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Minecraft's structures are what make the game feel the most exciting. Each of them typically provides some degree of challenge, with enemies protecting a treasure chest full of loot. With several overground and underground structures in the game and more incoming with the 1.19 Wild update, the future of adventuring in Minecraft is looking bright.
These following dungeons or structures were chosen as the best dungeons in Minecraft to explore, purely because of the value and/or utility of their loot. Loot can also include mob drops from specific enemies that spawn in these locations, as well. But among the best dungeons, which of them have the most valuable loot?
10 Ocean Monument
- Best Loot: Sponges, prismarine, gold blocks
Ocean monuments, though among the top Minecraft dungeons, rank the lowest on this list due to their rather niche loot pool. While it's true that ocean monuments are key to getting some extremely rare items and resources in Minecraft like prismarine and sponges, these items have very limited use.
The only general loot that any player will see use out of are gold blocks, which can be used to trade with Piglins when converted into ingots. Otherwise, sponges and prismarine are only really useful for players who are looking to build underwater and construct a Conduit.
9 Mineshaft
- Best Loot: Enchanted books, Golden Apple, gold ingots, lapis lazuli, diamond, Enchanted Golden Apple
Mineshafts are a very common Minecraft structure found underground, with multiple treasure chests. Some are bigger than others, too, with several cave spider spawners that can be turned into emergency XP farms.
In terms of loot, it's all quite basic but still extremely useful. Enchanted books have a 14% chance of appearing in a chest, which is decent. Moreover, various ores can be found in the chests, too, with beetroot, melon, and pumpkin seeds, which are great early to mid-game items.
8 Ocean Ruins
- Best Loot: Enchanted book, enchanted fishing rod, buried treasure map, emerald
Minecraft's 1.13 update introduced ocean ruins, which spawn in all types of ocean biomes. They usually spawn in groups of several ruined constructions at the bottom of the ocean and are guarded by Drowned mobs.
Several of these structures will feature a treasure chest, which has a 21% chance of having an enchanted book. Treasure maps leading to even better loot have a 43% of being in these chests. Moreover, with fishing being so powerful, these chests have a chance of spawning powerful enchanted fishing rods, too. Given how common they are, these ocean ruins are nothing to scoff at.
7 Jungle Pyramid
- Best Loot: Iron, emerald, gold, diamonds, enchanted book
Those lucky enough to find a jungle biome should comb through it to find a jungle pyramid. These cobblestone structures have two chests on the inside: one at the end of the hallway, and one behind the levers near the stairs.
What makes these such a great structure, despite having a low chance of spawning enchanted books, are the relatively high chances of getting diamonds. At 12.9%, players can expect to possibly find a diamond or two (or three) inside one of the two treasure chests. This makes jungle pyramids powerful early into the game.
6 Nether Fortress
- Best Loot: Diamonds, iron, Nether wart, gold, Blaze rods
Nether fortresses are a staple dungeon for Minecraft players, but not necessarily due to valuables. While it's possible to find diamonds, iron, and gold in some of the chests, overall, the loot remains average among the other dungeons on this list.
The reason it ranks this high is because of its useful loot. Nether wart and Blaze rods are both a must-have to make potions, and to eventually find a stronghold and beat the game. So, technically, no player can avoid going to a Nether fortress if they wish to complete the game.
5 Desert Pyramid
- Best Loot: Enchanted book, emerald, gold, iron, diamond, Enchanted Golden Apple, Golden Apple
Desert pyramids are a grossly underrated dungeon. They're pretty common, as are desert biomes in general, so coming across one won't be a problem for Minecraft players. Moreover, a single pyramid has four chests at the bottom, so there are plenty of chances of getting some sweet loot.
In the early game, it has one of the highest chances of dropping an enchanted book at about 23.5%. It is likely players will actually find their first enchantments in a desert pyramid if they can make it down safely. Moreover, diamonds, emeralds, gold, and other resources are commonly found in these chests, too.
4 Stronghold
- Best Loot: Diamond, enchanted book, emerald, Golden Apple, Ender pearl, iron
Strongholds are very rare and hard to come by without crafting Eyes of Ender. But, if players do find them, they're great for loot. On top of having potentially a chest with an Ender pearl, diamonds, emeralds, and iron, they often come with a library section that has a 67% chance of spawning an enchanted book.
Plus, if players haven't built an enchantment set up by now in the game, mining those bookshelves in the library counts as good loot. Iron gear and iron tools can also be found in some of the altar chests if players are in dire need of new armor.
3 Bastion Remnant
- Best Loot: Ancient Debris, Golden Carrot, Golden Apple, enchanted diamond pickaxe, Netherite scrap, enchanted book, magma cream
Bastion Remnants are one of the hardest dungeons to defeat in Minecraft, and as a result, they also have very valuable loot inside. While it could be argued that they are better than Woodland Mansions due to the possibility of getting Ancient Debris or even Netherite scraps, when compared to guaranteed Totems of Undying drops from a Woodland Mansion, they still rank lower.
Players have a 13.5% chance of finding Ancient Debris, which Netherite scraps are made of. Gold ingots and blocks can also be found in Bastion Remnants, along with Golden Carrots, which are considered one of the best foods in Minecraft.
2 Woodland Mansion
- Best Loot: Golden Apple, Enchanted Golden Apple, diamond chest plate, emeralds Totems of Undying
The general loot of Woodland Mansions and their rarity might weigh their spot down in the eyes of some Minecraft players, but considering that these dungeons guarantee a ton of emerald drops and Totems of Undying, it's hard to argue they would rank lower than second place.
Totems of Undying are one of the most powerful items in Minecraft, allowing players to cheat death when held in hand. That alone goes to show these dungeons are worth the effort. Some versions of the Mansion also contain a diamond block.
1 End City
- Best Loot: Enchanted gear and weapons, diamond gear and weapons, Elytra
When it comes to the best item in Minecraft, there's no question about it: the Elytra. Being able to fly around and travel from one location to another quickly is key in a game with an infinite world and long distances.
The Elytra is also excessively rare, only found in specific End Cities with an End Ship. And if the Elytra itself isn't a reward good enough for players, there's also a whole array of chests inside End Cities featuring no less than enchanted diamond gear and weapons. It's by far the best dungeon to grind for solid enchanted loot.
Minecraft was released on November 18, 2011, and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, and many other platforms.