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 /summon Command: Spawn Any Mob
Type /summon zombie to spawn a zombie where you stand, or /summon lightning_bolt to call down lightning. /summon creates any entity (mobs, items, arrows, TNT) at a position you choose, and needs cheats or operator rights. Java can add NBT data such as a custom name; Bedrock can add a name and a spawn event.
How does /summon work?
| Edition | Syntax |
|---|---|
| Java | /summon <entity> [x y z] [nbt] |
| Bedrock | /summon <entity> [x y z] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag] |
Leave the position out to summon at your feet, or use ~ for relative spots: /summon creeper ~ ~ ~5 puts a creeper 5 blocks south of you. On Java, players and fishing bobbers cannot be summoned; on Bedrock only the entities listed in the auto-complete can be.
What are some fun /summon examples?
| Command | What appears |
|---|---|
/summon lightning_bolt | A lightning strike (turns pigs into zombified piglins, creepers into charged creepers) |
/summon tnt ~ ~ ~ | Lit TNT |
/summon wither | The Wither boss |
/summon villager ~ ~ ~ {CustomName:"Bob"} | A villager with a name (Java NBT) |
/summon zombie ~ ~ ~ {IsBaby:1b} | A baby zombie (Java NBT) |
/summon creeper ~ ~ ~ 0 0 minecraft:become_charged | A charged creeper (Bedrock spawn event) |
NBT is the data in curly brackets on Java; it can set health, names, equipment, effects and more.
Can you summon the ender dragon?
Yes: /summon ender_dragon works. The real fight, with end crystals and the exit portal, happens in the End; see the ender dragon and the Wither.
Why does my summoned mob vanish?
- Hostile mobs despawn in Peaceful difficulty right away.
- A normal hostile mob far from every player can despawn like a naturally spawned one; giving it a name tag keeps it. See name tags.
- On Bedrock some mobs need a spawn event (like minecraft:entity_born for a baby) to get special forms.
Does ArtemisPvP have summoned bosses?
Frequently asked questions
How do you summon lightning in Minecraft?
Type /summon lightning_bolt with cheats on.
How do you summon a baby mob?
Java: /summon zombie ~ ~ ~ {IsBaby:1b}. Bedrock: /summon zombie ~ ~ ~ 0 0 minecraft:entity_born.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.