Zombies are a constant menace in Minecraft no matter what version you’re on — these undead enemies spawn in the darkness and they’re ready to pass on their curse to any unsuspecting Villagers they find. Depending on your difficulty, there’s a good chance any Villager defeated by a Zombie will become a rare Zombie Villager. And here we’re going to talk about these guys. Whether you want to cure them or create more (and make sure they don’t despawn) — let’s talk about the basics of good Zombie Villager care.
Need to know more about our favorite buildings / survival game? Check out 28 weird tips and tricks for Minecraft.
More Minecraft Guides:
How To Craft Netherite | All The Horse Info You’ll Ever Need | How to Use Realms | Local & Xbox Live Multi Guide | How to Ride (And Control!) Pigs
Where Do Zombie Villagers Come From?
Zombie Villagers will sometimes spawn when a regular Villager NPC is killed by a Zombie. Depending on the difficulty, this will happen sometimes or all the time. In Minecraft: Java Edition, Zombie Villagers retain their job with a green and tattered version of their previous appearance. Zombie Villagers can pick up weapons and armor left on the ground, too!
- Zombie Villagers | Spawn Rate When Killed By A Zombie
- Easy: 0%
- Normal: 50%
- Hard: 100%
Otherwise, Zombie Villagers behave exactly like regular Zombies. The only difference is that Zombie Villagers do not become Submerged after drowning in water.
Zombie Villagers will always spawn in an Igloo Basement, or in a Zombie Village biome.
How Do I Cure Zombie Villagers?
Curing Zombie Villagers is possible with the right ingredients. You’ll need a Golden Apple and a Splashing Potion of Weakness.
- How To Craft Zombie Curing Ingredients:
- Golden Apple
- Splashing Potion of Weakness
- Anything that causes Weakness will work: Creeper Explosion / Arrow of Weakness / Lingering Potion of Weakness will also work.
Golden Apples can also spawn (generally) in Underwater Ruin Altar Chests, Dungeon Chests, Woodland Mansion Chests, Igloo Chests, Mineshaft Minecart Chests, and in Stronghold Altars.
Splashing Potion of Weakness can sometimes be found in an Igloo Brewing Station.
- How To Cure Zombie Villagers | Step-by-Step
- Lure the Zombie Villager you want to cure inside a structure to keep them safe. Zombies die in the sunlight, so move them under a roof. Zombie Villagers you’ve traded with previously will never despawn.
- Use the Splashing Potion of Weakness on the Zombie Village to apply the Weakness effect. You can also use Tipped Arrows, Lingering Potions, a Witch attack or a Creeper’s explosion — obviously using a Creeper is dangerous, so not recommended.
- Select the Golden Apple and use it on the Zombie Village with Weakness applied. If done correctly, the red dots will appear around the Zombie Villager and it will begin to shake. After 5~ minutes or so, the Zombie Villager will be cured.
And that’s it! A cured Zombie Villager will provide heavy discounts to the player for any future trading. You’ll also earn the Zombie Doctor achievement / trophy for saving the patient.
How To Create Zombie Villagers
This is the easy part. Creating Zombie Villagers requires 1 Villager NPC, and 1 Zombie. Find a village filled with Villagers and wait at night for a Zombie to spawn. Lure the zombie inside a Villager’s house, and trap the two inside a house together. Easy! Well, not that easy.
Zombie Villagers will spawn 100% of the time when on Hard Difficulty after a Zombie kills a Villager. On Normal, it’s only 50% of the time. Keep that in mind!
Zombie Villagers will also always spawn in Igloo Basements or in (extremely rare) Zombie Villages. They’re rare, but it is possible to find them in the world! Even if it took some players 5~ years to discover their first Zombie Village.
