How to Cure a Villager Without Getting Yourself Killed

You've spent hours hunting for the perfect mending book. Maybe you're just tired of paying 64 emeralds for a single bookshelf. Either way, you're standing in front of a shaking, groaning Zombie Villager and wondering if you're actually ready to pull this off.

Knowing how to cure a villager is basically the "intermediate to pro" transition in Minecraft. It’s the difference between being a nomad and being a tycoon. But let's be real: it’s messy. You’re dealing with Splash Potions of Weakness, Golden Apples, and a creature that wants to eat your face.

The first time I tried this, I accidentally punched the villager instead of feeding him the apple. He died. Don't be like me.

The Gear You Actually Need (and Why)

Don't just run out into the night with a sword. You need a specific toolkit.

First, you need a Splash Potion of Weakness. To make this, you’ll need a brewing stand, some gunpowder, and a Fermented Spider Eye. If you’re lucky, you can find a witch who might throw one at you, but honestly, that’s just asking for a headache. Just brew it. If you're playing on Bedrock or Java, the mechanics are mostly the same, but the timing for the transformation can feel like an eternity.

Next, the Golden Apple. Not the enchanted one—don’t waste those. Just a regular one made with eight gold ingots and a standard apple.

Setting the Trap

You can't just chase a zombie villager through a forest. They’re fast. They’re annoying. Sun’s coming up? They’ll burn.

• Build a roof. This is the most common mistake. If the sun hits them halfway through the cure, they’re toast.
• Boats are your best friend. Seriously. If you can lure a zombie villager into a boat, they’re stuck. They can’t move, they can’t reach you easily, and they stay exactly where you want them.
• The Iron Bar Trick. If you place iron bars or bed blocks around the villager during the curing process, it actually speeds up the transformation. It’s a weird quirk of the game's code, but it works.

How to Cure a Villager Step-by-Step

Once you've got your subject trapped and under a roof, it's time for the actual science.

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Throw the Splash Potion of Weakness directly at them. You’ll see those grey "swirlie" particles. That’s your window. Immediately—and I mean immediately—use the Golden Apple on them. You should hear a loud, distinct thunder-like sound, and the zombie will start shaking violently. The particles will turn red.

Now, we wait.

This process takes anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. During this time, the zombie villager is actually stronger than a normal zombie. If you’re playing on Hard difficulty, they can break doors. Keep your distance. I usually just go mine some nearby coal or organize my inventory while I wait for the "pop" sound.

Why Bother with the Risk?

The discounts.

That is the single biggest reason anyone learns how to cure a villager. When you cure a zombie villager, they don't just say thanks; they give you permanent trade discounts. If you do it multiple times to the same guy (by letting a zombie infect him again and re-curing him), you can get trades down to a single emerald.

Think about that. A Diamond Chestplate for one emerald.

Common Pitfalls and "Wait, Why Did He Die?"

If your villager disappears, it’s usually one of three things.

One: You didn't have a roof, and he hit the sunlight.
Two: You're on Easy difficulty. This is a huge trap. On Easy, if a zombie attacks a villager, the villager just dies. 0% chance of conversion. On Normal, it’s a 50% chance. On Hard? It’s 100%. If you’re serious about building a trading hall, play on Hard. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s actually safer for your villagers.

Three: Despawning. If you walk too far away while the curing process is happening, the game might just delete the entity. Stay close. Stay within 32 blocks just to be safe.

The Librarian Gambit

Most players use this trick for Librarians. You want those enchanted books. If you cure a villager and he turns into a Librarian, but he’s selling something useless like "Bane of Arthropods," don't trade with him yet.

Break his lectern and replace it. His trades will reset. You can keep doing this until he offers Mending or Fortune III. Only once you trade with him are his trades locked in forever.

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Transforming Your Game World

Curing villagers isn't just about the items. It’s about the infrastructure. Once you have a few cured villagers, you can start a breeder. Give them enough beds, toss them some bread, and suddenly you have a city.

It changes the way you play. You stop worrying about losing your gear because you can replace a full set of enchanted diamond armor in ten minutes.

Make sure you have a "sally port" or a safe way to move them. Using minecarts is the standard, but lead-roping boats across land is a classic "cheap" way to get them into their permanent housing. Just don't let them wander back into the dark.

Actionable Next Steps

To get started right now, go find a desert or a plain. These biomes make it easiest to spot zombie villagers at night because there's less tree cover. Carry a boat in your hotbar at all times.

1. Gather 8 gold ingots and brew at least 3 Splash Potions of Weakness.
2. Set your game difficulty to Hard to ensure 100% conversion rates if things go sideways later.
3. Build a 3x3 stone hut with a roof and a door before you even go looking for a zombie.
4. Catch the zombie in a boat, pull him into the hut, and start the process.

Once that first villager turns, you've officially broken the game's economy. Enjoy the cheap loot.