How to Make Obsidian in Minecraft

No matter how strong the materials you use to build stuff in Minecraft, there’s always a chance a stray Creeper or poorly placed block of TNT could blow it to kingdom come. If you want your structures to stay firmly where they are, you need to make them out of the toughest stuff imaginable, forged from the very lifeblood of the Earth itself. Here’s how to make obsidian in Minecraft.

Made from the Best Stuff

Obsidian is the absolute king of sheer density, one of the toughest naturally occurring elements in the Minecraft world. Even a block of solid diamond may as well be tissue paper when compared to the nearly-unbeatable toughness of obsidian and its blast resistance of 1,200. Obsidian isn’t indestructible, but it’s darn-near close, and it’s not even that hard to make.

How to Make Obsidian in Minecraft

To make Obsidian in Minecraft, follow these steps:

• Dump a bucket of water next to lava
• Let the water flow over the lava source blocks
• Mine the Obsidian with a Diamond or Netherite Pickaxe

When water runs over a lava source block, obsidian is automatically created in the spot where the two meet. This can occur naturally in deep cave systems and ravines where springs of water and lava can bubble up in close proximity to each other. Obsidian can also be created artificially in the same manner; just dump a bucket of water onto the ground, and let it flow over the lava source blocks. Don’t dump the water right onto the lava or it’ll just turn into stone or cobblestone. Once the obsidian has been formed, you can mine it with a pickaxe. However, you can only mine obsidian with a diamond or netherite pickaxe. If you try to do it with any other kind of pickaxe, the obsidian will just shatter.

What To Do With Obsidian in Minecraft

So you’ve got your obsidian, what can you do with it? Well, obsidian has four primary uses: 

1. Nether Portals. 8 obsidian blocks and a spark from a flint and steel gets you your own portal to the fiery depths of the Nether, where more obsidian can be obtained.
2. Beacons. Add some glass and a Nether Stare to inspire your allies and intimidate your foes.
3. Ender Chests. 8 obsidian blocks and an Ender Eye makes a chest whose contents you can access from anywhere in the world.
4. Enchanting Tables. 4 obsidian blocks, 2 diamonds, and a book make your very own enchanting table for enhancing weapons and armor.

Besides all that, obsidian’s natural blast resistance makes it perfect for building Creeper-proof (and griefer-proof) foundations for your constructs. Whatever you use it for, sleep well in knowing that it’d take nothing short of a military firebombing to destroy it.