What is Crying Obsidian used for in Minecraft?

Introduced in Minecraft version 1.16, Crying Obsidian is a variant of obsidian that emits purple particles and looks as though it's oozing a purple liquid, hence the "crying" name.

On occasion, players seeing ruined Nether portals in the Overworld or the Nether may come across Crying Obsidian, as it sometimes appears as part of the broken and abandoned portals. Additionally, Crying Obsidian can sometimes be found within loot chests inside the Nether's Bastion Remnants.

Piglins even occasionally give players Crying Obsidian if they are willing to barter with them by providing them gold ingots. While there are a few ways to get Crying Obsidian, the block has one particular use besides decoration, and that is creating a Respawn Anchor.

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Minecraft: What is a Respawn Anchor?

Image via Mojang

Crafted in Minecraft by using six blocks of Crying Obsidian and three blocks of glowstone, Respawn Anchors allow players to set their spawn point within the Nether. In a similar function to beds in the Overworld, if a player dies while a Respawn Anchor is active and set, they will respawn in the vicinity of the anchor's placement within the Nether. In order to activate this effect, the Respawn Anchor will need to be charged first.

To charge a Respawn Anchor, Minecraft players will need one of the materials used to craft it, namely glowstone blocks. By using glowstone blocks on the Respawn Anchor, players will add a charge to it, and it will also change its texture and begin emitting light to show this change. There is a dial on the side of the anchor that signifies what charge level it is currently at, with the maximum charge level being a total of four glowstone blocks.

Additionally, the maximum light level that the Respawn Anchor can emit when given enough glowstone is 15, making it a good block to use to prevent hostile mob spawning in an area.

To set a player's Respawn Anchor, they just need to interact with it the same way they would a bed. Multiple players in a multiplayer situation can do the same to a Respawn Anchor simultaneously. As long is it retains charges, it will continue to respawn players in its designated area.

If the anchor is destroyed, runs out of charges, or is in a situation where it is unable to place a player, Minecraft players will receive an error message that the anchor was unable to carry out its purpose. They will then be returned to their original spawn point when they first entered the world seed.

Players should also keep in mind that the Respawn Anchor only works within Minecraft's Nether. If it is used within the Overworld, The End, or any custom dimensions created via mods, the block will explode and set fire to the surrounding area.

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