Updated 23 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 Bosses: How Many There Are and How Hard
Minecraft has two bosses: the ender dragon and the Wither. minecraft.wiki defines a boss as a powerful hostile mob that shows a boss bar with its health. The dragon has 200 HP but takes about 75% less damage anywhere except its head; the Wither has 300 HP on Java and up to 600 on Bedrock Hard.
How do the two bosses compare?
| Ender dragon | Wither | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Spawns in the End when you first arrive | Summoned by players anywhere |
| Health | 200 HP (about 800 effective unless you hit the head) | 300 HP on Java; 300/450/600 on Bedrock Easy/Normal/Hard |
| Main attacks | Charges, wing knockback, dragon's breath, fireballs | Explosive skulls that inflict Wither |
| Immune to | Critical hits and all status effects | Fire, lava, drowning, freezing and most effects |
| Guides | Beat the ender dragon | Summon and beat the Wither |
How dangerous is the ender dragon?
Its melee hit deals 6 damage on Easy, 10 on Normal and 15 on Hard, and its wings deal 3.5, 5 or 7.5 with heavy knockback. Dragon's breath leaves a lingering cloud that deals 3 damage a second on any difficulty. It spawns 1.1 seconds after you first enter the End, and the boss music plays while it is alive.
Why is the Wither harder for many players?
You choose when and where it spawns, but it gets much more health on Bedrock's higher difficulties and its skulls break blocks. As an undead mob it is hurt by Instant Health and healed by Instant Damage, and Smite deals extra damage to it. Three wither skeleton skulls are needed to summon it; see mob heads.
Are the warden and elder guardian bosses?
Not by minecraft.wiki's definition: only the ender dragon and the Wither count as bosses. The warden and elder guardian are tough mobs without a boss bar. See the ancient city.
Does ArtemisPvP have more bosses?
Frequently asked questions
How many bosses are in Minecraft?
Two: the ender dragon and the Wither.
Is the warden a boss?
No; minecraft.wiki counts only the ender dragon and the Wither as bosses.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.