How to Cure Zombie Villager in Minecraft BE
Curing a zombie villager permanently slashes its trade prices, often down to 1 emerald per item. On Bedrock a single cure gives the maximum discount, and villagers within 16 blocks also get a smaller one. Here's how to do it.
What You Need
- Splash Potion of Weakness: Brew a Fermented Spider Eye (spider eye + brown mushroom + sugar) into water bottles, then add gunpowder. Alternatively, dip arrows into a cauldron filled with Potion of Weakness to make Arrows of Weakness.
- Golden Apple: one apple surrounded by 8 gold ingots. Also found in dungeon, temple, and mineshaft chests.
How to Cure
- Trap the zombie villager so it doesn't wander off. A 2-block pit, a boat, or a minecart all work.
- Make sure it's covered so it doesn't burn in daylight.
- Throw the Splash Potion of Weakness at it. Grey swirl particles confirm the effect is active.
- Use the Golden Apple on it. It will start shaking and emitting red particles.
- Wait 2 to 5 minutes. Don't hit it. On Bedrock there's no way to speed this up.
Where to Find Zombie Villagers
Zombie villagers have a 5% chance to replace regular zombie spawns. The easiest method is igloo basements, which spawn with a trapped zombie villager, a splash potion of weakness, and a golden apple already there. You can also convert a regular villager by letting a zombie attack it. Play on Hard difficulty for a 100% conversion rate (Normal is 50%, Easy converts nothing).
Bedrock-Specific Differences
- Curing time cannot be shortened with beds or iron bars (that's Java only)
- All zombie villagers look identical on Bedrock regardless of profession
- One cure gives maximum discount on recent Bedrock versions, no repeated zombifying needed
- Villagers within 16 blocks of the cured villager also get a discount
- Discounts are per-player on multiplayer
- Golden apple did nothing: weakness must be applied first. No grey particles means the potion missed.
- Zombie villager died during curing: it was hit by another mob or the player. Keep the area clear.
- No trades after curing: it has no profession yet. Place a job site block nearby.
- Turned into a nitwit: nitwits can't take professions. Try a different zombie villager.
Common Issues
Best Uses
A cured librarian with a lectern can sell Mending books for 1 emerald. Armorer and weaponsmith villagers at master level sell diamond gear for a few emeralds. Farmer villagers buy crops in smaller quantities with the discount, making emerald farming much faster. Cure one villager in a trading hall and everyone nearby benefits.
