Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Minecraft /kill Command: Clear Mobs, Items and Lag
Type /kill @e[type=item] to delete every dropped item, or /kill @e[type=zombie] to remove all zombies. /kill on its own kills you. It removes entities straight away, with a normal death message and loot drops for mobs, and needs cheats or operator rights.
Which /kill commands are most useful?
| Command | Removes |
|---|---|
/kill | You (same as /kill @s) |
/kill @e[type=item] | All dropped items, a common lag fix |
/kill @e[type=!player] | Every entity except players (mobs, items, boats, armor stands, item frames) |
/kill @e[type=zombie] | All zombies |
/kill @e[type=creeper,distance=..10] | Creepers within 10 blocks (Java) |
/kill @e[type=creeper,r=10] | Creepers within 10 blocks (Bedrock) |
/kill @e[type=experience_orb] | Loose experience orbs |
The part in square brackets is a target selector filter; target selectors explains type=, distance=, r= and the rest.
What should you be careful of?
- @e alone kills everything, including your pets, villagers, item frames, paintings and minecarts.
- type=!player still wipes tamed animals and named mobs; add a tag or name filter to protect them.
- Mobs killed this way drop their loot, and big slimes or magma cubes split into smaller ones.
- On Java the ender dragon skips its death animation and the exit portal opens at once; see the ender dragon.
- On Bedrock, players in Creative mode cannot be killed with /kill.
Does /kill fix lag?
It can: thousands of dropped items or farm mobs slow a world down, and clearing them helps. The lasting fix is to stop the pile-up, for example with hoppers that collect drops or mob caps on farms. See mob spawning and chunks and ticks.
Why do players use /kill on themselves?
To get unstuck, to go back to their spawn point quickly, or to test a respawn setup. Without keep inventory you drop everything, so check keep inventory first.
Is there a way to get unstuck on ArtemisPvP?
Frequently asked questions
How do you kill all dropped items?
/kill @e[type=item]
How do you kill all mobs but not players?
/kill @e[type=!player], but it also removes pets, item frames and armor stands.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.