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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesYes. Crying obsidian is an actual Minecraft block, not a rumor or a removed-only feature. Mojang added it in the Nether Update; the official Java Edition release notes dated June 23, 2020, list it among the new blocks and describe its visual effect as “crying purple energy.” Its practical purpose is to craft a respawn anchor, the block that lets you set a respawn point in the Nether.
What crying obsidian is
Crying obsidian is a placeable Minecraft block with the appearance of dark obsidian emitting purple, tear-like energy. It belongs to the Nether Update’s block set. The clearest dated confirmation is Mojang’s Java Edition Nether Update release notes from June 23, 2020, which name crying obsidian directly.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteThe word “crying” describes the block’s animated purple effect; it does not mean that the block is a separate real-world mineral. In Minecraft terms, it is a game resource that can be collected, stored, placed and used in crafting.
Edition and date qualification
The release-note evidence specifically covers Java Edition. That matters if you are checking an old version, a different edition or a guide written before the Nether Update. For the Java game documented in those notes, crying obsidian is an established block rather than an experimental concept or an unused texture.
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What crying obsidian does
Its important gameplay function is as a crafting ingredient for a respawn anchor. A respawn anchor allows a player to set a respawn point in the Nether, where ordinary bed-based expectations do not apply.
Respawn-anchor behavior
Mojang’s Java release notes state that a respawn anchor can hold up to four charges. Each time it respawns you, one charge is consumed. That gives the anchor a limited number of Nether respawns before it must be charged again.
This makes crying obsidian more than a decorative variant of obsidian: collecting it gives you access to a Nether-specific recovery tool. If your goal is simply to build with a purple-energy block, you can place it as decoration; if your goal is safer Nether travel, its strategic value comes from the respawn anchor it helps create.
Where to find crying obsidian
Minecraft’s official “Block of the Week” article identifies three acquisition routes: ruined portals, piglin bartering and chests in bastion remnants. The sources establish these as available methods, but do not rank one as universally fastest or provide a guaranteed yield for each.
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| Route | How to approach it | What the evidence establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Ruined portals | Explore a ruined-portal structure and check its generated blocks and loot. | Ruined portals are an official acquisition route. |
| Piglin bartering | Use the game’s piglin bartering system to seek the block as a possible return. | Piglin bartering is an official acquisition route; no success rate is stated. |
| Bastion-remnant chests | Explore a bastion remnant and search its chests. | Bastion-remnant chests are an official acquisition route; no chest frequency is stated. |
Choosing an approach
These routes divide naturally into two types. Ruined portals and bastion-remnant chests are exploration methods: you locate structures, enter them and search. Piglin bartering is an interaction method: you obtain the block through the bartering system rather than relying on a particular structure chest.
Because the official material does not publish comparative rates, treat “best method” claims cautiously. Your practical choice depends on which structures you encounter and whether you already plan to explore bastions or trade with piglins. The documented fact is that all three routes can provide crying obsidian, not that one produces more per hour.
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How to mine it
The Minecraft Wiki’s Nether Update guide reports that crying obsidian requires a diamond-or-better pickaxe to mine. This is community-wiki corroboration rather than the primary evidence for the block’s existence, so use it as a practical mining requirement and keep the source distinction in mind.
Mining checklist
- Bring a pickaxe at diamond level or better before attempting to collect the block.
- Use that pickaxe on crying obsidian rather than assuming any ordinary tool will recover it.
- If you are collecting it from a structure, secure the surrounding area first; the acquisition route and the mining requirement are separate issues.
If a block does not drop when mined, check the tool tier before concluding that the block is absent or bugged. A structure can contain crying obsidian that still cannot be collected correctly with an inadequate pickaxe.
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Using crying obsidian for a Nether respawn point
The documented chain is straightforward: acquire crying obsidian, use it to craft a respawn anchor, charge the anchor, and rely on that anchor for Nether respawns. The release notes specify the anchor’s capacity—four charges—and its consumption rule—one charge per respawn.
- Acquire the block. Search ruined portals, barter with piglins or search bastion-remnant chests.
- Reserve a diamond-or-better pickaxe. The community-wiki mining guidance identifies that tool tier as the requirement for collecting crying obsidian.
- Craft a respawn anchor. Crying obsidian is the distinctive ingredient that connects this block to the anchor.
- Charge and use the anchor according to your edition’s current mechanics. The Java release notes confirm that it stores up to four charges and spends one for each respawn.
- Track remaining charges. Once the four-charge capacity is consumed, the anchor needs to be charged again before it can provide further respawns.
The available evidence confirms the anchor’s purpose and capacity, but it does not specify every interface prompt or charging recipe. If a later game version changes those details, consult that version’s in-game instructions while retaining the core relationship: crying obsidian is the block used to make the Nether respawn anchor.
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Crying obsidian has an unusual development history. Mojang’s Block of the Week article says Jeb added it to Minecraft’s texture library in Beta 1.3. At that stage it was intended as a way to set a respawn point. It was removed in Beta 1.5 after beds were introduced.
That history explains why screenshots, old videos or forum discussions can conflict with modern gameplay. The texture existed before the current Nether Update implementation, but the block was not continuously available as a normal survival resource during those early versions.
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How the modern block returned
Brandon Pearce, identified by Mojang as a Java developer, described the design decision this way:
“While the respawn anchor was being developed, however, I remembered the classic crying obsidian that never made it in – a block that was meant to set your spawn point. So I thought why not bring these ideas together: cracked obsidian became crying obsidian, and it can be used to craft the respawn anchor. Win win!”
In other words, the Nether Update did not merely revive an old texture unchanged. The old idea of a respawn-setting block was combined with the new respawn-anchor design, and the concept was reintroduced as crying obsidian.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common points of confusion
“Is it just a texture?”
No. The historical texture and the modern block are related, but current Java Edition gameplay treats crying obsidian as a usable block with an acquisition path and a crafting purpose.
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“Is it ordinary obsidian that is damaged?”
The game distinguishes crying obsidian from standard obsidian. Its purple-energy appearance is part of its identity, and its documented special role is crafting a respawn anchor.
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“Can I find it anywhere in the Nether?”
The official acquisition list names specific routes—ruined portals, piglin bartering and bastion-remnant chests. It does not describe crying obsidian as a block that can simply be mined from any Nether landscape.
“Which route is guaranteed to be fastest?”
No ranking or efficiency statistic is established in the cited material. Choose between structure exploration and piglin bartering based on what you encounter and the supplies you already have.
“Does every version work exactly the same?”
The dated release-note confirmation is for Java Edition. Edition and version differences can affect recipes, interfaces or availability, so verify the mechanics for the specific version you are playing instead of applying a Java-era instruction blindly.
Bottom line for players
Crying obsidian exists, was formally added in the Nether Update, and has a concrete survival use. Find it through ruined portals, piglin bartering or bastion-remnant chests; mine it with a diamond-or-better pickaxe according to community-wiki guidance; then use it to craft a respawn anchor that supports up to four Nether respawns, consuming one charge each time.
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