If you want the single best XP farm in Minecraft, this is it. An enderman farm built on the outer End islands out-levels every other farm in the game, going from zero to level 30 in seconds once it is running. On top of the XP, it produces a flood of ender pearls for Eyes of Ender, End travel, and the pearl-hungry parts of the late game.
It earns that output because of where it is built. The outer End is a near-empty void of end stone islands with almost no other mobs and huge open darkness, which means endermen, and only endermen, spawn in enormous numbers. Concentrate those spawns onto one platform and you get the highest XP-per-hour in survival.
This guide targets Minecraft 26.2 Java Edition. It is a spoke of the farm guides hub, and it uses the same spawn-platform logic explained in the general mob farm guide.
What an enderman farm produces
- The best XP in the game. A finished farm fills your XP bar almost instantly, ideal for an enchanting setup or repairing gear.
- Ender pearls in bulk, for Eyes of Ender, Endermite-based mechanics, and fast travel by pearl-throwing.
- A steady, AFK stream once the endermite lure is set up.
Why the outer End is perfect
Two facts make the outer End the ideal farm location:
- No competing mobs. The empty end stone islands spawn essentially only endermen, so your entire mob cap goes to the mob you want. On the surface or in caves, dozens of other mobs steal spawns.
- Endermen are tall. They take a 43-block fall to be left at near-death (so you one-hit them), or you can use other kill methods. Their height also lets an endermite lure them, endermen target endermites, so a single caged endermite pulls wandering endermen toward your collection point.
Getting to the outer End means crossing the void on the End gateway or a long bridge, and a fall means death with full inventory. Bring blocks, ender pearls or an Elytra, and do not look endermen in the eyes while building. Slow Falling and a water bucket are cheap insurance (see the brewing guide).
How it works
- Spawn platform. Build a large flat platform of end stone or any block out in the empty End, high above the void. Endermen spawn on it in the dark.
- Endermite lure. Place a named, caged endermite at the collection point. Endermen path toward the endermite, which funnels them off the platform edge.
- Fall or trapdoor. Endermen drop through a hole and fall far enough to reach near-death (about 43 blocks), so a single hit kills them and grants full XP.
- AFK spot. You stand at the kill point, within range of the platform, hitting endermen as they arrive and collecting pearls.
The endermite lure is the clever core: instead of pushing mobs with water (endermen teleport out of water), you exploit their AI to walk themselves into the trap.
Building it
- Get to the outer End via an End gateway (thrown pearl or bridge across).
- Build the spawn platform high in the void, large and flat, dark on top. Wall the edges except where you want endermen to fall.
- Set up the endermite cell at the center or edge so endermen path toward it and off the drop.
- Tune the fall so endermen land at one-hit health on your kill floor, with hoppers into chests for the pearls.
- AFK and collect. Stand at the kill spot within 16-ish blocks of the spawn area so spawning continues.
Keep the endermite from despawning by naming it with a name tag. An unnamed endermite despawns and your lure stops working. This one detail is the most common reason a first enderman farm quietly stops funneling.
Common mistakes
- Lighting the platform. Endermen need the dark to spawn; keep the top surface at light level 0.
- Building too close to other islands. Nearby spawnable surfaces split the mob cap. Build out in the empty void, away from the main island and other platforms.
- Water anywhere in the drop. Endermen teleport away from water. Use fall damage, not water streams.
- Unnamed endermite. It despawns and the lure fails. Name it.
Rates and optimization
An enderman farm's XP rate is the highest of any farm because the End gives it the whole mob cap. To maximize it:
- Make the platform as large as the mob cap can fill, and keep it perfectly dark.
- Remove every other spawnable surface within range so all spawns are endermen.
- Kill endermen the instant they arrive so the cap never stalls.
- Looting increases pearl drops per kill.
For pure leveling and pearls, nothing else comes close.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best XP farm in Minecraft?
An enderman farm on the outer End islands. Because the End spawns almost only endermen, the entire mob cap becomes XP, giving the highest experience-per-hour of any survival farm.
How far do endermen need to fall to be one-hit?
About 43 blocks. That leaves an enderman at low enough health that a single melee hit kills it and grants full XP. Tune your drop to that height.
Why use an endermite in an enderman farm?
Endermen target and path toward endermites. A named, caged endermite acts as a lure that walks wandering endermen into your drop, since water cannot be used to push them (they teleport away from it).
Do enderman farms give ender pearls?
Yes, in large amounts. Alongside the XP, a running enderman farm produces a steady flood of ender pearls, the reason it is also the go-to pearl source in the late game.
An enderman farm is the endgame XP and pearl machine. Once it is running, enchanting and gear repair stop being a bottleneck, so pair it with an enchanting setup and browse the farm guides hub for the resource farms that round out a finished base.
