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.
Witches in Minecraft: Potions, Drops and Huts
Witches are 26 HP hostile mobs that throw splash potions of Slowness, Poison, Weakness and Harming and drink potions of Healing, Fire Resistance, Water Breathing and Swiftness to survive. They live in swamp huts, join raids, and appear when lightning strikes near a villager.
Where do witches spawn?
- Swamp huts: each starts with a witch and a black cat that never despawn, and afterwards only witches spawn in the hut (on Java, in a 7x7x9 space around it).
- In the Overworld at light level 0, in every biome except mushroom fields and the deep dark (on Bedrock also not in rivers, frozen rivers or snowy plains).
- In raids, from wave 3 or 4 on Java (depending on difficulty) or wave 4 on Bedrock; see raids.
- A villager struck by lightning within 4 blocks turns into a witch for good; see lightning.
Which potions do witches throw?
| Potion | When |
|---|---|
| Slowness | You are 8-10 blocks away and not already slowed |
| Poison | You have at least 8 HP and are not poisoned |
| Weakness | 25% chance when you are within 3 blocks, at 8 HP or less or poisoned |
| Harming | Otherwise; it deals 6 HP of magic damage |
A witch chases you from 16 blocks on Java (10 on Bedrock). Its potions are first-level ones.
Why are witches hard to kill?
While drinking (1.6 seconds) a witch does not attack, but it heals itself: a 5% chance of Healing (4 HP) when it is not at full health, Fire Resistance when burning, Water Breathing when underwater and Swiftness when you are 11 or more blocks away. They also resist magic: poison, Harming, evoker fangs and Thorns do 85% less to them on Java and 95% less on Bedrock.
What do witches drop?
Redstone dust plus a random mix of glass bottles, glowstone dust, gunpowder, spider eyes, sugar and sticks, mostly brewing ingredients, which is why players build witch farms. A witch killed while drinking can also drop that potion (8.5% on Java, 25% on Bedrock). It gives 5 experience. See brewing potions and mob farms.
Does ArtemisPvP have its own brewing-style crafting?
Frequently asked questions
How much health does a witch have?
26 HP.
What happens when lightning hits a villager?
It turns into a witch permanently.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.