Lightning Rod

Lightning Rod

• Unpowered
• Powered

Java Edition

Bedrock Edition

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Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	6
Hardness	3
Luminous	No
Transparent	Yes
Waterloggable	Yes
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No
Map color (Java)	15 COLOR_ORANGE

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            "field": "Yes",
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            "field": "No",
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A lightning rod is a block used to divert lightning strikes.

Obtaining

Breaking

A lightning rod must be mined with a stone pickaxe or better, or else it drops nothing.

Block	Lightning Rod
Hardness	3
Tool
Breaking time (sec)
Default	15
Wooden	7.5
Stone	1.15
Iron	0.75
Diamond	0.6
Netherite	0.5
Golden	1.25
Options
Efficiency	0
Haste	0 JEBE

Legend

• incorrect tool, drops nothing
• correct tool, drops nothing or something other than the block itself
• correct tool, drops the block itself
• italicized can be instant mined

Crafting

Ingredients	[hide]Crafting recipe
Copper Ingot

Usage

Lightning rods can be oriented in different directions. Lightning rods that are the highest block in the column redirect lightning strikes within a spherical volume having a radius of 128 blocks in Java Edition and 64 blocks in Bedrock Edition. The block emits particles during thunderstorms as an indicator. If multiple lightning rods are in range, the closest to the original location of the strike is chosen.

A lightning rod can be struck by lightning when hit by a trident enchanted with Channeling during thunderstorms. In Bedrock Edition, this can happen even if there are solid blocks above the lightning rod blocking rainfall, as long as all the blocks are fully transparent (do not block sky light).

Lightning rods do not divert lightning created by a Channeling trident thrown at an entity, or lightning summoned by commands.

Unlike in real life, a lightning rod doesn't require a direct connection to ground in order to work.

Lightning strikes on lightning rods cannot summon skeleton trap horses.

A lightning rod emits a redstone pulse, and strongly powers the block it's attached to, at level 15 for 8 game ticks (0.4 seconds) when struck by lightning.

Lightning diverted by a lightning rod can still start fires nearby (quickly extinguished on non-flammable blocks or by rain) and inflicts lightning damage on mobs within a 6×12×6 box centered 4 blocks above the bottom center of the lightning rod block (that is, extending 2 below and 9 above). Adjacent blocks can ignite even if the lightning rod is mounted on a non-flammable block.

Lightning rod fire seems to be within a 3×3×3 cube centered on the block above the lightning rod.

Sounds

Generic

Java Edition:

[hide] v t e copper sound type
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	​Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	block.copper.break	subtitles.block.generic.break​	1.0	0.8	16
	​Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.copper.place	subtitles.block.generic.place​	1.0	0.8	16
	​Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	block.copper.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit​	0.25	0.5	16
	​Something falls on a block	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.copper.fall	subtitles.block.generic.fall​	0.5	0.75	16
	​Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	block.copper.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps​	0.15	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

[hide] v t e copper sound type
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Once the block has broken	dig.copper	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	When the block is placed	dig.copper	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	hit.copper	0.3	0.5
	Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	fall.copper	0.4	1.0
	Players	Walking on the block	step.copper	0.3	1.0
	Players	Jumping from the block	step.copper	0.12	1.0
	Players	Falling on the block without fall damage	step.copper	0.22	1.0

Unique

Java Edition

[hide]Sounds
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	​Trident thunder cracks	Weather	When a trident with Channeling strikes a lightning rod	item.trident.thunder	subtitles.item.trident.thunder​	5.0	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition: None

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	[hide]Translation key
Lightning Rod	lightning_rod	Block & Item	block.minecraft.lightning_rod

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID	[hide]Translation key
Lightning Rod	lightning_rod	567	Block & Giveable Item	Identical	tile.lightning_rod.name

Block states

Java Edition:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	[hide]Description
facing	up	up down north south east west	The direction that the lightning rod is facing, determined by its anchoring.
powered	false	false true	Whether or not the lightning rod is powered.
waterlogged	false	false true	Whether or not there's water in the same place as this lightning rod.

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Metadata Bits	Default value	Allowed values	Values for Metadata Bits	[hide]Description
facing_direction	Not Supported	0	0 1 2 3 4 5	Unsupported	The direction the lightning rod faces. 0: Down 1: Up 2: North 3: South 4: West 5: East

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
	Surge Protector	Protect a Villager from an undesired shock without starting a fire	Be within 30 blocks of a lightning strike that doesn't set any blocks on fire, while an unharmed villager is within or up to six blocks above a 30×30×30 volume centered on the lightning strike.

History

October 3, 2020							Lightning rods are revealed at Minecraft Live 2020.
							Inventory model was different.
October 20, 2020							LadyAgnes shows a lightning rod can be placed in different positions, and can emit a redstone signal.
[hide]Java Edition
1.17			20w45a				Added lightning rods.
			20w46a				The texture of lightning rods has been changed to match copper blocks.
							The range of lightning rods has been increased from 16 blocks to 32 blocks.
			21w05a				Lightning rods are now shaded properly.
			21w10a				Changelog states they can now be waterlogged, though this is not the case.
			21w11a				When lightning strikes, the lightning rod turns white due to its new blockstate, powered.
							Lightning rods can now be waterlogged.
							Lightning emits particles during thunderstorms as an indicator.
			21w13a				The model of the lightning rod has been changed that the underside texture is corrected.
[hide]Bedrock Edition
1.16.210 Experiment Caves and Cliffs			beta 1.16.210.57				Added lightning rods under the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay toggle.
							It also has a broken texture in the inventory.
1.16.220 Experiment Caves and Cliffs			beta 1.16.220.52				Lightning rods can now be waterlogged.
							Now emits particles when in contact with rain.
1.17.0 Experiment Caves and Cliffs			beta 1.17.0.50				Blocks connected to a lightning rod now correctly conduct redstone signal when the rod is hit by lightning.
1.17.0			beta 1.17.0.52				Lightning rods are no longer available only through experimental gameplay.
1.20.30			Preview 1.20.20.21				Increased the blast resistance of lightning rods from 3.6 to 6.

Issues

Issues relating to "Lightning Rod" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Java Edition

• MC-267601 – When a lightning bolt strikes a lightning rod while being pushed by a piston, it creates an error in the log file
• MC-295986 – Lightning rods moved by pistons while being struck by lightning stop redirecting lightning
• MC-226537 – Surge Protector can be obtained without the use of a lightning rod
• MC-215168 – Lightning does not strike rotated lightning rods at the correct position
• MC-220232 – Lightning that strikes a lightning rod facing into weathering copper does not de-oxidize it
• MC-227177 – Endermen can teleport onto lightning rods
• MC-234089 – Lightning rods are rendered too dark when blocks are placed adjacent to them while smooth lighting is enabled
• MC-262480 – Mobs jump when they get near chains, end rods, bamboos, lightning rods or pointed dripstone
• MC-225175 – You can summon lightning in spawn protection, through the use of a trident and a lightning rod
• MC-262700 – Top and bottom faces of lightning rods are not culled by adjacent blocks
• And 3 other open issues.

Bedrock Edition

• MCPE-116094 – Lightning rod (in hand) has a different texture than Java
• MCPE-123568 – Bottom texture of the lightning rod is different from Java
• MCPE-126948 – Lightning Rod does not turn white when struck by lightning
• MCPE-129159 – Lightning rod appears darker when mined
• MCPE-129296 – Lightning rod doesn't have proper shading
• MCPE-129298 – Lightning rod has black lines around its texture borders
• MCPE-129915 – Throwing a trident enchanted with Channeling at a lightning rod during rain summons lightning
• MCPE-171336 – Buttons and Levers can no longer be placed on top of fences, walls, lightning rod, and iron bars
• MCPE-173931 – Tridents don't make channeling sounds when striking a lightning rod

Trivia

Lightning rod placed on a player's head using /item replace.

• According to Minecraft Live 2020, Ulraf had the idea of lightning rods when a lightning strike burned down his wooden house.
• In Minecraft Dungeons, there are lightning rod blocks as well. These generate on the roof of the Woodland Mansion Ancient Hunt to charge creepers.
• If /item replace is used to place a lightning rod on a player's head, the item appears upside-down and to the right of their head, somewhat resembling a robot's antenna.‌

Gallery

Renders

Java Edition

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Bedrock Edition

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Powered

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Screenshots

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  Range testing in Java 1.17.1. Glowstone marks where lightning struck.

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  Range testing in Bedrock 1.17.34, simulation distance 12. Sea lanterns mark lightning strikes.

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  Lightning hitting a lightning rod and sending a redstone signal.

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  A lightning-struck lightning rod decreasing the oxidizing level of nearby blocks of copper.

Mojang screenshots

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Development images

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