Dragon's Breath is a rare brewing ingredient in Minecraft that you can only collect during the Ender Dragon fight. You'll need empty glass bottles to scoop up the purple particle clouds that appear when the dragon uses its breath attack or when the dragon's fireball explodes.
This guide covers everything you need to know about collecting Dragon's Breath, what it's used for, and how to maximize your collection during the End battle.
What Is Dragon's Breath?
Dragon's Breath is a brewing ingredient that drops as purple particle clouds during the Ender Dragon boss fight. It's the only way to create lingering potions, which leave area-of-effect clouds when thrown.
Unlike most items in Minecraft, you can't craft or find Dragon's Breath anywhere. You have to collect it yourself during the dragon encounter.
How to Get Dragon's Breath: Step-by-Step
What You'll Need:
- Access to the End dimension (find and activate an End Portal)
- Empty glass bottles (bring at least 10-20)
- Combat gear to survive the dragon fight
- Optional: Slow Falling potions for safety
Step 1: Reach the End Dimension
You'll need to locate a Stronghold and activate the End Portal using Eyes of Ender. Once you jump through, you'll arrive in the End where the Ender Dragon awaits.
Step 2: Start the Dragon Fight
The Ender Dragon will begin attacking as soon as you arrive. Don't focus on killing it immediately—you want to watch for its breath attacks.
Step 3: Watch for Purple Particle Clouds
The dragon creates purple particle clouds in two ways:
Dragon's Breath Attack:
- The dragon hovers and shoots a purple fireball
- When the fireball hits the ground, it creates a lingering purple cloud
- This is your main opportunity to collect
Dragon's Lingering Damage:
- Sometimes the dragon perches on the End portal
- Purple particles appear around it
- You can collect these as well (but it's riskier)
Step 4: Collect with Glass Bottles
When you see the purple particle cloud:
- Equip an empty glass bottle in your hand
- Approach the purple particles
- Right-click (or tap on mobile) on the cloud
You can collect multiple bottles from a single cloud before it disappears.
What Is Dragon's Breath Used For?
Dragon's Breath has one primary use: creating lingering potions.
Lingering Potions
Recipe:
Splash Potion + Dragon's Breath = Lingering Potion
Lingering potions create a cloud effect when thrown, similar to the dragon's breath. Any player or mob that walks through the cloud receives the potion effect.
Common Lingering Potions:
- Lingering Potion of Healing (damages undead mobs in an area)
- Lingering Potion of Harming (area damage)
- Lingering Potion of Poison (area poison)
- Lingering Potion of Slowness (area slow)
- Lingering Potion of Weakness (useful for curing zombie villagers)
Tipped Arrows
Lingering potions are used to create tipped arrows by placing a lingering potion in a cauldron and dipping arrows in it. This gives you arrows with potion effects.
Recipe:
Lingering Potion in Cauldron + Arrows = Tipped Arrows
This is the main reason most players collect Dragon's Breath—tipped arrows are incredibly useful for combat.
Can You Respawn the Ender Dragon for More Dragon's Breath?
Yes! If you need more Dragon's Breath, you can respawn the Ender Dragon as many times as you want.
How to Respawn the Dragon:
- Collect 4 End Crystals (craft them using glass, ghast tears, and Eyes of Ender)
- Return to the End dimension
- Place one End Crystal on each side of the Exit Portal
- The dragon respawns instantly
Each time you respawn and defeat the dragon, you get another opportunity to collect Dragon's Breath. This makes it a renewable resource, unlike some rare items in Minecraft.
Looking to explore the End with friends? Check out Minecraft Server Hosting for a smooth multiplayer experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get Dragon's Breath in Minecraft?
You collect Dragon's Breath by using empty glass bottles on the purple particle clouds that appear during the Ender Dragon fight. The dragon creates these clouds when it shoots fireballs that explode on the ground.
Can you get Dragon's Breath without fighting the Ender Dragon?
No, Dragon's Breath only appears during active Ender Dragon encounters. You must be in the End dimension while the dragon is alive and using its breath attack.
How many times can you collect Dragon's Breath?
There's no limit. You can collect Dragon's Breath from multiple clouds during a single fight, and you can respawn the Ender Dragon unlimited times for more opportunities.
What happens if you run out of Dragon's Breath?
You can always get more by respawning the Ender Dragon in the End. Place 4 End Crystals around the Exit Portal to bring the dragon back.
Can you buy or trade for Dragon's Breath?
No, Dragon's Breath cannot be obtained through villager trading or any other means besides collecting it yourself in the End. It's one of the few items that must be personally collected.
Does Dragon's Breath expire or disappear?
The purple particle clouds disappear after several seconds if you don't collect them, but Dragon's Breath bottles in your inventory last forever and never expire.
How many Dragon's Breath bottles can you get from one dragon fight?
You can typically collect 10-30 bottles depending on how long the fight lasts and how many breath attacks the dragon uses. Experienced players focusing on collection can get even more.
What's the best use for Dragon's Breath?
The most practical use is creating lingering potions, which are then used to craft tipped arrows. Tipped arrows with effects like Harming, Poison, or Slowness are extremely useful in both PvP and PvE combat.
