How to Get Dragon's Breath in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Hold empty glass bottles and right-click the purple clouds from the ender dragon's breath attack or its dragon fireballs - each bottle scoops 1 dragon's breath. It brews splash potions into lingering potions, the key to tipped arrows.

What you need

Stacks of empty glass bottles
Ender dragon alive (or 4 end crystals to respawn her)
Armor, healing and slow falling potions
Brewing stand and splash potions

Step by step

Prepare glass bottles: bring a stack or more of empty glass bottles to the End. You can only collect dragon's breath during (or after) a dragon fight.
Wait for the perch: when the ender dragon lands on the exit portal, it uses its breath attack - purple clouds that damage you standing in them. Approach carefully with good armor and healing.
Scoop the clouds: hold an empty glass bottle and use it on the purple breath cloud, just like filling a bottle with water. Each cloud fills many bottles - spam-click while circling the edge.
Use fireball clouds too: the purple clouds left by dragon fireballs can also be bottled, so you can collect even while the dragon is airborne.
Stay safe: the clouds deal damage over time. Keep moving, scoop from the edge, and bring slow falling potions in case the dragon launches you.
Respawn the dragon for more: place 4 end crystals on the exit portal to re-summon the dragon, giving you unlimited dragon's breath per fight.
Brew lingering potions: dragon's breath + any splash potion in a brewing stand makes the matching lingering potion. With 2+ breath in the stand, the glass bottle drops back after brewing.
Craft tipped arrows: lingering potion + 8 arrows in a ring makes 8 tipped arrows - the main reason to stockpile dragon's breath.

Java vs Bedrock

Collection and brewing work identically in Java and Bedrock. The bottle-return quirk when brewing with 2 or more dragon's breath also applies in both editions.

Versions: Dragon's breath was added in Java Edition 1.9 (the Combat Update) and Pocket Edition 1.0.0 (the Ender Update, alpha 0.17.0.1).

Frequently asked questions

How do you collect dragon's breath?

Use an empty glass bottle on the purple clouds from the ender dragon's breath attack (while she perches) or from dragon fireballs. Each bottle becomes one dragon's breath.

What is dragon's breath used for?

One thing: brewing splash potions into lingering potions. Lingering potions leave a lasting effect cloud and are the ingredient for tipped arrows.

Can you get dragon's breath after killing the dragon?

Only by respawning her. Place 4 end crystals on the edges of the exit portal to summon the dragon again and collect more breath in the new fight.

Does dragon's breath hurt you?

The item is harmless, but the purple clouds you harvest it from deal damage over time. Scoop from the edge, keep moving, and bring healing.