End Portal

What is an End Portal?

An End Portal is a unique, animated portal block in Minecraft that serves as the gateway to the End dimension. It has a black void-like texture with starry animations, giving it the appearance of a deep cosmic abyss. Unlike Nether Portals, End Portals cannot be built by players—they can only be found in Strongholds or placed using commands.

Jumping into an activated End Portal instantly teleports the player to the End dimension, where they must face the Ender Dragon, the game’s final boss.

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Where Can End Portals Be Found?

End Portals do not generate naturally in the Overworld’s open terrain—they are only found in Strongholds. To locate an End Portal, players must:

1. Find a Stronghold – Strongholds generate deep underground, usually beneath villages or plains.
2. Search for the End Portal Room – Each Stronghold contains a single room with an End Portal frame suspended above lava.
3. Activate the Portal – The portal is incomplete and requires 12 Eyes of Ender to be placed in the frame blocks.
4. Jump into the portal – Once activated, the End Portal opens, teleporting players to the End dimension.

If all 12 End Portal Frame blocks already contain Eyes of Ender, the portal will generate fully active, but this is extremely rare.

Players can also create an End Portal in Creative Mode by placing End Portal Frame blocks in a 3×3 square and inserting Eyes of Ender into each block.

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What Can Players Do with End Portals?

End Portals are essential for completing Minecraft’s survival progression, but they also serve other functions:

• Reaching the End dimension – The only way to fight the Ender Dragon and obtain Elytra.
• Building fast travel hubs – Players often build bases or farms near End Portals for easy End access.
• Farming Ender Pearls and XP – Since Endermen spawn in the End, End Portals are useful for quick Enderman farms.
• Custom adventure maps – Builders use End Portals as mystical or sci-fi teleporters in custom worlds.

Unlike Nether Portals, End Portals cannot be broken or moved, meaning players must build their End base around the existing portal location.

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The History of End Portals in Minecraft

End Portals were introduced in Minecraft Java Edition Beta 1.9 (Pre-release) as part of the Adventure Update, which added the End dimension, Ender Dragon, and Strongholds. Before this update, Minecraft did not have a true final boss or endgame goal.

Over time, updates expanded the End dimension, adding End Cities, End Ships, and Elytra, making End Portals even more crucial for exploration and progression.

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Interesting Fact or Real-Life Connection

The End Portal’s design and teleportation function are inspired by black holes and cosmic wormholes in science fiction. The portal’s dark, starry texture resembles depictions of event horizons, where light is trapped in space. In mythology and fantasy literature, portals to other dimensions often appear as magical rifts or gateways, much like how the End Portal transports players to the End.

For more details on Stronghold generation, Ender Dragon fights, and End dimension mechanics, visit the Rusty Ingot knowledge base.