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Villager in Minecraft, 3D render (3/4 view)
Render by Blockaria from the Minecraft: Java Edition models and textures (Mojang).
3/4 view
PASSIVE Present since 1.14 or earlier

Villager mob in Minecraft

The Villager is the inhabitant of villages and the mob you trade with for emeralds, gear and enchanted books. Its job comes from the workstation it claims, its offers improve as it levels up, and a well-protected group of villagers is the best long-term source of Mending and diamond gear in the game.

Health
2010 hearts
Behavior
Passive
Found in
Village+1 more

Villager stats

Health
20 10 hearts
Behavior
Passive
Spawns in
—
Size
0.6 × 1.95 blocks
XP when killed
None
Speed
0.5
Detection range
16 blocks

// Experience drops only when a player kills it. Speeds are the game’s internal values, not blocks per second.

A villager’s day

Villagers follow a fixed schedule, read from the game files. A day lasts 24,000 ticks (20 minutes) and tick 0 is 06:00.

Adult06:00 free · 08:00 work · 15:00 bell · 17:00 free · 18:00 sleep
Baby06:00 free · 09:00 play · 12:00 free · 16:00 play · 18:00 sleep
Free time, wandersWorks at its job block and restocksGathers at the village bellPlaysSleeps in its bed

From timeline/villager_schedule.json (Java 26.3).

The 13 jobs

A villager without a job takes the job of a free workstation nearby. Each card leads to the workstation block. Nitwits never take a job.

Blast FurnaceArmorerBlast FurnaceSmokerButcherSmokerCartography TableCartographerCartography TableBrewing StandClericBrewing StandComposterFarmerComposterBarrelFishermanBarrelFletching TableFletcherFletching TableCauldronLeatherworkerCauldronLecternLibrarianLecternStonecutterMasonStonecutterLoomShepherdLoomSmithing TableToolsmithSmithing TableGrindstoneWeaponsmithGrindstone
NitwitNever works

Trades and prices

Pick a job. At each level a villager unlocks a set number of offers, drawn at random from the list. These are base prices: they drop when villagers like you and rise when an offer is in high demand. Villagers restock up to two times per day.

Novice2 of 3 offers · starting level
You giveYou getUsesXP
Paper24 ×PaperEmerald1 ×Emerald1616 uses22 XP
Emerald5-64 ×EmeraldBook1 ×BookEnchanted Book1 ×Enchanted BookRandom enchantment, 1 of 40, price set by the enchantment and its level1212 uses1*1 XP*
Emerald9 ×EmeraldBookshelf1 ×Bookshelf1212 uses1*1 XP*
Apprentice2 of 3 offers · from 10 villager XP
You giveYou getUsesXP
Book4 ×BookEmerald1 ×Emerald1212 uses1010 XP
Emerald5-64 ×EmeraldBook1 ×BookEnchanted Book1 ×Enchanted BookRandom enchantment, 1 of 40, price set by the enchantment and its level1212 uses55 XP
Emerald1 ×EmeraldLantern1 ×Lantern1212 uses55 XP
Journeyman2 of 3 offers · from 70 villager XP
You giveYou getUsesXP
Ink Sac5 ×Ink SacEmerald1 ×Emerald1212 uses2020 XP
Emerald5-64 ×EmeraldBook1 ×BookEnchanted Book1 ×Enchanted BookRandom enchantment, 1 of 40, price set by the enchantment and its level1212 uses1010 XP
Emerald1 ×EmeraldGlass4 ×Glass1212 uses1010 XP
Expert2 of 4 offers · from 150 villager XP
You giveYou getUsesXP
Book and Quill2 ×Book and QuillEmerald1 ×Emerald1212 uses3030 XP
Emerald5-64 ×EmeraldBook1 ×BookEnchanted Book1 ×Enchanted BookRandom enchantment, 1 of 40, price set by the enchantment and its level1212 uses1515 XP
Emerald5 ×EmeraldClock1 ×Clock1212 uses1515 XP
Emerald4 ×EmeraldCompass1 ×Compass1212 uses1515 XP
Masterall 2 offers · from 250 villager XP
You giveYou getUsesXP
Emerald3 ×EmeraldYellow Candle1 ×Yellow Candle1212 uses3030 XP
Emerald3 ×EmeraldRed Candle1 ×Red Candle1212 uses3030 XP
Enchanted book prices (40 enchantments)

Every tradeable enchantment has the same chance (1 in 40), at a random level. Price in emeralds, plus 1 book. Treasure enchantments cost twice as much, up to 64.

EnchantmentPrice by level
Aqua AffinityAqua Affinity5-19
Bane of ArthropodsBane of ArthropodsI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58V17-64
Blast ProtectionBlast ProtectionI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58
BreachBreachI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58
ChannelingChanneling5-19
Curse of BindingCurse of Bindingtreasure ×210-38
Curse of VanishingCurse of Vanishingtreasure ×210-38
DensityDensityI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58V17-64
Depth StriderDepth StriderI5-19II8-32III11-45
EfficiencyEfficiencyI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58V17-64
Feather FallingFeather FallingI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58
Fire AspectFire AspectI5-19II8-32
Fire ProtectionFire ProtectionI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58
FlameFlame5-19
FortuneFortuneI5-19II8-32III11-45
Frost WalkerFrost Walkertreasure ×2I10-38II16-64
ImpalingImpalingI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58V17-64
InfinityInfinity5-19
KnockbackKnockbackI5-19II8-32
LootingLootingI5-19II8-32III11-45
LoyaltyLoyaltyI5-19II8-32III11-45
Luck of the SeaLuck of the SeaI5-19II8-32III11-45
LungeLungeI5-19II8-32III11-45
LureLureI5-19II8-32III11-45
MendingMendingtreasure ×210-38
MultishotMultishot5-19
PiercingPiercingI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58
PowerPowerI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58V17-64
Projectile ProtectionProjectile ProtectionI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58
ProtectionProtectionI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58
PunchPunchI5-19II8-32
Quick ChargeQuick ChargeI5-19II8-32III11-45
RespirationRespirationI5-19II8-32III11-45
RiptideRiptideI5-19II8-32III11-45
SharpnessSharpnessI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58V17-64
Silk TouchSilk Touch5-19
SmiteSmiteI5-19II8-32III11-45IV14-58V17-64
Sweeping EdgeSweeping EdgeI5-19II8-32III11-45
ThornsThornsI5-19II8-32III11-45
UnbreakingUnbreakingI5-19II8-32III11-45

* Not set in the trade file: the game code default applies (4 uses, 1 XP).

Food for breeding

A villager is willing to breed once the food it carries is worth 12 points. Each baby costs both parents 12 points, and it needs a free bed. A villager carrying 24 points or more throws food to villagers that have less than 12.

Foodto reach 12 points
BreadBread4 points each×3
BeetrootBeetroot1 point each×12
CarrotCarrot1 point each×12
PotatoPotato1 point each×12

Points: villager_food component of the items. Threshold: Villager.canBreed() in the game code (26.3).

Where to find Villager

Doesn’t spawn naturally in a biome: it comes from a structure, a spawner, a block or an event.

Structures

With the structureVillageWith the structureIgloo

Villager drops

Nothing.

Also gives you
Chainmail HelmetChainmail HelmetGift25%
Chainmail ChestplateChainmail ChestplateGift25%
Chainmail LeggingsChainmail LeggingsGift25%
Chainmail BootsChainmail BootsGift25%
PoppyPoppyGift100%
Cooked RabbitCooked RabbitGift20%
Cooked ChickenCooked ChickenGift20%
Cooked PorkchopCooked PorkchopGift20%
SteakSteakGift20%
Cooked MuttonCooked MuttonGift20%
Empty MapEmpty MapGift50%
PaperPaperGift50%
Redstone DustRedstone DustGift50%
Lapis LazuliLapis LazuliGift50%
BreadBreadGift33.3%
Pumpkin PiePumpkin PieGift33.3%
CookieCookieGift33.3%
Raw CodRaw CodGift50%
Raw SalmonRaw SalmonGift50%
ArrowArrowGift66.7%
Tipped ArrowTipped ArrowGift2.6%
LeatherLeatherGift100%
BookBookGift100%
ClayClayGift100%
White WoolWhite WoolGift6.3%
Orange WoolOrange WoolGift6.3%
Magenta WoolMagenta WoolGift6.3%
Light Blue WoolLight Blue WoolGift6.3%
Yellow WoolYellow WoolGift6.3%
Lime WoolLime WoolGift6.3%
Pink WoolPink WoolGift6.3%
Gray WoolGray WoolGift6.3%
Light Gray WoolLight Gray WoolGift6.3%
Cyan WoolCyan WoolGift6.3%
Purple WoolPurple WoolGift6.3%
Blue WoolBlue WoolGift6.3%
Brown WoolBrown WoolGift6.3%
Green WoolGreen WoolGift6.3%
Red WoolRed WoolGift6.3%
Black WoolBlack WoolGift6.3%
Stone PickaxeStone PickaxeGift25%
Stone AxeStone AxeGift33.3%
Stone HoeStone HoeGift25%
Stone ShovelStone ShovelGift25%
Wheat SeedsWheat SeedsGift100%
Golden AxeGolden AxeGift33.3%
Iron AxeIron AxeGift33.3%
Health compared
Health vs other passive mobshealth points
Allay20
Happy Ghast20
Strider20
Villager20
Wandering Trader20
Skeleton Horse15
Axolotl14

Variants

7 variants. The game picks one when the mob spawns, based on where it appears.

Villager — Plains Plains
Villager — Desert Desert
Villager — Jungle Jungle
Villager — Savanna Savanna
Villager — Snowy Plains Snowy Plains
Villager — Swamp Swamp
Villager — Taiga Taiga

What you can do with Villager

Items to use on it and what happens.

Emerald TradeEmeraldUse it with an empty hand to open its trades. Its job decides the offers.

Baby Villager

Baby Villager — Minecraft Food and free beds Villagers have children when they have plenty of food and a free bed nearby. All baby mobs →

Advancements with Villager

Advancements whose criteria involve this mob, from the game files.

Surge ProtectorProtect a Villager from an undesired shock without starting a fire Very Very FrighteningStrike a Villager with lightning What a Deal!Successfully trade with a Villager Star TraderTrade with a Villager at the build height limit Zombie DoctorWeaken and then cure a Zombie Villager

Guides with Villager (4)

IntermediateFarms

How to build an iron farm in Minecraft (26.x)

A compact Java iron farm: 3 villagers on beds, 1 zombie, a water-fed floor and a lava blade over a hopper. Exact layers, materials and expected output.

Tested on 26.3

Command

Summon a Villager/summon →
/summon minecraft:villager ~ ~ ~

Jobs and workstations

A villager without a job wears a plain brown robe. As soon as it finds a free workstation nearby, it claims it and takes the matching job:

  • Armorer: blast furnace. Butcher: smoker. Cartographer: cartography table.
  • Cleric: brewing stand. Farmer: composter. Fisherman: barrel.
  • Fletcher: fletching table. Leatherworker: cauldron. Librarian: lectern.
  • Mason: stonecutter. Shepherd: loom. Toolsmith: smithing table. Weaponsmith: grindstone.

Nitwits, in green coats, never take a job, and babies cannot either. Until you trade with a villager for the first time, its job is not final: break its workstation and place it again, and it draws a new set of offers. After the first trade, the job and the offers are locked for good.

How trading works

Trading screen of a Novice Librarian offering a Mending book Scene setup: Librarian summoned and trades set by command for the demonstration. In-game screenshot · Java Edition 26.3

Each job has five levels: Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert and Master. A villager starts with two offers, and every new level adds two more from that job's list. Each trade fills its experience bar a little. Offers run out after a set number of uses, and the villager restocks them when it works at its workstation, up to twice a day. Prices rise when you buy the same thing a lot and drop when the villager likes you.

The trades worth chasing

  • Librarians sell an enchanted book at each of their first four levels, for a book and some emeralds. It is not guaranteed, since each level only draws 2 of its offers. The enchantment is random and can be Mending. Treasure enchantments such as Mending and Frost Walker cost twice as much.
  • Armorers, toolsmiths and weaponsmiths sell enchanted diamond armor, tools and swords at Expert and Master level.
  • Cartographers sell explorer maps that lead to villages, an Ocean Monument, Trial Chambers and, at Master level, a Woodland Mansion.
  • Clerics sell ender pearls and Bottles o' Enchanting.
  • For emeralds, sell cheap goods: a farmer pays one for 20 wheat, a fletcher for 32 sticks, a cleric for 32 rotten flesh.

Breeding villagers

Two villagers breed when they are willing and there is a free bed with room above it for the baby. They become willing once they carry enough food: about three loaves of bread, or twelve carrots, potatoes or beetroots. Throw food to them, or let a farmer do the work: farmers harvest and replant fields, pick up crops and share food with other villagers. Every villager needs its own bed, so the number of beds caps the population.

Keeping villagers alive

  • Zombies are the main threat. A villager killed by one may come back as a Zombie Villager, which you can cure for a large discount.
  • Lightning turns a villager into a witch. A lightning rod over your trading hall prevents it.
  • Raids: ring the bell and villagers run indoors. Win, and you get Hero of the Village: lower prices, and villagers throw you small gifts.
  • Golems: villagers who feel threatened can summon an Iron Golem. Never hit a villager: its prices go up, and the golems turn on you.

✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 1 November 2026

Villager — FAQ

How do you change a villager's job?

Break its workstation before you trade with it, then place another one. Once you have traded, the job is locked.

How do you get Mending from a villager?

Place a lectern next to an unemployed villager and check its offers. If Mending is not there, break and replace the lectern until it appears, then trade once to lock it.

What does a nitwit do?

Nothing useful. A nitwit, in a green coat, never takes a job and cannot trade, but it can still breed.

What time do villagers go to bed?

At 18:00 in-game (tick 12,000). They wake up at 06:00, work from 08:00 to 15:00, then gather at the village bell until 17:00.

How much food does a villager need to breed?

Food worth 12 points: Bread ×3, Beetroot ×12, Carrot ×12 or Potato ×12. Each baby costs both parents 12 points, and it needs a free bed.

Other passive mobs

AllayArmadilloAxolotlBatCamelCamel HuskCatChickenCodCopper GolemCowDonkey