Nether Star
Material Stack: 64 Since 1.4.2 (Pretty Scary Update)
Quick answer: Dropped by the Wither: exactly 1 per kill (Java: unaffected by Looting; the drop cannot burn or despawn for 10 minutes).
How to get it
- Dropped by the Wither: exactly 1 per kill (Java: unaffected by Looting; the drop cannot burn or despawn for 10 minutes)
- Summon the Wither with 4 soul sand/soil in a T plus 3 wither skeleton skulls
- Farm wither skeletons in Nether fortresses for skulls (2.5% base, up to 5.5% with Looting III in Java)
Uses
- Craft the beacon (5 glass + 3 obsidian + 1 nether star) for area status effects and a light beam
- Beacons need a pyramid of iron, gold, diamond, emerald or netherite blocks underneath
Renewability
Renewable: the Wither can be summoned and killed repeatedly.
Java vs Bedrock
Nether stars are immune to explosions in both editions. In Java a star dropped by a dying Wither despawns after 10 minutes; in Bedrock it never despawns.
Related: Blaze RodNetherite Ingot