Healing

Healing is the mechanic of regaining lost health.

Natural regeneration

Natural healing can be deactivated using the command /gamerule naturalRegeneration false or from the world option.

Hunger

Whenever a player's hunger is 18 ( × 9) or higher, they regenerate 1HP every 4 seconds. This increases the player's exhaustion by 6, of which 4 cost 1 () hunger. If existing, the player's saturation is used up first.

Saturation healing

This feature is exclusive to Java Edition.

 

If the player's hunger bar is completely filled and they have left over saturation, this saturation gets drained, healing at a rate of 2HP every second. Just as with the hunger-based regeneration, every 1HP regenerated deducts 1.5 saturation. With the maximum amount of 20 saturation, the player can rapidly regenerate up to 13HP × 6.5.

Peaceful difficulty

When the difficulty is set to Peaceful, the player regenerates at a standard rate of 1HP per second, additionally with 1HP every 4 seconds because the player's hunger bar is filled. Chorus fruit, golden apples, honey bottles, and suspicious stew can be eaten even when the hunger bar is full, increasing the player's regeneration even further. On the other hand, this also causes the player to lose saturation even when changing from other difficulty levels to Peaceful mode.

Artificial regeneration

Potions

The player can drink a potion to regain health immediately or over time.

Potion of Healing

The potion of Healing instantly regenerates 4HP. If it gets amplified with glowstone dust, this value increases to 8HP.

Brewing scheme:

Potion	Ingredients	Scheme	Effect	Duration (in minutes)
Potion of Healing	Glistering melon slice + Awkward potion		Regenerates 4HP per potion.	Instant

It can also be turned into a lingering potion that heals up to 10HP when the player is inside an area effect. Glowstone dust amplifies healing up to 20HP × 10.

Brewing scheme:

Potion	Ingredients	Scheme	Effect	Duration (in minutes)
Lingering Potion of Healing	Dragon's Breath + Splash Potion of Healing		Regenerates 2HP per second.	Instant Health 0:05

Potion of Regeneration

The potion of Regeneration heals 1HP every 2.5 seconds over 45 seconds, resulting in 18HP × 9 in total. Amplifying the potion with glowstone increases this rate to 1HP every 1.25 seconds for 0:22 seconds, whereas redstone increases the duration to 1:30‌/2:00‌ minutes, restores 36HP × 18‌ / 48HP × 24‌

Brewing scheme:

Potion	Ingredients	Scheme	Effect	Duration (in minutes)
Potion of Regeneration	Ghast tear + Awkward Potion		Regenerates health over time.	Regeneration 0:45

In Bedrock Edition, adding gunpowder to make a splash potion decreases its duration, making healing less effective. Splash potion of regeneration heals 1HP every 2.5 seconds over 33 seconds, resulting in 13HP × 6.5 in total. Amplifying the potion with glowstone increases this rate to 1HP every 1.25 seconds for 0:16 seconds, whereas redstone increases the duration to 1:30 minutes, restores 36HP × 18.

Adding dragon breath on splash potion to make lingering potion. Lingering potion of regeneration heals 1HP every 2.5 seconds over 11 seconds, resulting in 4HP in total. Amplifying the potion with glowstone increases this rate to 1HP every 1.25 seconds for 0.5 seconds, whereas redstone increases the duration to 0:22‌ / 0:30‌ seconds, restores 8HP‌12HP × 6‌.

Tipped arrow

Tipped arrow shots from a bow, crossbow, or dispenser inflict arrow damage and a status effect. Arrows of healing give the same effect as its potion (4HP for an arrow of healing I, and 8HP for an arrow of healing II). Regeneration I arrows last 5 seconds (restores 2HP), the extended regeneration I arrows last 0:11‌ / 0:15‌ seconds (restores 4HP‌ / 6HP‌), and arrows of regeneration II give regeneration II for 0:02 seconds (restores 2HP). However, arrow damage decreases or sometimes even nullifies the health recovered unless a weak bow shot is used or the player is wearing good armor.

Golden apple

A golden apple and enchanted golden apple can heal the player in different ways:

• Both golden apples refill 4 () hunger.
• They provide 9.6 saturation, which can be drained for 6HP quickly if the player's hunger bar is filled.
• Similar to a potion, a golden apple provides the Regeneration status effect. A normal golden apple gives Regeneration II for 5 seconds, and an enchanted golden apple for 20 seconds, resulting in 4HP regenerated from a normal golden apple and 16HP × 8 from an enchanted one. In Bedrock Edition, enchanted apple gives regeneration V for 30 seconds, which enough to recover full health in a few seconds. The enchanted golden apple also gives the status effects Fire Resistance and Resistance for 5 minutes.
• A normal golden apple can be crafted by 8 gold ingots, and a regular apple, and can be found in generated chests. The enchanted golden apple cannot be crafted, and are found exclusively in generated chests.

Totem of undying

When used, a totem of undying prevents the player's death and provides Regeneration II for 45 seconds, restoring 36HP × 18. It also clears all the player's effects and gives 40 seconds of Fire Resistance and 5 seconds of Absorption II.

Suspicious stew

• Suspicious stew refills 6 () hunger.
• It provides 7.2 saturation.
• If made from blue orchids or dandelions gives 0.35 seconds of Saturation (refills 13 ( × 6.5) total)
• If made from oxeye daisy gives 8 seconds of Regeneration I (restores 3HP).

Beacon

When a beacon is upgraded to the highest level, it can be configured to provide the Regeneration status effect. As long as a player is within the radius of such a beacon, they regenerate 1HP every 2.5 seconds.

Axolotl

During a fight, axolotls can give players Regeneration I for 5 seconds, restoring 2HP per axolotl, for up to 2 minutes.‌

Mob healing

In contrast to the player, most mobs cannot heal by themselves. Nevertheless, there are several ways to heal animals and monsters.

Potions

Most mobs are healed by potions of Healing and Regeneration just like the player.

On the other hand, undead mobs take damage from these potions, and healing them requires a potion of Harming. Potions of Regeneration or Poison don't affect undead mobs at all.

Regeneration

Rideable animals like horses, donkeys, mules, skeleton horses and llamas automatically regenerate at a slow rate of about 2HP per minute.

Allays automatically regenerate at a rate of 2HP per second in Java Edition, or a rate of 1.83HP × 0.915 per second in Bedrock Edition.

Happy ghasts automatically regenerate at a rate of 1HP every 30 seconds. However, if they are between Y-levels 187 and 196 (corresponding to the cloud level), or if it is raining or snowing, they regenerate at a rate of 1HP per second.

Axolotl

Axolotls may play dead when taking damage underwater, dropping to the ground for 10 seconds while regenerating.

Fox

Foxes can eat foods that inflict regeneration, such as golden apples, enchanted golden apples, or suspicious stew.

Iron golem

Iron golems can be healed using iron ingots by right-clicking on them, restoring their health by 25HP × 12.5. This cannot be done using iron nuggets or iron blocks.

Spider

In Java Edition, spiders on Hard difficulty can spawn with permanent positive status effects, which can include Regeneration, making the spider gradually recover health.

Villager

Villagers gain 10 seconds of regeneration when new trades are unlocked. Additionally in Bedrock Edition, villagers recover health when waking up from bed every morning.

Witch

Witches use potions of Healing to heal themselves. Additionally, witches throw splash potions of Healing or Regeneration at illagers during raids.‌

Feeding

Some animals can also be fed in order to recover a set amount of health. The following animals can be fed:

Animal	Maximum health	Food	Healing
Tamed Wolf	40HP × 20	Pufferfish Tropical Fish	2HP
		Raw Cod Raw Salmon Raw Mutton	4HP
		Raw Chicken
		Raw Porkchop Raw Beef Raw Rabbit	6HP
		Rotten Flesh	8HP
		Cooked Rabbit	10HP
		Cooked Cod
		Cooked Chicken	12HP × 6
		Cooked Mutton
		Cooked Salmon
		Cooked Porkchop Steak	16HP × 8
		Rabbit Stew	20HP × 10
Horse Donkey Mule	15HP × 7.5 to 30HP × 15	Sugar	1HP
		Wheat	2HP
		Apple	3HP
		Golden Carrot	4HP
		Golden Apple	10HP
		Hay Bale	20HP × 10
Llama	15HP × 7.5 to 30HP × 15	Wheat	2HP
		Hay Bale	10HP
Tamed Cat	10HP	Raw Cod Raw Salmon	2HP
Camel	32HP × 16	Cactus	2HP
Sniffer	14HP × 7	Torchflower Seeds	2HP

Feeding wolf pups not only restores lost health but can also increase their total health from the usual 8HP up to a maximum of 40HP × 20.

Boss healing

Ender dragon

The ender dragon gets healed by any nearby end crystal 1HP every 10 ticks. If a crystal gets destroyed while it's beam is pointed at the dragon, though, the dragon takes 10HP damage instead.

Wither

The wither has a passive regeneration rate of 1HP every 20 ticks (1 second), and a direct killing blow on a target instantly heals 5HP.

History

This article needs to be updated.

 

Please update this page to reflect recent updates or newly available information.
Reason: history on pocket/bedrock

Java Edition Infdev
20100227-1414							Added the golden apple, which heals 20HP × 10.
Java Edition Beta
1.8			Pre-release				Added hunger and saturation. Food now refills the hunger bar, instead of directly recovering health. Before this, you could not regenerate health without eating, though on Peaceful difficulty you healed quickly regardless of food supply.
							Golden apples now give Regeneration I for 30 seconds instead of 20HP × 10.
Java Edition
1.0.0			Beta 1.9 Prerelease 2				Added potions of Healing and Regeneration.
1.3.1			12w21a				Added a second kind of golden apples that can be crafted using blocks of gold. It provides Regeneration IV for 30 seconds and Resistance I and Fire Resistance for 5 minutes.
1.4.2			12w32a				Added beacons. They can be configured to provide Regeneration I.
1.6.1			13w16a				Added horses, which regenerate slowly by themselves.
							They can be fed using sugar, wheat, apples, golden carrots and golden apples.
			13w23a				Natural health regeneration now consumes hunger.
							Added game rule naturalRegeneration.
1.8			14w26c				Hay bales can now be fed to horses, healing them by 20HP × 10.
1.9			15w37a				The enchanted golden apple now provides Regeneration II instead of Regeneration V, as well as Absorption IV instead of Absorption I.
			15w40a				Health now regenerate based on your saturation.
			15w44a				Enchanted golden apples can no longer be crafted, but are found only in desert pyramids, strongholds, and mineshafts.
1.11			16w32a				Exhaustion values changed, Healing now takes even more Hunger.
			16w39a				Added llamas, which regenerate health slowly.
Java Edition Combat Tests
5							The player now naturally regenerates health when above a hunger level of 7 () instead of 18 ( × 9) and every 60 game ticks (3 seconds) instead of every 80 game ticks (4 seconds).
6							The player now naturally regenerates health every 40 game ticks (2 seconds) instead of every 60 game ticks (3 seconds).
Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU1	CU1	1.00	1.00	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added healing and all of its mechanics from and prior to Java Edition Beta 1.6.6.
TU5							Added hunger and saturation. Food now refills the hunger bar, instead of directly recovering health.
							Golden apples now give Regeneration I for 30 seconds instead of 20HP × 10.
TU7							Added potions of Healing and Regeneration.
TU14		1.04					Added a second kind of golden apples that can be crafted using blocks of gold which gives Regeneration when eaten. It provides Regeneration IV for 30 seconds and Resistance I and Fire Resistance for 5 minutes. ​
TU19	CU7	1.12	1.12	1.12			Added beacons. They can be configured to provide Regeneration I.
							Added horses, which regenerate slowly by themselves.
							They can be fed using sugar, wheat, apples, golden carrots and golden apples.
							Natural health regeneration now consumes hunger.
							Added a host option to disable natural health regeneration.
TU43	CU33	1.36	1.36	1.36	Patch 13		Health now regenerate based on your saturation.
TU46	CU36	1.38	1.38	1.38	Patch 15		The enchanted golden apple now provides Absoprtion IV instead of Absorption I.
TU54	CU44	1.52	1.52	1.52	Patch 24	1.0.4	Exhaustion values changed, Healing now takes even more Hunger.
							Added llamas, which regenerate health slowly.

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