Obsidian (Block ID: 49) is one of the strongest and most important blocks in Minecraft. It can be found naturally throughout the Minecraft world generation and holds many benefits in the Minecraft gameplay. Obsidian is a necessary resource in order to complete the main Minecraft story and beat the Ender Dragon. Moreover, it is also quite useful in creating resource farms and other structures in Minecraft. So, want to learn how to make Obsidian in Minecraft?
Table Of Contents
Understanding Obsidian Basics
What is Obsidian?
Obsidian in Minecraft is formed when a block of lava comes in contact with flowing water. It is extremely durable in nature and takes 10 seconds to break with a Diamond Pickaxe. Although, this time can be reduced by putting Efficiency enchantments on your pickaxe.
Obsidian can be used to create many useful things in Minecraft, the most important one being the Nether Portal. Other useful items that require Obsidian as an ingredient include:
- Enchanting Tables,
- Ender Chests,
- Beacons,
Obsidian also has a lot of other uses, thanks to its unique abilities. For example, it is often used in creating farms because it doesn’t take damage from TNT or other explosions.
Preparatory Steps Before Making Obsidian
Gathering Resources
You will require some tools and resources if you want to farm Obsidian in Minecraft. The tools required are:
- Diamond Pickaxe
- Bucket of Water
- Bucket of Lava
Diamond Pickaxe
Items needed:
- Diamonds
- Sticks
If you are starting from scratch and don’t have any Diamonds to create a pickaxe yet, you will need to go mining with an Iron pickaxe. This is because if you break a Diamond block with any other pickaxe, it gets destroyed and doesn’t drop any Diamonds.
Once you have collected at least three Diamonds, you can craft a Diamond Pickaxe by placing them on the crafting table in the shown pattern.
Water Bucket
Items needed:
- Bucket
To obtain a Bucket of Water, go near a lake or pond and right-click while having your bucket equipped. This will give you a Bucket of Water in Minecraft.
Lava Bucket
Items needed:
- Bucket
The process of obtaining a Bucket of Lava is similar to that of a Bucket of Water. However, finding a pool of lava is much more difficult than it is to find water. Once you do find it, right-click on it while holding an empty bucket, and you will get a Bucket of Lava.
Note: You get one block of Obsidian for every Bucket of Lava that you have. So collect as many as you need.
Tools Required
Firstly, you need a Diamond Pickaxe to be able to farm a block of Obsidian. Otherwise, it won’t break. Additionally, you can also use a Netherite Pickaxe if you have progressed far enough in your Minecraft world. This would be even faster than using a Diamond Pickaxe. Other than these two, no other tools can be used to farm Obsidian in Minecraft.
Creating a Safe Environment
Secure The Area
Farming enough Obsidian to make something valuable might take a while. So, you should ensure your surroundings are safe to avoid getting attacked by mobs or other threats.
Firstly, make sure that the area around you is lit up properly so no zombies, skeletons, or other mobs can spawn near you. This is why it is best to do your Obsidian farming near or inside your base. You should also look out for Phantoms if you haven’t slept in Minecraft for three days.
Working with lava in Minecraft can be dangerous because not only does it kill you, but it also burns all your items. So ensure you don’t place lava unnecessarily, and follow our instructions precisely. In case you do accidentally place lava, right-click immediately again on the lava source block to pick it up and stop it from spreading.
Inventory Management
When working with lava, it is crucial that you don’t keep valuable items in your inventory. This way, even if you die, you don’t lose a lot of valuable stuff. Only keep the necessary items in your inventory that you can afford to lose.
You should also keep the relevant items in your Hotbar in the order that you’ll need them for quick access.
The Water-Lava Interaction
How Water and Lava Interact
Water and Lava have an interesting reaction when they come in contact with each other in Minecraft. When flowing water comes in contact with flowing lava, it forms Cobblestone. This mechanic is useful for creating an infinite Cobblestone generator, but that’s not what we are aiming for here.
The other case is when flowing water comes in contact with a source lava block. When this happens, the source Water block will turn into Obsidian, exactly what we want.
Water Source Block vs. Flowing Water
When you right-click while holding a Bucket of Water, it creates a Water Source Block. Water from this source block flows outward in an eight-block radius on a flat surface. This is called Flowing Water. It is essential to know the difference between them since people often get confused and aren’t able to follow guides correctly.
Breaking an ice block in Minecraft will also create a Water Source Block. So you can use this instead if you don’t have a Water Bucket handy.
3 Simple Methods for Making Obsidian
Traditional Mining Method
This is the simplest and most common way of farming Obsidian. Here’s how it works:
- Place down a Water Source Block using a Bucket of Water or Ice
- Once you have Flowing Water, place your Lava inside it and watch it turn into Obsidian. (Note: Place the lava inside the flowing water and not near it. Otherwise, it will generate Cobblestone and flowing lava.)
- Break the Obsidian block with your Diamond or Netherite pickaxe
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 if you have multiple lava buckets
This method is as simple as it looks if you follow it correctly. Make sure you place the Water first, then place the lava to prevent the lava from flowing.
The Mold Method
The Mold Method is more difficult than the traditional method, but it saves a lot of time. This is why it is commonly used in Minecraft speedruns. This method involves placing the lava where you need the Obsidian block to be so you don’t have to break it and manually place it again.
The Mold Method does not require you to have any pickaxe and is most commonly used to build Nether Portals. It also works best if you do it against a wall. Here are the steps you should follow:
- Place a Water Source Block above where you need the Obsidian to be
- Once your desired spot has flowing water, place lava on it, which will convert it into Obsidian
- Repeat the above steps for placing multiple Obsidian blocks
By following the Mold method, you can quickly create a Nether Portal without the hassle of crafting a Diamond Pickaxe. The only drawback is that it is much more difficult than the traditional method, so the newer players might not be able to follow it correctly.
The Infinite Obsidian Generator
An Infinite Obsidian Farm Generator in Minecraft works by continuously placing Lava in front of you while you break it with your pickaxe. Unfortunately, this isn’t a true infinite Obsidian generator since it only works as long as it has fresh Lava Buckets inside. Plus, it also takes a lot of effort to build.
So, it is not worth the effort to create an infinite Obsidian generator. Using the Traditional or Mold methods is much more convenient if you want to obtain Obsidian in Minecraft.
Advanced Tips and Tricks To Make Obsidian
Safety Measures
When working with Lava in Minecraft, you should follow some safety precautions to avoid dying and losing all your inventory. Always make sure you are standing a safe distance away from any lava below or near you. This way, you reduce the chances of getting pushed into lava by any nearby mobs.
You should also try to keep an extra Water Bucket in your Hotbar at all times as a safety measure in case you do find yourself falling into lava. As soon as you start taking damage, put the water down below you. This will stop you from taking any further damage, saving you and your inventory.
Enchantments to Speed Up the Process
You can reduce the time it takes you to mine an Obsidian block by using an Efficiency enchantment on your pickaxe. This enchantment comes in varying levels that range from 1 to 5. The higher the enchantment level, the quicker the block will break.
Here is a chart detailing how each level improves the efficiency of your pickaxe:
| Level | Efficiency Increase |
| I | 25% |
| II | 30% |
| III | 35% |
| IV | 40% |
| V | 45% |
The Efficiency enchantment can be obtained using the following ways:
- Enchanting Table
- Fishing
- Trading with a Desert Librarian Village
- From a random loot chest.
If you get a book with an Efficiency enchantment on it, you can apply it to your pickaxe using an Anvil. Moreover, you can also use two books that have the same Efficiency level as the Anvil to obtain an Efficiency book that is one level higher.
Use-cases for Obsidian
Building a Nether Portal
The most common use of Obsidian is to build a Nether Portal. To build this, you will need at least 10 Obsidian blocks. Here’s how you can build it:
- Start by placing down two Obsidian blocks on the ground
- Place three blocks on both sides of the blocks you placed earlier to form the shape of a door. (Note: You can use any other blocks for the corner pieces.)
- Finish off your door by placing two more blocks on top
- Right-click with a Flint and Steel inside the door frame, and your Nether Portal should be ready
If you place down any Obsidian block in the wrong position, you can just break it with your Diamond Pickaxe and place it again in the correct spot.
Creating an Ender Chest
An Ender Chest allows you to safely store any of your items without the fear of losing them or having them stolen by any other players. To craft an Ender Chest, you’ll need:
- 8x Obsidian,
- 1x Eye of Ender.
Place them in the Crafting Table as shown, and you will have yourself an Ender Chest.
Crafting an Enchanting Table
An Enchanting Table in Minecraft allows you to enchant your items at the cost of Lapiz lazuli and XP. To craft an Enchanting Table, you’ll need:
- 4x Obsidian,
- 2x Diamonds,
- 1x Book.
Place them in the Crafting Table as shown, and you will obtain an Enchanting Table.
More Minecraft Tutorials
- How to Make a Flower Pot in Minecraft
- How to Make a Fermented Spider Eye in Minecraft
- How to Get Green Dye in Minecraft
- How to Make a Toilet in Minecraft
How to Make Obsidian in Minecraft (FAQs)
- Can I make Obsidian without a Diamond or Netherite Pickaxe?
Yes, it is possible to make Obsidian without a Diamond or Netherite Pickaxe using the Mold Method.
- Is Obsidian only useful for crafting a Nether Portal?
No, Obsidian has many uses other than crafting a Nether Portal, for example, creating an Enchanting Table, Beacon, Ender Chest, etc.
- What are some common mistakes when trying to make Obsidian?
A common mistake players make is that they don’t place the lava inside flowing water, which results in them getting Cobblestone instead of Obsidian.
- How can I quickly gather large amounts of Obsidian?
Find yourself a pool of lava, and place a Water Source block near it. Then start collecting Lava in a Bucket and placing them down in the flowing water. This will give you a lot of Obsidian in a short period of time.
Conclusion
Obsidian is a very versatile block in Minecraft, and understanding it will help you better understand its uses and benefits in the game. Having a stack of Obsidian at your disposal comes in handy when you need to build a Nether Portal, craft new items, or build a resource farm.
