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A zombie villager is cured by giving it Weakness and then one non-enchanted golden apple. Conversion normally takes 180–300 seconds (3–5 minutes). Zombie villagers can retain a villager’s profession and trades, and curing a professional villager gives the curing player a permanent trading discount.
What a zombie villager is
Zombie villagers are an undead variant of the ordinary zombie. They can appear in the normal zombie population, in igloo basements, and in zombie villages. They can also be created when a zombie kills a villager and the infection roll succeeds.
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The infection result depends on difficulty: a zombie-killed villager becomes a zombie villager 0% of the time on Easy, 50% of the time on Normal, and 100% of the time on Hard. On Easy, the villager dies instead; on Normal, either outcome is possible.
A zombie villager normally keeps the profession and clothing style of the villager it came from, although the clothing is visibly tattered. Naturally spawned zombie villagers can instead have a random profession, an unemployed outfit, or a nitwit outfit. A baby zombie villager accounts for 5% of zombie-villager spawns and remains a baby after it is cured.
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Java and Bedrock: the important differences
The two editions share the same basic cure sequence, but their spawning, equipment, and discount mechanics differ. These are the practical distinctions that matter when building a farm or planning a cure.
| Mechanic | Java Edition | Bedrock Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Natural replacement rate | Zombie villagers replace 5% of normal zombie spawns. In old-growth pine taiga, the replacement chance is 20%. | 5% of zombie spawns are replaced by zombie villagers. |
| Replacement grouping | Replacement spawns are individual zombie villagers rather than a stated group size. | Replacement zombie villagers appear in groups of 2–4. |
| Naturally spawned equipment | They can spawn with an iron shovel, iron sword, random armor, or seasonal pumpkins. The equipment-drop chance is 8.5%, increasing by one percentage point per Looting level to 11.5% with Looting III. | Zombie villagers do not spawn with equipment. |
| Profession and trades after curing | A cured zombie villager retains its trades. A formerly professional villager can provide the curing player a permanent discount. | A cured zombie villager retains its trades. A formerly professional villager can provide the curing player a permanent discount. |
| Discounts for nearby villagers | The nearby effect is handled through the Java gossip system. | The nearby effect applies within a 16-block cube around the cured villager. |
The 20% Java figure is specifically for old-growth pine taiga, not every taiga biome. Likewise, the equipment percentages describe naturally spawned equipment; they do not mean every zombie villager drops gear.
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Zombie-villager behavior and status effects
Zombie villagers behave as undead mobs. That changes how healing and damaging effects work:
- Instant Health damages a zombie villager.
- Instant Damage heals a zombie villager.
- Poison has no effect.
- Regeneration has no effect.
This inversion is a common source of mistakes during a cure. A healing splash potion is not a substitute for Weakness, and an Instant Health effect can hurt the mob you are trying to preserve.
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What you need before starting a cure
- A zombie villager that you can keep alive for several minutes.
- A way to apply Weakness: a splash or lingering potion, an Arrow of Weakness, a witch, or another documented Weakness method.
- One non-enchanted golden apple.
- A roofed, secure enclosure that blocks daylight and prevents other hostile mobs from reaching the target.
An enchanted golden apple is not the required item. The cure uses an ordinary, non-enchanted golden apple.
How to cure a zombie villager
- Capture it safely. Move the zombie villager into a roofed enclosure with enough room to work. Keep it protected from daylight, since it is still an undead mob, and from other mobs that could kill it before conversion finishes.
- Apply Weakness. Hit the zombie villager with a splash or lingering potion of Weakness, use an Arrow of Weakness, or apply Weakness through a witch or another documented method. The effect must be active on the target when you use the apple.
- Use the golden apple. While Weakness is active, use one non-enchanted golden apple on the zombie villager. You should see shaking and red particles; those signs mean conversion has started.
- Protect the conversion. Wait about 180–300 seconds, or 3–5 minutes. Do not remove the mob from its enclosure or allow another attack to kill it during this period.
- Speed it up if desired. Iron bars and beds in the nearby checking volume can accelerate conversion. They are optional; the normal timer still completes without them.
- Confirm completion. When the timer ends, the mob becomes a normal villager. Its profession and trade history are handled according to the villager it was before zombification, as described below.
Reading the cure’s visual and timing clues
No shaking or red particles
If the zombie villager does not shake and emit red particles, conversion has not begun. Check that the target actually has Weakness, that you used the golden apple on the zombie villager rather than another mob, and that the apple was non-enchanted.
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A wait of up to five minutes is normal. Iron bars and beds can shorten the process, but they do not make the conversion immediate. Keep the enclosure secure until the villager appears.
The target dies before conversion
Daylight and hostile-mob attacks are the main risks. A roof over the enclosure and protection from other mobs are part of the cure setup, not optional decoration.
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A potion appears to do the opposite
Remember the undead effect rules: Instant Health hurts zombie villagers, while Instant Damage heals them. Neither Poison nor Regeneration changes their health. Only Weakness enables the golden-apple conversion sequence.
Trades, professions, and discounts after curing
Mojang’s Village & Pillage release notes state: “Cured zombie villagers retain their trades.” In practical terms, a villager that had a profession and trades before zombification can return with those trades after the cure.
A formerly professional villager also gives a permanent discount to the player who cured it. This discount is tied to the curing player, so curing the villager yourself matters if you want the personal price reduction.
Other villagers nearby can receive smaller discounts. Java Edition handles that nearby effect through the gossip system. In Bedrock Edition, the nearby effect applies within a 16-block cube around the cured villager. The two editions therefore can produce different results when you cure one villager inside a trading hall.
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Naturally spawned zombie villagers are different from infected villagers in one important respect: they may have a random profession, an unemployed appearance, or a nitwit outfit. A cured naturally spawned zombie villager showing no useful profession is not necessarily a failed cure; it may simply have spawned without a trading profession.
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Experience depends on whether the zombie villager is an adult or a baby. Equipment drops depend on edition and, in Java Edition, on the chance that equipment spawned naturally in the first place.
| Zombie villager | Experience | Equipment details |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | 5 XP, plus 1–3 additional XP for each item of naturally spawned equipment | In Java, naturally spawned equipment can include an iron shovel, iron sword, random armor, and seasonal pumpkins. The chance that naturally spawned equipment drops is 8.5%, rising by one percentage point per Looting level to 11.5% with Looting III. |
| Baby | 12 XP | Bedrock zombie villagers do not spawn with equipment. Java equipment rules apply only where equipment naturally spawned. |
The adult XP value is the base 5 XP; the extra 1–3 XP is awarded per naturally spawned equipment item. Baby zombie villagers use the 12 XP value rather than the adult calculation.
Planning a reliable curing enclosure
Roof and access
Use a roofed space so daylight cannot burn the zombie villager. Leave enough access to throw a Weakness potion or fire an Arrow of Weakness, then reach the target with the golden apple. Once the particles appear, close the enclosure so the mob cannot wander into danger.
Mob protection
Clear nearby hostile mobs and block paths that could let another creature attack the target. The zombie villager must survive the entire 180–300-second conversion interval.
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Place iron bars and beds in the nearby checking volume if you want to shorten the conversion. Their presence accelerates the timer, but the game can still take several minutes to finish.
Trading-hall placement
If the purpose of the cure is cheaper trading, plan where the villager will stand after conversion. Bedrock’s nearby discount effect uses a 16-block cube, while Java relies on gossip. Keeping the cured villager near the intended trading group makes the discount behavior easier to manage.
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- Using the wrong apple: an enchanted golden apple is not the required item. Use one ordinary, non-enchanted golden apple.
- Applying the apple before Weakness: the conversion starts only when the zombie villager has Weakness and receives the golden apple. Apply Weakness first.
- Leaving the mob exposed: sunlight or another hostile mob can kill it during the timer. Move it under a roof and secure the enclosure before beginning.
- Assuming every cure finishes quickly: 180–300 seconds is the normal range. Iron bars and beds can accelerate the process, but patience is still required.
- Expecting every zombie villager to have a profession: naturally spawned examples can be unemployed or nitwits. That appearance can persist as the villager’s normal state after curing.
- Misreading undead potion effects: Instant Health damages the target, Instant Damage heals it, and Poison and Regeneration do nothing. These effects are not replacements for Weakness.
- Expecting identical discount behavior in both editions: Java uses gossip for the nearby effect; Bedrock uses a 16-block cube. A trading hall designed around one system may not behave the same way in the other.
When to cure versus when to leave a zombie villager alone
Curing is worthwhile when you need a villager’s retained trades or want the permanent discount granted to the curing player. It is also useful when a naturally spawned zombie villager has a profession you want to preserve. The process requires a protected space, a Weakness method, a golden apple, and several minutes of safe waiting.
If the zombie villager is a baby, remember that curing does not make it an adult; it remains a baby afterward. If it is naturally spawned with an unemployed or nitwit outfit, curing does not guarantee a useful trading profession. Those are characteristics to identify before spending resources on the conversion.
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Quick reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How do I start a cure? | Apply Weakness, then use one non-enchanted golden apple. |
| How long does it take? | Normally 180–300 seconds (3–5 minutes); iron bars and beds can accelerate it. |
| Do cured villagers keep trades? | Yes. Mojang’s stated wording is: “Cured zombie villagers retain their trades.” |
| How much XP does one drop? | Adults drop 5 XP plus 1–3 XP per naturally spawned equipment item; babies drop 12 XP. |
| What is the Java spawn chance? | 5% normally, or 20% in old-growth pine taiga. |
| How does Bedrock spawning differ? | Its 5% replacement spawns appear in groups of 2–4. |
