Crafting Eyes of Ender

Eyes of Ender locate strongholds. Recipe: 1 ender pearl + 1 blaze powder. Ender pearls: dropped by endermen or traded from clerics. Blaze powder: blaze rods from blaze mobs in nether fortresses (1 rod = 2 powder). Prepare at least 20 eyes (both for locating and activation — each throw has ~20% chance to shatter).

Locating the Stronghold

Right-click to throw an eye: it flies ~30 blocks toward the nearest stronghold, then drops (sometimes shatters mid-air). Follow its direction, throwing periodically. When eyes stop flying forward and instead drop straight down or hover, the stronghold is directly below — dig down. Find the portal room inside (with silverfish spawner and lava pool).

Activating the Portal

The End portal is a ring of 12 End portal frames hovering over a lava pool, some pre-filled with eyes. Activate by placing eyes into empty frames (right-click). All 12 filled = portal opens (starfield texture appears). Once active it can't be closed — jumping in enters the End with no return (until you kill the dragon or die).

End portal: 12 frames, 12 eyes of ender End Portal: 12 Frames, Zero Corners Top-down view. Four corners stay empty — that is why it is 12, not 16. portal emptyemptyemptyempty 12 frames 3 per side × 4 sides 12 eyes of ender Insert one into every frame 4 corners: leave empty A frame in a corner breaks it Face inward — stand in the middle and walk around to place all 12. Stronghold portals are pre-loaded — check before spending eyes Each frame has a chance to spawn with an eye already in it. Look around the ring first; you may need far fewer than 12. Tip: never break a frame after activation — the portal block itself is indestructible in survival.
An end portal is not a 4x4 square: it is a 5x5 ring with all four corners left empty, giving exactly 12 end portal frame blocks around a 3x3 portal area. Every frame needs one eye of ender, and all frames must face inward — the reliable way to get the orientation right is to stand in the centre and walk around placing them. Stronghold portals often come with some eyes already installed, so count before you craft.
Warning: Prepare fully before activating — you cannot return to the Overworld once you enter!

Pre-End Checklist

Before entering, prepare: 1) Full enchanted diamond/netherite gear (Protection IV + Mending). 2) Bow + 2+ stacks of arrows (to destroy end crystals). 3) Ender pearls (teleport onto obsidian pillars). 4) 1-2 stacks of blocks (bridging, dodging). 5) Food (steak/golden carrots). 6) Feather Falling or slow-falling potions. 7) No beds (they explode in the Nether/End).

Related guides： Ender Dragon Boss Guide · Elytra Guide · Nether Survival Guide
✓ Last verified on Minecraft 1.22 (2026-09-22) Minecraft mechanics change with every update — this guide is only guaranteed to work in the stated version.