How to get Elytra in Minecraft

There’s no shortage of ways to travel in Minecraft, but one item you’ll want to get your hands on as soon as possible is the Elytra. What’s this? Well, the Elytra is a utility item that allows you to glide through the air. You can equip it in your chestplate slot through your inventory.

However, obtaining one isn’t as simple as killing mobs or searching through chests. You’ll need to take out the Ender Dragon and travel further into the End dimension. If you’re confused, here’s a complete guide on how to get Elytra in Minecraft and how you can use it to its maximum potential.

Elytra in Minecraft at a glance

How to get Elytra in Minecraft

Before we begin, it’s worth noting that the Elytra is an end-game item in Minecraft. This means that you’ll need to unlock access to the End dimension and defeat the Ender Dragon before you can start looking for it.

Once you’ve completed these requirements, follow the steps below to obtain the Elytra:

1. Find yourself a Stronghold and activate the End Portal.
2. Defeat the Ender Dragon if you still haven’t done so.
3. Locate the End Gateway portal and throw an Ender Pearl to enter it.
4. In the End Cities, search for an End Ship, which can be identified by its purple colour.
5. Enter the End Ship and look for the Elytra inside an item frame.
6. Break the frame to collect the Elytra.

While you’re exploring End Cities, you will also encounter Shulkers. Be careful around these hostile mobs, as their levitation attacks make them quite dangerous. If you’d rather skip the grind of defeating the Ender Dragon and exploring the End, you can make use of Minecraft commands to switch your game mode to Creative and obtain Elytra directly in your inventory.

How to use Elytra in Minecraft

Now that you’ve obtained the Elytra in Minecraft, the next step is learning how to use it. To begin with, equip the item in your chestplate slot. Once it’s equipped, there are a few ways you can take to the skies and make the most of the Elytra:

1. Glide from a high place

The simple way to use the Elytra is by jumping off a high location, such as a cliff or tower you’ve built. Once you are airborne, hit the jump button again to activate the Elytra and begin gliding. However, keep in mind that you won’t be able to gain altitude on your own, and you’ll gradually lose height. This method is useful for exploring nearby areas, scouting for resources, or escaping hostile mobs.

2. Use Firework Rockets

Firework Rockets are one of the best ways to boost your Elytra’s speed and keep yourself in the air for longer. You can craft them using 1x Paper and 1-3 pieces of Gunpowder. Using more Gunpowder will increase the rocket’s flight duration.

Once you have crafted your rockets, equip them in your hotbar and follow these steps:

1. Jump off a high location and hold the jump button to activate your Elytra.
2. Equip Firework Rockets in your hand.
3. While gliding, use a rocket to launch yourself forward and increase your speed.
4. Adjust your direction to maintain your momentum or gain some altitude.

3. Use a Trident with Riptide

Another way to launch yourself in the air using Elytra is with a Trident enchanted with Riptide. This enchantment allows you to push yourself forward when using the Trident in water or during rainy weather. When combined with the Elytra, it can help you travel through the air if you don’t have Firework Rockets.

How to repair Elytra in Minecraft

The Elytra is useful for travelling across the Minecraft world, but it isn’t indestructible. Its durability gradually decreases as you use it for gliding, and you’ll eventually need to repair it to keep using it. Since finding another Elytra requires travelling back to the End and exploring End Cities, repairing your existing one is a much better option.

There are two ways to repair an Elytra in Minecraft:

1. Phantom Membranes

1. Phantoms spawn at night when you haven’t slept for three in-game days. Defeat them and collect Phantom Membranes.
2. Craft an Anvil and place it down.
3. Open the Anvil interface and place your damaged Elytra in the first slot and Phantom Membranes in the second.
4. Spend the required XP levels and collect your repaired Elytra.

2. Combine two damaged Elytra pieces

1. Place an Anvil and open its interface.
2. Place your damaged Elytra in the first slot.
3. Add another damaged Elytra in the second slot.
4. Spend XP levels and collect the Elytra.

Wrapping up!

Elytra is one of the most useful transportation items in Minecraft as it allows you to glide through the world once equipped in your chestplate slot. However, obtaining it requires you to defeat the Ender Dragon and explore the End Islands in search of End Ships. You can also use the Firework Rockets to gain speed while gliding or use a Trident to push yourself forward.