Obsidian is one of the most useful blocks in Minecraft. You need it to build a Nether portal and an enchanting table, it is almost blast-proof, and it is the main ingredient in an ender chest, beacon base and respawn anchor. Getting obsidian looks tricky because it takes a long time to mine and needs a specific pickaxe, but once you know how it forms you can make as much as you want. This guide explains how to make obsidian, how to mine it, where to find it naturally, and what to use it for, in both Java and Bedrock Edition.
Quick answer: how to make obsidian
Obsidian forms when flowing or still water touches a lava source block. Pour a water bucket onto a still lava pool and every lava source the water reaches turns into obsidian. Then mine it with a diamond or netherite pickaxe. Any weaker pickaxe will break the block without dropping it. There is no crafting recipe for obsidian.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How is obsidian made? | Water touching a lava source block |
| What pickaxe do you need? | Diamond or netherite |
| How long to mine with diamond pickaxe? | About 9.4 seconds |
| How long with netherite pickaxe? | About 8.3 seconds |
| With Efficiency V and Haste II | Under 2 seconds |
| Blast resistance | 1200, immune to TNT, creepers and withers skulls |
| Stack size | 64 |
How to make obsidian step by step
- Find lava. Look for surface lava pools in deserts and badlands, lava lakes in caves, or the large lava sea near the bottom of the world below Y 0, around Y minus 54 in modern versions. Ruined portals often sit next to lava too.
- Get a water bucket. Craft a bucket from three iron ingots and fill it at any water source.
- Make it safe. Stand back from the edge. Placing blocks around yourself helps stop lava from spreading toward you.
- Pour water onto the lava. Aim at a block beside or above the lava. The water flows over the surface and turns lava source blocks into obsidian. Flowing lava turns into cobblestone instead, and lava flowing onto water makes stone.
- Pick the water back up. Right-click the water source with the empty bucket to clean up and avoid flooding.
- Mine the obsidian with a diamond or netherite pickaxe. Be careful: there may be more lava under the obsidian you just created. Place a block in the hole after mining each piece, or stand on solid ground beside it.
Making obsidian in a specific shape
You can also place lava where you want obsidian, then pour water on it. This lets you build obsidian frames without mining: place a lava bucket into a mold made of other blocks, then add water, and the lava turns into obsidian in place. Many players build their first Nether portal this way using a bucket of lava and a bucket of water, with no diamond pickaxe needed. This is often called the bucket method or the casting method.
How to mine obsidian
Obsidian has a hardness of 50, which is far higher than any other common block. Only a diamond or netherite pickaxe will collect it. With an iron pickaxe you can spend minutes hitting the block and it will drop nothing. Mining speeds go up a lot with enchantments and effects:
- Efficiency: each level speeds up mining; Efficiency V on a netherite pickaxe cuts obsidian mining to roughly 2 seconds.
- Haste effect: from a beacon, adds a large speed boost.
- Being on the ground: mining while swimming or standing in the air is much slower, so always stand on a solid block. Aqua Affinity helps when mining underwater.
If you see obsidian slowly crack and then stop, check that you are holding the right pickaxe. Mining with your hand or a weak tool wastes a lot of time and gives nothing back.
Where to find obsidian naturally
- Underground lava lakes: where underground water flows into lava, natural obsidian forms. Caves near the bottom of the world often have patches.
- Ruined portals: these broken portal structures contain obsidian and crying obsidian, plus a loot chest that can hold more obsidian and flint and steel.
- Woodland mansions and some bastion remnant loot.
- The End: the tall obsidian pillars around the main island are made of obsidian, as is the platform where you arrive.
- Villager trades: Master-level cleric villagers do not sell obsidian, but you can trade with piglins in the Nether: bartering a gold ingot can give obsidian.
- Nether portals: a portal frame you find generated with a ruined portal can be repaired with a few extra blocks.
Crying obsidian
Crying obsidian is a purple-spotted variant found in ruined portals and bastion chests and through piglin bartering. It cannot be made with water and lava. You need it to craft a respawn anchor, which sets your spawn in the Nether. Crying obsidian cannot be used to build a working Nether portal, so do not mix it into your frame.
What is obsidian used for?
| Item | Obsidian needed | Other ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Nether portal | 10 (corners optional) or 14 | Flint and steel or fire charge to light |
| Enchanting table | 4 | 2 diamonds, 1 book |
| Ender chest | 8 | 1 eye of ender |
| Beacon | 3 | 5 glass, 1 nether star |
| Respawn anchor | 6 crying obsidian | 3 glowstone |
| Blast-proof walls | Any | Protects from creepers, TNT and the Wither |
Building a Nether portal
A Nether portal frame is a rectangle at least 4 blocks wide and 5 blocks tall on the outside, with an empty 2 by 3 space inside. The four corner blocks are not needed, so the minimum is 10 obsidian. Light the inside with flint and steel. The largest possible portal is 23 by 23. For travel math, see our guide to Nether portal coordinates.
Enchanting table
Craft an enchanting table with a book on top, diamonds on the sides and four obsidian on the bottom row. Surround it with 15 bookshelves to reach level 30 enchantments. Read what Smite does and other enchantment guides for choosing what to put on your gear.
Obsidian safety tips
- Carry a water bucket whenever you mine near lava; it can save you if you catch fire.
- Never dig straight down above lava.
- Use Fire Resistance potions when gathering lots of obsidian from lava lakes.
- In Hardcore or valuable worlds, wear armor with Fire Protection.
- Do not stand on obsidian you are about to mine if lava might be underneath.
Speedrun and quick obsidian tricks
Speedrunners often skip mining entirely by using the bucket method: they find a lava pool, place water and lava in a mold to form the portal directly, then light it. This takes under a minute once practiced. Another trick is to look for ruined portals, which often only need a few extra blocks of obsidian or can be completed with the same casting trick.
Java vs Bedrock differences
Making and mining obsidian works the same in both editions. Mining times are almost identical, and piglin bartering exists in both. One small difference: obsidian is used as a portal frame in both, but Bedrock players sometimes see slightly different lava flow behavior near the world bottom. The recipes using obsidian are the same.
FAQ
How do you make obsidian in Minecraft?
Pour water onto a lava source block. The lava turns into obsidian.
Can you mine obsidian with an iron pickaxe?
No. Only diamond or netherite pickaxes collect obsidian.
How long does it take to mine obsidian?
About 9.4 seconds with a plain diamond pickaxe, and much faster with Efficiency and Haste.
Can obsidian be destroyed by TNT?
No. Obsidian is immune to normal explosions, though the Ender Dragon and Wither charged attacks can break some blocks around it.
Is crying obsidian the same?
No. Crying obsidian is used for respawn anchors and does not work in Nether portals.