Withers are the scariest and most destructive mobs in Minecraft. That’s not an exaggeration, mind you. The boss not only spawns with 600 health points (300 ♥) in Bedrock Edition and 600 health points (150 ♥) in Java Edition, but right away casts Birth Explosion. This spell of cataclysmic proportions wipes everything in the vicinity and deals between 50.5 (25¼ ♥) and 148.5 (74¼ ♥) damage, depending on the difficulty and distance. Furthermore, the mob is extremely aggressive, can fight up to 3 players or mobs simultaneously, and is incredibly powerful and nearly invincible. But what do Withers eat in Minecraft?
Withers ate this food in Minecraft one year
During Minecraft Java Edition 2.0 and Minecraft 15w14a, as part of a joke that Mojang came up for April’s Fools event in Minecraft, players could feed Sugar to Friendly Wither or Pink Wither. These are synonymous names for a passive version of Wither. Upon targeting the mob with Sugar in their hand, Pink Wither would follow the player, affecting the environment positively. Instead of destruction, as is its intended purpose, the mob fertilized the ground it went over akin to using Bone Meal, changing Dirt into Tall Grass or Flowers. It also healed mobs who got close to it.
These were key differences between the 2 versions:
15w14a
Pink Wither supplanted Wither, which means it spawned instead of the regular one. It also had 3 heads from the get-go and used Birth Explosion and a shield on 50% health — just like the regular one. Although its pink skulls (instead of black) healed mobs more often, they also occasionally damaged them. Moreover, Friendly Wither did not drop a Nether Star when it died in this version. Finally, feeding didn’t serve a practical purpose apart from the joy of doing so.
2.0
Friendly Wither was a separate mob summoned by placing Pink Wool then Potted Rose (or Flower Pot) on top of it. The mob had one head when it spawned. However, as players feed it Sugar, not only did Friendly Wither accompany them but also grew 2 more heads, reaching a maximum of 3. Despite being hostile when provoked, the mob was passive and strictly restored health to nearby mobs. The range of healing increased with the amount of Sugar these types of Withers eat in Minecraft. The boss also dropped a Nether Star upon death.
Important to note
Friendly Wither or Pink Wither was part of a one-time April event Mojang Studio hosted and never made an official reappearance. However, some player-hosted servers that permit the use of Minecraft mods keep up the tradition on April 1 with custom creations that imitate the original. If you’re nostalgic for the real deal, you may also find a snapshot of the versions mentioned above. To do so, browse any of the unofficial Minecraft game version archives.
Withers “consume” these items and mobs
Although this may be a stretch, seeing a hostile Wither in action is enough to change your mind. To clarify, a hostile Wither you can encounter in the latest game version (at the time of writing) instantly breaks nearly any block in the game it touches. It’s also remarkably destructive toward all players (except in Peaceful mode) and mobs, save Undead and Ghasts. Perhaps more worryingly, it dashes toward them, vaporizing any block in its path. On a successful kill, this hostile boss either plants a Wither Rose where the player/mob died, or, if there’s no Dirt underneath, drops a Wither Rose as an item.
Minecraft mods and add-ons with Withers have them eat this
We mentioned servers that use Minecraft mods to recreate the experience from years ago. Well, you don’t have to depend on others for mercy. Minecraft modpacks you can install in single-player mode bring back a custom version of the mob you can give food to. Keep in mind, we’re not affiliated nor can we vouch for them, we’re merely providing two of several examples. Thus, we propose caution — only download them from a reputable repository. With that said, two prominent mods/add-ons can provide the desired feeding experience:
- Friendly Withers for Minecraft Pocket Edition. The custom Friendly Wither eats Bone Meal in Minecraft.
- Mo’ Withers Mod 1.8 for Microsoft Java Edition. There are 3 friendly Withers you can give these items to befriend:
- The Wither Girl — give her a Blaze Rod with a right-click.
- Friendly Wither — offer it Nether Star by right-clicking (repeat this every time you log in).
- Pink Wither — offer her any food or only right-click on her to “give her love”.