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.
Wither Effect in Minecraft: Causes and Cures
The Wither effect deals damage over time and turns your hearts black, and unlike Poison it can kill. Wither I deals about 1 damage every 2 seconds, Wither II about 1 per second. Wither skeleton hits, the wither's skulls, wither roses and Bedrock's Potion of Decay all give it.
What gives Wither?
| Cause | Notes |
|---|---|
| Wither skeleton hit | Wither I |
| Wither boss skulls | Wither II on a direct hit, Normal and Hard only |
| Wither rose | Touching it |
| Potion of Decay (Bedrock) | Wither for 0:40 |
Every effect in the game: status effects.
What does Wither do?
Black hearts make your health hard to read. Only wither skeletons, the wither and the ender dragon are immune, which is why wither skeletons and the wither do not hurt each other this way. See wither skeletons.
How do you remove or counter it?
Drink milk to remove it, and eat golden apples for Regeneration and Absorption during a wither fight. Most effects show an icon in your inventory and at the top right of the screen, with the time left; the /effect command can give or clear any of them.
More about Wither
Wither roses appear where a mob is killed by the wither, and they hurt mobs that walk into them. Milk is the quickest cure, which is why players carry several buckets to a wither fight. Animals and other living mobs also take Wither damage if they are hit.
Status effects come from potions, food, beacons, conduits, mobs and blocks. Each has a level and a timer, and most can be cleared by drinking milk; beacon and conduit effects keep refreshing while you stay in range, so they never run out there.
Tips
Wither roses also hurt mobs that walk into them, a trick for mob farms. Related: the wither.
Frequently asked questions
Can the Wither effect kill you?
Yes, unlike Poison.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.