Minecraft – What Is Crying Obsidian Used For?

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Crying obsidian is a new block that was added in the Minecraft 1.16 update. With its attractive and unique appearance, many Minecrafters love this block at the first sight!

But what is crying obsidian used for? And is it actually useful besides its mysterious look? Let’s find out!

Recommended Read: How to Attract Pigs in Minecraft

Crying obsidian can be used for decoration purposes, to provide lighting, to create a bass sound for the note block, to block pistons, and most importantly, to craft a respawn anchor.


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What Is Crying Obsidian Used For?

Obtaining crying obsidian is quite challenging because they rarely spawn in the Minecraft world. You can find them in ruined portals, chests in bastion remnants, or letting lightning strikes hit normal obsidian.

Besides all of the methods above, bartering with the piglins is the best option to obtain a large amount of crying obsidian. And with some crying obsidian on your hand, let’s see what they’re used for!

  1. Building and Decoration Purposes

To be honest, crying obsidian is one of the best-looking blocks in Minecraft! With the purple texture and vibrant glowing veins on all sides, it’s good to use them for any Nether builds.

Moreover, crying obsidian frequently creates dripping purple particles around it. This is perfect if you want to build a mysterious ceiling that cries all over the hallway.

  1. Crafting Purpose

Crying obsidian can be used to craft a respawn anchor, which works like a bed but in the Nether dimension. This new block allows you to respawn right in the Nether without exploding yourself like before!

To make a respawn anchor, you need 6 crying obsidian blocks and 3 glowstones.

  1. Lighting Purpose

While the strongest light level in Minecraft is 15, crying obsidian provides a light level of 10, which is really nice already. It has the same light level as soul fire, soul lanterns, soul campfires, and soul torches.

Crying obsidian is also suitable for providing light to any snow builds since with this low light level, it can’t melt the snow.

  1. Musical Purpose

You can place crying obsidian right below the note blocks to make it play the bass drum sound. Even though there are a lot of other blocks that can do the same functionality, using crying obsidian could make your orchestra look better!

  1. Blocking Pistons

With the hardness and blast resistance like obsidian, crying obsidian can’t be blown up or moved by pistons or sticky pistons. This can be useful if you want to block the circuit sometimes.


Frequently asked questions

Can you use crying obsidian to make a portal?

No, you can’t! Despite the fact that crying obsidian is a variant of normal obsidian in Minecraft, you can’t use them to build a Nether portal. All blocks must be normal obsidian!

Is crying obsidian stronger than obsidian?

Obsidian and crying obsidian are somewhat equal. They have the same blast resistance of 1200, and hardness of 50, is not flammable, and can’t catch fire from the lava. The only attribute that makes crying obsidian different from a normal one is the ability to illuminate the area.

Can you use crying obsidian for an enchanting table?

Again, it’s a no! You can only use crying obsidian to make a respawn anchor. That’s it!


That’s all about what crying obsidian is used for!

Now let’s gather some gold ingots and go to the Nether dimension to trade with the piglins for some crying obsidian. Good luck!

Binh Tran

As a game writer, my goal is to craft engaging, informative, and concise articles. Whether it's diving into the latest gaming trends or writing game guides, I'm always excited to share my insights with others.

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