How to Get Elytra in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Elytra come only from End ships: beat the dragon, pearl through an End gateway to the outer islands, find an End city with a ship floating beside it, and take the elytra from the item frame in the ship's treasure room.

What you need

Ender pearls
Slow falling potions or water bucket
Food and armor for shulker fights
Ender chest to bank the elytra safely

Step by step

Defeat the Ender Dragon and enter an End gateway with an ender pearl.
Search the outer islands for an End city.
Look for the End ship, a boat-shaped structure floating beside some cities; cities without a ship have no elytra.
Board the ship via the tower bridge or by throwing an ender pearl.
Fight the shulker guarding the treasure room inside the hull.
Take the elytra from the item frame on the wall, and grab the dragon head from the bow.
Equip the elytra in the chestplate slot to glide. Bring them home safely before taking risks over the void, and use rockets without firework stars for flight boosts.
Repair damaged elytra on an anvil with phantom membranes: each membrane restores 25% durability. An anvil can also combine two damaged pairs while preserving enchantments. Apply Mending and Unbreaking with enchanted books on an anvil; elytra cannot be enchanted at an enchanting table.

Java vs Bedrock

In Java and Bedrock, elytra cannot be crafted and are found in an End ship item frame, one pair per ship. Equip them in the chestplate slot and press jump while airborne to glide. Use firework rockets without stars for boosts: rockets with stars can damage you. At 1 durability, elytra stop working but stay in your inventory; repair them rather than searching for a replacement.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note above for differences.

Frequently asked questions

Can you craft elytra in Minecraft?

No. Elytra are found only in an item frame inside End ships on the outer End islands, one pair per ship. There is no recipe and no villager trade.

Why does the End city I found have no elytra?

Only End cities with an End ship floating beside them hold elytra. If your city has no ship, keep searching other cities across the outer islands.

How do you fly with elytra?

Equip them in the chest slot, jump from height, and press jump again while falling to open the wings. Look up to trade speed for altitude, and use firework rockets (without stars) for thrust.

How do you repair elytra in Minecraft?

Use phantom membranes on an anvil; each membrane restores 25% durability. You can also combine two damaged pairs on an anvil while preserving enchantments. Mending repairs elytra using collected experience. Elytra that stop working at 1 durability are not destroyed and can still be repaired.

Do elytra disappear when they break?

No. They stop working at 1 durability, but the item remains. Repair them with phantom membranes on an anvil or with Mending.