How to Cure a Zombie Villager in Minecraft (2025)

4/15/2025 Daniel

Zombie Villager at Night in Minecraft Village

Learning how to cure a zombie villager in Minecraft is one of the most useful tricks in the game—especially if you're building a trading hall or just want to save a villager from doom. This guide explains the entire process step-by-step, from finding a zombie villager to healing them using a splash potion and golden apple.

Whether you're playing in Survival mode or just want to set up an emerald farming system, this guide is for you.


🧠 Why Cure a Zombie Villager?

Before and After: Zombie Villager and Normal Villager

There are a few great reasons to cure a zombie villager:

  • Discounted trades — cured villagers offer lower prices.
  • Save rare professions like librarians or masons.
  • Restore your village population without breeding.
  • Complete an advancement ("Zombie Doctor").

🧪 What You Need to Cure a Zombie Villager

Potion Brewing Stand and Ingredients Brewing stand used to create the potion needed for curing

To successfully cure a zombie villager in Minecraft (Java or Bedrock), you need the following items:

✅ Essentials:

  • 🧪 Splash Potion of Weakness
  • 🍎 Golden Apple
  • 🧟 Zombie Villager

Optional (but helpful):

  • ⛓️ Name Tag or Boat/Minecart (to prevent despawning)
  • 🧱 Enclosed area (keep zombie villager safe from sunlight or other mobs)
  • 🕒 Time (the curing process takes 2–5 minutes)

🧰 How to Get the Required Items

🎯 How to Get a Splash Potion of Weakness

You can brew this using a brewing stand and the following steps:

  1. Place blaze powder in the fuel slot.
  2. Use water bottles in the bottom slots.
  3. Add fermented spider eye as the ingredient.
  4. Optional: Add gunpowder to make it a splash potion.

Fermented Spider Eye Recipe:

  • 1 Sugar
  • 1 Brown Mushroom
  • 1 Spider Eye

🍏 How to Craft a Golden Apple

Use this crafting recipe:

🍎 Apple + 8 Gold Ingots = Golden Apple

Not to be confused with the Enchanted Golden Apple—you need the regular one!


🧟‍♂️ Step-by-Step: How to Cure a Zombie Villager

Curing Setup with Zombie Villager in Boat Zombie villager safely contained for curing

Step 1: Find a Zombie Villager

  • Zombie villagers spawn naturally at night (5% of zombies).
  • Or, a villager can become one if killed by a zombie (on Normal/Hard difficulty).

Step 2: Trap or Name the Zombie Villager

  • Use a boat, minecart, or name tag to stop it from despawning.
  • Move it to a safe, enclosed area.

Step 3: Throw Splash Potion of Weakness

  • Aim and throw the potion directly at the zombie villager.
  • You’ll see gray swirl particles if it works.

Step 4: Feed It a Golden Apple

  • While the Weakness effect is active, right-click the zombie villager with the golden apple.
  • Red particle effects will appear—this means the curing has started.

Step 5: Wait 2–5 Minutes

  • The curing process takes time.
  • Protect the zombie villager from sunlight, mobs, and water while it’s transforming.

✅ After the Cure: What Happens Next?

Cured Villager Offering Cheap Trades A cured villager offering trades with steep discounts

Once cured:

  • The zombie villager becomes a normal villager of a random profession (or unemployed).
  • If you cured them near a workstation, they may immediately claim a job.
  • Their trades will now have major discounts as a "thank you" for the rescue.

⚠️ Tips and Common Mistakes

ProblemSolution
Zombie villager despawnsUse name tag, boat, or keep nearby
Curing doesn’t startMake sure Weakness effect is applied before the golden apple
Villager burns in sunlightKeep the area covered or underground
No workstation after curingPlace one nearby or let them wander until they find one

💡 Bonus: Automate Zombie Curing

Advanced players use zombie conversion chambers in their trading halls:

  • Let zombies infect villagers intentionally.
  • Cure them repeatedly to stack trade discounts (Java Edition).
  • Combine with zombie-proof designs for maximum efficiency.

🧪 Minecraft Command: Cure Instantly (Creative Mode)

Want to simulate the cure process with commands?

/effect give @e[type=zombie_villager,limit=1,sort=nearest] minecraft:weakness 99999 1 true
/item give @p minecraft:golden_apple

then right-click the zombie villager with the golden apple.


📌 Final Thoughts: Curing Zombie Villagers in Minecraft

Knowing how to cure a zombie villager in Minecraft is one of the most useful tricks for both beginners and pros. Whether you want to save a rare NPC or build a discounted emerald empire, curing villagers unlocks the next level of Minecraft efficiency.


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  • zombie doctor Minecraft advancement
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  • Minecraft splash potion of weakness recipe

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