To cure a zombie villager in Minecraft, throw a Splash Potion of Weakness at it, then feed it a Golden Apple, and wait for the transformation to complete. This is the only way to cure a zombie villager, and mastering how to cure a zombie villager gives you access to discounted trades and the Zombie Doctor achievement.
Required materials to cure a zombie villager
You need exactly two items: a Splash Potion of Weakness and a Golden Apple. Both must be applied to the zombie villager in the correct order. Below, you will find step-by-step instructions for crafting each item.
How to make a Splash Potion of Weakness
To brew a Splash Potion of Weakness, you need a brewing stand, blaze powder, water bottles, a fermented spider eye, and gunpowder.
- Open the brewing stand and place blaze powder in the top-left slot to fuel it.
- Place three water bottles in the bottom three slots of the brewing stand.
- Put the fermented spider eye in the top slot where ingredients go. The brewing process will begin, creating three Potions of Weakness.
- Once the Potions of Weakness are complete, add gunpowder to the same top slot. This turns them into Splash Potions of Weakness.
You now have a throwable potion that applies the Weakness effect to any mob it hits.
How to make a Golden Apple
A Golden Apple is crafted using a crafting table, one apple, and eight gold ingots.
- Open a crafting table to access the 3x3 grid.
- Place the apple in the center square of the grid.
- Fill all eight remaining squares around the apple with gold ingots.
- Collect the Golden Apple from the result slot.
You may find a Golden Apple inside the chests in mineshafts, dungeons, ruins, and the Woodland Mansion. This item is the only food that can cure a zombie villager when combined with the Weakness effect.
Step-by-step curing process
Once you have both items, follow these steps to cure a zombie villager:
- Trapping the zombie villager: Ensure the zombie villager cannot move or escape. You can trap it in a small enclosure, a boat, or a minecart. This prevents it from wandering off or burning in sunlight.
- Throwing the potion: Select the Splash Potion of Weakness from your hotbar and throw it at the zombie villager. Green particles will appear around it, indicating the Weakness effect has been applied.
- Feeding the apple: With the Golden Apple in hand, right-click or use the interact button on the zombie villager to feed it. The green particles will turn red, and the zombie villager will begin to shake.
- Waiting for the cure: The transformation takes time. In Java Edition, placing iron bars and beds near the curing zombie villager can speed up the curing process. The zombie villager will eventually turn into a normal villager.
What happens after you cure a zombie villager
When the transformation completes, the villager's profession is restored to what it was before zombification. If the zombie villager was a baby, it remains a baby after curing. Baby zombie villagers move 30% faster than regular baby villagers and stay as babies indefinitely. A nitwit zombie villager turned into a regular villager will either remain a nitwit (Java Edition) or learn a profession (Bedrock Edition). You earn the Zombie Doctor achievement, which grants 40 experience points and a gold trophy. The cured villager gives you permanent trading discounts, meaning it offers emeralds at a lower price. In Bedrock Edition, villagers within 16 blocks of the cured villager also receive small trading discounts.
Where to find zombie villagers
Zombie villagers spawn naturally, but the chance is rare. The most reliable location is an igloo basement, which naturally generates in snowy biomes. These basements contain a trapped zombie villager, a Potion of Weakness, and a Golden Apple, making it the easiest way to perform a cure. If you cannot find an igloo, you can create a zombie villager by letting a zombie attack a villager. In easy mode, an infected villager has a 0% chance of turning into a zombie villager. This chance increases to 50% and 100% when playing under normal and hard difficulty, respectively. Trap the villager in a boat and let a zombie attack it at night, then cure the resulting zombie villager. Armed zombie villagers can pick and hold weapons and other items that they come across.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do zombie villagers take to cure?
In Bedrock Edition, the cure takes about two minutes. In Java Edition, it takes three to five minutes. Placing iron bars or beds near the zombie villager can reduce this time.
How do you cure a zombie villager without a potion?
You cannot cure a zombie villager without a Potion of Weakness. The Weakness effect is required before the Golden Apple will work. There is no alternative method.
Do zombie villagers attack during the day?
Zombie villagers burn in sunlight, just like normal zombies, so they do not attack in broad daylight. However, they will attack players and other villagers if they are underground or in a shaded area where sunlight does not reach.
Can a cured zombie villager be turned back into a zombie?
Yes, if a zombie kills a cured villager on Hard difficulty, it can become a zombie villager again. The cure is not permanent protection from re-infection.
Does curing a zombie villager work in all game modes?
Yes, the curing process works the same in Survival, Creative, and Adventure modes. The items and steps are identical regardless of the game mode you are playing.
For the wider topic, see batteries and charging.
