Magma Cube
A magma cube is a hostile mob found in the Nether. A magma cube behaves similarly to a slime, but is fireproof, jumps higher and less often, and deals more damage.
Health points |
Big: 16HP × 8 |
---|---|
Armor points |
Big: 12 ( |
Behavior |
Hostile |
Mob type | |
Attack strength |
Big: |
Hitbox size |
In Java Edition: |
Spawn |
{ "title": "Magma Cube", "rows": [ { "field": "'''Big:''' 16<span class=\"hidden-alt-text\">HP</span><span class=\"nowrap mc-hearts\"><span class=\"iconbar pixel-image nowrap\" style=\"--icon-offset:-1px;\" title=\"1 heart\">(link to File:Heart (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=♥)</span> × 8</span><br>'''Medium:''' 4<span class=\"hidden-alt-text\">HP</span><span class=\"nowrap mc-hearts\"><span class=\"iconbar pixel-image nowrap\" style=\"--icon-offset:-1px;\" title=\"2 hearts\">(link to File:Heart (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=♥)(link to File:Heart (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=♥)</span></span><br>'''Small:''' 1<span class=\"hidden-alt-text\">HP</span><span class=\"nowrap mc-hearts\"><span class=\"iconbar pixel-image nowrap\" style=\"--icon-offset:-1px;\" title=\"0.5 hearts\">(link to File:Half Heart (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=♥)</span></span>", "label": "(link to Health article, displayed as Health points)" }, { "field": "'''Big:''' 12 (<span class=\"iconbar pixel-image nowrap\" style=\"--icon-offset:-1px;\" title=\"1 armor point\">(link to File:Armor (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=🛡)</span> × 6)<br>'''Medium:''' 6 (<span class=\"iconbar pixel-image nowrap\" style=\"--icon-offset:-1px;\" title=\"3 armor points\">(link to File:Armor (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=🛡)(link to File:Armor (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=🛡)(link to File:Armor (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=🛡)</span>)<br>'''Small:''' 3 (<span class=\"iconbar pixel-image nowrap\" style=\"--icon-offset:-1px;\" title=\"1.5 armor points\">(link to File:Armor (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=🛡)(link to File:Half Armor (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=🛡)</span>)", "label": "(link to Armor article, displayed as Armor points)" }, { "field": "Hostile", "label": "Behavior" }, { "field": "(link to Monster article, displayed as Monster)", "label": "(link to Mob article, displayed as Mob) type" }, { "field": "(values exceeds 1000 characters...)", "label": "Attack<br/>strength" }, { "field": "'''In (link to Java Edition article, displayed as ''Java Edition''):'''<br>\n'''Big:'''<br>Height: 2.08 blocks<br>Width: 2.0808 blocks<br>\n'''Medium:'''<br>Height: 1.04 blocks<br>Width: 1.0404 blocks<br>\n'''Small:'''<br>Height: 0.52 blocks<br>Width: 0.5202 blocks<br>\n'''In (link to Bedrock Edition article, displayed as ''Bedrock Edition''):'''<br>\n'''Big:'''<br>Height: 2.08 blocks<br>Width: 2.08 blocks<br>\n'''Medium:'''<br>Height: 1.04 blocks<br>Width: 1.02 blocks<br>\n'''Small:'''<br>Height: 0.52 blocks<br>Width: 0.52 blocks<br>", "label": "(link to Hitbox article, displayed as Hitbox size)" }, { "field": "(values exceeds 1000 characters...)", "label": "(link to Mob spawning article, displayed as Spawn)" } ], "invimages": [ "Magma Cube Spawn Egg" ], "images": [ "Magma Cube.png" ] }
Spawning Edit
Magma cubes spawn in areas of the Nether at all light levels. The space they spawn in must be clear of solid obstructions and liquids. Due to being inherently fireproof, magma cubes can spawn on magma blocks.
Only sizes 1, 2 and 4 (NBT Size
tag values 0, 1 and 3 respectively) spawn naturally. With use of /summon
, magma cubes can potentially range from size 1 to 127 (NBT Size
tag 0–126).[verify for Bedrock Edition]

A magma cube needs roughly a 3×3×3 free space to spawn. The area in which they spawn must be clear of solid or liquid obstructions. When a magma cube attempts to spawn, the game checks for the space requirement of a large magma cube, and the size is determined later. Therefore, since large magma cubes are slightly taller than 2 blocks, no magma cubes, regardless of size, are able to spawn at all in 2-block-high areas. Also, since large magma cubes are slightly wider than 2 blocks, and mobs spawn at the center of a block, having any block within the 3×3×3 area, even as thin as a glass pane, can prevent a magma cube of any size from spawning.
Magma cubes' size is affected by regional difficulty: chances range from 33% for each size at the low difficulty to 16% small, 33% medium, and 50% big with higher difficulty.
Nether Wastes Edit
Magma cubes spawn uncommonly in Nether wastes in groups of 1 to 4.
Nether Fortresses Edit
Magma cubes spawn commonly in Nether fortresses in groups of 4.
Basalt Deltas Edit
Magma cubes spawn commonly in basalt deltas, in groups of 2 to 5. They are also notably most dangerous in this biome, thanks to their knockback capabilities and its many thin bridges between lava lakes.
Monster spawners Edit
Magma cube monster spawners generate in the treasure room of bastion remnants.
Drops Edit
On death Edit
Item | Roll Chance | Quantity (Roll Chance) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | |||
![]() | Magma Cream | 25%–57.14%[d 1] | 1 (25%) | 1–2 (40%) | 1–3 (50%) | 1–4 (57.14%) |
![]() | Pearlescent Froglight | 100%[d 2] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
![]() | Verdant Froglight | 100%[d 3] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
![]() | Ochre Froglight | 100%[d 4] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
- Large magma cube:4XP experience and 2-4 medium magma cubes
- Medium magma cube: 2XP experience and 2-4 small magma cubes
- Small magma cube: 1XP experience
Behavior Edit

A magma cube seeks out any player or an iron golem within a spherical distance of 16 blocks. If it finds no enemy, it changes direction every 40 to 100 ticks (2 to 5 seconds) and jumps forward every 40 to 120 ticks (2 to 6 seconds). If it finds a target, the delay before jumping is 1⁄3 as long (13 to 40 ticks), and the magma cube changes direction directly toward the target before jumping.
Magma cubes cannot be hurt by fall damage or burning, and are not slowed down by lava. They can swim upward in lava and leap above its surface.
Their jump height depends on their size (6 high for large). Their forward speed is twice that of most other mobs. They always make a distinct sound upon jumping up and landing, but no idle sounds.
When a magma cube is killed, it splits into 2-4 smaller magma cubes. Tiny magma cubes disappear when killed, like other mobs.
They can swim in water and attempt to stay on the surface. Like slimes, magma cubes starts taking drowning damage if submerged in water for 15 seconds, splitting into smaller cubes if possible.
Magma cubes take extra damage from powder snow, taking 5HP every two seconds, unlike 1HP for other mobs.
Unlike most mobs, magma cubes have no pathfinding ability, meaning that they do not avoid falling off cliffs and cannot go around walls, even when chasing a player. This behavior is shared by slimes.
When they are in lava, they hover and try to move to nearby land.
Combat Edit
Magma cubes attack by jumping and attempting to land on the player, and cause damage when touched anywhere. As their jump rate is random, magma cubes can be hard to fight.
The health of a magma cube is its size squared; the attack strength is its size + 2, and the armor points are its size tripled.
A magma cube jumps a distance of approximately its length times 1.5 and a height equivalent to its size in blocks. This means that a large magma cube jumps 4 blocks in height and moves significantly quicker than a small magma cube, which jumps 2 blocks in height; while a tiny magma cube moves slowly and jumps 1 block in height.
Magma cubes continuously damage all players and iron golems[JE only] they collide with (although damage immunity reduces the actual damage to 1 attack every half second), unlike other mobs that damage only those targets they specifically attack.[1] This means that a large magma cube deals 12HP of damage per second on normal difficulty. Unlike × 6slimes, tiny magma cubes can deal damage to the player.
Sounds Edit
Java Edition:
Magma cubes use the Hostile Creatures sound category for entity-dependent sound events.
[hide]Sounds | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sound | Subtitles | Source | Description | Resource location | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
Slime attacks [sound 1] | Hostile Creatures | When a magma cube attacks something | entity [sound 1] | subtitles [sound 1] | 1.0 | 0.8-1.2 | 16 | |
Magma Cube dies | Hostile Creatures | When a non-small magma cube dies | entity | subtitles | Large: 1.2 Medium: 0.4 | 0.64-0.96 | 16 | |
Magma Cube dies | Hostile Creatures | When a small magma cube dies | entity | subtitles | 0.0 | 1.12-1.68 | 16 | |
Magma Cube hurts | Hostile Creatures | When a non-small magma cube is damaged | entity | subtitles | Large: 1.2 Medium: 0.4 | 0.64-0.96 | 16 | |
Magma Cube hurts | Hostile Creatures | When a small magma cube is damaged | entity | subtitles | 0.0 | 1.12-1.68 | 16 | |
Magma Cube squishes | Hostile Creatures | When a magma cube jumps | entity | subtitles | Large: 1.2 Medium: 0.4 Small:0.0 | Non-small: 0.64-0.96 Small: 1.12-1.68 | 16 | |
Magma Cube squishes | Hostile Creatures | When a non-small magma cube lands | entity | subtitles | Large: 1.2 Medium: 0.4 | 1.0-1.5 | 16 | |
Magma Cube squishes | Hostile Creatures | When a small magma cube lands | entity | subtitles | 0.0 | 1.0-1.5 | 16 |
- ↑ Jump up to: a b c MC-98316 — Wrong subtitles caused by missing distinction
[hide]Sounds | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sound | Source | Description | Resource location | Volume | Pitch |
Hostile Creatures | When a magma cube dies | mob | 1.0 | 0.8-1.2 | |
Hostile Creatures | When a magma cube is damaged | mob | 1.0 | 0.8-1.2 | |
Hostile Creatures | When a non-small magma cube jumps or lands | mob | 1.0 | 0.64-0.96 | |
Hostile Creatures | When a small magma cube jumps or lands | mob | 1.0 | 0.64-0.96 | |
None | None | When a magma cube attacks something | mob | 1.0 | 0.8-1.2 |
Hostile Creatures | Unused sound event | mob | 1.0 | 1.0 |
Data values Edit
ID Edit
Name | Identifier | Entity tags | [hide]Translation key |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | magma_cube | fall_damage_immune freeze_hurts_extra_types frog_food non_controlling_rider | entity |
Name | Identifier | Numeric ID | [hide]Translation key |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | magma_cube | 42 | entity |
Entity data Edit
Magma cubes have entity data associated with them that contains various properties.
- [NBT Compound / JSON Object] Entity data
- Tags common to all entities see Template:Nbt inherit/entity/template
- Tags common to all mobs see Template:Nbt inherit/mob/template
- [Int] Size: The size of the magma cube. Note that this value is zero-based, so 0 is the smallest magma cube, 1 is the next larger, etc. The sizes that spawn naturally are 0, 1, and 3.
- [Byte] wasOnGround: 1 or 0 (true/false) - true if the magma cube is touching the ground.
Achievements Edit
[hide] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Icon | Achievement | In-game description | Actual requirements (if different) | Gamerscore earned | Trophy type (PS) | ||
PS4 | Other | ||||||
![]() | ![]() | It Spreads | Kill a mob next to a catalyst | — | 10 | Bronze | |
![]() | ![]() | Monster Hunter | Attack and destroy a monster. | Kill a hostile mob or one of the following neutral mobs: an enderman, a piglin, a zombified piglin, a spider, or a cave spider. | 15 | Bronze | |
![]() | ![]() | Overkill | Deal nine hearts of damage in a single hit. | Damage can be dealt to any mob, even those that do not have nine hearts of health overall. | 30 | Bronze | |
![]() | ![]() | Over-Overkill | Deal 50 hearts of damage in a single hit using the Mace | — | 20 | Silver | |
![]() | ![]() | With Our Powers Combined! | Have all 3 froglights in your inventory | Acquire at least one of each pearlescent, verdant, and ochre froglights in your inventory at the same time. | 30 | Gold |
Advancements Edit
History Edit
[hide]Java Edition | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.0.0 | Beta 1.9 Prerelease | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||
“It started out as a retexturing of the Slime for the Nether - it was just going to be a Lava Slime. But then when I named it that, I felt it was a bit lazy to retexture a mob. I wanted to make it more unique. I can’t really remember how I came up with the idea to have a layered block, but it’s one of my favourite mobs now. It really intrigues me. It doesn’t stand out in any particular way - I just really like it! You can use Magma Cream [an item Magma cubes drop] to brew Fire Resistance potions.” -Jeb[2] | |||||||
Beta 1.9 Prerelease 2 | Magma cubes have been made quite rare. Here are the current spawning rules for magma cubes. Big magma cubes require a 3×2½×3 space to spawn, small magma cubes require a 3×2×3 space, and tiny magma cubes require a 1×2×1 space (or 1×1×1 if the upper block is not opaque).[3] | ||||||
RC1 | Magma cubes have been given sounds. | ||||||
1.1 | release | Large and small magma cubes now drop magma cream. | |||||
1.3.1 | 12w18a | Magma cubes no longer show their animation in singleplayer, due to singleplayer being a local server. | |||||
12w23a | Magma cubes now show their animation in multiplayer. | ||||||
1.8 | 14w06b | Magma cubes can now swim as a result of the update to the new AI. | |||||
Magma cubes now randomly change direction every so often, reducing the chance of them getting stuck at walls or corners. | |||||||
Magma cubes now randomly despawn over time if no player is within a 32 meter range. | |||||||
The jumping mechanics of magma cubes have been changed. How far they jump now corresponds to the length of their size; they jump approximately 1.5 times their current length. For example, a tiny size 1 magma cube jumps slowly, while a large size 4 magma cube jumps farther. Also, when attacking, magma cubes turn their whole body to face the player. | |||||||
1.10 | 16w20a | Magma cubes now spawn almost twice as often in the general Nether (rate is now 2⁄153, was 1⁄151). | |||||
1.14 | 18w43a | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||
18w44a | ![]() | ||||||
19w08a | Hitbox side length for sizes 0, 1, 3 (small, medium, big) changed from 0.51, 1.02, 2.04 to 0.5202, 1.0404, 2.0808, respectively. | ||||||
19w12a | Magma cubes now hop on the surface of the lava instead of swim. | ||||||
1.14.3 | Pre-Release 4 | Magma cubes now hover over the surface of the lava. | |||||
1.16 | 20w06a | Small cubes now have moving sounds again.[4] | |||||
20w15a | Magma cubes now spawn in basalt deltas biome. | ||||||
20w16a | Magma cube spawners now generate in bastion remnants. | ||||||
? | Their spawning rules were changed. | ||||||
1.17 | 21w13a | Magma cubes now take extra damage when freezing. | |||||
Pre-release 1 | Magma cubes no longer interact with the player.[5] | ||||||
Pre-release 2 | Magma cubes now interact with the player again.[5] | ||||||
1.19 | 22w11a | Magma cubes now drop froglights when killed by a frog. | |||||
1.20 | 23w18a | Magma cubes are now affected by the Jump Boost effect.[6] | |||||
1.20.2 | 23w33a | The sounds of magma cubes are now controlled by the "Hostile Creatures" instead of the "Friendly Creatures" sound slider.[7] | |||||
1.20.5 | 24w03a | Hitbox side length for sizes 0, 1, 3 (small, medium, big) changed from 0.5202, 1.0404, 2.0808 to 0.52, 1.04, 2.08, respectively. | |||||
1.21.4 | 24w44a | The magma cube texture layout has been changed as the texture's UV mapping has been updated. | |||||
[hide]Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||||
v0.11.0 | build 1 | ![]() | |||||
Magma cubes are currently unobtainable in-game without hacking. | |||||||
build 8 | Magma cubes can now be spawned using spawn eggs. | ||||||
v0.12.1 | build 1 | Magma cubes now spawn naturally. | |||||
![]() ![]() | |||||||
v0.14.0 | build 1 | Magma cube cores now glow from ![]() ![]() | |||||
[hide]Bedrock Edition | |||||||
1.10.0 | beta 1.10.0.3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||
1.16.0 | beta 1.16.0.57 | Magma cubes now spawn in basalt deltas. | |||||
beta 1.16.0.59 | Magma cube spawners now generate in bastion remnants. | ||||||
1.17.0 | beta 1.16.230.54 | Magma Cubes now take extra damage when freezing. | |||||
1.17.30 | beta 1.17.30.20 | Medium magma cubes hitboxes now corrected and matches Slime.[8] | |||||
1.18.10 | beta 1.18.10.26 | Magma cubes now drop froglights when killed by a frog behind the "Wild Update" experimental toggle. | |||||
1.18.20 | Preview 1.18.20.28 | Small magma cubes now deal 3HP damage instead of 2HP on normal mode. | |||||
1.20.10 | Preview 1.20.10.20 | Magma cubes are now affected by the Jump Boost effect. | |||||
[hide]Upcoming Bedrock Edition | |||||||
1.21.80 | Preview 1.21.80.20 | A magma cube named with a name tag now produces smaller magma cubes with the same name when it dies. | |||||
[hide]Legacy Console Edition | |||||||
Xbox 360 | Xbox One | PS3 | PS4 | PS Vita | Wii U | Switch | |
TU7 | CU1 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | Patch 1 | 1.0.1 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Magma cubes no longer visibly catch fire when going into fire or lava. | ||
TU43 | CU33 | 1.36 | 1.36 | 1.36 | Patch 13 | Magma cubes now spawn almost twice as often in the general Nether (rate is now 2⁄153, was 1⁄151).[verify][is this the correct version?] | |
[hide]New Nintendo 3DS Edition | |||||||
0.1.0 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Data history Edit
[hide]Java Edition | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.11 | 16w32a | The entity ID has been changed from LavaSlime to magma_cube . | |||||
1.13 | 17w47a | Numeric IDs for entities were presumably deprecated in this version.[more information needed] | |||||
[hide]Pocket Edition | |||||||
1.1.0 | alpha 1.1.0.0 | The entity ID has been changed from lavaslime to magma_cube . |
Issues Edit
Issues relating to "Magma Cube" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.
Java Edition
- MC-169167 – Slimes, magma cubes, pufferfish, and ender dragons can consume the durability of shields within seconds
- MC-280342 – Slimes and magma cubes can spawn inside of entities and fluids
- MC-151513 – Magma Cubes dont swim properly
- MC-253479 – Magma Cubes can still jump on honey blocks
- MC-266584 – Slimes, magma cubes and pufferfish attack while the game is frozen
- MC-262617 – Slimes and magma cubes with passengers infinitely move in the same direction without ever adjusting their rotation
- MC-264589 – Slime and magma cube mounted rideables mobs need to be tamed, inconsistent with other mobs
- MC-135612 – Magma cube settling sound isn't consistent to their situation
- MC-165508 – Magma cubes still deals damage when their generic.attack_damage attribute is set to 0
- MC-206167 – Magma Cubes & Slimes can Z-Fight with Powder Snow
- And 14 other open issues.
Bedrock Edition
- MCPE-35787 – Magma Cubes can't swim in lava
- MCPE-166394 – Slime and Magma Cube can still attack player during death animation
- MCPE-14975 – Custom names on Slimes/Magma Cubes doesn't stay named when splitted
- MCPE-37789 – Magma Cubes and Slimes slide during death / knockback animation
- MCPE-95529 – Magma Cube and Skeletons spawn on Nether Wart Block in fortresses
- MCPE-114701 – Magma cubes and slimes jump when changing goals
- MCPE-138060 – Slime and magma cube particles are too high
- MCPE-153794 – Sculk catalyst does not spread when a frog eats a slime or a magma cube
- MCPE-164288 – Magma cubes spawn in lava
- MCPE-172565 – Magma Cubes Not Spawning on Magma Blocks
- And 1 other open issues.
Trivia Edit
- When a larger magma cube that has a name dies, the smaller magma cubes it spawns also have the same name, just like slimes.
- According to a minecraft.net article, magma cubes don't actually attack the player like other mobs, but instead, their heat is dangerous when close.[9]
- Magma cube is the only mob native to the Nether that can truly swim in water.
- Zombified piglins, skeletons, and wither skeletons sink in water.
- Piglins, piglin brutes and hoglins sink in water and drown.
- Endermen, blazes, and striders take damage in water immediately.
Gallery Edit
Screenshots Edit
-
Magma cubes.
-
Size comparison between a large magma cube and a player.
-
They emit the same flame particles as a mob spawner upon landing.
-
A group of small magma cubes.
-
A separated magma cube. Note the lava core.
-
A magma cube leaping out of lava.
-
A magma cube spawner inside a bastion remnant.
-
A magma cube spawner completely disabled with 9 solid blocks in Java Edition.
-
A magma cube spawner in a bastion remnant, being disabled with solid blocks.
-
A large number of magma cubes in a superflat world.
Textures Edit
-
Magma cube texture file.
In other media Edit
-
The magma cube page from the Mobestiary.
-
Lego Minecraft Magma cube.
References Edit
- ↑ MC-131426 — Big Slimes have little to no Attack Cooldown (compared to other mobs)
- ↑ https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/meet-magma-cube
- ↑ http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/385523-slime-spawning/
- ↑ MC-97958 — Small slime has no jump or squish sound — resolved as "Fixed".
- ↑ Jump up to: a b MCPE-116741 — Holding and shooting bow position are incorrect — resolved as "Fixed".
- ↑ MC-48923 — Slime/magma cubes not affected by jump boost potion effect — resolved as "Fixed".
- ↑ MC-118616 — The sounds of magma cubes and slimes aren't controlled by the "Hostile Creatures" sound slider — resolved as "Fixed".
- ↑ MCPE-132159 — Medium magma cube hit box is too small — resolved as "Fixed".
- ↑ "Visit the Nether!" by Duncam Geere – Minecraft.net, October 11, 2019.
External links Edit
- Meet the Magma Cube – Minecraft.net on February 21, 2017
Edit
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