Minecraft has claimed a special place in the hearts of anyone who has played it, though it has changed a lot from how we first remember it. It is a relaxing, therapeutic experience, akin to playing with Legos without all of the cleanup afterward. For most players, the scariest experience will be losing some gear after a long trek in the mines. What if there was something sinister hiding in this whimsical world of cubes though?
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This article will take you through some hidden Minecraft lore that will forever change the way you look at the game. Note that Microsoft has never, and most likely will never, release canonical lore for the game. Minecraft has always prided itself on its openness to creativity and fan theory. As a result, the entries on this list will be compiled from some of the most convincing fan theories, gaps we've been able to fill in through our own experiences with the game, and even some information from Notch himself.
Updated June 1, 2022 by Gavin Looker: We knew you wanted more so here it is! This update focuses on the theory that Minecraft may be canonically connected to the internet, and all that can entail. We have added new entries to detail exactly what this could mean for the Minecraft universe.
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15 Ancient Race Of Builders
It should be evident to anyone who has played Minecraft before that there is a lot of history to the land of Minecraft before Steve shows up. This history can be uncovered during exploration via Desert Temples, Jungle Temples, and Underwater Temples.
The very existence of these superstructures tells us that there was an advanced race of builders that existed at one point. But what became of these genius architects? It certainly had to be a different race than the Villagers, as they are only capable of small structures and rudimentary tools. Something happened to this almost godlike race, and they come in first on this list, as many of the other lore theories incorporate them in some way.
14 The Nether
The introduction of Hoglins and Piglins has cast new light on the lore of the Nether. It had always been assumed that the builders had visited the Nether due to the Nether Fortresses. These mobs have all but confirmed the theory.
It is assumed that Hoglins and Piglins are descendants of the ancient race of builders that settled in the Nether. Or, more accurately, were transformed into pigs after settling in the Nether. It is possible that the settlers there were transformed as punishment for their role in creating the Wither.
13 Origin Of Ghasts
Ghasts only exist in the Nether, or the afterlife, and are obviously a ghoulish take on ghosts. This does pose the question: What in the Minecraft world is big enough to create a ghost of such size. The simple answer is nothing.
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The long answer is more disturbing. Soul Sand is the result of sand that has absorbed the souls of the dead. Knowing from the Wither that Soul Sand can spawn mobs means that once Souls Sand has absorbed too many souls, it births the giant malcontented spirit in a sort of reverse water cycle. Essentially, Ghasts are clouds formed from the runoff of the souls of the damned. Cute!
12 Origin Of The Wither
The Wither has a story attached to it befitting such a terrifying creature. Made up of Soul Sand and three Wither Skeleton skulls, before the beast springs to life, it has a very similar construction to a Golem.
There is a prevailing theory on the Wither that has to do with Golems. After the technology of creating Iron and Snow Golems was perfected, those who traveled into the Nether had a new idea. They saw the Soul Sand absorbing the souls of the fallen, and imagined that if a Golem could be created from a Souls Sand base, then their friends could be resurrected. The result of their experimentation was the Wither.
11 Origin Of Endermen
Endermen are tall, lanky, black creatures that primarily inhabit the End. The End is known to have some space distorting effects as it is a part of another dimension. This explains why Endermen can teleport, but what exactly are they?
It is most likely that the Endermen are the last living remnants of the ancient race of builders. Based on what we know about the Nether, we know the builders were either exploring beyond their capacity or trying to escape something. Their exploration led them to The End where they set up settlements. Long-term exposure to the strange dimension changed the builders into Endermen.
10 Mutating Fungi
The Mushroom Biomes are some of the rarest and most striking areas in the game. They are quite unlike any other biome in the game, and their lore is just as fitting. Basically, these biomes throw off parasitic spores that latch on to any mobs in the area and convert them into mushroom-hybrid mobs.
Evidence for this exists in the Mooshrooms that inhabit these zones. If shears are used on them, the mushrooms come off and the animal converts to a normal cow once more. This theory is strengthened by the fact that no mobs hostile or otherwise can spawn on Mushroom blocks. It seems even the evilest creatures keep a healthy distance from Mushroom Biomes.
9 Creepers Are Plants
The invasive fungi theory is even more believable when looking at the infamous Creeper. Notch himself has said that Creepers have the texture of dried leaves. In other words, Creepers are plants!
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This makes sense on a number of levels. First off, creeper is also the name of certain weeds that parasitize trees and grow up their trunks. Fungi also thrive on decomposing matter and breed by spreading spores, typically on the wind. How does this relate to Creepers? They actively seek the player out. They explode to kill the player, making a nice bed of decomposing matter. The force of their explosion spreads Creeper spores in all directions.
8 Zombie Virus Outbreak
What happened to the builders? What led them to flee to such terrible places as The End and the Nether? Those questions are answered by this theory.
It seems that the undead that spawn at night are the result of a disease that can spread via contact. Igloos contain alchemy labs showing that the last living builders isolated themselves in remote areas to work on a cure. This zombie apocalypse would explain why the builders even attempted to settle in the Nether, as they must have been desperate. It seems that some progress was even made in this research as a Potion of Harming and a Golden Apple, two very useful items, can be used on Zombie Villagers to return them to life.
7 A Lonely Existence
Steve or Alex is the main protagonist of Minecraft. When loading up a new world, they seemingly wake up in a random remote part of the world. If everyone except villagers are dead, then who are these two people?
Steve and Alex are the last living members of the ancient race of builders. They fit all the requirements. They can craft complex tolls, and construct lavish buildings, and have a knowledge of Redstone, a very complex system of electronics. It seems that Steve/Alex awaken just at the end of the great zombie apocalypse and now have to wander aimlessly and create their own purpose, as their society has crumbled.
6 Healing Over Time
With all the darkness, death, and despair that occur behind the scenes, this childhood classic may seem like it has no happy ending in sight. This, however, is not the case. At its core, Minecraft is a title about making your own purpose, while remaining in harmony with nature.
Minecraft veterans will remember how barren the world used to be. Cows and sheep were the only non-hostile mobs, and trees were the only plant life. As time has gone on, and the ravages of the builder's society have been lost to time, nature has begun its reclamation. Bees, flowers, fish, lush coral reefs, and dozens of other endangered species are coming back from the brink with each update. Though the tale of the ancient builders is a sad one, it is something Steve can learn from, while he watches the environment his society destroyed returns to life once more.
5 Where The Builders Went
Where did the Ancient Builders go? We said earlier that they may have been driven out of the world thanks to the zombie outbreak. However, that theory doesn't really hold water, since Steve himself can easily make buildings that are safe from spawning mobs.
If there are no Builders left then they must have gone somewhere, and there is actually a poem in the game that supports this theory. After beating the Ender Dragon, and entering the End Portal, a dialogue between two unknown characters is displayed about the player. It basically says that by exiting the End, the player has achieved a higher form. Perhaps all the Builders achieved this form and chose not to return to the world.
4 Minecraft Is Connected To The Internet
This may seem like a no-duh statement but hear us out. The paintings in Minecraft are clear evidence that the game has access to the outside world. Some paintings, like "Bust" and "Wander" depict real world pieces of art, while the "Graham" painting is a depiction of Graham from King's quest.
The developers of Minecraft pay very close attention to their lore, and would not have put in copies of real-world art unless it meant something. They just have easily could have put in original pixel; art, but deliberately chose derivative work. This is to show that the world of Minecraft is connected to our own, and that someone or something is bringing parts of our world into the Minecraft world.
3 Where The Builders Went Part Two
So we established that the Builders went somewhere upon reaching the End. But where exactly is this nebulous somewhere? This is where we can tie our previous two theories together to paint a more precise picture.
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You see, the End Poem dictates that we can either take a higher form or return to our world upon beating the game. It also says at one point that we have not reached the "highest form" yet. This could mean that the Ancient Builders all went to the End, transcended into their higher forms, and from there left the game. They escaped Minecraft into the Internet, and in doing so, it seems they left behind cracks that allow our media to filter through into the game.
2 Hivemind Theory
All these theories lead to one final theory. There is no longer an Ancient Race of Builders, because they all transcended. But they did not stop there. They went on to combine their transcended consciousness into a single being, a God if you will. They achieved the "highest form" they mentioned.
This would explain why there are no Builders left anywhere, and brings up some interesting motivations for why they took such action. Maybe they were so horrified by the Zombie outbreak and the events in the Nether that they wanted to become a god to reverse it. But interestingly, they never did. Maybe that in Godhood they found peace with simply leaving the world to its machinations.
1 New Motivations For Steve
If the Hivemind Theory is correct, it could shed some new light onto Steve's motivations for conquering the End. Perhaps he is the last of the Builders and simply wanted to find out what became of his brothers and sisters. However, Steve chooses to go back to the world after transcending. This is a very interesting and crucial bit of lore to figure out Steve's motivations.
It could be that he saw the God that his species had become and was content to go back to his world. He may have been scared of losing himself to the "highest power" and selfishly decided to keep his mortality. Or perhaps he truly wants to finish what the Builders started and refuses to leave the world so that his race did not die in vain. Whatever his motivations are, Minecraft has certainly taken on a much deeper meaning than it ever has before.
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