The End Midlands biome in Minecraft is one of the mysterious floating island biomes found in the End dimension. Acting as a bridge between the End Highlands and End Barrens, this biome plays a crucial role in late-game exploration. It often connects larger islands, offers a smoother landscape for traversal, and serves as a key area for locating End Cities—massive structures that contain some of the game’s rarest loot, including the Elytra.
Available in Java Edition, the End Midlands helps shape the terrain of the outer End islands, forming a gentle slope between the elevated Highlands and the flatter Barrens. While Bedrock Edition uses similar End biome structures, it does not split the End dimension into as many distinct biome variants.
What Is the End Midlands Biome?
The End Midlands is a sub-biome of the End’s outer islands. It’s defined by moderate terrain height and smoother elevation changes, making it less treacherous than the steep cliffs of the End Highlands.
You can identify it by pressing F3 in Java Edition to check your coordinates and biome data. Look for the tag minecraft:end_midlands on the debug screen.
Biome Snapshot:
- Dimension: The End
- Surface Block: End Stone
- Vegetation: Sparse Chorus Plants and Chorus Flowers (no full chorus trees)
- Mob Spawn: Endermen only
- Temperature/Weather: None — the End has a static environment
- Light Level: Constant ambient light (no day/night cycle)
Generation Mechanics
The End Midlands biome generates between the End Highlands (high elevations) and the End Barrens (lower, outer edges). Minecraft’s world generation system defines biome placement using parameters like erosion and weirdness values.
- Erosion value range: Approximately –0.0625 to 0.25
- Role in terrain: Acts as a smooth slope between high and low End island zones.
- Generation behavior: Commonly surrounds End Highlands biomes, forming transitional areas where End Cities can spawn.
This transitional quality makes the Midlands ideal for players crossing between larger landmasses or scouting for End structures.
Biome Features
- Blocks: End Stone is the primary surface material, occasionally topped with chorus plants or chorus flowers.
- Flora: While chorus plants can appear, full chorus trees do not generate in the End Midlands — they are exclusive to the End Highlands.
- Lighting: The entire End dimension has a constant dim light level.
- Ambience: Expect the same haunting atmosphere, void-filled background, and purple sky tint typical of all End biomes.
Because of its relative flatness and lack of tall obstacles, the End Midlands is one of the most practical places in the End to build bridges or bases.
Mobs That Spawn in the End Midlands
Only one mob naturally spawns in this biome:
Enderman
- Spawn weight: 10
- Group size: 4
- Behavior: Neutral unless provoked (avoid direct eye contact).
- Drops: Ender Pearls, valuable for teleportation and crafting Eye of Ender.
Though less dense than in the End Highlands, Endermen are still a constant presence. Keep armor equipped and carry pumpkins or boats if you plan to farm them safely.
Structures and Points of Interest
End Cities
The End Midlands biome is one of the primary locations where End Cities can generate. These massive purple structures rise from the End landscape and house powerful loot and dangerous enemies.
End City Highlights:
- Typical Contents:
- Elytra (found aboard nearby End Ships)
- Shulker Shells (for crafting Shulker Boxes)
- Enchanted Diamond Gear and Gold Ingots
- Beetroot Seeds, Emeralds, and End Rods
- Enemies: Shulkers guarding rooms and balconies.
- Spawn Conditions: Common near End Highlands and End Midlands transitions.
- Tip: When exploring, check both biome borders — End Cities often spawn right along the seam between Midlands and Highlands.
End Ships
End Ships often appear near large End Cities. These floating structures contain:
- An Elytra on an item frame.
- Brewing stands with healing potions.
- A chest with rare loot.
- A single Shulker guarding the ship’s deck.
End Gateways
While not frequent in the Midlands, End Gateway Portals can sometimes appear near biome boundaries. They allow players to teleport between the central End island (where the Ender Dragon fight occurs) and the outer islands.
Exploration Tips
Prepare Before You Go:
- Bring building blocks (like End Stone or Cobblestone) for bridging.
- Use Slow Falling Potions or Feather Falling boots to survive Shulker levitation or falls.
- Carry Ender Pearls for emergency teleportation.
- Equip strong armor and a bow or crossbow for ranged combat.
Navigating Safely:
- Crouch (Shift) near edges to avoid falling into the void.
- Use F3 biome data to confirm you’re entering the End Midlands.
- The biome’s flatter terrain makes it perfect for safe bridging or temporary outposts.
Base-Building Advantages:
- Fewer cliffs make building easier than in the End Highlands.
- Low Enderman density reduces random attacks.
- Good line-of-sight for Elytra flight paths.
Potential Drawbacks:
- Fewer chorus plants and no trees (compared to the Highlands).
- Still located over the void—one mistake can be fatal without Slow Falling potions.
Comparison: End Midlands vs. Other End Biomes
| Feature | End Midlands | End Highlands | End Barrens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrain | Flatter, transitional | Elevated, cliff-heavy | Low, edge terrain |
| Chorus Plants | Sparse | Abundant, with chorus trees | Few to none |
| End Cities | Common | Most common | Rare |
| Mob Density | Moderate | High | Low |
| Exploration Safety | Medium risk | High risk | Safer but barren |
Fun Facts and Trivia
- Introduced in snapshot 18w19a (Minecraft 1.13) when the End was split into biome subtypes.
- Chorus plants appear but do not grow into full trees in this biome.
- Many players use the End Midlands as Elytra training grounds due to its wide, open terrain.
- The biome helps define the structure generation of End Cities, which favor the Midlands–Highlands boundary.
Conclusion
The Minecraft End Midlands biome may not be as grand as the End Highlands, but it’s one of the most important regions for post-Ender Dragon exploration. Acting as a smooth, accessible bridge between larger islands, it provides a safe route to End Cities, End Ships, and valuable loot.
With careful planning and solid survival tactics, the End Midlands can become your reliable staging ground for conquering the far reaches of the End — and claiming your Elytra in the skies beyond.
