The Stronghold is underground and marked by Eyes of Ender

The Stronghold is a structure buried deep underground in Minecraft that contains the End Portal — the gateway to the final boss fight. You cannot find it by wandering; instead, you craft Eyes of Ender and throw them into the air. Each eye floats toward the nearest Stronghold, then disappears when it reaches it. You follow the direction it travels, craft another eye, and repeat until you reach the structure itself.

This is the only reliable way to locate a Stronghold. The structure is too far underground and too random in placement to find by digging or exploring alone. Every world has multiple Strongholds, but they spawn in a ring pattern around the world's center, so they are not scattered everywhere.

Key Takeaways

  • Eyes of Ender are crafted from Blaze Powder and Ender Pearls, both dropped by mobs you can find or farm.
  • Throw an Eye of Ender and follow it; it floats toward the Stronghold and disappears when it arrives.
  • You will need multiple eyes because some break when they land, and you must throw new ones to keep tracking.
  • Once you reach the Stronghold, dig down carefully to avoid falling into lava or suffocating in blocks.
  • The End Portal frame sits in the center of the Stronghold; place Eyes of Ender in the frames to open it.

Gather Blaze Powder and Ender Pearls

To craft an Eye of Ender, you need Blaze Powder and an Ender Pearl. Blaze Powder comes from Blazes, which spawn in Nether Fortresses. Travel to the Nether through a Nether Portal (made of obsidian), find a fortress, and kill Blazes until you have at least 10 Blaze Powder. Each Blaze drops one Blaze Rod, which you smelt in a furnace to get Blaze Powder.

Ender Pearls drop from Endermen, which spawn in the Overworld at night or in dark areas. Kill Endermen until you have 10 to 15 Ender Pearls. If you are playing on a server or in a world where Endermen are hard to find, you can also find Ender Pearls in End Cities after you defeat the Ender Dragon, but that requires reaching the End first — which is what you are trying to do.

Collect more than the minimum. Eyes of Ender sometimes break when they land, so you will need to craft replacements and throw them again. Having 15 to 20 eyes gives you a safety margin.

Craft Eyes of Ender at a Crafting Table

Open your Crafting Table and place one Blaze Powder and one Ender Pearl in the grid. The recipe does not require a specific pattern — any arrangement of the two items in the 3x3 grid will produce one Eye of Ender. Craft as many as you have materials for.

Store the Eyes of Ender in your inventory. You will throw them one at a time, so keep them in a slot where you can quickly select them.

Throw Eyes of Ender and follow their path

Stand in an open area and select an Eye of Ender from your inventory. Right-click (or use your throw button) to throw it into the air. The eye will float forward in a specific direction, moving toward the nearest Stronghold. Watch which way it goes and note the direction.

The eye will travel for several seconds, then either disappear into the ground or break and drop as an item. If it breaks, pick it up and throw another one. If it disappears, it has reached the Stronghold — that is your target location.

Walk in the direction the eye traveled. Throw another eye after you have moved 50 to 100 blocks. Repeat this process, always following the direction the eyes point. You will gradually move closer to the Stronghold. The eyes will start pointing downward when you are directly above it.

Dig down to reach the Stronghold structure

When the Eyes of Ender start pointing straight down, you are above the Stronghold. Do not dig straight down — you risk falling into lava or a deep pit. Instead, dig a staircase downward at a 45-degree angle, or dig a 2x2 shaft and place blocks as you descend so you can climb back up.

As you dig deeper, you will eventually hit stone bricks and dark oak wood — the materials that make up the Stronghold. Stop digging and explore carefully. Strongholds contain corridors, libraries, and the End Portal room. Watch for lava pools and fall hazards.

If you hit lava before reaching the Stronghold, place blocks to bridge across or dig around it. Bring a water bucket to extinguish lava or to break your fall if you slip.

Locate the End Portal frame and place Eyes of Ender

The End Portal sits in a dedicated room at the center of the Stronghold. The portal frame consists of 12 blocks arranged in a square pattern. Each block has a small indentation on top — these are the Eye of Ender slots.

You need 12 Eyes of Ender to fill all 12 slots and activate the portal. If you do not have enough eyes, you can leave and craft more, then return to the Stronghold. Right-click each empty slot with an Eye of Ender to place it. Once all 12 are placed, the portal activates and opens a purple gateway to the End.

Do not jump into the portal until you are ready. Bring armor, weapons, food, and blocks for building. The Ender Dragon waits on the other side.

What to bring when searching for the Stronghold

Pack a pickaxe (stone or better), a shovel, a sword, and at least one stack of blocks for building or bridging. Bring food to restore health and a water bucket to handle lava. A shield is useful for blocking attacks from mobs you encounter underground.

Wear armor if you have it. Bring a bed — it is useful for setting a spawn point if you die, and some players use beds as weapons against the Ender Dragon. A compass or map helps you navigate back to the surface if you get lost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find a Stronghold without Eyes of Ender?

No. Strongholds are buried too deep and spawn too randomly to locate by digging or exploring. Eyes of Ender are the only tool that points directly to them. Some players use third-party tools or mods to see Stronghold locations, but in vanilla Minecraft, Eyes of Ender are required.

What happens if I run out of Eyes of Ender before reaching the Stronghold?

Leave the Stronghold, return to the surface, and gather more Blaze Powder and Ender Pearls. Craft new Eyes of Ender and return to where you left off. Throw the eyes again to continue tracking. You can mark your location with torches or blocks so you do not lose your way.

Do Eyes of Ender always point to the same Stronghold?

Yes. All Eyes of Ender in a world point to the nearest Stronghold from your current location. Once you reach that Stronghold and open the End Portal, the eyes will point to the next nearest one if you throw them again — but most players only need one Stronghold.

Can I see the Stronghold on the map before I reach it?

No. Strongholds do not appear on maps or in the world until you are very close to them. The Eyes of Ender are your only guide from a distance.

What if I fall into lava while digging toward the Stronghold?

Use your water bucket to extinguish the lava or to create a path across it. If you take damage, eat food to restore health. If you die, you will respawn at your spawn point, but your items will drop where you died — return to that location to collect them before they disappear.