How to Make Obsidian in Minecraft

If you are looking to travel to the Nether or unlock the magic of Enchantments, you need one of the toughest and most iconic blocks obtainable in the game: obsidian in Minecraft. It is an igneous rock, a deep purple solid material that defines permanence and power in your Minecraft world. Learning how to create obsidian is a fundamental skill.

You cannot simply craft obsidian using a workbench. Instead, you need to master the art of combining the two most prevalent fluids in the Overworld: water and lava source. This simple chemical reaction is the key to producing the nine blocks needed for your first nether portal or your enchantment table.

This post will walk you through everything from forming obsidian efficiently to the precise tools needed to mine obsidian. By the end, you will know the easiest way to get obsidian in Minecraft and exactly what you need to start exploring the magical and dangerous parts of your world. This article is featuring obsidian extensively, and you can imagine an accompanying image featuring obsidian for the best visuals.

The process of intentionally creating obsidian in Minecraft is one of the most important mechanics for advancing in the game. It always involves the interaction of a lava source and water.

The secret to forming obsidian lies in combining a lava source block with a flowing stream of water. You must expose the static lava source block not flowing lava to the water. When the water hits the lava source, a single obsidian block generates in the lava's place. If you accidentally hit flowing lava, it will turn into cobblestone, which is not what you want. You must ensure you target the static, source block of lava. This is the primary way obsidian generates outside of natural features.

To create obsidian intentionally using fluids, you need a water bucket and access to a lava source:

1. Locate a Lava Source: Find lava in a lava pool or a lava lake.
2. Place the Water: Place the water one block above and adjacent to the lava source block.
3. Create Obsidian: The water will flow over the lava source and instantly turn it into an obsidian block.
4. Repeat: Pick up the water with your water bucket and repeat the process on a new lava source.

The process to create obsidian in Bedrock Edition is identical to the Java Edition: water must flow directly into a static lava source block. This is how obsidian generates in this edition. However, the Bedrock Edition Wither boss explosion has a slightly higher blast resistance than in Java Edition, meaning it is harder to use it to destroy obsidian via boss explosions.

To summarize the various ways to acquire this block, you can obtain obsidian from: Manufacturing (combining water and a lava source), Ruined Portals (dismantling broken portals found across the Overworld, which is a newly added structure generates with the block), Mining (collecting naturally generated obsidian near the surface or underground, which is a naturally occurring obsidian source), and Chests (finding it in chests located in bastion remnant chests or the End).

The easiest way to get obsidian in Minecraft quickly, once you have crafted your required diamond pickaxe using three diamonds and two iron ingots, is to manually create obsidian blocks at a large underground lava lake. Then, immediately mine obsidian from those newly formed blocks. Dismantling a nearby ruined portals for a few free blocks is also a fast start.

While it is easy to create obsidian, getting the resulting obsidian block requires specific tools and a long mining time.

To successfully mine obsidian and receive the block's direct item form (a giveable item identical tile), you absolutely must use a diamond pickaxe or a netherite pickaxe. Using a weaker tool, like iron or stone, will result in the obsidian block being broken block without dropping the obsidian drops item. The base obsidian mining time is about 9.4 seconds.

Only two tools can successfully break obsidian and allow you to collect the item: the diamond pickaxe and the netherite pickaxe. The obsidian block can be destroyed by powerful explosions, specifically those from the Ender Dragon, the Wither's blue wither skull projectile, or charged creepers, but these methods destroy obsidian without providing the item. Since the game's release, obsidian's explosion resistance increased in several updates.

No, you cannot mine obsidian with an iron pickaxe in Minecraft. If you attempt to break obsidian with iron, the obsidian block will be a broken block, but you will not receive any obsidian drops. You must upgrade to a diamond pickaxe (which requires iron ingots for the crafting recipe) before successfully mine obsidian.

The fastest way to break obsidian in Minecraft is by applying the Efficiency V enchantment to your diamond or netherite pickaxe. The base obsidian breaking time of over nine seconds is reduced significantly, allowing you to mine obsidian in about one second. This is crucial for efficient obtaining obsidian renewably.

Before you can mine obsidian, you have to find obsidian first. It is one of the most easily recognizable naturally generated blocks obtainable in the Minecraft world.

You can find obsidian in several key locations where a lava source meets water, or in any recognized obsidian structure:

• Surface: Where lava springs meet water near mountain tops or in small surface lava pools.
• Caves: Where underground water sources flow onto lava underneath.
• Strongholds: Sometimes in an obsidian room near the End portal.
• Ruined Portals: As part of the broken portal structure.

The best place to find obsidian in Minecraft is by locating a large underground lava lake and manually pouring your water into the surrounding lava source blocks. This allows you to create obsidian on demand. Otherwise, searching for ruined portals is fast. The End dimension also features large naturally generated obsidian pillars that can be mined.

If you need a continuous supply of obsidian, learning to farm it is the way to go. This is a great skill for players on survival servers. Since you must use a lava source to create obsidian, a successful farm is all about safely controlling the water and lava interaction on repeat.

The simplest generator is a controlled setup where a lava source block meets flowing water, producing obsidian. Players often design small chambers to safely pour water over lava sources, ensuring cobblestone doesn't form by targeting only source blocks.

An obsidian farm scales up the generator concept. Using dispensers, pistons, or redstone, farms cycle lava sources and water automatically. Combined with dripstone lava farms (introduced in 1.17), you can create renewable lava sources that make obsidian farming sustainable in survival worlds.

The basic water-on-lava method is how you make infinite obsidian in Minecraft. As long as you have a stable lava source block (which you can carry in a lava bucket) and an infinite water source, you can always create obsidian. Although old versions had an infinite obsidian glitch, today, infinite obsidian is only possible through the controlled, repeatable process of converting lava source blocks, or by exploiting the Ender Dragon's respawn mechanic on the obsidian pillars in the End.

Infinite obsidian glitches no longer exist. Today, renewable obsidian farming relies on dripstone lava farms: pointed dripstone slowly fills cauldrons with lava, which can then be harvested as source blocks. With an infinite water source nearby, this setup allows you to generate obsidian indefinitely in modern Minecraft.

Crying obsidian is a special variant that is not used in the construction of nether portals but is essential for other functions.

You cannot make crying obsidian in Minecraft using the water and lava source method. Crying obsidian is not crafted. It is only found and collected.

Crying obsidian cannot be crafted. It is obtained from ruined portals, Piglin bartering (with gold ingots), or bastion remnant chests. These are the only reliable ways to collect it in survival mode.

Its primary use is crafting the Respawn Anchor, which lets players set a respawn point in the Nether — a crucial end‑game mechanic.

Crying obsidian emits a light level of 10, making it useful as a glowing decorative block. It also serves as the key ingredient in Respawn Anchors, giving it both aesthetic and functional value.

You can use Crying obsidian to craft the Respawn Anchor or as a decorative block. It is a powerful solid material with an updated obsidian texture that looks great in any obsidian room or lava room build.

The main reason players seek out and create obsidian is to access the ultimate challenges and items in the game.

The obsidian portal in Minecraft is officially known as the nether portal. It is a fixed, vertical structure built of obsidian blocks that acts as a gateway to the Nether dimension. The finished nether portal must be lit with flint and steel.

To build a nether portal, you need at least ten obsidian blocks.

1. Form the Frame: Build a vertical rectangle that is at least four obsidian blocks wide and five blocks high. The inner frame should be two blocks wide and three blocks high.
2. Light the Portal: Use flint and steel on the inside of the frame to light it and activate the nether portal with its purple interior.

Obsidian blocks are used for many functions, including its extremely high blast resistance, crafting the enchantment table, and building the nether portal. High-level crafted items include Enchantment Table (or enchanting table, which requires four obsidian and two diamonds), Nether Portal (requires a minimum of ten obsidian), and Beacon (requires three obsidians, five glass, and one Nether Star).

Understanding how obsidian behaves under stress helps you protect your base and use the block effectively.

No, obsidian does not burn in lava in Minecraft. Since it is an only igneous rock volcanic glass, it is completely immune to fire and lava damage, unlike many other volcanic rocks. If you drop an obsidian block into a lava source, it will simply float in the lava flow until you retrieve it.

Obsidian has a blast resistance of 1,200, making it immune to TNT and most explosions. Only the Wither's blue skull projectiles and the Ender Dragon's attacks can destroy obsidian blocks, though these methods do not drop the item.

No, TNT cannot break obsidian due to its high blast resistance. Players must rely on diamond or netherite pickaxes to collect it.

You need to mine obsidian in Minecraft either a diamond pickaxe or a netherite pickaxe. These are the only tools that satisfy the block breaking behavior requirement to drop the obsidian item. You should use the Efficiency V enchantment to speed up the obsidian breaking time.

The obsidian block is a deep purple solid material known for its exceptional hardness. It is a volcanic glass made of volcanic rocks with a hardness of 50, making its obsidian breaking time very long. This hardness makes it ideal for building an obsidian wall around a base. It can also save you from fall damage block when dropped quickly, and its shape (like intersecting planes extending) makes it easy to use as a quick block jump platform.

Mastering obsidian in Minecraft is a turning point in your progression. By combining a water bucket with a lava source block, you can reliably create obsidian for Nether portals, enchantment tables, and advanced builds.

Remember:

• You need a diamond or netherite pickaxe to successfully mine obsidian.
• Renewable lava farming with pointed dripstone and cauldrons now makes obsidian farming sustainable, replacing outdated "infinite obsidian" glitches.
• Crying obsidian, while not usable for portals, is essential for crafting Respawn Anchors and adds decorative glow to builds.
• Obsidian's blast resistance makes it one of the best defensive blocks, immune to TNT and most explosions.

Whether you're dismantling ruined portals for quick blocks, farming obsidian with dripstone setups, or mining the towering pillars in the End, obsidian remains the gateway to new dimensions and powerful enchantments. With these updated methods, you'll always have the toughest block at your disposal.