As of December 11, 2025, the process for curing a Zombie Villager remains one of the most powerful and essential mechanics in Minecraft for any serious survival player. It is not just a humanitarian act; it is the single most effective way to unlock permanent, game-breaking trading discounts that will save you thousands of Emeralds and hours of grinding for resources. The core method is simple, requiring only two key items, but the preparation and setup are crucial for success.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process, from gathering the rare ingredients to the final, optimized setup of a dedicated Zombie Villager Conversion Station. If you are struggling to afford the best enchantments or Diamond Armor from your local villagers, mastering this technique is your solution. The reward is a permanent price reduction that will transform your in-game economy.
The Undeniable Reason Why You Must Cure a Zombie Villager
The main player intention behind curing a Zombie Villager is simple: Permanent Trading Discounts. When you successfully cure a zombie villager, that specific villager will receive a massive, permanent reduction in the cost of all its trades.
This discount is not temporary like the Hero of the Village effect (which wears off). It is a persistent, fixed price reduction that will apply to all trade tiers, making it possible to acquire high-value items like the Mending enchantment, Diamond Tools, or rare dyes for as little as one Emerald.
- Permanent Price Reduction: The cured villager will forever consider you its savior, granting the best possible prices. This is the only reliable way to achieve these rock-bottom prices.
- Stackable Discounts: The permanent discount stacks with other positive effects, such as the Hero of the Village status, allowing for even further reductions, though the permanent cure is the primary benefit.
- Easy Access to Rare Trades: This method allows you to "reset" a villager's trades by zombifying and curing them, ensuring you get the exact trade you want (like a Librarian with Mending) at the lowest price.
The process is so powerful that many advanced players intentionally zombify a regular villager (by letting a zombie attack it on Hard difficulty) just to cure it and unlock the massive discounts, a technique known as Zombification and Curing.
Step-by-Step: Gathering the Two Essential Curing Items
Curing a Zombie Villager requires only two specific items: a Splash Potion of Weakness and a Golden Apple. Both require a bit of preparation and resource gathering, but the effort is well worth the reward.
1. Crafting the Splash Potion of Weakness
This potion is the active agent that begins the conversion process by applying the Weakness Effect to the mob. You will need a Brewing Stand and a trip to the Nether.
Materials Needed:
- Brewing Stand: Crafted with a Blaze Rod and three Cobblestone.
- Blaze Powder: Used as fuel for the Brewing Stand (made from a Blaze Rod).
- Water Bottles: Three Glass Bottles filled with water.
- Fermented Spider Eye: The key ingredient, crafted from a Spider Eye, a Brown Mushroom, and Sugar.
- Gunpowder: Used to convert the regular Potion of Weakness into a Splash Potion.
Brewing Process:
- Place the Blaze Powder into the fuel slot of the Brewing Stand.
- Place up to three Water Bottles into the bottom slots.
- Place the Fermented Spider Eye in the top slot. This will brew a standard Potion of Weakness.
- Once complete, replace the Fermented Spider Eye with Gunpowder and brew again. This will convert the standard potion into a Splash Potion of Weakness, which can be thrown at the Zombie Villager.
2. Crafting the Golden Apple
The Golden Apple is the food item that completes the cure. It acts as the catalyst once the Weakness effect is applied. Note that you only need the standard Golden Apple, not the more expensive Enchanted Golden Apple (Notch Apple).
Materials Needed:
- Apple: Can be obtained by breaking Oak Leaves or found in chests.
- Gold Ingots: Eight Gold Ingots are required per Golden Apple. These are obtained by smelting Gold Ore or by crafting them from Gold Blocks.
Crafting Process:
In a Crafting Table, place the Apple in the center slot and surround it with the eight Gold Ingots. This yields one Golden Apple.
The Curing Process: Safety and Conversion Time
Once you have both the Splash Potion of Weakness and the Golden Apple, you are ready to cure. The most critical factor during this stage is the safety of the Zombie Villager, as it is vulnerable to damage, especially Sunlight Damage.
The Two-Step Curing Procedure
- Containment: First, you must contain the Zombie Villager in a safe, enclosed space. This is essential to prevent it from burning in the sun (if curing during the day) or being attacked by other mobs, such as regular Zombies or Illagers. A simple 1x1 cell made of Stone or Cobblestone works perfectly.
- Apply the Potion: Throw the Splash Potion of Weakness directly at the contained Zombie Villager. You will see purple swirling particles around the mob, confirming the Weakness Effect is active.
- Feed the Apple: While the Weakness effect is active, use the Golden Apple on the Zombie Villager (right-click or use the secondary action button). The villager will start to shake violently and emit red swirling particles, signifying the start of the Curing Process.
Conversion Time and Optimization
The conversion process takes between 3 to 5 minutes in the game.
During this time, the mob is completely passive and cannot attack, but it is still a vulnerable mob. You must remain nearby to ensure no other mobs interfere. The conversion time can be slightly sped up by placing Iron Bars or Bedrock blocks around the containment cell, although this is mostly considered a myth or a minor effect in recent updates compared to the core 3-5 minute window.
For players planning to cure multiple villagers, building a dedicated Zombie Villager Conversion Station is highly recommended. These stations use pistons or minecarts to safely trap and expose a villager to a single zombie, allowing you to control the zombification and curing of many villagers in a controlled environment for your Trading Hall.
Advanced Tips for Curing and Profit
To maximize the benefits of curing, keep these advanced tips in mind, which are applicable across both Java Edition and Bedrock Edition (including the latest 1.21 update):
- Find an Igloo Basement: The easiest way to get started is by locating an Igloo structure in a snowy biome. Many igloos have a hidden basement with a Zombie Villager already trapped, along with a Brewing Stand containing a Splash Potion of Weakness and a Golden Apple in a chest. This is a perfect early-game shortcut.
- Control the Profession: The cured villager's profession (e.g., Armorer, Toolsmith, Cleric) will be randomized unless a Job Site Block (like a Lectern or Blast Furnace) is placed nearby before the cure is complete. You can control the profession by placing the desired job block.
- Protect Your Investment: Once cured, the villager is still susceptible to being re-zombified if attacked by a zombie on Hard difficulty. Ensure your Trading Hall is well-lit and protected by an Iron Golem or other defenses to prevent future zombification and the loss of your permanent discounts.
- Repeat for Maximum Savings: The process is repeatable. You can zombify and cure the same villager multiple times, although the permanent discount is granted after the first successful cure. Focus on curing as many key villagers (especially Librarians) as possible for the best long-term resource management in your world.
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