Drowned in Minecraft: Trident Odds and Underwater Fights
Drowned are the only mob that drops tridents. Where drowned spawn, the real trident drop odds, copper and nautilus shells, and fighting them underwater.
Drowned are zombies that live underwater. They spawn in oceans, rivers and dripstone cave aquifers, and a small share carry tridents they throw at you from up to 20 blocks away. They’re also the only mob that drops tridents, so if you want one, you’re hunting drowned.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 20 (10 hearts), 2 armor |
| Melee | 2.5 / 3 / 4.5 (Easy / Normal / Hard) |
| Thrown trident (Java) | 5 / 8 / 12 |
| Spawns | Dark water in oceans, rivers and dripstone caves; ocean ruins; zombies left underwater |
| Drops | 0-2 rotten flesh, 11% copper ingot, held trident or fishing rod sometimes; 5 XP (12 for babies) |
Where drowned spawn
Drowned need water at light level 0, so in practice that means the bottom of deep oceans, shaded rivers and underground aquifers. Rivers are the standout: drowned spawn there at higher rates, and in Java the depth rule that limits ocean spawns doesn’t apply, so a deep river can spawn them during the day. Ocean ruins generate with their own drowned, which don’t despawn.
The other source is conversion. A zombie that keeps its head underwater for 30 seconds starts shaking and turns into a drowned 15 seconds later. Husks convert to zombies first, then to drowned.
Equipment and what it drops
| Item | Spawn chance | Drop chance when killed |
|---|---|---|
| Trident | 6.25% | 8.5% (+1% per Looting level) |
| Fishing rod | 3.75% | 8.5% (+1% per Looting level) |
| Nautilus shell (offhand) | 3% Java / 8% Bedrock | Always |
Trident odds are what frustrate people. Multiply them out and you need to kill a lot of trident-holding drowned to see one drop, and converted drowned in Java never spawn with new gear. That’s why a trident usually comes from a drowned farm built on a river or ocean, where natural spawns can hold tridents. Bedrock’s trident odds have changed between versions, so treat its numbers as roughly in line with Java’s on current builds.
Copper ingots drop 11% of the time on a player kill (Looting adds 2% per level), which adds up in a farm.
How they fight
During the day, drowned are mostly passive toward players on land or in boats. In Java, they’ll come for you if you’re in the water. At night or in a thunderstorm, they attack anything on sight.
Trident drowned are the dangerous ones. They throw every 1.5 seconds, keep throwing after you leave the water, and the tridents can carry Loyalty, Impaling or Channeling. You can’t pick up their thrown tridents.
Practical tips:
- Fight from land or a boat in daylight. Most drowned won’t engage.
- Use a shield. It stops thrown tridents.
- Watch out at night near the shore. Drowned walk out of the water just like zombies.
- Smite and Impaling work. Drowned are undead, so Smite hits hard; Impaling hits them in water.
Other behavior
Drowned trample turtle eggs on purpose, attack axolotls on sight, and ignore guardians, which can’t hurt them. In Java they never join zombie sieges. About 5% of drowned spawn as babies, which are faster, never grow up and drop 12 XP.
Java 1.21.11 and Bedrock 1.21.130 added zombie nautilus jockeys: a trident-holding drowned spawned outside rivers can ride one.
Common questions
What are the odds of a drowned dropping a trident?
Only drowned that spawn holding a trident can drop one. In Java about 6% spawn with one, and those drop it 8.5% of the time, plus 1% per Looting level.
Do drowned burn in daylight?
Yes, if they're out of the water in direct sunlight, like zombies. Underwater they're safe.
How does a zombie turn into a drowned?
Keep its head underwater for 30 seconds. It starts shaking, and 15 seconds later it becomes a drowned.
Sources & verification
Facts on this page are checked against these references and in-game behavior for the stated edition(s). how we verify.
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