Preparation: Gear Checklist
Essential gear: Full diamond/netherite armor (Protection IV all pieces). Diamond/netherite sword (Sharpness V+Looting III). Bow+arrows (Power V, 2+ stacks). Golden apples (10+). Totem of Undying (offhand). Slow Falling potions (3x 8min). Ender pearls (16+ for pillar teleporting). Water bucket (anti-enderman). Night Vision potions (optional). 2+ stacks of building blocks.
Finding & Activating the End Portal
Craft 12+ Eyes of Ender (ender pearl+blaze powder). Throw an eye to locate the nearest stronghold (~1000-2000 blocks from spawn). Find the portal room, place eyes on all 12 frames to activate. Gear up before jumping in!
Phase 1: Destroy the End Crystals
The dragon heals from end crystals on obsidian pillars. Destroy ALL crystals first! Use bow to shoot them from distance. For iron-bar-protected crystals: ender pearl to the top, mine bars with pickaxe (or shoot from below angle). Beware: crystals explode on destruction (~6 hearts damage).
Phase 2: Defeating the Ender Dragon
After all crystals are destroyed, the dragon lands on the central bedrock pillar. Attack the head with your sword — it's the most vulnerable spot. When it flies, switch to bow. Repeat 3-5 cycles. Watch for dragon's breath (purple particle clouds — persistent damage). Kill drops ~12000 XP (level 73) and the dragon egg.
Post-Battle Rewards & Next Steps
After defeating the dragon: 1) Dragon egg — break the block beneath it to collect (don't mine it directly!). 2) Exit portal — jump in to return to the overworld with the End Poem. 3) End gateway — throw an ender pearl into the new portal to reach outer End islands for end cities and Elytra. 4) Respawn the dragon — place end crystals on the 4 sides of the exit portal to re-summon.