Wither (Minecraft)

"We know what you're doing down here. Soul sand and three wither skulls? You're building a Wither!"

- Jesse to Ivor about the Wither Storm. (Determinant)

A Wither is one of the most dangerous monsters in the video games Minecraft and Minecraft: Story Mode. It is the second boss added to Minecraft, but it does not spawn in any dimension however, and in fact has to be crafted by the player in order to be fought. It can be considered the boss mob for the Nether due to it being constructed of Soul Sand and Wither Skeleton skulls, things only found in the Nether.

There are two kinds of Wither, the normal variant that is a major antagonist in the normal version of Minecraft, and the Wither Storm, the more destructive and cataclysmic variant that served as a major antagonist in Minecraft: Story Mode, appearing in the first half of Season 1 of the game.

Normal Variant
The normal variant of a Wither is a floating, three-headed, ghostly, boss mob with a skeletal appearance. It is the second boss mob introduced and added to the game after the Ender Dragon.

Wither Storm
A Wither Storm is a mutated Wither found in Minecraft: Story Mode. It was created by building a wither with a Command Block in place of the middle Soul Sand.

Created by Ivor, one Wither Storm was programmed to follow Gabriel the Warrior's amulet. However, it went out of control and became unstoppable, destroying everything in the way of the Amulet.

The same Wither Storm was finally destroyed by Jesse and his/her Gang in "A Block And A Hard Place".

Normal Variant
The normal variant of a Wither looks like an emaciated creature, and a skeletal beast with 3 wither skulls as heads and body consist of wither spine and prehensile rib-cages. It also has white eyes and white mouths.

Wither Storm
When created, a Wither Storm resembles a regular Wither with a Command Block attached to it, but as it starts to suck blocks towards it, it eventually becomes a giant creature with long, powerful tentacles, 3 heads, glowing purple eyes, and large teeth.

A Wither Storm's appearance is almost nothing like a normal wither, as the only thing they have in common are the three heads. Wither Storms are massive monsters resembling a floating island, with three huge heads that each have two rows of teeth. Each head has one huge, purple eyeball that can fire a tractor beam, which sucks in anything from Blocks to Mobs. It also has five (or more) tentacles. It has the same abilities as a normal wither, but it seems to have the power to absorb blocks, making the beast stronger.

At the end of Episode 3, it was shown that a Wither Storm can separate into 3 pieces, 2 that bear resemblance to the original Wither Storm, and one with a giant head.

Normal Variant
A Wither is an extremely aggressive monster that acts hostile to the player and all mobs except undead mobs (Skeletons, Zombies, Zombie Pigmen, Wither Skeletons, Husks, Strays and other Withers). Upon noticing non-undead mobs, the Wither attacks them with a projectile called the “wither skull”. Each head fires independently, allowing a wither to attack up to three different mobs/players at the same time. Should there be no mobs around, a Wither would wander and fire blue wither skulls on a random location to attract/force its foe to get out from hiding.

When provoked by a skeleton or another Wither, they will only remain hostile toward each other for a moment before returning to friendly status. If it is spawned in The End, it will prefer to attack any nearby Endermen, but it will also attempt to pursue and attack the Ender Dragon if there are no other nearby targets.

Wither Storm
A Wither Storm's behavior is similar to a regular Wither's, but it is on the more cataclysmic level: Though Ivor programmed the Command Block that was used for its creation to ensure that his Wither would obey him, it ultimately went berserk and causes destruction as it ignore him. Ultimately, a Wither Storm is a primal living force of destruction that only exist to destroy everything until nothing is left.

In episode 4, Ivor revealed that his Wither Storm does not cause destruction randomly; when programming the Command Block that created the Wither Storm, he also programmed to have it followed the Order of the Stone's amulet, which explained why his Wither Storm followed wherever Jesse and his friends go.

Normal Variant
A Wither can move very quickly. Upon noticing a mob, a Wither will attack it with a projectile called the “Wither Skull”. Wither Skulls inflict a status effect called "Wither II" on Normal and Hard difficulties for about 10 to 40 seconds, respectively. This effect is similar to Poison except that it can kill the player, and it turns the health bar black which makes it difficult to tell at a glance how many hearts are still full. The wither is able to break any block except Bedrock and End Portal Frames. It can also destroy Obsidian, which is well known for its immunity to TNT and long mining time.

Each head is fired individually, allowing a Wither to attack up to three different mobs at the same time or fire very quickly on a single mob. The middle-head of a Wither shoots a blue Wither skull which will give the player the Wither effect while its other heads shoot their own skulls. Withers need at least a 5 block high airspace to fit; regardless, they can't be trapped and suffocated in smaller rooms. When attacked, a Wither will break any block that comes into contact with it except bedrock and end portal frames.

A Wither has the ability to destroy blocks similar to that of the Ender Dragon's ability. When near any block that can be destroyed by a player, it will produce an audible smashing sound. For example, this could happen by having a Wither on one side of a wall and the player on the other, so the Wither would have to make a path through the wall in order to attack. The Wither will then instantly destroy a 3x3 hole in the wall in order to pass through it.

A Wither's boss health bar is only shown when a player is looking in the direction of the Wither, and it can also be seen through walls when the player is looking in the Wither's direction. When it reaches half health, a Wither will gain the "Wither Armor" effect which makes it immune to Arrows and Potions but not melee attacks as well as having a visual effect surrounding it similar to that of a Charged Creeper. While in this state, a Wither cannot fly. A Wither, when calm, cannot fly, and instead, it simply hovers above the ground, but it cannot "jump" up one block. When angered by the player, a Wither will fly at the same height as the player. Like other undead mobs, such as zombies, skeletons, etc., a Wither is harmed by Potions of Healing and healed by Potions of Harming. It also regenerates health over time (about a heart per second). The Wither will explode when it is done powering up, so the player should steer clear of it when it's spawned.

Wither Storm
A Wither Storm is a very powerful creature. It can gain far superior capabilities with the help of a Command Block. Its powers are:


 * Firing Wither Skulls which explode violently on contact.
 * Using a tractor beam, sucking in any mobs or blocks in it and inflicting them with Wither or Wither Sickness.
 * Using its many tentacles to break through obstacles (including Obsidian) and to attack from a distance.

Compared to a regular Wither, a Wither Storm's powers are so immense that it is more like an incarnation of the God of Destruction. Its Wither Skill projectile's firepower are far more destructive than a normal Wither's, and has developed the ability to project powerful tractor beam that sucking in any mobs or blocks in it, and inflicting them with Wither Sickness upon being devoured. A Wither Storm can also display God-like strength and durability, as its tentacles can easily break through Obsidian walls like a twig, even before it reaches its massive size, and is immune to conventional weapons. Its regenerative ability that comes from a Command Block used to create it is so potent that even after being blown into pieces with Formidi-Bomb, a Wither Storm can eventually resusciate in mere minutes as well as allowing some huge chunks of it to grow into entire creature and take on lives of their own, which explained why two smaller Wither Storm can emerge alongside the original one. It means had Ivor's Wither Storm allowed itself to mutilate several times with destructive weapons such as Formidi-Bombs whilst its Command Block remained intact, it would allowed Wither Storm to overrun the whole world (which fortunately never happened).

In spite of the God-like strength it possesses, a Wither Storm can actually be destroyed for good, as it has few weaknesses. It's true that it cannot withstand a Formidi-Bomb's explosion, and can be incapacitated by it, but using such a highly destructive weapon is not recommended as should it blow into pieces, the Wither Storm would split into 3 or more creatures. First thing that can delay the creature's advance is mutilation by Endermen. An Enderman's ability to dismantle and moving blocks causes rapid and significant harm on a Wither Storm, and an entire horde is enough to keep harming it that it cannot regenerate. The only thing that can destroy a Wither Storm as well as its bretherens is destroying the Command Block used to create it, with weapons that enchanted with the same power with the Command Block itself.

A wither storm has another unique ability: its heads can pop out inside its body, as shown in Episode 4: A Block in a Hard Place, where Jesse went inside Ivor's Wither Storm, and two of its heads attacked him by popping out from the skin.

Normal Variant
To create a Wither, the player must arrange four Soul Sand blocks in a capital "T" shape, and place three wither skeleton skulls on top. The Wither will appear instantly, staying still, while beginning charging its health and cannot be damaged in this time. Once fully charged, a large explosion happens around it, and it begins attacking anything in sight aside from other Undead monsters (Zombies, Skeletons, etc.).

A Wither can destroy any block except Bedrock, and therefore cannot be contained. Once the player has worn it down to half health, it forms "Wither Armor" that protects it from arrows. The player must then finish it off at close range. When killed, it drops the Nether Star, an ingredient to the Beacon, a powerful block that gives the player enhanced powers.

''Note: The wither is not created in a crafting table. Instead, the components of the wither must be placed/stacked in a particular shape (similar to an Iron Golem), following the shape outlined in the table.''


 * The last block placed MUST be a Wither Skeleton head, or this will not work.

Wither Storm
A Wither Storm can be created with the same materials and same fashion as a normal variant. The difference, however, is that the middle soul sand must be replaced with a Command Block that immediately functions as its heart. Once brought to life, a Wither Storm will at first have a typical Wither-like form, but once it assimilates any objects around it, it evolves into a floating behemoth with long, powerful tentacles, 3 heads, glowing purple eyes, and large teeth. At the end of episode 3, the failed attempt to destroy the Wither Storm created by Ivor caused it to evolve and separate into 3 pieces, 2 that bear resemblance to the original Wither Storm, and one with a giant head.

History (Minecraft: Story Mode)
In the game, Minecraft: Story Mode, a Wither Storm appears as the main antagonist of the first four episodes. The Wither Storm was created by Ivor and was intended to be used to outclass Gabriel. Ivor lost control of the Wither Storm after it started to absorb surrounding Blocks.

In "The Last Place You Look", the Wither Storm was believed to have been killed by the Formidi-bomb. However, the blast did not destroy the Command Block, and the beast rebuilt itself. There are two tiny Wither Storms, and one main Wither Storm (the one with the Command Block).

Order of the Stone
When Ivor puts the Wither Skeleton Skull on top of the Command Block, Ivor tries to prove that he can defeat it, but the potion has no effect due to it not being the correct potion because either Axel or Jesse (depending on Jesse's choice when Axel attempts to take it) stole it earlier. Jesse throws the real potion, however, the Wither Storm covers the Command Block, causing the potion to have no effect.

The Wither Storm continues to follow Jesse and his friends as they head to Gabriel's temple, when they try to escape, it tries to capture Gabriel, but he is rescued by Jesse, but then both Gabriel and Petra and Jesse must choose to rescue one of them and once he makes his decision, he tries to rescue the other one but the Wither Storm knocks him into the nether portal.

Later, at the end of the episode, it appears at the sunset as a warning, and Lukas says, "Please hurry." to warn Jesse and the others that the Wither Storm is coming for them, but didn't realize at the time that it was tracking Gabriel's amulet.

Assembly Required
The Wither Storm that Ivor created attacks when Jesse and Olivia/Axel try to get Ellegaard/Magnus, later they plan to destroy the Wither Storm with a Formidi-Bomb. If Jesse chooses to rest before heading to Soren's temple, the Wither Storm will catch up with them.

The Last Place You Look
The team attempts to destroy Ivor's Wither Storm with the Formidi-Bomb after receiving it, however, the Command Block was not destroyed in the process, allowing it to come back to life. To make matter worse, as the Wither Storm resusciates, some fallen pieces of it also regenerates and turned into 2 new, smaller Wither Storms. The team then flees to find another way to destroy it.

A Block and a Hard Place
The Wither Storms quickly track down Jesse and his friends, but when they meet up with Ivor once again, they flee to the Far Lands and receive a weapon that can destroy the command block. They manage to anger enough Endermen to tear a hole in the main Wither Storm.

After a long, hard battle, Jesse destroys the Command Block, thus finally destroying the Wither Storm. Although, from the victory, comes the great cost: Aside many hostile creatures that killed in its path of destruction, Ivor's Wither Storm has left tremendous damage and death of one of the members of the Order of the Stone (either Ellegaard or Magnus) and indirectly killed Reuben.

Killed Victims (Minecraft: Story Mode)
The list below shows the victims the Wither Storm has killed:


 * Magnus the Rogue (Determinant)
 * Ellegaard the Redstone Engineer (Determinant)
 * Reuben
 * Many Hostile Mobs

Killed By
Since the Wither Storm was powered by the Command Block, Jesse used an enchanted weapon (with Command Block powers) to destroy the latter. This killed the Wither Storm and ensured that it would never return.
 * Jesse
 * Reuben (Indirectly)

Trivia

 * The name 'Wither' means dead, and it refers to the materials needed in order to create one which comes from Minecraft's "Hell" where dead souls supposedly go.
 * The Wither had a glitch where it would spin around in circles while shooting Wither Skulls.
 * There was a glitch where the Wither couldn't fly in Superflat worlds.
 * Withers cannot be trapped inside any material excluding bedrock (in creative mode).
 * The wither skeleton skull can be placed with a Dispenser.
 * There is a 2x2 Wither Painting that can be placed.
 * It is possible to change the Wither's size using commands which is similar to that of the Slime and the Magma Cube. It can become up to 256 blocks tall, but it won't attack.
 * There was a glitch where the Wither could destroy the End portal even though the End portal is indestructible.
 * If the player attempts to spawn the wither in peaceful mode, the blocks will stay there and not turn into the actual Wither.
 * In the Minecraft 1.4 Update, The Wither is able to ride a Minecart.
 * The player can spawn the Wither horizontally, but it will always spawn vertically.
 * The Wither can see the player, even if they have an invisibility potion effect.
 * The Wither appears on all the faces of the Red Chiseled Sandstone.
 * If the player is playing on Easy difficulty, then the Wither will not shoot the blue Wither Skulls, which give the Wither effect to the player.
 * If the Wither is given a Name Tag, then the text that appears on the top of the screen will change to the name of the name tag given.
 * The wither has the most health of any mob in Minecraft, with 300 HP.
 * The Wither Storm is the first major antagonist in the series (with the other 2 being Hadrian and the Admin), and the first antagonist to be created by a person.
 * The second antagonist to be created by a person is PAMA.
 * The Wither Storm appeared to be smaller for a short time after Jesse hit it with the Formidi-bomb.
 * The Wither Storm's Command Block was used to track the Amulet.
 * The terms "Witherstorm" and "Wither Storm" are interchangeable, and in fact both terms were used to refer to it in Minecraft: Story Mode. The first wording was used in Episodes 1 and 2, and the second was used in Episodes 3 and 4.
 * When the Wither Storm's middle head was mutated, its eye color was cyan instead of purple.
 * When the Wither Storm sucks in humans, they are not actually killed, but are inflicted with Wither Sickness.
 * After the Wither Storm gets up after being hit by the Formidi-Bomb, the 3 Wither Storms that are created have only 1 head each. A little later in Episode 4, the other 2 heads for each monster are created.
 * It is revealed in "A Block and a Hard Place", that Ivor created the Wither Storm as a form of punishment for the Order of the Stone for lying to the world about their fight against the Ender Dragon.
 * The Wither Storm is one of the three major antagonists of the series, the second being Hadrian, and the third being the Admin.