No game has changed the concept of monsters and mobs as much as Minecraft has. This is a game that basically made a green block creature with the ability to explode at close range one of the most feared and iconic creatures in the media.
And that's not all. Mojang also came up with the Endermen, tall black figures with purple eyes and strange voices, that wander around the world and occasionally teleports. They're one of the rarest mobs around, and also one of the scariest to fight early on in the game.
10 They Inhabit Every Plane
Most mobs tend to have limitations in terms of where they'll spawn. There's just no way that ghasts will spawn in the Overworld, and zombies usually don't spawn in the Nether. However, this rule is completely broken by the Endermen.
No matter which of the three dimensions the player is in, there's a chance Endermen will spawn. They can spawn in small groups in the Nether, they obviously spawn in singles in the Overworld, and they're in abundance in the End.
9 They Drop Silk Touched Blocks
Endermen have a unique ability to pick up blocks. However, what's interesting is that they'll simply pick up any block as it is without breaking or harvesting it. The best example of this is the grass block, which won't turn into a dirt block.
If the Enderman is killed while holding a block they've picked up, they'll also drop the block in its current state, as if it was mined with a Silk Touch pickaxe.
8 They're Mostly Passive
Endermen are very similar to Zombie Pigmen when it comes to their behavior. They won't attack the player in sight, even if the player walks right into them. They need to be either hit first with a weapon or they need to be looked at.
Keep in mind that looking at an Enderman's limb or body won't do anything. The player's crosshair needs to be on the Enderman's face for it to turn aggressive.
7 They Hate Water
Endermen are weak to all normal types of damage sources, but they have one unique weakness that truly sets them apart from all other mobs: water. Aside from fire mobs who might not fare well in water, Endermen are the only mob that truly hates anything that has to do with water.
It's why during rain, Endermen will often wildly teleport around to avoid getting damaged by the water. Similarly, pouring water next to their feet will cause them to teleport away.
6 They Can Displace Stuff
Earlier, it was mentioned that Endermen could preserve any block in the state they picked it up and drop it as it is. Well, what's even more interesting is that this rule applies to a bunch of different blocks, some of which are particularly surprising.
Enderman can, for instance, pick up TNT blocks, which can make for some really frightening results if they happen to place the TNT down next to a power source.
5 They're Fooled By The Carved Pumpkin
If accidentally looking at Endermen is something the player keeps experiencing, they might want to look for a pumpkin. After harvesting one, they can use shears on the pumpkin to carve it and then place it on their helmet slot to wear it on their face.
This ensures that even if they're looking at Endermen, they won't actually attack the player, which is a great strategy to use, especially in the End.
4 They'll Even Fight The Dragon
Endermen are absolutely fearless creatures, even if they can fall prey to simple things like water. This is proven by the fact that they'll even try to chase the Ender Dragon if she lunges through them during the dragon fight.
Although Endermen can't really do much against the dragon, it's important to keep this in mind when fighting, as players can sometimes mistakenly think the Endermen are chasing after them rather than the dragon.
3 There's A Trick To Killing Them
Early on in the game, Endermen are very tough enemies to deal with, but it's good to start killing them and farming those Ender pearls as soon as possible. To make the job easier, players can use a special strategy to counter their high damage.
Since Endermen are three blocks high, the player can simply stand in a two-block high area, stare at them, and when the Enderman runs after them, whack them from their safe space.
2 They Teleport To Save Themselves
One of the special abilities an Enderman has is teleportation, which can happen pretty randomly and sometimes startle players due to its loud sound cue. The teleportation happens within a roughly 30-block radius, and is entirely random.
There are some conditions the Enderman does take into account, such as any damage taken from the surface, the height of the area, and whether it's a block they can properly stand on.
1 They Play A Strange Sound When Angry
Another aspect that makes Endermen really scary is the terrifying, nightmarish sound that plays in the background when players stare at their faces. This distorted sound can get really loud, but it's a great cue that the player is getting chased by Endermen.
A good thing to note, however, is that this sound will also play at lower volume when another player or the dragon is getting chased by the Enderman. The difference is really the loudness of the sound.