Brewing potions is an often-overlooked feature in Minecraft, yet it offers a wide range of possibilities. You’ll find some truly exciting status effects here that you couldn’t get otherwise. From Invisibility to Strength, there’s a large selection of options. Brewing is also varied, with splash potions, tipped arrows, and lingering potions for different situations. If you want to brew potions automatically, check out our potion brewery (Build an Automatic Potion Brewery in Minecraft: Guide & Tips) .
1. Brew and use the Potion of Water Breathing
- Ingredient: Pufferfish
Normally, you can only hold your breath for a limited time in Minecraft, but when you drink this potion, the bubble bar stops decreasing, and with Redstone you can stay underwater for up to eight minutes. You should definitely brew this potion if you’re searching the ocean for treasure or planning long underwater building projects. A permanent alternative is an activated Conduit, which grants you water breathing, better visibility, and mining speed underwater.
2. Use the Potion of Fire Resistance properly in the Nether
- Ingredient: Magma Cream
If you’re traveling in the Nether or descending into deep caves, a Potion of Fire Resistance is your best tool. One wrong step and you can fall into lava and burn within seconds. With this potion you’re immune to all fire damage and can even take a dip in a lava pool without burning. You can also occasionally obtain it as a splash potion via Piglin bartering.
3. Potion of Night Vision for clear sight in the dark
- Ingredient: Golden Carrot
Carrots are known to be good for your eyes, and in Minecraft a golden carrot lets you see perfectly. Night Vision ensures that you can see clearly even in dark places like caves, in the Nether, underwater, or at night. It’s extremely practical and should really always be in your inventory when you head into dark areas.
4. Potion of Weakness for curing zombie villagers
- Ingredient: Fermented Spider Eye
You shouldn’t use the Potion of Weakness on yourself, of course—that would be pretty unwise. It reduces the damage you can deal. This potion becomes important when you want to cure a zombie villager back into a normal villager. Why that matters is explained in our guide (Minecraft Villager Trading: Permanent Discounts with Zombie Curing) . You’ll also need a golden apple.
5. Potion of Slow Falling to prevent fall damage in the End
- Ingredient: Phantom Membrane
Fall damage can be deadly in any game, but in Minecraft it’s especially tragic. It’s easy to misjudge a ledge or accidentally fall into a hole. The Potion of Slow Falling can negate that. It’s particularly useful in the End when you’re fighting the Ender Dragon or Shulkers. You definitely don’t want to die to a hard impact on the ground at the very end.
6. Potion of Harming as a lingering potion for crowd control
- Ingredient: Fermented Spider Eye + Potion of Healing
You should avoid drinking this potion yourself, as it deals 3 hearts of damage instantly—and 6 hearts at level II. However, it’s perfect as a lingering potion to control groups. In that form it deals damage every second as long as mobs or other players remain in its cloud. That adds up to between 7.5 and 15 hearts of damage in just five seconds. Note that the potion does not work on undead—it heals them instead.
7. Potion of Invisibility for PvP and multiplayer
- Ingredient: Fermented Spider Eye + Potion of Night Vision
You can also brew an advanced potion from Night Vision to turn yourself invisible. In single-player this is usually less useful, but in multiplayer you can take advantage of the effect to outsmart opponents. Keep in mind that your armor is still visible, and particles float around you—so you’re not completely invisible. In PvP, however, it can still buy you some valuable seconds.
8. Potion of the Turtle Master for more resistance
- Ingredient: Turtle Shell
This potion is often underestimated and requires a turtle shell. It makes you slower but also grants resistance to damage. This applies to all damage except hunger. It’s a great option in both PvE and PvP, helping you survive tough situations or simply boost your defense. Yes, you’ll be slower, but the Resistance is absolutely worth it.
9. Potion of Strength for maximum weapon damage
- Ingredient: Blaze Powder
Of course, there’s also a potion that simply makes you stronger. Use blaze powder to brew a Potion of Strength, which is particularly good against bosses. Sometimes you can also find it as loot, for example in trial chambers. Per level of the potion, you deal 1.5 hearts more damage in Java—so 3 hearts on level II. This applies to every melee attack, regardless of the weapon.
10. Potion of Swiftness: move and farm faster
- Ingredient: Sugar
The Potion of Swiftness increases your movement speed, making it ideal for exploration, quick escapes in PvP, and long journeys. With Redstone you can extend the duration up to eight minutes. In tight caves, on long paths, and during large building projects, you’ll save noticeable time and move more flexibly.
Conclusion on Minecraft potions: underestimated and extremely useful
You shouldn’t forget about potions in Minecraft—they can help in many different situations. Whether in combat, for movement, or even for certain farms, potions are versatile. You can even build an automatic brewing setup so you no longer have to hunt for ingredients and brew manually. Gear up for your adventures accordingly and use potions to avoid unnecessary deaths in Minecraft.
If you want to try your hand at potions, rent one of our Minecraft servers and play together with friends. Especially in PvP, the true power of some potions shines—and can help you decide fights more quickly.
