How to use the Stronghold Finder
Strongholds generate in concentric rings around the world origin: 3 in the first ring (1,280–2,816 blocks out), 6 in the second, 10 in the third and so on up to 128. This finder lists every stronghold sorted by distance so you can pick the closest End portal.
- Type or paste your seed in the seed box (numbers and text seeds both work), then pick your edition and version.
- Strongholds are marked on the map automatically. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and hover an icon to see its coordinates.
- Click an icon to copy the coordinates or a ready-made /tp command, and tick "Completed" to keep track of the ones you have visited.
- Use the "Nearest" list in the sidebar to jump straight to the closest ones to spawn or to any X/Z you enter.
How stronghold rings work on Java
Java Edition places exactly 128 strongholds in 8 rings around 0,0. The rings hold 3, 6, 10, 15, 21, 28, 36 and 9 strongholds, and each ring is about 3,072 blocks further out than the previous one. Strongholds in a ring are spread evenly around the circle, then nudged towards a nearby suitable biome, which is why the first three are roughly 120° apart.
The first ring starts at 1,280 blocks from the origin, so even the closest stronghold is a serious trip. Mark it on the map, build a Nether portal and travel through the Nether: 300 blocks in the Nether covers 2,400 in the Overworld.
What's inside
A stronghold is a maze of stone brick corridors, prison cells, fountains, store rooms and libraries. Libraries hold enchanted books, and corridor chests can contain ender pearls, iron and diamonds. The portal room has a silverfish spawner and an End portal frame that needs 12 Eyes of Ender. Each frame block already holds an eye with a 10% chance.
Bedrock strongholds
Bedrock does not use rings. Many of its strongholds generate under or next to villages, and more are scattered further out. The finder shows the village-linked strongholds. The first one is usually exact, and later ones can shift if the village they depend on fails to generate in-game.
Editions and versions
| Dimension | Overworld |
|---|---|
| Java Edition | 1.7 – 26.3, exact positions |
| Bedrock Edition | 1.18 – 26.3, approximate positions (village strongholds only (10/11 confirmed); the first is usually exact, later ones can shift if a village fails to generate. More strongholds exist farther out.) |
Questions
Where exactly is the End portal room inside the stronghold?
The marker is the stronghold's starting staircase. The portal room is usually within about 50–100 blocks of that point. Follow the corridors, or throw an Eye of Ender inside the stronghold to home in on it.
Why does the first ring only have three strongholds?
Minecraft places strongholds in rings around 0,0, and the first ring always has three of them spaced roughly 120° apart. That is why triangulating with Eyes of Ender works well near spawn.
Is the stronghold location exact on Bedrock?
Partly. Bedrock places its strongholds differently, and the finder shows the ones tied to villages. The first is usually exact, and later ones can shift if a village fails to generate. Bedrock worlds also have more strongholds farther out than the map lists.
How many Eyes of Ender do I need?
Up to 12 to fill an empty portal frame, plus a few to throw while searching (each throw has a 20% chance to break the eye). Each frame block already has an eye with a 10% chance, so you often need fewer.
What command finds the nearest stronghold?
With cheats on, /locate structure minecraft:stronghold on Java or /locate structure stronghold on Bedrock gives the X and Z of the closest one.
Updated · data for Minecraft Java & Bedrock up to 26.3