Spider Jockey

A spider jockey is the rare appearance of a spider or cave spider^{[BE only][verify]} being ridden by a skeleton.

Spider Jockey

• Spider Jockey

Java Edition

Bedrock Edition

Spawn	See Spawning

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    "images": [
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Spawning

When a spider spawns, there is a 1% chance for a skeleton to spawn riding it.

Spider jockeys can spawn in most cases where a normal spider can spawn. This includes: dark areas of light level 0, monster spawners, and trial spawners.

Spider jockeys spawned in narrow enclosures can cause the skeleton rider to die of suffocation, due to the spider climbing the walls and forcing the skeleton into the ceiling. They can also spawn in a 1-block tall space with a transparent block above, which prevents the skeleton from suffocating.

Like their separated counterparts, the skeleton can spawn with armor and/or an enchanted bow, and, in Java Edition, the spider has a chance to spawn with various status effects in Hard difficulty. See Skeleton#Geared skeletons and Spider#Status effects for details.

Spider jockey spawned with the skeleton's head inside glass.

Wither skeletons, strays, and bogged do not spawn as part of a spider jockey.

Behavior

Both mobs behave similarly to how they normally do. The spider can walk and climb at its normal speed and is not weighed down by the skeleton. The skeleton can shoot arrows and pick up equipment it finds.

When a spider jockey enters a body of water, both mobs will sink. If the jockey is completely submerged below a certain point(around the skeleton's head), the skeleton will be forcibly dismounted from the spider, separating the jockey.

Like with regular spiders, cobwebs will not slow down spider jockeys.

Attacking

In Java Edition, the movement of the spider jockey is controlled by the skeleton. When attacking, the spider jockey will strafe and try to keep distance from the target while the skeleton shoots arrows. The spider cannot attack or lunge while being ridden. From night into day for example, the skeleton is steering the spider to get both of them together under a given tree, avoiding it burning.

In Bedrock Edition, the movement of the spider jockey is controlled by the spider. When attacking, the spider moves towards and lunges at the target like usual while the skeleton shoots arrows.

In both editions, the spider and skeleton cannot attack each other.

History

[hide]Java Edition Alpha
August 16, 2010							Notch mentions the concept of spider jockeys in a TIGSource forum post.
v1.0.17							Added spider jockeys.
v1.2.0							Skeletons that ride spider jockeys now hold a bow.
[hide]Java Edition Beta
1.2							As with spiders, spider jockeys can now climb vertically up walls.
1.5							Spider jockeys can now be "neutral-hostile" with the addition of rain. The light level is low enough in a rainstorm for the skeleton to not combust, but high enough for the spider to not be actively hunting. In this state, the skeleton shoots the player with arrows, but the spider does not give chase (unless the spider jockey wanders into a shady area) because movement is controlled by the spider. The player can safely observe this kind of spider jockey from a distance of 16 or more blocks away.
1.8							Skeletons that ride spider jockeys' bows are now larger and held more realistically (full-sized bows, two-handed, and pulling the arrow back) than in previous versions (in one hand).
							Skeletons that ride spider jockeys now fire arrows slightly slower. Their arrows, however, are shot with more force.
[hide]Java Edition
1.0.0							Skeletons that ride spider jockeys now hold their bow with one hand again, but they still have the larger and held realistically bow.
1.4.2			12w34a				Spider spawn eggs now have a chance to spawn a spider jockey.
			12w36a				Spider spawn eggs used in nether fortresses now have a chance to spawn a spider jockey with a wither skeleton.
1.5			13w09a				Skeletons no longer dismount the spiders when the world is reloaded.
1.9			15w31a				Skeletons that ride spider jockeys now lower their arms when idle and their sitting position has been shifted a bit lower.
1.10			16w20a				Spiders spawned in cold biomes can now have a stray skeleton rider.
1.11			16w32a				Spider jockeys no longer naturally spawn with a stray rider or wither skeleton rider.
1.13			pre5				Spider jockeys now spawn. They did not since 1.9.4 due to a bug.
1.14			18w43a				The textures of spider jockeys have been changed.
							The movement of a spider jockey is now controlled by the skeleton. The spider in a spider jockey no longer performs melee spider attacks on the player.
[hide]Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.11.0			build 1				Added spider jockeys. Cave spiders also have a chance to spawn with a skeleton rider.
v0.12.1			build 1				Added wither skeleton jockeys with a cave spider variant.
							Spider jockeys have an 80% chance to spawn with a wither skeleton rider when spawned in the Nether (via spawn eggs, monster spawners, etc).
v0.15.0			build 1				Spider jockeys now have a 80% chance to spawn with a stray rider in snowy biomes.
							Skeletons that ride spider jockeys now lower their arms when idle.
[hide]Bedrock Edition
1.10.0			beta 1.10.0.3				The textures of spider jockeys have now been changed.
[hide]Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU1	CU1	1.00	1.00	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added spider jockeys.
			1.90				The texture of spider jockeys has now been changed.
[hide]New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0							Added spider jockeys.

Issues

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

Gallery

Screenshots

• 

  A spider jockey at night.

• 

  A dueling skeleton and spider jockey.

• 

  During Halloween, it is possible for skeletons on spider jockeys to spawn wearing a carved pumpkin or jack o'lantern.

• 

  A spider jockey in a desert biome.

• 

  A burning spider jockey in daylight.

• 

  A wither skeleton riding a cave spider.

• 

  A spider jockey chasing a player.

• 

  A spider jockey with an enchanted bow shooting an arrow at the player.

• 

  A spider jockey.

• 

  A spider jockey in the rain.

Mojang screenshots

• 

  A skeleton riding a pig riding a spider, posted by Jeb on social media.

In other media

• 

  Lego Minecraft Spider Jockey.

• 

  A spider jockey as seen in A Minecraft Movie.