How many strongholds are there in a standard Minecraft world?

In Minecraft, players often seek out strongholds to find and open a portal to the End, but there are more than a few strongholds in a standard world seed for players to seek out.

Though they generate differently between Minecraft: Java Edition and Bedrock Edition, players can find at least 128 strongholds on a given world, meaning there are abundant opportunities to not only find one stronghold, but multiple depending on positioning.

In addition to End portals, strongholds have plenty of loot to go around, making the player's search for them well worth it. Even if players have already found their way to the End.

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Minecraft: How strongholds generate in Java and Bedrock versions

End portals aren't the only draw for strongholds, just the most apparent one (Image via Mojang)

Depending on which version of Minecraft is being played, the generation procedure and placement for strongholds is somewhat different.

In Java Edition, standard worlds generate 128 strongholds in random coordinates within designated ring-shaped areas of the map. There are eight rings in total, with the central radius placed at the coordinates of X=0, Z=0.

The range of the rings and the number of strongholds within them are as follows:

• The first ring will have three strongholds and is located between 1,280 to 2,816 blocks from the center.
• The second ring holds six strongholds and is located between 4,352 to 5,888 blocks from the center.
• The third ring holds ten strongholds and is located between 7,424 to 8,960 blocks from the center.
• The fourth ring has 15 strongholds and is found between 10,496 to 12,032 blocks from the center.
• The fifth ring has 21 strongholds and is found between 13,568 to 15,104 blocks from the center.
• The sixth ring holds 28 strongholds and is located between 16,640 to 18,176 blocks from the center.
• The seventh ring has 36 strongholds within 19,712 to 21,248 blocks from the center.
• The eighth ring is the final ring and is located between 22,784 to 24,320 blocks from the center and contains nine strongholds.

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In Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, strongholds effectively generate randomly. The distances that these strongholds can generate are not set, and they can even be found above-ground, underwater, and even under villages.

Because there is no set distance for stronghold generation in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, they can even overlap on occasion. Since the algorithm generates strongholds randomly in Bedrock, there are effectively an infinite number of potential strongholds.

Some players have even allegedly spotted strongholds generating in the Far Lands at the edge of a Minecraft world's boundaries.