How to Kill a Creeper in Minecraft

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 References

The creeper is one of the most iconic mobs in Minecraft, as well as one of the most infamous and annoying. Many players complain that the nuisances keep destroying their structures and, of course, killing them like silent kamikazes. Killing a creeper is pretty much the only way to deal with this, and it comes with a little bonus of gunpowder.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Scaring Off Creepers with Cats

1
Fish for raw fish. Make a fishing pole from three sticks and two pieces of string.^{[1]
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Research source} Use it next to a body of water and right-click when you notice a trail heading toward your lure.^{[2]
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Research source} Keep at it until you get raw fish.
- The fish trail will not appear if particles are set to the lowest setting.
- An enchantment table can improve your fishing rod.
2
Tame an ocelot. Feed the raw fish to an ocelot to turn it into a tamed cat that will follow you wherever you go unless told otherwise. If you have one or more Cats following you around, creepers will run away from you before they can explode.
- Ocelots are most often found above sea level on grass or leaves in jungle biomes.^{[3]
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3
Protect your base with cat guards. One cool strategy is telling a circle of cats to sit around the edges of your buildings. If the cats are close enough together, no Creepers will be able to even come close. Then you can safely shoot the creeper with a bow, or just ignore it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Using Traps and Tricky Tactics

1
Make a pit trap. Make a staircase with a wide entrance, about 4 x 4 blocks, so it's easier to lure the creeper into it. Have this lead to a pit 23 blocks deep, with ladders on the opposite wall. Lead the creeper here, then climb up to the surface while the creeper falls to its death.
- A diamond shovel might be fast enough to dig a small pit trap even while you are being chased, but this is a risky tactic.
2
Suffocate the creeper. If you can get above the creeper, you can drop two blocks of sand or gravel on the creeper, which has a good chance of killing it before it can escape. Some people make suffocation traps and lead the creepers into them, triggering a sticky piston to push a block onto the creeper's head, suffocating it.
- The lava variation is a more effective method, but risks setting fire to your surroundings.
3
Blow them up with TNT. First, use another method to kill creepers, then gather gunpowder from their bodies to use their own weapon against them. Craft TNT from five pieces of gunpowder and four blocks of sand or red sand.^{[4]
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Research source} This explosive does exactly what you would expect, and can be set off using redstone or from contact with fire or lava.
- Make sure the button or lever that sets off the TNT is a safe distance away.
- The TNT will destroy the ground where it blew up, so you will either have to fix the whole trap each time or set it up in a new area.
4
Burn the terrain in front of it. You can set up a path of flammable terrain, or just find it naturally occurring. Run away from the creeper backwards, while using your flint and steel to set the ground on fire. This will slowly burn the creeper to death as it walks over the flaming ground.
- Mine gravel to find flint, then craft it with an iron ingot to make flint and steel.^{[5]
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5
Fish for creepers. Yes, you really can lift enemies up with a fishing pole. Get on a hill above the creeper and go fishing, then drop it to deal damage. Repeat until the creeper is dead.
- Fishing rods are made from sticks and string, which you can find by killing spiders.
6
Lead a creeper to a skeleton. Getting between a skeleton and a creeper sounds like a terrible place to be, and it is. However, if you can get a skeleton's arrow to hit a creeper, it will drop a music disc, which can be played in jukeboxes.
- Some other enemies will attack creepers as well, but do not cause it to drop a music disc.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Using a Bow

1
Obtain a bow. If you don't have one already, there are several ways to get one:^{[6]
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- Craft one from 3 sticks and 3 pieces of string. (String can be obtained from spiders.)
- Skeletons have a small chance to drop a bow when killed.
- Fishing has a small chance to snag a bow.
- Fletcher villagers will give you a bow in exchange for emeralds.
2
Keep your distance. If a nearby creeper surprises you, turn and run. The advantage to using the bow is killing the creeper from well outside its blast radius, so there's no danger of it exploding next to you.
- Climbers will sometimes follow you upward if you climb, so make sure you have an escape route before jumping up a tree.
3
Shoot it three times. Three hits should be the most you need to kill a creeper in Normal mode, assuming you draw the bow back far enough.
4
Build a dirt tower. If you keep a large stack of dirt in your quick item slots, drop them rapidly underneath you while jumping and you'll soon create a dirt tower. From here you can safely shoot creepers below you, as long as you are at least six blocks above it (eight blocks above the ground).
5
Create arrow holes or a roof post. Protect your shelter by making a hole beneath your windows, so you can crouch and shoot arrows. Alternatively, make a roof outpost where you can shoot anything that comes near.
6
Enchant your bow. If you have access to an enchantment table, you might try enchanting your bow. Depending on the enchantment, this could increase your bow's damage, knock your targets further back, set your targets on fire, or give you unlimited arrows.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Fighting at Close Range

1
Sprint forward before hitting it. Sprint by double tapping the forward key, to rush toward the creeper. While sprinting, your attacks knock back enemies.
- Sprinting is not possible at low health or high hunger.
2
Run back and forth to get hits in. An iron sword takes three hits to kill a creeper in Normal mode, but if you try to hit it three times in a row, you'll probably get killed. Instead, retreat after the first hit, then sprint in again two more times, or until the creeper dies.
- Never come close while the creeper is blinking and hissing. This signals that it is almost ready to explode.
- A wooden, gold, or stone sword takes four hits to kill a creeper. Tools or bare hands can take even more.
3
Make a barrier. If you set up a fence or other barrier that blocks movement but not sight, this makes retreating during the combat much easier. If you're quick and notice the creeper from a distance, you may be able to set up a short fence before it approaches.
4
Fight underwater. Water nullifies the explosion, so if you can lure the creeper into a body of water, you are usually safe. Stay under the surface whenever you are next to the creeper, and it will usually be unable to hurt you at all. Block its attacks with a sword if you want to be a little safer.
- A creeper can drown in deep water.
5
Trigger an explosion. If you time it perfectly, you can trigger an explosion, but run away before it can deal you damage. This is a risky tactic, but if you encounter a group of creepers, a single explosion should kill them all. Consider trying this if you meet several creepers at once and don't have a bow.
- If the creepers are spread out, first move in a large circle around them to herd them into one small group.
- The creeper will first hiss and blink when you get close, but won't commit to the explosion until it starts flashing white.
6
Improve your sword. A diamond sword still takes three hits to kill a creeper, so it's not an improvement over iron in this case. Upgrading from anything else to iron, however, is highly recommended. Enchantment tables also provide a way to improve your weapon, potentially adding more damage, knockback, or the ability to set enemies on fire.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Using Splash Potions

1
Kill a blaze in the nether. This will sometimes drop a blaze rod. If you have not yet been to the nether, this is probably the most complicated way possible to kill a creeper. Try focusing on a different method instead.
2
Craft a brewing stand. Craft three cobblestone and a blaze rod together to make a brewing stand, which lets you make potions.^{[7]
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3
Turn potions into splash potions. There are many potions you can make from water bottles and other ingredients. Once you discover one that deals damage or gives negative effects, craft it with gunpowder to make splash potions, which can be thrown at enemies for the same effect.

Community Q&A

Question

Will creepers think you are a creeper if you dress up like a one?

Community Answer

No. They will still explode if they come near you. It is best to kill or avoid them.
Question

Is a creeper friendly or not?

Community Answer

Creepers are not friendly. They will explode if you are too close, and that explosion can kill you instantly if you're unarmored. Either avoid or defeat creepers when you encounter them.
Question

If I am able to kill a creeper, what does it give me?

Ellie

Community Answer

It gives you gunpowder, if it hasn't been exploded, and experience points if you manage to kill it.

Warnings

Tamed wolves and golems will not attack creepers.

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Unlike many monsters, creepers do not burn in sunlight.

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