Zombies in Minecraft

Zombies are standard enemy mobs in Minecraft that spawn at night and in dark caves. They attack players and villagers, burn in daylight and appear in different variants such as baby zombies or zombie villagers.

Written on May 21, 2025

Properties

  • Life - 20 (10 hearts)

  • Attack - melee, deals 2-6 damage (depending on difficulty)

  • Behavior - Attacks players, villagers, iron golems and Wandering Traders

  • Burning in sunlight (unless in water or shadow)

Spawn conditions

  • Light level ≤ 7

  • In the overworld, especially at night or in caves

  • Group spawn possible (2-4 zombies at the same time)

Variants

Baby Zombie:

  • Smaller, faster, more dangerous

  • Can ride animals, villagers and even chickens

Zombie villager:

  • Created when a villager is killed by a zombie

  • Can be healed with caster + weakening potion + golden apple

Reinforced zombies (hard mode):

  • Can spawn in groups when a player fights a zombie

Zombies with equipment:

  • Can carry weapons, tools, armor or even shields

Drops

Standard drops:

  • Rotten meat (mostly)

  • Occasionally iron ingots, carrots, potatoes, equipment (rare)

  • Looting enchantment increases the drop chance and quantity

  • Experience points - 5 XP on death

Strategies & Tips

  • Keep zombies away with torches and light (light level > 7)

  • Use buildings with iron doors or block doors to prevent breakthroughs

  • Baby zombies are smaller than 1 block - build your protection accordingly tight

  • Use shield or raised stance to control zombie hordes

Trivia

  • Zombies are immune to poison and withering

  • Baby zombies can be faster than a sprinting player

  • In hard mode, zombies have a chance to break through wooden or iron doors

  • Zombies can be turned into Drowned if they stay underwater for a long time

Zombies

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Overview

Developer

Mojang

Studio

Mojang

Release

May 17, 2009

Genres

Adventure, Open-World, Survival, Sandbox

Platforms

Linux, Windows, Mac OS X

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