The Potion of Slowness is a control tool: thrown at a mob or another player, it drags their movement speed down so they cannot chase or escape. It is brewed a little differently from most potions, by corrupting a speed potion rather than brewing it directly. This guide covers the exact steps.
Everything here is confirmed in the current 2026 version of Minecraft (26.2).
Quick answer: brew a Potion of Swiftness (or Potion of Leaping), then add a fermented spider eye to corrupt it into a Potion of Slowness. Add glowstone for Slowness IV (much slower), or gunpowder for a throwable Splash Potion of Slowness.
Potion of Slowness at a Glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Base recipe | Potion of Swiftness/Leaping + fermented spider eye |
| Effect | Slowness: reduces movement speed by 15% |
| Base duration | 1:30 |
| Extended (redstone) | 4:00 |
| Slowness IV (glowstone) | Reduces speed by 60%, 0:20 |
| Splash version | Add gunpowder |
Step 1: Brew a Potion of Swiftness (or Leaping)
Slowness is a corrupted potion, so you start with a positive-movement potion:
- Make an Awkward Potion (water bottle + nether wart) in the brewing stand.
- Add sugar to turn it into a Potion of Swiftness (Speed). A Potion of Leaping (rabbit’s foot) works too, either one can be corrupted into Slowness.
Step 2: Add a Fermented Spider Eye
To make the fermented spider eye, combine a spider eye, brown mushroom, and sugar in your inventory grid.
Put a fermented spider eye in the top slot with your Potion of Swiftness. That corrupts it into a Potion of Slowness (1:30), which slows the target by 15%.
This corruption step is the whole trick: you cannot brew Slowness straight from an Awkward Potion the way you brew most effects.
Step 3: Extend It, Strengthen It, or Throw It
- Redstone dust extends the duration to 4:00. (Brew redstone into the Swiftness potion first, then corrupt it, to carry the longer timer over.)
- Glowstone dust jumps it straight to Slowness IV, which cuts movement speed by a massive 60%, though it only lasts 0:20. This is the version you want for locking something in place.
- Gunpowder makes a Splash Potion of Slowness you can throw. Slowness is only useful when applied to someone else, so the splash version is really the point; throw it at a fleeing player or an approaching mob.
A Stronger Alternative: Turtle Master
If you want extreme slowness combined with damage resistance, brew a Potion of the Turtle Master instead (Awkward Potion + turtle shell). It gives Slowness IV plus Resistance, turning you into a slow but nearly indestructible tank, handy for surviving heavy hits when you do not need to move.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brew a Potion of Swiftness (Awkward Potion plus sugar), then add a fermented spider eye to corrupt it into a Potion of Slowness. You cannot brew Slowness directly from an Awkward Potion.
It reduces movement speed. The base potion slows a target by 15%, and Slowness IV slows them by 60%, making it a control tool for mobs and other players.
Add glowstone dust to a Potion of Slowness. It jumps straight to Slowness IV (60% slower) but the duration drops to 20 seconds.
Not the normal potion. The only other way to get the Slowness effect is the Potion of the Turtle Master, which is brewed from an Awkward Potion and a turtle shell and also grants Resistance.
Add gunpowder to a finished Potion of Slowness. Since Slowness is only useful when thrown at others, most players brew the splash version.
Redstone extends the duration to 4 minutes. Glowstone does the opposite; it makes it stronger (Slowness IV) but shortens it to 20 seconds.
Making a Potion of Slowness is really about corruption: brew a Potion of Swiftness or Leaping, then drop in a fermented spider eye. Add glowstone for a brutal 60% slow, load it into a splash potion, and you have a reliable way to stop mobs and players in their tracks.
