Minecraft Advancement Guide: Free the End

Minecraft players earn this advancement when they defeat the Ender Dragon for the first time.

Advancement are Minecraft's version of achievements, which players earn upon completing challenges or goals found within the game. The tasks that players have to do vary immensely in terms of difficulty.

Some advancements are earned by completing some of the simplest actions that most Minecraft players will naturally do upon beginning the game. This particular advancement on the other hand, is earned by players when they successfully defeat the final boss found within the game.

This article will be breaking down how Minecraft players can obtain the "Free the End" advancement

Minecraft Advancement Guide: Free the End

Once Minecraft players have found their way into the End, they will faced with taking on the final boss of the game. The Ender Dragon has a whopping sized health pool of 100 hearts and can dish out some substantial amounts of damage.

Minecraft players who attempt to face this dragon unprepared, may find him near invincible with the constant healing that he mysteriously seems to keep recieving.

The first step to taking down this beast, and really the key part of the traditional fight, is destroying the end crystals found across the battlefield. These crystals are found atop surrounding towers, and act as a source of healing for the Ender Dragon.

Players who try to slay the beast with traditional methods, without destroying the end crystals, will find the task near impossible.

The safest way to destroy the End crystals is by using a bow or crossbow from afar, in order to avoid the explosive effect caused when a crystal is destroyed. Alternatively, Minecraft players who do not mind a bit of risk can try and pillar up to the crystals using blocks, and then destroy them up close.

This can be harsh maneuver, as the Ender Dragon will attempt to knock players off during their ascent. Furthermore, players will still need to take the explosion into account and have slow fall or use the water bucket trick to get off the tower fast.

With all the end crystals destroyed, the dragon will no longer have a source of healing, and all attacks made by the player will make a more permanent mark. Players will need to deal 100 hearts worth of damage by using a sword, bow, or any other means of causing damage. During different portions of the fight, one form of combat (melee vs. ranged) is typically more effective than another.

However, this dragon will not just lay down without a fight. It will strike back at the player with fireballs, breath, and melee attacks. This is why it is crucial that Minecraft players are fully equipped with food, potions, armor, weapons, and all tools they think will best aid them in this fight.

Once the required amount of damage is done, the Ender Dragon will explode in an illuminating display and rain down experience from the heavens. With the Ender Dragon slain, the "Free the End" advancement is granted as a reward.

Advanced Technique: One cycle with beds

This guide focused on the traditional method for killing the Ender Dragon, but there is a way to slay the beast that is both extremely quick and efficient for Minecraft players.

In summary, this method involves using consecutive bed explosions to deal an insane amount of damage to the dragon very quickly. This method essentially negates needing to deal with the end crystal entirely, and leads to a quick and smooth boss kill with some practice.

An in-depth look into how to slay the Ender Dragon in one cycle with beds will be covered in a future article.