Minecraft Stronghold Finder
Throw two eyes of ender, type in where you stood and where they flew, and get the exact spot to dig down to the stronghold.
- 2 eye throws
- Exact dig spot
- Nether route too
Throw an eye of ender from two spots a few hundred blocks apart, type in your position and facing angle for each throw, and this finder works out where the two flight paths cross. That crossing is the stronghold's starting staircase, so you get dig-here coordinates instead of chasing eyes across the map and losing one in five to the break chance.
How to find the stronghold in two throws
- Craft a few eyes of ender (an ender pearl and blaze powder each) and walk into open ground so you can see where the eye flies.
- Throw one. It rises, drifts about a dozen blocks toward the stronghold, then hangs for a moment before dropping. Put your crosshair on it while it hangs so you are facing exactly the way it flew.
- Stand still and press F3. Enter your X and Z and the first number in the brackets on the Facing line into Throw 1. Decimals matter, so type the whole thing.
- Walk 300 or more blocks sideways, at a right angle to the direction the eye flew, and repeat for Throw 2. Do not walk toward the stronghold, that only makes the two lines more parallel.
- Read the X and Z in the result panel. Travel there on the surface, or take the Nether route shown, which is the same trip at one eighth the distance.
- Dig a staircase down at the spot. The finder points at the stronghold's starting staircase; once you see stone bricks, follow the corridors to the portal room.
Why the angle has to be exact
The nearest stronghold is usually well over a thousand blocks away, and at that range a one degree slip in the facing angle moves the crossing by around 25 blocks. Two or three degrees out and you can dig a shaft into plain stone. Read the angle to its decimal, take it with your crosshair on the hanging eye rather than from memory, and stand still while F3 is open.
The distance between the two throws matters just as much. Two throws taken close together give two nearly parallel lines, and a tiny error in either swings the crossing hundreds of blocks. The finder shows the angle between your two throws and warns when it is too narrow. If you see that warning, walk further sideways and throw again rather than trusting the number.
What the eye is actually pointing at
Eyes of ender fly toward the starting staircase of the nearest stronghold, the spiral stair every stronghold is built around. The portal room can be a good distance from that point inside a maze of corridors, libraries and storage rooms, so once you are in, explore rather than dig. Iron doors, mossy stone bricks and silverfish spawners all mean you are close.
Strongholds generate entirely underground and the height varies by seed, so a straight shaft straight down is a good way to land in lava. Dig a staircase, or a two-wide shaft you can water-bucket down, and listen for the change in cave sounds. Once the corridor is found, the stronghold's Nether coordinates make a quick return trip if you portal-link the entrance.
Stronghold finder FAQ
How does triangulating a stronghold with eyes of ender work?
Every eye of ender flies toward the nearest stronghold, so one throw gives you a line the stronghold sits on. A second throw from a different spot gives a second line, and the stronghold is where the two cross. Enter your X, Z and facing angle for each throw and the finder solves that crossing for you.
Which number in the F3 screen is the facing angle?
Look for the Facing line, for example "Facing: north (Towards negative Z) (-142.5 / 12.3)". The first number in the brackets is the horizontal angle the tool needs. The second is your pitch, how far up or down you are looking, and should be ignored.
How far apart should the two throws be?
Move at least 300 blocks sideways from your first throw, at a right angle to the direction the eye flew, before throwing again. The wider the angle between the two flight paths, the more accurate the crossing. The finder warns you if the two throws are within five degrees of each other.
The finder gives me coordinates. Where exactly do I dig?
The eye of ender points at the starting staircase of the stronghold, not the portal room. Dig a safe staircase down at the coordinates, and once you hit stone bricks you are in. The portal room is somewhere inside, so follow the corridors rather than digging blindly for it.
How many eyes of ender do I need?
Two to find the stronghold, plus a spare or two because each thrown eye has a one-in-five chance of shattering. The end portal frame has twelve slots and needs an eye in each, though some are already filled when the stronghold generates, so twelve more is the safe number to carry.
Does this work on Bedrock Edition?
The finder needs the facing angle from the Java Edition F3 screen, which Bedrock does not display. On Bedrock, use the classic method: throw an eye, walk in the direction it flew, throw again every few hundred blocks, and dig where an eye drops straight down instead of flying off.
More Minecraft tools
Nether Portal CalculatorConvert Overworld coordinates to Nether coordinates (and back) to build perfectly linked portals.Open tool →
Anvil Enchant CalculatorFind the cheapest order to combine enchanted books on the anvil - dodge "Too Expensive!" and…In: Best Boots Enchantments →
Hits to Kill CalculatorHow many hits a weapon and enchantment build needs against every mob, armor included.In: Best Trident Enchantments →
Mining CalculatorHow fast a Pickaxe or Shovel breaks each block with Efficiency and Haste, and what Fortune…In: Best Pickaxe Enchantments →
Pixel Circle GeneratorBlock-perfect circles and ellipses for building - thin, thick or filled, any size, with block counts.Open tool →Know your world seed? Skip the Eyes of Ender: our Minecraft Structure Finder shows every stronghold, village and temple for your seed, and the Seed Map finds the nearest one in one click.