How to Get and Use Elytra in Minecraft

Due to Minecraft having an expansive blocky world, it is tempting to do a freefall from one of the game’s cliffs to appreciate the view. In Survival mode, though, instant death or damage can be the aftermath of not flying or gliding before hitting the ground. In Creative mode, you can fly. But isn’t it cooler to look like you are flying like a bird after taking the fearless jump or while deploying your Minecraft fireworks from the sky? So, how can you fly with wings in-game? The answer is to obtain elytra in Minecraft.

Here, you will find some useful information regarding elytra. Our guide will include how to get elytra in Minecraft and use it easily, too. That way, you can soar to greater heights in the game.

What Are Elytra in Minecraft?

Minecraft elytra let you fly or glide, as you already know. They are named after the elytra of beetles. The latter is the cover-like parts of a beetle that shield the critter’s actual wings when not in use and lift when the bug is ready to fly.

Elytra in Minecraft resemble and function more like gliders than wings, though. They only split and extend outward from their cape-like orientation and do not flap even if players call them wings. Nonetheless, they let you soar in Minecraft Bedrock or mobile’s Survival mode and make you appear you have wings in the Creative mode. Also, they are controllable once equipped.

Overall, elytra are one of the items that make Minecraft even more enjoyable or challenging for players. Minecraft even announced mini-games in the past, featuring air obstacle courses that tested gamers’ expertise in using elytra. Unfortunately, those were limited to consoles and there are no new ones as of writing.

How to Get and Equip Minecraft Elytra

Before you master using elytra in Minecraft, you have to get yourself a pair of the said wings. Below are how you can obtain the useful item with ease in the two modes of the game.

Survival Mode

In Survival mode, you can search for elytra toward the end of your Minecraft journey. To elaborate, it is obtainable when you have already ventured into the End via a Minecraft End Portal to slay the Ender Dragon.

Slaying the creature reveals the way to an End island with some cities. Although you can opt not to engage the said final boss yet, it will take ages exploring the dark realm to chance upon the cities where elytra are. Like other crafty players, you will be walking on your makeshift pathway of blocks while avoiding falling into the bottomless depths, which is a hit-and-miss tactic. It is like crossing a tightrope, so the typical way is still the easy way.

Regardless of how you manage to get into the End Cities, those could have an End ship hiding a pair of wings inside. Be prepared when you reach the hull of the eerie purple vessel, though, as you will be facing a shulker. For tips on defeating a shulker, you may check our guide on Minecraft mobs.

NOTE

The spawn rate of an End ship is said to be 12.5% per End City bridge. Also, only one ship can be seen docked per city.

Once you successfully get rid of or avoid the shulker, get the elytra that are displayed on a frame. Next, wear them by following these steps:

1. Check your in-game inventory.
2. Among the stored items there, find the elytra you have obtained.
3. Drag the elytra to your chest plate slot (empty box with vest-shaped icon).

If you have placed the elytra in their correct Minecraft slot, the interface should now show that your character is wearing it. Elytra look like closed crow’s wings behind your character.

Creative Mode

Needless to say, you do not scour the in-game world for your items on Creative mode because they are all in your inventory already. Thus, Minecraft elytra are easily accessible on the said mode compared to when you are in Survival mode.

Given that, let us jump into how to find and wear elytra in Creative mode:

1. Navigate to your inventory.
2. Press the armor tab to see all wearable gear.
3. Move your elytra from the inventory to the box you usually put your chest armor on.

How to Use or Control Elytra in Minecraft

We did say you glide rather than fly with Minecraft elytra on. That said, how you glide can be controlled in the game. Here’s how to do so in any game mode on mobile:

TIP

To enjoy gliding more, you may change your in-game point of view to “third person back” from the settings menu’s video tab.

1. Equip elytra to your Minecraft character.
2. Head to any high point or cliff in the game’s world.
3. Run and fall from the edge of the cliff.
4. While falling, make your character jump.
   *Jumping mid-air spreads out your elytra wings and makes you glide.
5. You may do the following while gliding:

• Turn right or left like how you do so when walking, but avoid abrupt shifts to a certain direction.
• Slow down or speed up movement by facing up or down, respectively.
• Deploy your firework rocket (double-tap the screen) if you have equipped some to increase your gliding height.

And that’s it! You can now soar and enjoy the blocky view from as high as you can using elytra in Minecraft.

FAQs

Here are typical questions and answers regarding elytra in Minecraft:

Can Elytra Be Crafted?

Although players love crafting things in the game, some items cannot be made from scratch. The same applies to elytra in Minecraft, so the answer is no. You can only get elytra officially (without mods) through the methods we have already discussed in this quick guide.

How High Can You Fly with Elytra in Survival Mode?

The maximum flying height per takeoff is not much of a concern in Creative mode because you can use your godlike flying skill with Minecraft elytra on. In Survival mode, though, it is something players are curious about. If you have the same question, remember that you are gliding instead of flying when using your elytra wings in Minecraft Survival. As a result, your flying height in that mode depends on how high the takeoff point is. However, it can be higher if you use firework rockets.

How Long Can You Fly Using Elytra in Minecraft?

When learning how to fly or glide using elytra in Minecraft, it also pays to know how long you can keep doing so. That way, you do not fall, hit nearby cliffs or the ground, and face imminent death unexpectedly in the game. With this, know that you can stay in the air with elytra equipped for seven minutes at most. While that may feel short when you are immersed in the view or doing a lot in the game, it is already good that you can fly in the first place.

Do Elytra Get Damaged?

Yes. The said set of wings has a total of 432 durability points, which decreases during each flight. It is worth mentioning here that the decrease may affect how long elytra can be used. Elytra become useless if they reach a single point. So, repair them regularly using the Minecraft anvil (combine elytra and phantom membrane from slain Phantoms) or Minecraft grindstone (fuse two elytra).

Can Minecraft Elytra Be Enchanted?

Elytra are among the items you can enchant (combine elytra with an enchanted book on an anvil). If you want to skip the regular repairs, add Mending to your wings. If you want to occasionally avoid the wear and tear or durability point reduction instead, enchant your elytra with Unbreaking (preferably tier III of this). Unbreaking slows down durability loss by nullifying the point decrease at times; its best version leads to a satisfying extended flight time of nearly 29 minutes. You may add a Curse of Vanishing to elytra too, but it only makes elytra vanish upon the character’s death to not be stolen by other players.