Lightning Rod
Reason: BE images in gallery, infobox, and invicons; whether it needs sky access to divert lightning or not, is needed.
_JE3.png)
Java Edition
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Bedrock Edition
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Java Edition

Bedrock Edition
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Java Edition

Bedrock Edition
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Java Edition

Bedrock Edition
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| Renewable |
Yes |
|---|---|
| Stackable |
Yes (64) |
| Tool | |
| Blast resistance |
6 |
| Hardness |
3 |
| Luminous |
No |
| Transparent |
Yes |
| Waterloggable |
Yes |
| Flammable |
No |
| Catches fire from lava |
No |
| Map color (JE) |
|
{
"extratext": "[[#Gallery|View all renders]]",
"title": "Lightning Rod",
"images": [
"Lightning Rod (U).png",
"Lightning Rod (U) BE.png",
"Exposed Lightning Rod (U).png",
"Exposed Lightning Rod BE1.png",
"Weathered Lightning Rod (U).png",
"Weathered Lightning Rod BE1.png",
"Oxidized Lightning Rod (U).png",
"Oxidized Lightning Rod BE1.png",
"Powered Lightning Rod (U).png"
],
"rows": [
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"field": "Yes",
"label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
},
{
"field": "Yes (64)",
"label": "Stackable"
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{
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"label": "Tool"
},
{
"field": "6",
"label": "(link to Explosion#Blast resistance article, displayed as Blast resistance)"
},
{
"field": "3",
"label": "(link to Breaking#Blocks by hardness article, displayed as Hardness)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "(link to Light article, displayed as Luminous)"
},
{
"field": "Yes",
"label": "(link to Opacity article, displayed as Transparent)"
},
{
"field": "Yes",
"label": "(link to Waterlogging article, displayed as Waterloggable)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "(link to Flammable article, displayed as Flammable)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "Catches fire<br>from (link to lava article, displayed as lava)"
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{
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"label": "(link to Map color article, displayed as Map color) <small>((link to Java Edition article, displayed as ''JE''))</small>"
}
],
"invimages": [
"Lightning Rod",
"Exposed Lightning Rod",
"Weathered Lightning Rod",
"Oxidized Lightning Rod",
"Waxed Lightning Rod",
"Waxed Exposed Lightning Rod",
"Waxed Weathered Lightning Rod",
"Waxed Oxidized Lightning Rod",
"Lightning Rod BE"
]
}
A lightning rod is a block that diverts lightning strikes. Getting struck by lightning causes it to emit a redstone signal and, if it is not waxed, also reduces its level of oxidation.
Obtaining
Breaking
A lightning rod must be mined with a stone pickaxe or better, or else it drops nothing.
| Block | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 3 | |
| Tool | ||
| Breaking time (sec)[A] | ||
| Default | 15 | |
| 7.5 | ||
| 1.15 | ||
| 0.9 | ||
| 0.75 | ||
| 0.6 | ||
| 0.5 | ||
| 1.25 | ||
- incorrect tool, drops nothing
- correct tool, drops nothing or something other than the block itself
- correct tool, drops the block itself
- italicized can be instant mined
- ↑ These durations ignore other influential factors (e.g., Mining Fatigue) and are measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.
Crafting
| Name | Ingredients | Crafting recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning Rod | Copper Ingot | |
| Waxed Lightning Rod | Matching Unwaxed Lightning Rod + Honeycomb |
Usage
Diverting lightning
Lightning rods can be oriented in different directions. Lightning rods that are the highest block in the column redirect lightning strikes within a spherical volume having a radius of 128 blocks in Java Edition and 64 blocks in Bedrock Edition. The block emits particles during thunderstorms as an indicator. If multiple lightning rods are in range, the closest to the original location of the strike is chosen.
A lightning rod can be struck by lightning when hit by a trident enchanted with Channeling during thunderstorms. In Bedrock Edition, this can happen even if there are solid blocks above the lightning rod blocking rainfall, as long as all the blocks are fully transparent (do not block sky light).
Lightning rods do not divert lightning created by a Channeling trident thrown at an entity, or lightning summoned by commands.
Unlike in real life, a lightning rod doesn't require a direct connection to ground in order to work.
Lightning strikes on lightning rods cannot summon skeleton trap horses.

A lightning rod emits a redstone pulse, and strongly powers the block it's attached to, at level 15 for 8 game ticks (0.4 seconds) when struck by lightning.
Lightning diverted by a lightning rod inflicts lightning damage on mobs within a 6×12×6 volume centered 4 blocks above the bottom center of the lightning rod block (that is, extending 2 below and 9 above).
When a lightning rod is struck by lightning, the lightning has a chance to set fire to the surrounding blocks. in Java Edition, the lightning tries to set fire to a 3×3×3 volume around the air block directly above the lightning rod. Then, fire spawning conditions apply: The block itself must be air and is either on top of a block with a solid full top or is adjacent to a flammable block.
This creates a danger zone of a 2-block radius sphere around the air block directly above the lightning rod (this sphere is all the blocks adjacent to the 3×3×3 volume and the volume itself). However, two blocks within this sphere are never set on fire by the lightning - the lightning rod itself and the block on which it's placed.
Oxidation
Non-waxed lightning rods have four stages of oxidation (including the initial normal state). Lightning bolts and axes can remove the oxidation on lightning rods. They can be waxed with honeycomb to prevent oxidation from progressing.
As the block begins to oxidize (exposed), it gets discolored and green spots begin to appear. As the oxidation continues (weathered), the block is a green color with brown spots. In the last stage (oxidized), the block is teal with several green spots.
Sounds
Generic
copper sound type | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Subtitles | Source | Description | Resource location | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
| Block broken | Blocks | Once the block has broken | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block placed | Blocks | When the block is placed | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block breaking | Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | block | subtitles | 0.25 | 0.5 | 16 | |
| Something falls on a block | Entity-Dependent | Falling on the block with fall damage | block | subtitles | 0.5 | 0.75 | 16 | |
| Footsteps | Entity-Dependent | Walking on the block | block | subtitles | 0.15 | 1.0 | 16 | |
copper sound type | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Source | Description | Resource location | Volume | Pitch |
| Blocks | Once the block has broken | dig | 1.0 | 0.8-1.0 | |
| Blocks | When the block is placed | dig | 1.0 | 0.8-1.0 | |
| Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | hit | 0.3 | 0.5 | |
| Players | Falling on the block with fall damage | fall | 0.4 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Walking on the block | step | 0.3 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Jumping from the block | step | 0.12 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Falling on the block without fall damage | step | 0.22 | 1.0 | |
Unique
| Sounds | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Subtitles | Source | Description | Resource location | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
| Trident thunder cracks | Weather | When a trident with Channeling strikes a lightning rod | item | subtitles | 5.0 | 1.0 | 16 | |
Bedrock Edition: None[1]
Data values
ID
| Name | Identifier | Form | Block tags | Item tags | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
lightning_rod | Block & Item | lightning_rodsmineable/pickaxeneeds_stone_tool | lightning_rods | block | |
exposed_lightning_rod | Block & Item | lightning_rodsmineable/pickaxeneeds_stone_tool | lightning_rods | block | |
weathered_lightning_rod | Block & Item | lightning_rodsmineable/pickaxeneeds_stone_tool | lightning_rods | block | |
oxidized_lightning_rod | Block & Item | lightning_rodsmineable/pickaxeneeds_stone_tool | lightning_rods | block | |
waxed_lightning_rod | Block & Item | lightning_rodsmineable/pickaxeneeds_stone_tool | lightning_rods | block | |
waxed_exposed_lightning_rod | Block & Item | lightning_rodsmineable/pickaxeneeds_stone_tool | lightning_rods | block | |
waxed_weathered_lightning_rod | Block & Item | lightning_rodsmineable/pickaxeneeds_stone_tool | lightning_rods | block | |
waxed_oxidized_lightning_rod | Block & Item | lightning_rodsmineable/pickaxeneeds_stone_tool | lightning_rods | block |
| Name | Identifier | Numeric ID | Form | Item ID[i 1] | Block tags | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
lightning_rod | 567 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -312) | minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructibleminecraft:stone_tier_destructible | tile | |
exposed_lightning_rod | 1314 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -1059) | minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructibleminecraft:stone_tier_destructible | tile | |
weathered_lightning_rod | 1315 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -1060) | minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructibleminecraft:stone_tier_destructible | tile | |
oxidized_lightning_rod | 1316 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -1061) | minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructibleminecraft:stone_tier_destructible | tile | |
waxed_lightning_rod | 1317 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -1062) | minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructibleminecraft:stone_tier_destructible | tile | |
waxed_exposed_lightning_rod | 1318 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -1063) | minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructibleminecraft:stone_tier_destructible | tile | |
waxed_weathered_lightning_rod | 1319 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -1064) | minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructibleminecraft:stone_tier_destructible | tile | |
waxed_oxidized_lightning_rod | 1320 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -1065) | minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructibleminecraft:stone_tier_destructible | tile |
Block states
| Name | Default value | Allowed values | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| facing | up | updownnorthsoutheastwest | The direction that the lightning rod is facing, determined by its anchoring. |
| powered | false | falsetrue | Whether or not the lightning rod is powered. |
| waterlogged | false | falsetrue | Whether or not there's water in the same place as this lightning rod. |
| Name | Default value | Allowed values | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| facing_direction | 0 | 012345 | The direction the lightning rod faces.
|
| powered_bit | false | falsetrue | Whether or not the lightning rod is powered. |
Advancements
| Icon | Advancement | In-game description | Actual requirements (if different) |
|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Surge Protector | Protect a Villager from an undesired shock without starting a fire | Be within 30 blocks of a lightning strike that doesn't set any blocks on fire, while an unharmed villager is within or up to six blocks above a 30×30×30 volume centered on the lightning strike. |
![]() | Wax On | Apply Honeycomb to a Copper block! | Use a honeycomb on any of these 15 waxable copper block variants:
|
![]() | Wax Off | Scrape Wax off of a Copper block! | Use an axe to revert any of these 15 waxed variants of copper blocks:
|
History
Reveal
| October 3, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2020 | |||||||
Java Edition
| Java Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.17 | 20w45a | ||||||
| 20w46a | |||||||
| The range of lightning rods has been increased from 16 blocks to 32 blocks. | |||||||
| 21w05a | |||||||
| 21w10a | Changelog states they can now be waterlogged, though this is not the case. | ||||||
| 21w11a | |||||||
| Lightning rods can now be waterlogged. | |||||||
| Lightning emits particles during thunderstorms as an indicator. | |||||||
| 21w13a | |||||||
| 1.21.9 | 25w31a | Lightning rods now oxidize. | |||||
Added exposed, weathered and oxidized variants of lightning rods. | |||||||
| Lightning rods can be waxed by using honeycomb, producing yellow particles. | |||||||
| Axes can scrape off wax and oxidation of lightning rods, producing white particles. | |||||||
Bedrock Edition
| Bedrock Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.16.210 Experiment | beta 1.16.210.57 | ||||||
| 1.16.220 Experiment | beta 1.16.220.52 | Lightning rods can now be waterlogged. | |||||
| Now emits particles when in contact with rain. | |||||||
| 1.17.0 Experiment | beta 1.17.0.50 | Blocks connected to a lightning rod now correctly conduct redstone signal when the rod is hit by lightning. | |||||
| 1.17.0 | beta 1.17.0.52 | Lightning rods are no longer available only through experimental gameplay. | |||||
| 1.20.30 | Preview 1.20.20.21 | Increased the blast resistance of lightning rods from 3.6 to 6. | |||||
| 1.21.111 | Preview 1.21.110.22 | Lightning rods now oxidize. | |||||
Added exposed, weathered and oxidized variants of lightning rods. | |||||||
| Lightning rods can be waxed by using honeycomb, producing yellow particles. | |||||||
| Axes can scrape off wax and oxidation of lightning rods, producing white particles. | |||||||
| Preview 1.21.110.23 | |||||||
Lightning rods now have the powered_bit block state.
| |||||||
| Lightning rods can now be crafted into waxed variants. | |||||||
Issues
Issues relating to "Lightning Rod" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.
Trivia

/item replace.- According to Minecraft Live 2020, Ulraf had the idea of lightning rods when a lightning strike burned down his wooden house.[3]
- In Minecraft Dungeons, lightning rods can be found atop The Roof of Woodland Mansion being used to create charged creepers.
- If
/item replaceis used to place a lightning rod on a player's head, the item appears upside-down and to the right of their head, somewhat resembling a robot's antenna.[Java Edition only]
Gallery
Renders
Unoxidized
Exposed
Weathered
Oxidized
Powered
Screenshots
-
Range testing in Java 1.17.1. Glowstone marks where lightning struck. -
Range testing in Bedrock 1.17.34, simulation distance 12. Sea lanterns mark lightning strikes. -
Lightning hitting a lightning rod and sending a redstone signal. -
A lightning-struck lightning rod decreasing the oxidizing level of nearby blocks of copper.
Mojang screenshots
-

-
Four stages of lightning rods.
Development images
References
- ↑ MCPE-173931 — Tridents don't make channeling sounds when striking a lightning rod
- ↑ MC-204446 - fixed in 21w05a despite that being an affects version; see comments
- ↑ "Minecraft Live: Caves & Cliffs - First Look @ 29:53" – Minecraft on YouTube, October 3, 2020
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