How to Get a Potion of Decay in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: The potion of Decay is exclusive to Bedrock Edition and cannot be brewed: get it from the Creative inventory or with commands. It inflicts Wither II for 40 seconds, which can kill anything it hits.

What you need

Bedrock Edition (the potion does not exist in Java)
Cheats enabled or Creative mode
A target worth using Wither II on

Step by step

Open a Bedrock Edition world (mobile, console or Windows) with cheats enabled, or switch to Creative mode.
In Creative, search 'decay' in the inventory: you will find the potion, splash potion, lingering potion and arrow of Decay.
With commands, use /give @s potion 1 44 or the potion feature equivalent for your version to get the drinkable potion of Decay.
Drink or throw it to apply Wither II for 40 seconds (10 seconds for the lingering cloud).
Use splash potions of Decay against tough mobs: unlike Poison, Wither can kill its target and also hurts undead mobs.
In Survival, the closest legal option is the Wither effect itself: fight the wither, touch a wither rose, or eat suspicious stew made with a wither rose.

Java vs Bedrock

Potions of Decay are Bedrock Edition exclusive: they exist in the Creative inventory but have no brewing recipe and cannot be obtained in Survival. Java Edition has no potion of Decay at all. The Wither effect they deliver is stronger than Poison in two ways: it can kill the victim (Poison leaves you at half a heart) and it damages undead mobs like zombies and skeletons.

Versions: bedrock

Frequently asked questions

Can you brew a potion of Decay?

No. Even in Bedrock Edition there is no brewing recipe. It only exists in the Creative inventory or through commands, and Java Edition does not have it in any form.

What is the difference between Wither and Poison?

Wither acts slower per tick but can reduce you to zero hearts and kill you, while Poison always stops at half a heart. Wither also works on undead mobs, which Poison cannot hurt.

How long does the potion of Decay last?

Both the drinkable and splash versions apply Wither II for 40 seconds. The lingering potion cloud applies it for 10 seconds, which is still enough to finish most mobs.