If you’ve ever stared at a glowing nether portal or wanted to build a near-unbreakable base, you already know how valuable obsidian is. This dark, glossy block is one of the hardest to source in the game, and many new players struggle to collect it without wasting resources or taking unnecessary damage. We’re breaking down every method for how to get obsidian in Minecraft, no matter what play mode you prefer, plus pro tips to make the process faster and safer.
How to Get Obsidian in Survival Mode (Standard Method)
The most reliable way to get obsidian in survival is by combining water and lava source blocks, but there are a few non-negotiable rules you have to follow to make it work. You can only mine obsidian with a diamond or netherite pickaxe – if you use a stone, iron, or wooden pickaxe, you’ll spend 10+ seconds breaking the block and get no drop at all, which is a massive waste of time.
To make obsidian, first find a lava lake or single lava source block. Lava lakes are most common deep underground, between Y levels -50 and -64, but you can also find them on the surface in desert biomes or the nether. Bring at least one water bucket with you, and build a small cobblestone platform over the lava first to avoid slipping and falling in while you work. Pour the water over the edge of the platform so it flows over the top of the lava source blocks. If it hits stationary source lava, it will turn into obsidian instantly. If it hits flowing lava, you’ll get cobblestone or stone instead, so you may need to adjust where you pour the water to hit the source blocks directly.
Keep in mind that you can’t use water in the nether, since it evaporates immediately when you place it. If you want to make obsidian while exploring the nether, you’ll need to bring empty buckets to collect lava, then bring the lava back to the overworld to mix with water. Mining obsidian takes 9.4 seconds with a standard diamond pickaxe, or 2.25 seconds with a netherite pickaxe, so be prepared to stand still for a bit while you mine. You can speed up the process by enchanting your pickaxe with Efficiency, which cuts mining time significantly.
Alternative Methods to Source Obsidian Without Mining Lava
If you don’t have a diamond pickaxe yet, or don’t want to risk falling into lava while mining, there are several other ways to get obsidian with far less risk. These methods are great for new players who are still gearing up, or players who only need a small amount of obsidian for a quick build. Some of the most reliable options include:
- Raiding Nether portals: Both ruined portals in the overworld and nether, plus naturally generated portals in the nether, are made of obsidian you can mine for free, no lava required. Many ruined portals also have obsidian in their surrounding chests, plus extra loot like gold ingots or enchanted gear.
- Trading with piglins: In the nether, you can barter gold ingots with piglins for a chance to get 1-4 obsidian per trade. This is a great option if you have extra gold and don’t want to hunt for lava lakes. Just make sure you’re wearing at least one piece of gold armor, otherwise piglins will attack you on sight.
- Looting end chests and village chests: Rarely, you can find obsidian in blacksmith chests in villages, or in end city chests after you beat the ender dragon. It’s not a consistent source, but it’s a nice bonus when you’re exploring other areas of the game.
Ruined portals are the best of these alternative methods for most players, since they spawn all over the overworld and are easy to spot from a distance, even if they’re partially buried. Many of them also have crying obsidian mixed in with regular obsidian, so make sure you check which block you’re mining before you spend time breaking it. Crying obsidian can’t be used to make nether portals, so it’s only useful for decoration or crafting respawn anchors.
How to Get Obsidian in Creative Mode Fast
If you’re playing in creative mode, you don’t need to go through the hassle of mining or trading for obsidian at all. Simply open your creative inventory, search for "obsidian" in the search bar, and drag the block to your hotbar. You can take unlimited stacks of obsidian for free, no tools or resources required, so you can start building with it right away.
Some servers have restricted creative permissions that force you to collect blocks the survival way, but most standard single-player creative worlds and public creative servers let you access all blocks directly. If you’re playing on a modded version of the game, you’ll also find modded variants of obsidian like reinforced obsidian or glowing obsidian in the creative inventory, which have extra durability or special visual effects for custom builds.
You can also use the give command to get obsidian in creative mode if you don’t want to search through the inventory, but the inventory method is far faster for most players. You don’t have to worry about breaking obsidian by mistake in creative either, since you can break any block instantly regardless of what tool you’re using.
Pro Tips for Using Obsidian Once You Collect It
Obsidian is one of the most useful blocks in the game, so it’s worth knowing how to use it effectively to get the most value out of the time you spend collecting it. Obsidian is resistant to all explosions except those from the wither and ender dragon, so it’s the best material for building explosion-proof bases, mob traps, or PvP arenas. If you live in an area with lots of creepers, lining the outside of your base with obsidian will stop creepers from blowing holes in your walls every time they sneak up on you.
You only need 10 obsidian to make a standard nether portal, so you don’t need to mine hundreds of blocks right away if that’s your only goal. If you want to move a portal later, you can mine it and rebuild it elsewhere, but you’ll need a flint and steel to relight it once it’s placed. Never use obsidian for temporary builds – it takes so long to mine that you’ll waste hours tearing it down later if you don’t need it long-term.
If you’re playing in hardcore mode, it’s especially important to mine obsidian safely, since one wrong move into a lava lake will end your world permanently. We recommend bringing a fire resistance potion with you when you go mining for obsidian, just in case you slip and fall into lava. You can also use obsidian to make ender chests, which let you access your stored items from any dimension, making them perfect for long exploration trips to the nether or end.
If you’re building a nether hub, lining the tunnels with obsidian will prevent ghast fireballs from blowing holes in your structure, which saves you a lot of repair work over time. You can also use obsidian to build barriers around your base to stop other players from breaking in on PvP servers, since it takes so long to mine that most raiders will give up before they get through.
Whether you’re gearing up for your first trip to the nether or building a massive unbreakable base, knowing how to get obsidian in Minecraft is a core skill every player should master. You don’t need fancy gear to get started, and the small amount of extra effort to collect it safely pays off huge in the long run. Try out the methods we outlined above, and you’ll have stacks of obsidian ready for whatever project you have planned next.