If you want to pick up the dragon egg in Minecraft, the important thing to know is that you cannot mine it normally. Hitting or mining the egg in Survival or Adventure mode makes it teleport to a nearby location, so the usual way to collect it is to make it drop as an item first, then pick it up like any other block.
What the dragon egg is
The dragon egg is a rare trophy block that appears after you defeat the Ender Dragon for the first time. In Java Edition, only one egg generates on top of the exit portal; in Bedrock Edition, two eggs can generate across your world. The egg is gravity-affected, emits a small light (level 1), and displays black particle effects while floating or teleporting.
It is an epic rarity, stackable up to 64, and can be broken by any tool, but trying to mine it directly usually makes it teleport within a 31×15×31 area. If all nearby air blocks are filled, or if it fails to find a valid air block after 1,000 teleport attempts, it can be mined.
The easiest way to pick up the dragon egg
The most reliable method is the piston method, which prevents it from teleporting.
Steps
- Locate the dragon egg on top of the exit portal in the End.
- Avoid hitting or mining it directly to prevent teleportation.
- Place a piston adjacent to the egg.
- Power the piston with a redstone torch, lever, or other redstone source.
- When the piston pushes the egg, it drops as an item that can be collected safely.
This method is clean and guarantees you won’t have to chase a teleporting egg.
Alternative method: Falling onto a non-full block
You can also use gravity to collect the egg without a piston.
- Place a torch, slab, or other non-full block under the egg.
- Remove the block holding the egg in place.
- The egg falls onto the non-full block and drops as an item.
This works because the dragon egg obeys gravity when unsupported. It does not damage players or mobs, unlike anvils or stalactites, and can be placed back on non-solid blocks without falling.
Important tips
- The dragon egg emits light, but the level is very low (1), so don’t rely on it for illumination.
- Be careful: if you attack the egg, it teleports to a valid nearby air block, and a particle trail marks its movement.
- Explosions will also drop the egg as an item, which can be useful in certain setups.
Quick answer
To pick up the dragon egg in Minecraft, the safest method is to push it with a piston so it drops as an item. Alternatively, let it fall onto a non-full block like a torch or slab. Avoid hitting it directly to prevent teleportation.