Spectral Arrow

Spectral Arrow
Rarity tier	Common
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Size	Height: 0.5 Blocks; Width: 0.5 Blocks
Network ID	JE: 91

This feature is exclusive to Java Edition.

A spectral arrow is a special variant of the arrow that confers the glowing status effect.

Obtaining

Picking up arrows

Similarly to regular arrows, players can pick up spectral arrows that have been shot by dispensers, or other players in Survival or Adventure mode. Unlike regular arrows, spectral arrows shot by an Infinity-enchanted bow can be picked up, as they are not affected by the enchantment.

Generated loot

Item	Structure	Container	Quantity	Chance
Java Edition
	Bastion Remnant	Generic chest	10–22	11.2% { "item": "Spectral Arrow", "stacksize": "10–22", "chance": 0.1123595505617978, "structure": "Bastion Remnant", "container": "Generic chest" }
		Treasure chest	12–25	33.7% { "item": "Spectral Arrow", "stacksize": "12–25", "chance": 0.33668648071940255, "structure": "Bastion Remnant", "container": "Treasure chest" }
		Bridge chest	10–28	11.2% { "item": "Spectral Arrow", "stacksize": "10–28", "chance": 0.11242603550295849, "structure": "Bastion Remnant", "container": "Bridge chest" }

Crafting

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Glowstone Dust + Arrow	2

Bartering

Spectral arrows can be obtained through bartering with piglins, which has a ⁴⁰⁄₄₅₉ (~8.71%) chance to give the player 6-12 arrows.

Usage

Spectral arrows share many of the same characteristics as regular arrows as projectiles. See Arrow#Common properties for information on common properties shared by all arrows.

Special properties

A spectral arrow confers the Glowing status effect for 10 seconds. The Glowing effect creates an outline of the target, which is visible through blocks, and colored based on the target's team (white by default). Even if a bow is enchanted with Infinity, spectral arrows are still consumed.

Sounds

Java Edition:
In Java Edition, spectral arrows use the Friendly Creatures sound category for entity-dependent sound events.

v t e Sounds
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Arrow hits	Friendly Mobs	When a spectral arrow impacts something	`entity.arrow.hit`	`subtitles.entity.arrow.hit`	1.0	¹²⁄₁₁ - ⁴⁄₃	16
	Player hit	Players	When a spectral arrow shot by a player hits another player	`entity.arrow.hit_player`	`subtitles.entity.arrow.hit_player`	1.0	1.0	16
	Arrow fired	Players	When a spectral arrow is fired by a player	`entity.arrow.shoot`	`subtitles.entity.arrow.shoot`	1.0	Around 1.2^{[sound 1]}	16
	Skeleton shoots	Hostile Mobs	When a skeleton shoots a spectral arrow	`entity.skeleton.shoot`	`subtitles.entity.skeleton.shoot`	1.0	⁵⁄₆ - 1.25	16
	Dispensed item	Blocks	When a dispenser shoots a spectral arrow	`block.dispenser.launch`	`subtitles.block.dispenser.dispense`	1.0	1.2	16
	Crossbow fires	Entity-Dependent	When a crossbow shoots a spectral arrow	`item.crossbow.shoot`	`subtitles.item.crossbow.shoot`	0.8 / 0.9	0.9 / 1.0	16

↑ Depends on how long the bow is charged for, around 1.2 with a fully charged bow. The exact formula is $\frac{1}{randomFloat() \times 4 + 1.2} + \frac{progress}{2}$

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Item tags	Translation key
Spectral Arrow	`spectral_arrow`	Item	`arrows`	`item.minecraft.spectral_arrow`

Name	Identifier	Entity tags	Translation key
Spectral Arrow	`spectral_arrow`	`arrows` `impact_projectiles`	`entity.minecraft.spectral_arrow`

Entity data

Spectral arrows have entity data that define various properties of the entity.

Java Edition:

[NBT Compound / JSON Object] Entity data
- Tags common to all arrows see Template:Nbt inherit/arrow/template
- Tags common to all entities see Template:Nbt inherit/entity/template
- Tags common to all projectiles see Template:Nbt inherit/projectile/template
- [Int] Duration: The time in ticks that the Glowing effect persists.

Advancements

Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
Arbalistic	Kill five unique mobs with one crossbow shot	Armor Stand also counts for this advancement. This is a hidden advancement, meaning that it can be viewed by the player only after completing it, regardless of if its child advancement(s), if any, have been completed.
Bullseye	Hit the bullseye of a Target block from at least 30 meters away	Be at least 30 blocks away horizontally when the center of a target is shot with a projectile by the player.
How Did We Get Here?	Have every effect applied at the same time	Have all of these 33 status effects applied to the player at the same time: Absorption Bad Omen Blindness Conduit Power Darkness Dolphin's Grace Fire Resistance Glowing Haste Hero of the Village Hunger Infested Invisibility Jump Boost Levitation Mining Fatigue Nausea Night Vision Oozing Poison Raid Omen Regeneration Resistance Slow Falling Slowness Speed Strength Trial Omen Water Breathing Weakness Weaving Wind Charged Wither The source of the effects is irrelevant for the purposes of this advancement. Other status effects may be applied to the player, but are ignored for this advancement. See also: Tutorial:Advancement guide/Nether tab § How Did We Get Here? This is a hidden advancement, meaning that it can be viewed by the player only after completing it, regardless of if its child advancement(s), if any, have been completed.
Not Today, Thank You	Deflect a projectile with a Shield	Block any projectile with a shield.
Ol' Betsy	Shoot a Crossbow	—
Sniper Duel	Kill a Skeleton from at least 50 meters away	Receive kill credit for a skeleton that is at least 50 blocks away horizontally and is killed by a projectile.
Take Aim	Shoot something with an Arrow	Using a bow or a crossbow, shoot a mob with an arrow, tipped arrow, or spectral arrow.
Two Birds, One Arrow	Kill two Phantoms with a piercing Arrow	Use a crossbow enchanted with Piercing to kill two phantoms with a single arrow shot.
Who's the Pillager Now?	Give a Pillager a taste of their own medicine	Kill a pillager with a crossbow shot.

History

Java Edition
May 4, 2015							Spectral arrows are shown in a screenshot by Dinnerbone.
May 22, 2015							Spectral arrows are shown in another screenshot by Dinnerbone.
1.9			15w31a				Added spectral arrows. They show mob and player outlines in their team color when hit. They have no texture when shot.
			15w31b				Spectral arrows now use their intended texture.^[1]
			15w49a				Spectral arrows are no longer affected by the Infinity enchantment.
1.14			18w43a				The item sprite texture for spectral arrows has been changed.
1.16			20w16a				Spectral arrows now generate in bastion remnant chests.
1.16.2			20w28a				Spectral arrows can now be obtained through bartering with piglins.
1.16.2			20w30a				The average yield of spectral arrows from bastion remnant chests have been substantially increased.
1.17			21w11a				The texture of the spectral arrow has been changed.
1.20.3			23w43a				Spectral arrows keep all of their NBT data when shot and picked up.
1.21.2			24w34a				Shot spectral arrows now bounce on the world border if hit.
Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU46	CU36	1.38	1.38	1.38	Patch 15	1.0.1	Added spectral arrows.
TU46	CU36	1.38	1.38	1.38	Patch 15	1.0.1	Spectral arrows are currently unobtainable and do not have any effects.
TU57	CU49	1.57	1.56	1.56	Patch 27	1.0.7	Spectral arrows now have effects but are not craftable. They can be obtained only via inventory editing.
			1.90				The item sprite texture for spectral arrow has been changed.

Data history

Java Edition
1.11			16w32a				The entity IDs have been changed from `SpectralArrow` to `spectral_arrow`.
1.13			17w47a				Prior to The Flattening, the item's numeral ID was 439.

Issues

Issues relating to "Spectral Arrow" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Gallery

Screenshots

A flaming spectral arrow stuck in a tree.

References

↑ MC-82809

Navigation

[1] Depends on how long the bow is charged for, around 1.2 with a fully charged bow. The exact formula is $\frac{1}{randomFloat() \times 4 + 1.2} + \frac{progress}{2}$

[2] MC-82809

[sound 1]

[1]