The Ender Portal requires 12 Eyes of Ender placed in the correct frame blocks
An Ender Portal is a structure in Minecraft that opens a gateway to the End dimension, where the Ender Dragon lives. You cannot craft a portal — instead, you find the frame blocks already placed in Strongholds, which are underground structures buried deep beneath your world. Your job is to locate the Stronghold, find the portal room, and fill the empty frames with Eyes of Ender to activate it.
The portal itself consists of 12 End Portal Frame blocks arranged in a 3×3 square with the center four blocks missing. Each frame block has a small indent on top where you place an Eye of Ender. Once all 12 frames hold Eyes of Ender, the portal activates and opens a purple gateway.
Key Takeaways
- You must craft or find 12 Eyes of Ender before you can activate any portal, since each frame block requires one.
- Strongholds spawn underground in every Minecraft world and contain the only naturally-generated End Portal Frame blocks.
- Throwing Eyes of Ender makes them fly toward the nearest Stronghold, letting you track the direction and distance underground.
- Once you locate the Stronghold and find the portal room, place one Eye of Ender in each frame block to open the gateway.
- The portal opens only when all 12 frames are filled; placing fewer than 12 Eyes does nothing.
Crafting or finding 12 Eyes of Ender
An Eye of Ender is made from two materials: Ender Pearl and Blaze Powder. You craft them on a crafting table by placing the Ender Pearl in the center square and the Blaze Powder directly above it. This produces one Eye of Ender per craft, so you need to repeat the process 12 times to get enough for a full portal.
Ender Pearls drop from Endermen, which spawn in the Overworld at night or in dark caves. Kill Endermen and collect the pearls they leave behind. Blaze Powder comes from Blaze Rods, which drop from Blazes in the Nether. You must travel to the Nether through a Nether Portal, find a Nether Fortress, and defeat Blazes to collect their rods. Craft the rods into Blaze Powder on a crafting table (one rod makes two powder).
If you do not want to fight mobs, you can sometimes find Eyes of Ender in loot chests inside Strongholds themselves, though this is rare and unreliable. The crafting route is faster and more certain.
Using Eyes of Ender to locate a Stronghold
Once you have at least one Eye of Ender, hold it in your hand and right-click (or use your secondary action button) to throw it. The Eye flies upward and moves horizontally in the direction of the nearest Stronghold. Follow it on foot or by flying, and throw another Eye when the first one disappears from sight. Repeat this process until the Eyes start flying downward — this means you are directly above the Stronghold.
Eyes of Ender can break when they hit the ground, so you will lose some during the search. Bring more than 12 Eyes if you can, or be prepared to craft more if you run low. The Eyes move slowly, so this process takes time, but it is the only way to find a Stronghold without exploring randomly underground.
Mark your location on the surface before you start digging down, so you can find your way back. Strongholds are typically 50 to 200 blocks below the surface, depending on your world seed.
Digging down to the Stronghold safely
Once the Eyes fly downward, dig a staircase down at a 45-degree angle rather than straight down. This prevents you from falling into lava or suffocating if you dig into gravel or sand. Bring a pickaxe, torches, food, and a water bucket for safety. Place torches on one wall as you descend so you can find your way back up.
When you reach the Stronghold, you will see stone brick blocks instead of regular stone. Stop digging and explore carefully — Strongholds contain Silverfish spawners and other hazards. Use your torches to light the area and watch for mobs. The portal room is usually in the center of the Stronghold structure, but you may need to explore multiple corridors to find it.
Finding the portal room inside the Stronghold
The portal room is a large chamber with a 3×3 frame of End Portal Frame blocks in the center, usually raised on a platform. The frame blocks are dark and have a distinctive appearance — they look like small stone blocks with indents on top. The center four blocks of the 3×3 grid are empty space, and the surrounding 12 blocks are where you place your Eyes of Ender.
Some of the frame blocks may already have Eyes of Ender in them, depending on your world. Count how many are empty and prepare that many Eyes before you approach. If the room has hostile mobs, clear them out first so you can work safely.
Placing Eyes of Ender to activate the portal
Stand in front of an empty End Portal Frame block and right-click (or use your secondary action button) while holding an Eye of Ender. The Eye sinks into the frame block and stays there. Repeat this for each empty frame block until all 12 frames hold an Eye. The order does not matter — you can fill them in any sequence.
As soon as the 12th Eye is placed, the portal activates. A purple gateway appears in the center of the frame, and you hear a distinctive sound. You can now jump into the portal to enter the End dimension. The portal stays open as long as you do not destroy the frame blocks, so you can return to the Overworld and come back later if you need to prepare.
What happens when you enter the End
Jumping into an active Ender Portal takes you to the End dimension, a dark realm where the Ender Dragon flies. You spawn on a small island surrounded by void (empty space that kills you if you fall). The Ender Dragon is the final boss of Minecraft's main storyline, and defeating it closes the portal and shows the end credits.
Bring weapons, armor, food, and blocks for building. The fight is difficult, and you will need strategy to win. If you die, you drop your items and respawn in the Overworld, but you can return to the End through the same portal to retrieve them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build my own End Portal Frame blocks?
No. End Portal Frame blocks cannot be crafted or placed by players in Survival mode. They exist only in Strongholds as naturally-generated structures. You must find a Stronghold to access a portal.
What if I throw an Eye of Ender and it breaks?
Eyes of Ender break randomly when they hit the ground, so you lose them. This is why you should craft extra Eyes beyond the 12 you need for the portal. Bring 15 to 20 Eyes if you can so you have spares for the search.
Can multiple players use the same portal?
Yes. Once one player activates the portal, any player can jump through it. The portal stays open until someone destroys the frame blocks, so you can use it repeatedly.
Do I have to fight the Ender Dragon?
No. You can enter the End, explore, and return through the portal without fighting. However, the dragon will attack you if you get close, and defeating it is the intended goal of the game.
What if I cannot find a Stronghold?
Keep throwing Eyes of Ender and following them. Strongholds always exist in every world, but they can be far away. If you are on a multiplayer server, ask other players if they have already found one and can share the coordinates.