What You Need to Gather Before Building
An End Portal requires 12 End Portal Frames — these are the only blocks that form the portal itself. You cannot craft them; they only appear in Strongholds, which are underground structures buried beneath your world. Finding a Stronghold is the real work of building an End Portal, because the frames themselves are already there waiting for you.
To locate a Stronghold, you need Eyes of Ender. Craft these by combining Ender Pearls (dropped by Endermen) with Blaze Powder (dropped by Blazes in the Nether). Throw an Eye of Ender and it will fly toward the nearest Stronghold; follow it, and when it disappears, dig down — the Stronghold entrance is close. You will need several Eyes because they break after each use.
Once inside the Stronghold, the End Portal Frame blocks are already placed in a 3×3 square pattern with the center empty. Your job is to fill each frame with an Ender Eye by right-clicking on it. When all 12 frames have an eye, the portal activates.
Key Takeaways
- End Portal Frames are found only in Strongholds and cannot be moved or crafted, so you must travel to the Stronghold to activate the portal.
- Use Eyes of Ender to locate a Stronghold by throwing them and following their flight path until they vanish near the entrance.
- Right-click each of the 12 End Portal Frame blocks with an Ender Eye to fill them and activate the portal.
- The portal opens a gateway to the End dimension, where the Ender Dragon waits; do not jump in unprepared.
Finding a Stronghold with Eyes of Ender
Craft Eyes of Ender by placing an Ender Pearl and Blaze Powder together in any crafting grid. Throw the Eye by holding it and right-clicking. It will float upward and move horizontally toward the nearest Stronghold, leaving a trail of particles. Follow it on foot or by flying if you are in Creative mode.
The Eye will travel for a distance, then stop and disappear. When it vanishes, you are close to the Stronghold — usually within 100 blocks. Dig downward in that area, or search the caves around you. Strongholds are large structures with corridors, libraries, and storage rooms, so you may find the entrance from the side rather than from above.
Throw multiple Eyes if the first one leads you in circles or into water. Each Eye breaks after use, so bring 10 to 15 to be safe. If you run out before reaching the Stronghold, return to the Nether and farm more Blazes for Blaze Powder.
Navigating the Stronghold to the Portal Room
Strongholds are maze-like and can be confusing. The End Portal Frame is always in a dedicated room, but you may have to explore several corridors to find it. Look for the room with a 3×3 grid of dark frames on the floor or walls — that is the portal chamber.
Watch for Silverfish in the Stronghold; they hide in stone blocks and swarm when you break the block. Use a pickaxe to mine carefully, or avoid breaking blocks if you can. Bring food and armor because Silverfish deal damage quickly in groups.
Once you reach the portal room, you will see the 12 End Portal Frame blocks arranged in a square. The center is empty and open to the void below. This is where the portal will appear once you fill all the frames.
Filling the Frames with Ender Eyes
Stand in front of each End Portal Frame block and right-click while holding an Ender Eye. The Eye will sink into the frame and stay there. Repeat this for all 12 frames around the square. You do not need to fill them in any particular order, but it is easier to work your way around the square systematically.
Each frame consumes one Ender Eye, so you need exactly 12 Eyes to complete the portal. If you run out before finishing, you must leave the Stronghold, gather more materials, and return to finish the job. The frames you have already filled will stay filled.
As you place the final Eye, the portal will activate with a burst of particles. A dark, swirling gateway will appear in the center of the frame square. This is the End Portal — stepping into it takes you to the End dimension.
What Happens When the Portal Opens
The End is a dark dimension filled with floating islands, Endermen, and the Ender Dragon. The dragon is the final boss of Minecraft's main story. Stepping through the portal commits you to this fight unless you have a way to escape.
Before entering, bring armor, a sword, a bow with arrows, blocks for building, and food. The Ender Dragon can destroy blocks and knock you around, so preparation matters. If you die in the End, you drop your items and respawn at your spawn point in the Overworld.
You can also build a new End Portal in the Overworld by placing End Portal Frame blocks in Creative mode, but in Survival mode, the only portal that works is the one in the Stronghold.
Troubleshooting Common Portal Problems
If you place an Ender Eye and it does not sink into the frame, you are not close enough to the block. Move directly in front of it and try again. The frame must be facing you for the right-click to register.
If the portal does not activate after filling all 12 frames, check that every frame actually has an Eye in it. Sometimes a frame looks filled but the Eye did not register. Right-click each one again to confirm. If one frame refuses to accept an Eye, you may have found a glitch — try breaking and replacing that frame block if you are in Creative mode, or move to a different Stronghold in Survival.
If you cannot find a Stronghold after throwing many Eyes of Ender, you may be in a world where Strongholds are far apart. Keep throwing Eyes and following them; they always point to a Stronghold, but distance varies by world seed. Strongholds are rarer in older Minecraft versions, so check your game version if you are playing on an older build.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move End Portal Frames to a different location?
No. End Portal Frames cannot be picked up or moved in Survival mode, even with a pickaxe. They only exist in Strongholds. In Creative mode, you can place them anywhere and build a portal wherever you want, but in Survival, you must travel to the Stronghold to use the portal.
What if I lose my Eyes of Ender before reaching the Stronghold?
Return to the Nether and farm more Blazes. Blazes drop Blaze Powder when killed, and Endermen in the Overworld drop Ender Pearls. Combine these to craft new Eyes of Ender and try again. Mark the direction the last Eye was heading so you can search that area more thoroughly.
Do I have to fight the Ender Dragon after opening the portal?
No. You can open the portal and choose not to enter. The portal stays open and you can return to it later. However, if you want to beat the game, defeating the Ender Dragon is the final objective.
Can other players use the same End Portal I built?
Yes, on multiplayer servers. Once the portal is activated, anyone can jump through it. The portal does not close or reset after one use, so it remains available for all players on the server.
What if I accidentally fall into the void in the End?
You die and drop your items. You respawn at your spawn point in the Overworld. Your items stay in the End for five minutes before disappearing, so if you can return quickly, you can retrieve them — but you will need to open the portal again to get back.