Shulker mob in Minecraft
The Shulker is a hostile mob that hides in a purple shell on the walls of End Cities. It fires homing bullets that make you float with Levitation, and it is the only source of Shulker Shells, the key ingredient of the Shulker Box.
- Health
- 3015 hearts
- Behavior
- Hostile
- Main drop
Shulker Shell- Found in
- End City
Shulker stats
- Health
- 30 15 hearts
- Behavior
- Hostile
- Main drop
- Shulker Shell
- Spawns in
- —
- Size
- 1 × 1 blocks
- XP when killed
- 5
- Detection range
- 16 blocks
// Experience drops only when a player kills it.
How much damage Shulker deals
Damage to a player without armor, by world difficulty. 1 ♥ = 2 damage points.
Levitation: 10 s// Armor, Protection and Resistance reduce these values. Base values read from the game code (26.3).
Where to find Shulker
Doesn’t spawn naturally in a biome: it comes from a structure, a spawner, a block or an event.
Structures
Shulker drops
Shulker
Traits
Properties set in the game files.
Effects
Advancements with Shulker
Advancements whose criteria involve this mob, from the game files.
Command
/summon minecraft:shulker ~ ~ ~Where Shulkers hide
Shulkers only appear in End Cities, on the outer islands of the End. They cling to walls, floors and ceilings, and a closed Shulker looks almost exactly like a Purpur Block. Look for a block with a slightly different outline, or wait for one to lift its lid when you come near.
How a Shulker attacks
/execute in minecraft:the_end run tp @s 3303.5 117 1996.5 135 8When it sees you, the Shulker opens its shell and fires a slow bullet that follows you around corners. A hit deals a little damage and gives you Levitation: you float straight up for a few seconds, then drop when it wears off. Inside a tower that is harmless; on an open bridge over the void it can be fatal. You can destroy a bullet in flight by hitting it with your sword or shooting it.
How to fight one
- Hit it while it is open. With the shell closed, its armor soaks up most of the damage and arrows bounce off.
- Close in fast. In melee, you can hit it between two shots and knock its bullets away.
- Expect it to teleport. A hurt Shulker can vanish and reattach somewhere else nearby.
- Carry a Milk Bucket to clear Levitation at once, or a Potion of Slow Falling to land softly when it ends.
Levitation also has a use: let a bullet lift you to the top of a tower instead of building your way up.
Shulker Shells and Shulker Boxes
A killed Shulker can drop a Shulker Shell. Two shells and a chest make a Shulker Box, a container that keeps its contents when you break it. You can carry a full box in one inventory slot, which makes it the best storage for long trips. Since each End City only holds a handful of Shulkers, farms use a game mechanic: when a Shulker is hit by another Shulker's bullet, it can duplicate. Players trap Shulkers side by side so they keep spawning new ones.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 1 November 2026
Shulker — FAQ
Why do my arrows bounce off a Shulker?
Arrows only work when the shell is open. Wait for it to lift its lid before you shoot, or switch to melee.
How do you stop Levitation from a Shulker?
Drink a Milk Bucket to remove the effect right away. A Potion of Slow Falling does not stop the rise but saves you from the fall.
Do Shulkers respawn?
No, the Shulkers of an End City do not come back once killed. To get more shells, you need a farm that uses Shulker duplication.
Where does the Shulker spawn?
It doesn’t spawn naturally in biomes. You find it in End City.
What does a Shulker drop?
Shulker Shell.
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