You’ve been digging for hours. Your pickaxe is nearly at its breaking point, and your inventory is a chaotic mess of cobblestone, diorite, and maybe a few stray pieces of iron. Then, you see it. That dark, shifting purple texture of a ruined portal or the mossy stone bricks of a stronghold. You’re close. You’re so close you can almost hear the low hum of the void. This is exactly where the Minecraft almost there achievement stops being a goal and starts being a reality.
It's a funny name for an achievement, honestly. "Almost There." It feels like a bit of a tease from Mojang. You’ve done the hard work of locating a stronghold, navigating the labyrinthine corridors, and finally finding that room with the silverfish spawner and the floating frames. But the game reminds you that you haven't actually crossed the finish line yet. You're just standing on the edge of the diving board.
What is the Minecraft almost there achievement anyway?
Let’s get the technicalities out of the way. If you’re playing on Bedrock Edition—that’s Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, mobile, or the Windows version—you’ll see this pop up. Java Edition players have "The End?" as their equivalent advancement. To unlock it, you need to find a Stronghold and throw an Eye of Ender into an End Portal Frame.
Specifically, you need to "complete" the portal.
Most people think finding the stronghold is the achievement. It isn't. You can spend three days wandering through libraries and jail cells in a stronghold and never get the notification. You have to physically interact with the portal frame. If the portal is already partially filled (which happens randomly), you just need to fill the remaining slots. Once that starry, black-as-ink portal surface appears, the achievement triggers. It’s worth 20 Gamerscore or a Bronze trophy, depending on your platform.
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It sounds simple. It isn't always.
The grind to the stronghold
Finding the place is the real hurdle. You need Eyes of Ender. To get those, you’re hunting Endermen in the overworld or the Warped Forest, and then you’re diving into a Nether Fortress to farm Blaze Rods. It’s a multi-step process that forces you to master every dimension of the game before you even get to see the credits.
You throw the eye. It floats up. You follow it.
Sometimes the eye breaks. That’s the worst feeling. You worked hard for that Ender Pearl, and now it’s just... gone. Poof. This is why seasoned players never head out with just twelve eyes. You need fifteen. Maybe twenty. You have to account for the "tax" the game takes for the privilege of guidance.
When the eye finally starts diving into the ground, you know you’re over the structure. Digging down is a gamble. You might land in a library, which is great for enchanted books, or you might drop straight into a pool of lava. Minecraft doesn't care about your feelings. It just cares about the math of the world generation.
Why this achievement matters for your world
Getting the Minecraft almost there achievement is a psychological turning point. Before this, the world feels infinite and aimless. You're just surviving. You're building a house, maybe a farm. But the moment that portal opens, the game shifts into its "endgame" phase.
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It’s about access.
Once you go through, you get access to the End. You get the Dragon egg. More importantly, you get the Elytra. Being able to fly changes how you view your world. Suddenly, that mountain range that took ten minutes to cross is a thirty-second glide. The "Almost There" milestone is the gatekeeper to that freedom.
Common glitches and frustrations
Sometimes, the game breaks. It's frustrating, but it's true.
There are rare instances where a Stronghold generates without a portal room. It’s a literal dead end. You can dig out the entire area and find nothing but stone. If this happens, your only choice is to travel thousands of blocks away to find a completely different Stronghold. It's a massive pain.
Another weird quirk: if you find a portal that is already fully lit—a 1 in a trillion chance where all 12 eyes spawned in the frames—you might not get the achievement just by standing there. You might have to break a frame (in creative) or find another one to "complete" the action of placing an eye. Since you can't break portal frames in survival, a pre-lit portal is both a miracle and a curse for achievement hunters.
How to prep for the final jump
Don't just jump in.
I’ve seen too many people unlock "Almost There" and then immediately die in the End because they weren't ready. The achievement triggers before you enter the portal. Take that second to breathe.
- Check your bed. Set your spawn point right outside the portal room. If the Ender Dragon knocks you off the island into the void, you don't want to walk 2,000 blocks from your main base back to the stronghold.
- Bring glass bottles. Dragon's Breath is an essential ingredient for lingering potions. You can only get it during this fight.
- Water buckets are non-negotiable. If an Enderman gets mad, stand in the water. If you get launched into the air, MLG water bucket the landing.
The psychological pull of the void
There is something haunting about the stronghold. The music changes. The ambient sounds get creepier. It feels like an ancient place that wasn't built for you. Activating the portal and seeing that achievement pop up is a validation of your progress.
It's a "well done, but you're not done yet" pat on the back.
Most players stop after the Dragon. They think they've beaten the game. But the "Almost There" achievement implies that the End is just another beginning. The Outer Islands, the End Cities, and the shulker boxes are where the real utility lies.
If you're stuck and the eyes keep leading you in circles, try the "triangulation" method. Throw an eye, move 200 blocks to the left, and throw another. Where the paths intersect is where the stronghold is. It’s basic geometry, but it saves you from wasting pearls.
Moving forward from the portal
Once you’ve seen the notification, you have a choice. You can hop in and face the boss, or you can use the stronghold as a secondary base. Many players turn the portal room into a fast-travel hub. Since strongholds are usually far from spawn, they serve as excellent markers for expanding your empire.
Pack your gear. Check your armor enchantments. Make sure you have enough arrows—or a high-level Infinity bow. The Minecraft almost there achievement is your final warning. The game is about to get much harder, and much more rewarding.
Go ahead and place that last eye. The void is waiting.
To make the most of this milestone, your next steps should be focused on infrastructure. Secure the portal room by lighting it up completely to prevent mobs from interfering with your travel. Build a small chest area with "death kits"—basic armor and weapons—so you can quickly recover if things go south in the End. Finally, bridge over the lava pools in the portal room to ensure you have a safe path for repeated trips back and forth. This isn't just a one-time visit; it's the start of your endgame logistics.