Elytra
3 Shulker

For end_city/third_floor:

140 Purpur Block
90 End Stone Bricks
64 Purpur Stairs
32 Magenta Stained Glass
18 Purpur Pillar
7 Purpur Slab
4 End Rod

For end_city/third_floor_1:

140 Purpur Block
90 End Stone Bricks
64 Purpur Stairs
32 Magenta Stained Glass
18 Purpur Pillar
7 Purpur Slab
4 End Rod

For end_city/third_floor_2:

132 Purpur Block
98 End Stone Bricks
56 Purpur Stairs
24 Magenta Stained Glass
12 Purpur Pillar
6 End Rod
1 Chest
1 Ender Chest
2 Shulker

For end_city/third_roof:

196 Purpur Block
60 Purpur Stairs
4 End Rod

For end_city/tower_base:

40 Purpur Block
39 Purpur Pillar
4 Purpur Slab
4 Purpur Stairs
3 Ladder

For end_city/tower_floor:

36 Purpur Pillar
28 Purpur Stairs
21 Purpur Block
3 Purpur Slab

For end_city/tower_piece:

36 Purpur Pillar
12 Purpur Block
4 Purpur Slab
4 Purpur Stairs

For end_city/tower_top:

66 Purpur Block
56 Purpur Stairs
26 End Stone Bricks
12 Purpur Pillar
8 Magenta Banner with Black Chevrons
6 Magenta Stained Glass
4 End Rod
2 Purpur Slab
1 Shulker

FAQs

Q. What is an End City in Minecraft?

A. An End City is a generated structure found in the End dimension of Minecraft. It contains various loot and can only be accessed by defeating the Ender Dragon.

Q. How do I get to an End City in Minecraft?

A. You can get to an End City by defeating the Ender Dragon and finding an End Gateway. The gateway will teleport you to an outer island where End Cities can be found.

Q. What kind of loot can I find in an End City?

A. End Cities contain a variety of loot, including enchanted diamond armor, weapons, and tools, as well as Elytra, a set of wings that allow the player to glide through the air.

Q. What are Shulkers in End Cities?

A. Shulkers are hostile mobs found in End Cities that shoot homing projectiles at players. They also drop Shulker Shells, which are used to craft Shulker Boxes, a type of storage container that can be carried in the player's inventory.

Q. How do I defeat the Shulkers in End Cities?

A. Shulkers can be defeated by attacking them with a sword or other melee weapons. It is also possible to deflect their projectiles with a shield. A bow can also be effective at long range.

Q. Can I build in an End City?

A. Yes, you can build in an End City, but keep in mind that the structure is generated with specific blocks and may not look as intended if you try to modify it. Also, be aware that Shulkers are hostile mobs and may attack if provoked.