Mob (entity)

An entity referred to simply as a mob was a passive mob in very early Minecraft (Java Edition). This entity came with several different models across early Minecraft versions. They are an in game instance of the base mob class.

Mob

• Player model
• Rana
• 'Steve'
• 'Black Steve'
• 'Beast Boy'

Java Edition

Classic JavaScript remake

Health points	20HP × 10
Behavior	Passive

{
    "title": "Mob",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "20<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=&#9829)</span> × 10</span>",
            "label": "(link to Health article, displayed as Health points)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Passive",
            "label": "Behavior"
        }
    ],
    "invimages": [],
    "images": [
        "Steve JE3 BE1.png",
        "0.0.23a 01 (remake) Human view.png",
        "Rana.png",
        "Steve (mob).png",
        "Black Steve.png",
        "Beast Boy.png"
    ]
}

Appearance

In pre-Classic and Classic, as well as from Indev 0.31 20100131 onward, the mob's model looked identical to the player with the default "Steve" skin.

Rana had a different model, with the appearance of a girl in a frog outfit. This model was used in early Indev versions up until 0.31 20100128-2304. Rana was based on an original character designed by Dock, the artist who added the model.

There were also three other model variants, which were different skin variants of the same model, these variants being commonly referred to by the unofficial names "(White) Steve", "Black Steve", and "Beast Boy". These names originated as unofficial fanmade terms created by players on IRC chat shortly after their addition in January 2010, and were later adopted by the wider community in the absence of any known official names for the mobs. This was several months before Notch named the default player character "Steve" in October 2010. The first usage of the name "Black Steve", which was later followed by "White Steve" and then just "Steve", was likely inspired by the character Black Steve from the TV show Code Monkeys.

Spawning

Mobs would generate in random places when a world was generated when first added in pre-Classic rd-132328. In rd-20090515 until 0.0.23a_01, they could be manually spawned by pressing G while playing. After approximately 1 minute, they would despawn.

During Indev, until their removal in 0.31 20100202, mobs spawned in random locations in the world once again.

After being re-implemented but unused in Infdev 20100316, the mob was only spawnable using mods and map editors, but otherwise was not available in vanilla Minecraft.

Drops

In pre-Classic and Classic versions, as well as Indev versions between 0.31 20091223-0040 and 0.31 20100129-1452, mobs did not drop anything upon death.

In Indev 0.31 20100130, mobs could drop different resources depending on their appearance:

• "Steve" drops 0–2 string
• "Black Steve" drops 0–2 gunpowder
• "Beast Boy" drops 0–2 feathers

From Indev 0.31 20100131 until their removal in Indev 0.31 20100202, mobs could drop 0–2 strings, 0–2 gunpowder, or 0–2 feathers. In Indev 0.31 20100201-2, mobs could also drop 0–1 flint and steel instead of the other items.

Behavior

The animation of the mob walking before 0.0.15a.

Mobs could not change blocks; they would just move around the map aimlessly, walking in slightly imperfect circles and jumping occasionally. While walking, they would flail their arms around, until Alpha v1.0.8_01. Mobs were affected by solid blocks, but they were able to walk right through liquids, as if they were air. If the player had a custom skin, any mobs (that were using the player model at the time) created would still use the default skin and would not assume the look of the player. They would not notice dangers, and because of this they would sometimes jump into the void or lava.

After being re-implemented in Infdev 20100316, mobs could no longer move around, but could still float in water and move their head.

Data values

ID

Name	Savegame ID	Numeric ID	[hide]Translation key
Mob	Mob	48	entity.Mob.name

History

[hide]Java Edition pre-Classic
rd-132328							Added mobs.
							They were added using the skin and model and behavior from Zombie Town.
							Mobs flail their limbs and heads wildly when walking.
rd-20090515							Mobs can now be spawned by pressing G.
							The walking animation has been made less smooth.
[hide]Java Edition Classic
0.0.15a (Multiplayer Test 1)							The model of mobs is now used for other players in the newly introduced multiplayer mode.
							Mobs no longer flail their heads when walking.
August 13, 2009							Notch shows a test skin with a hat layer.
0.24_SURVIVAL_TEST							The texture used by mobs and the player, has been changed.
							The ability to spawn mobs has been removed. However, they can still be spawned using mods and map editors.
0.28							The texture used by both mobs has changed again, removing the beard.
[hide]Java Edition Indev
December 7, 2009							Notch shows footage of monsters with player models from Quake 3, in a test of MD3 rendering later used for mob entities.
December 19, 2009							Rana is shown in a screenshot posted by Notch.
December 22, 2009							Notch shows concept art of a new player model, appearing similar to the base "Steve" model, but with a miner hat and different clothes.
0.31			20091223-0040				The model for mobs has been changed to Rana.
							Mobs can now spawn, again.
							Mobs do not drop anything when killed.
January 29, 2010							Two new skins of a new model are shown in a video posted by Notch.
0.31			20100129-1447				Added a new mob model with two skin variants ( "Steve" and "Black Steve"), replacing the old Rana model.
			20100130				Added a third skin variant ( "Beast Boy").
							"Beast Boy" variants now drop 0–2 feathers.
							"Steve" and "Black Steve" variants now drop 0–2 string and 0–2 sulphur, respectively.
			20100131-2156				The mob now uses the player model again instead of the model used for "Steve", "Black Steve", and "Beast Boy".
			20100202				The mob has been removed, once again.
[hide]Java Edition Infdev
20100316							The mob is now available again, although there still is no way to spawn it legitimately.
[hide]Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.3							The mob now has no movement AI, therefore it is unable to walk around. However, it can still rise in water and look around.
v1.0.9							The animation of the player and the mob has been changed so that their arms no longer flail around.
[hide]Java Edition Beta
1.2							The mob can no longer appear ingame, but some code for it still exists.
May 17, 2011							Mobs are included in a special developer fork of Beta 1.2_02 as builder NPCs that can build structures.
1.6.6							The changelog for this update contains the message "Removed Herobrine". This was Notch "joking" when removing parts of the coding for the mob.

Data history

[hide]Java Edition
1.11			16w32a				The entity ID Mob, as well as the corresponding network ID 48, for mobs have been removed.

Trivia

• This was the first mob added to the game.
• If a monster spawner with this mob is placed in Java Edition Beta 1.2 or later, it appears blank and no mob spawns.
• Coding for mobs was still present until Java Edition Beta 1.6.6. Only the mob model was removed in Beta 1.2.
• The version of this mob with the player skin uses the old player model, so they are actually slightly taller than the player.
• Despite being taller than the player, mobs looked up at the player when chasing them. This is because their actual hitbox and eye height were shorter than the player's hitbox and eye height.

Gallery

Textures

• 

  Steve

• 

  Rana. The entire palette is the same one used in the Nintendo Entertainment System.

• 

  mcexport.png "Steve"

• 

  mcexport2.png "Black Steve"

• 

  mcexport3.png "Beast Boy"

Minecraft Classic (remake)

• 

  Head texture

• 

  Torso texture

• 

  Arm texture

• 

  Leg texture

Renders

• 

  How Rana's animation was supposed to play.

• 

  How Steve's animation was supposed to play.

• 

  How Black Steve's animation was supposed to play.

• 

  How Beast Boy's animation was supposed to play.

Screenshots

• 

  A Mob in a hole in Classic Remake.

• 

  Ditto, but in a cave.

• 

  A plain full of mobs.

• 

  Mobs in a pit.

• 

  Mobs on a plain.

• 

  A mob in the distance.

• 

  Mobs in a world.

• 

  Mobs in early Classic.

• 

  Mobs in mid-Classic.

• 

  A mob in a cave.

• 

  A mob under lava.

• 

  More mobs with glitched models.

• 

  A group of ranas in early Indev.

• 

  More ranas.

• 

  Even more ranas.

• 

  Some more ranas.

• 

  Another rana.

• 

  Ranas around water.

• 

  Ranas near a structure.

• 

  Rana in a structure.

• 

  Mobs in late Indev.

• 

  A mob in the JavaScript remake.

• 

  Mobs swimming in a lake in the JavaScript remake.

• 

  Rana in the Indev inventory (from January 4, 2010, to January 13, 2010).

• 

  "Steves" walking around.

Of lost versions

• 

  A mob in a field in Classic 0.0.11a.

• 

  A mob with a glitched model.

Mojang images

• 

  Mobs in a hole.

Development images

• 

  The first image of mob.

• 

  Mobs beneath a structure.

• 

  Mobs with new second layer on head, with glasses for demonstration.

• 

  Mobs with first armor in 3D Anaglyph.

• 

  Mob with changed armor model.

• 

  The first image of Rana.

• 

  Some of the MD3 models that Notch used for test mobs in Indev.

• 

  One of the MD3 models that Notch used for test mobs in Indev.

Artwork

• 

  Concept art of a human character (presumably Steve) wearing a hard hat and outfit.

• 

  Similar characters from another unreleased game.

Rana

• 

  Artwork Dock made of Rana and her cat in 2004.

• 

  A part of a sketch Dock made of Rana. The full image wasn't archived, but the link name indicates that it had Rana standing in a puddle. This was a redesign from the original character.

• 

  A work-in-progress model Dock made of Rana.

• 

  A colored work-in-progress model Dock made of Rana.

• 

  A montage of the Rana model by Dock.

• 

  Another montage of the Rana model.

• 

  Rana placed in a 3D environment.

• 

  Another 3D environment with Rana.

• 

  Artwork Dock made of Rana with her cat.

• 

  A papercraft of Rana.

Black Steve

• 

  Black Steve from Code Monkeys.

See also

• Character - mobs (in general) that have names given to them.
• Villager – humanoid mobs that move around their village.
• Player – the Minecraft character that is controllable, with the same model as mobs.
• Mob – any entity in Minecraft that has the ability to move around, such as monsters or animals.
• Java Edition removed features – features that have been in Java Edition but were later removed.

External links

• "After 14 Years, the True Story of Steve Was Just DISCOVERED…" – a video essay on the origin of the names of the Dock-modeled mobs – TheMisterEpic on YouTube.