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.
Nether Star in Minecraft: How to Get It and Uses
A Nether star drops from the wither when you defeat it, and is used to craft a beacon. It cannot be destroyed by explosions, which helps when the wither blows up the arena around it.
How do you get a nether star?
Defeat the wither, which you build from 4 soul sand or soul soil and 3 wither skeleton skulls.
What is it used for?
- Crafting beacons
- Wither farm product
- Beacon power for mining and combat
- Trophy item
More about it
On Java, a star dropped by the wither despawns after 10 minutes; on Bedrock dropped stars never despawn. It has an enchanted-style glint. A beacon needs a Nether star, 5 glass and 3 obsidian, and a pyramid of iron, gold, emerald, diamond or netherite blocks under it to work.
Tip
Fight the wither underground or in a closed arena, so the star falls nearby.
Items and recipes
Most items stack to 64 in one inventory slot; tools, armor, potions and a few others do not stack at all. The recipe book in your crafting screen shows every recipe you have unlocked, and picking up a new item unlocks the recipes that use it. In Creative mode every item is in the creative inventory, and with cheats on the /give command hands you any item by its ID. Items you drop disappear after 5 minutes on the ground, so pick up rare drops quickly. See crafting and the wither.
Does ArtemisPvP have custom items?
Frequently asked questions
What is a Nether star used for?
Crafting a beacon.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.