How to Get Mob Heads in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Get a creeper charged by lightning (lightning striking within 4 blocks of it) and let it blow up next to a skeleton, zombie, creeper or piglin. The head drops from one random mob killed. Wither skeletons drop their skull at 2.5%, ancient cities contain skeleton skulls, and end ships hold a dragon head. Player heads are not obtainable in Survival.

What you need

A charged creeper (lightning strike)
Mobs to be blown up
Axe or sword for wither skeletons

Step by step

Charge a creeper: when lightning strikes within 4 blocks of a regular creeper, it becomes charged.
Bring the target mobs next to it: skeletons, zombies, creepers and piglins. A charged creeper's explosion kills them and they drop their heads.
In Java Edition, if one charged creeper explosion kills several mobs, only one random mob drops its head.
For wither skeleton skulls, kill wither skeletons in a nether fortress: each has a 2.5% chance to drop one.
For a skeleton skull without a charged creeper, explore ancient cities, where skeleton skulls generate as part of the structure.
For a dragon head, find an end ship in an end city. A single dragon head generates at the front of the ship.
Wear a head like a helmet. The matching head halves the detection range of skeletons (not wither skeletons), creepers, zombies and piglins, and it stacks with sneaking and Invisibility.
A piglin or dragon head animates when powered by redstone.

Java vs Bedrock

In Bedrock Edition, wearing any head also makes you invisible to other players on a locator map. Zombie, creeper and piglin heads are only obtainable in Survival through a charged creeper; the player head is not obtainable in Survival.

Versions: Check the Mob head page for per-version changes to head drops.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get a zombie head in Survival?

Kill a zombie with a charged creeper's explosion.

How do you charge a creeper?

Lightning striking within 4 blocks of a regular creeper charges it.

Can I get a player head in Survival?

No. The player head is unobtainable in Survival.

What are the chances of a wither skeleton skull?

2.5% per wither skeleton kill.

What does wearing a mob head do?

It halves the detection range of the matching mobs (skeletons, creepers, zombies and piglins) and stacks with sneaking and Invisibility.